“Working with David is an absolute honour, not only is he one of the most talented musicians of our time, but he is also a wonderful human being,” Elder said, about collaborating with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David Gilmour.
The acclaimed director continued, “I’ve worked very closely with David & Polly on all aspects of the project. The ‘Live At Pompeii’ journey started with extensive planning and then, in July of 2016, we filmed the shows. The post-production, took a further year and then collectively we tackled the artwork and packaging design. David & Polly were very hands-on and they were involved in every step of the process.”
On his plans for the future, Elder said, “I’m working on a documentary film where music collides with fashion. We follow the journey of a key figure in the musical fashion world. It is still in the development phase but is shaping up nicely.”
For aspiring directors, Elder’s advice is as follows: “Shoot as much as you can, no matter what the format or camera, just shoot and edit. Some of my most memorable work was done on really low spec gear.”
Regarding his proudest professional accomplishments, Elder revealed, “I filmed David Bowie in his dressing room backstage at the Royal Albert Hall and David Gilmour popped his head around the corner and I captured a wonderful, spontaneous interaction between the two of them. Later that night, David Bowie sung ‘Comfortably Numb’ as David’s surprise guest, it was beyond spectacular. Attending the premier of ‘Live At Pompeii’ in London’s Leicester Square with David was another career highlight.”
Digital transformation of entertainment industry
On the impact of technology on the entertainment industry, he said, “I was discussing with Adrian Maben, the director of Live at Pompeii 1971 how much has changed since he directed Pink Floyd at Pompeii 45 years ago. The size of the gear has changed, having a tiny drone buzzing around filming the arena would have been unimaginable in 1971, but in another way nothing has changed, people connect with live music on a deep emotional level and we’ve always had that relationship with music.”
As a filmmaker, Elder avidly uses technology on a daily basis. “I’m always trying out new cameras, lenses and audio gear. It’s a constant journey, one that will never end,” he admitted.
For David Gilmour’s fans, he concluded about the “Live at Pompeii” collection, “The DVD deluxe version comes with a number of documentaries and extra live performances. I hope people will enjoy the insight into David Gilmour the artist, but also David Gilmour the person.”
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed David Gilmour’s Live at Pompeii collection.
