Sound City (2013)

A documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.

Director:

Dave Grohl (as David Grohl)

Writer:

Mark Monroe

Stars:

Trent Reznor, Tom Petty, Mick Fleetwood

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Vinny Appice	...	Himself
Joe Barresi	...	Himself
Brian Bell	...	Himself
Frank Black	...	Himself
James Brown	...	Himself
Lindsey Buckingham	...	Himself
Mike Campbell	...	Himself
Tim Commerford	...	Himself
Kevin Cronin	...	Himself
Rivers Cuomo	...	Himself
Warren Demartini	...	Himself
Mick Fleetwood	...	Himself
John Fogerty	...	Himself
Neil Giraldo	...	Himself
Christopher Allen Goss	...	Himself

Storyline

The history of Sound City and their huge recording device; exploring how digital change has allowed 'people that have no place' in music to become stars. It follows former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl as he attempts to resurrect the studio back to former glories.

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Taglines:

Real to reel.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Grad zvuka

Filming Locations:

Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$62,842, 3 February 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$422,417, 20 December 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Therapy Content, Roswell Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

David Grohl: Why can't it always be this easy?
Paul McCartney: It is.

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Connections

Referenced in Chelsea Lately: Episode #7.20 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Almost There
Written by Mitchell Townsend
Performed by Mitchell Townsend

User Reviews

Must see for music fans on many levels

If you're on this page, you should check it out. The style of the movie is fast-paced, cool graphics, and testimonials from rock/punk musicians.

It's got a couple of major themes: Analog vs Digital = how music made today with pro tools and digital recording eliminates the human element. There are some 'pros' to the digital era: it's easier for people to make music, less expensive, more 'perfection' The movie discusses though endless and endless takes artists like Tom Petty had to do to achieve a 'perfect' recording, which has imperfections that make them classic.

The movie also takes you through the crazy history of Sound City recording studio. I'm always looking for interesting business stories and this film provides that. Not to often you 'connect the dots' with Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, and Nirvana. I also liked learning about how a studio works, from the 'runner' to the producer. That fascinates me.

The final part of the movie is recording of the Sound City soundtrack. The one criticism I have is it trashes pro tools but says Trent Reznor uses them more artistically but never explains how.

Finally, one thing I realized is that musicians are some of the best entrepreneurs we have. They take HUGE risks that can have huge rewards/payoffs. They also think big. The idea of 'Nirvana' was a bigger, longer lasting, and had more impact than a new line of Tide or a soft drink.