Work In Progress

Work In Progress is a DVD by Linkin Park and is a documentary released as a part of the Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition) in April 2023.

Background

"Work In Progress" was created as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of Meteora. Unlike The Making Of Meteora, the 2003 documentary that accompanied the original release of the album Meteora, "Work In Progress" was produced almost two decades later from archival footage filmed during the album's original creation. Mark Fiore, the videographer who worked extensively with Linkin Park since the band's early years, recorded a large amount of material during the songwriting and recording sessions for Meteora as well as documenting different stages of the band's activity between 2001 and 2003. The material featured on the DVD spans everything from the early stages of pre-production and songwriting in the band members' home studios to recording sessions at NRG Studios, photo shoots, music video shoots, rehearsals, and various stages of the Meteora World Tour. The documentary was conceived to provide a more comprehensive, retrospective look at the Meteora era. While The Making Of Meteora primarily presents a narrative contemporaneous with the album's creation, "Work In Progress" utilizes a significant amount of archival footage that had remained unreleased for years. The release also offers insight into the evolution of various songs and projects associated with Meteora, and shows the band working in different settings before, during, and after the main recording sessions. One of the documentary's highlights is the footage recorded at The Stockroom, Mike Shinoda's home studio. There, the band can be seen working on a composition known to fans for years as "Wizard Song". The piece would later evolve through various versions—including "Resolution"—before finally becoming "Lost", a song officially released as part of Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition). The DVD also contains material related to the making of the music videos for "Somewhere I Belong", "Numb" and "From The Inside" as well as footage of rehearsals and performances from various stages of the Meteora Tour.

Composition

"Work In Progress" consists of footage shot by Mark Fiore and additional material recorded by Bill Berg-Hillinger and Linkin Park. The documentary does not focus exclusively on the album's recording process. Instead, it presents a combination of:

Composition and pre-production sessions.
Recordings made in the band members' home studios.
Recording sessions at NRG Studios.
Photoshoots for Meteora.
Music video shoots.
Tour Rehearsals.
Behind-the-scenes material
Concert images.
The band's travels and everyday moments.
Material related to LP Underground.
Images corresponding to Projekt Revolution, Summer Sanitarium, Europe '03 and Australia & Asia '03.

The documentary also contains scenes that were subsequently used in or linked to LPTV material. "Work In Progress" includes additional footage that had not previously appeared in released LPTV episodes. The value of this DVD lies in the wealth of archival material that remained unreleased for years. It also offers a glimpse of Linkin Park during one of the most pivotal creative periods of their career, as the band transitioned from the massive exposure gained with Hybrid Theory to the creation and subsequent promotion of Meteora. "Work In Progress" also documents the evolution of songs, concepts, and audiovisual productions that would ultimately shape the identity of the Meteora era. The inclusion of material related to "Wizard Song", "Resolution" and "Lost" is particularly significant, given that "Lost" was finally released officially twenty years after it was recorded, becoming one of the key previously unreleased tracks recovered for the anniversary edition.

Release

"Work In Progress" was released on April 7, 2023, as part of "Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)". The DVD is one of three documentaries included on the first DVD of the anniversary edition. The other two are "The Making Of Meteora", directed by Bill Berg-Hillinger and Linkin Park, and "The Art of Meteora", directed by James Minchin III. The anniversary edition presents "Work In Progress" as a standalone documentary with a runtime of approximately 64 minutes.

Included Material

The DVD contains material from various moments of the Meteora era, organized around the following stages:

PRE-PRODUCTIONS - HOME STUDIOS: This section showcases the initial composition and pre-production stages carried out in the band members' personal studios. It offers a glimpse into the development of the songs before they were taken to professional recording sessions. A highlight is the material related to "Wizard Song", a track that evolved through various stages, known successively as "Resolution" and finally "Lost"
ALBUM RECORDING - NRG STUDIOS: Images of Linkin Park during the Meteora recording sessions at NRG Studios. This section shows the band members working on various elements of the songs and offers a more in-depth look at the album's production process.
METEORA ALBUM - PHOTO SHOOT: Material related to the photographic sessions carried out during the production and promotion of Meteora.
SOMEWHERE I BELONG - VIDEO SHOOT: Behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the music video for "Somewhere I Belong", the album's first single.
METEORA WORLD TOUR - REHEARSALS: Material from the rehearsals conducted by the band prior to the start of their performances for the Meteora cycle.
LP UNDERGROUND TOUR - EUROPE '03: Images from the LP Underground 2003 European tour during February and March.
PROJEKT REVOLUTION - US TOUR '03: Footage filmed during Linkin Park's participation in Projekt Revolution in the United States in April 2003.
NUMB - VIDEO SHOOT: Behind-the-scenes footage from the production of the "Numb" music video.
SUMMER SANITARIUM - US & CANADA TOUR '03: Footage from the 2003 Summer Sanitarium tour across the United States and Canada during July and August.
FROM THE INSIDE - VIDEO SHOOT: Material related to the filming of the "From The Inside" music video.
METEORA TOUR - EUROPE '03: Images from the European leg of the Meteora tour, spanning late August and early September.
METEORA TOUR - AUSTRALIA & ASIA '03: Material from the Australian and Asian legs of the Meteora tour during the month of October.

Personnel

Linkin Park

Chester Bennington: Vocals
Mike Shinoda: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Brad Delson: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell: Bass Guitar
Joseph Hahn: Turntables, Sampling, Programming
Rob Bourdon: Drums, Backing Vocals

Gallery

Trivia

External Links

References