Who Shot Rock & Roll - Film Review
by Karen Pecota

Produced and directed by Steven Kochones

A presentation of The Annenberg Space for Photography

The eye of the camera and the artist working with the tool is in part what makes Rock & Roll music so popular. Kochones shares an account of the powerful impact photography has had on the music scene beginning in 1950s. It can be said even of today that without the photographer performers could not rise to such fame.

A special portion of the film shares Linda McCartney's role in preserving the history of the rock industry. Her own photography has been vital to the documentation of the era according to her daughter Mary McCartney who explains in Kochones' narrative.

The photographers who shot the musicians since the 1950s worked hard to capture unique images of each performer--solo or group. It was important to iconize them and tell their story. The key to keeping each performer alive before the public is the special usage of visual imagery. Who were these people that made the musicians become so popular back in the day?  The musicians needed access to the photographer but it was costly. Kochones reveals that in the early days of rock & roll bands it was difficult to make it without quality photos for promotion. Today one cannot survive without video materials, websites, Facebook pages, twitter accounts, and graphic designers. The photographers initially make the musicians...Who Shot Rock & Roll The Film tells how it happens and the artists that paved the way for musicians to be in the limelight.