Lady Gaga: A Star Is Born shot on lithium, today she manages anxiety on stage

On A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga filmed in the middle of crowds. Bradley Cooper, then a young director, sought raw realism. As a result, the story was written between concert scenes and moving set, with an intensity rarely captured by fiction.

Filming in the heart of the crowds

In spring 2017, the team set up its cameras at real festivals. The set-up extends to Coachella and Glastonbury, with very real constraints. Lady Gaga performs without a net, in front of a real, unpredictable audience. In this way, the energy of the stage feeds every shot Cooper seeks out.

Here, the vocals are performed live, without playback, to match the experience. For Lady Gaga, this choice imposes a rare rigor and meticulous breath control. What’s more, the takes are kept short to avoid any sound leaks and preserve the original. The film will be released in 2018, after a careful and precise editing phase.

Spectators become extras for a few minutes on camera. Silence is requested, then the phones are put away to protect the songs. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper take advantage of this to shoot key shots, as close as possible to the returns. In this way, the line between concert and fiction becomes very fine.

“Nothing replaces the momentum of a real crowd when filming music.”

Coachella, Glastonbury and the school of reality

On these stages, the set-up has to be lightning-quick and unobtrusive. Bradley Cooper sometimes takes to the stage before a scheduled set, to save time. As a result, he gets authentic reactions, without ponderous repetition or fixed choreography. Lady Gaga follows suit with stage ease and constant listening.

In the UK, a few key shots are captured at high speed between two concerts. The engineers mix live to keep the vocals clean and unadulterated. In addition, musicians and technicians adapt the tempo to the camera and lighting. Lady Gaga coordinates her entrances with the sound and image team to stay in tune.

• Partial filming at active festivals in 2017
• The film will be released in 2018 after a demanding editing process
• Scenes captured in the midst of a real, silent audience
• Live singing for authenticity
• Anti-leakage procedures to protect securities

A method designed for authenticity

This choice of shooting aims for tangible musical realism, sensitive to the ear. The microphones pick up breathing, footsteps, sweat and even stage air. Lady Gaga accepts the unexpected, because stage truth takes precedence over comfort. As a result, spectators feel the adrenalin of live performance as if they were there.

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The shoot also relies on meticulous logistics and precise location scouting. What’s more, the cameras stay close to the returns, but out of the artists’ line of sight. Lady Gaga varies the microphone angles to preserve accuracy and limit fade-outs. The image then benefits from credible stage lighting, already calibrated for the concert.

What the music film industry remembers

This method inspires other projects, from music videos to biopics, albeit cautiously. As a result, producers and directors are relying more on live recordings, even partial ones. Lady Gaga has helped put this standard back at the center of set discussions. As a result, the performance becomes the driving force behind the story, rather than an ornament.

The audience, too, learns to play the game of silence. From now on, fewer visible telephones, more shared concentration and complicity. On the other hand, security and confidentiality remain a constant challenge for the teams. The balance is built, date after date, scene after scene, without respite.

Cultural impact and sustainable reception

The gamble paid off on release, with a strong reception. The song Shallow won an Oscar in 2019, buoyed by a powerful performance. Lady Gaga combines her voice with a tragic love story rooted in reality. As a result, the film gains an aura beyond theaters and charts.

Word-of-mouth ensures the longevity of the title and the film over time. What’s more, the tour that follows maintains the link with fans and prolongs the emotion. Lady Gaga reinforces her status as a transversal artist, from studio to screen, without a break. As a result, the boundaries between scenes are further blurred, and her identity asserts itself.

Today, this shoot serves as a benchmark for filming live music. Teams often cite this approach as a way of thinking about live performance and commitment. Lady Gaga embodies the demands, but also the sharing, very much rooted in the scene. In short, cinema gains a simple, legible and lasting emotion.

• Lady Gaga