The film documents the band's history and the recording process for their seventh studio album Wasting Light.

The film includes material taken from over 1,000 hours of historical and new footage, and interviews with the current members of Foo Fighters, former bandmembers William Goldsmith and Franz Stahl, and producer Butch Vig.

Frontman Dave Grohl has said the main inspiration for the film was the decision to record Wasting Light in the garage of his mansion in Encino, California – "Personally, I thought it would be a good idea to now tell the story of the last 16 years, so it would make more sense to watch us make a record in a garage.

The first session was followed by a surprise Foo Fighters live performance, which included the entirety of Wasting Light in its setlist.

[4] On 12 February 2012, the documentary won a Grammy Award in the Best Long Form Music Video category.