Moby-Dick update

Here is a nice article reviewing Mob-Dick.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Moby-Dick-review-Opera-as-big-on-TV-as-on-stage-4937277.php

Moby-DIck on PBS this Friday!

San Francisco Opera announced the Company’s presentation of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s award-winning opera Moby-Dick, will be broadcast nationwide on Great Performances on Friday, November 1, 2013 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

This live-to-tape broadcast is produced by San Francisco Opera’s resident production team in collaboration with WNET using San Francisco Opera’s own high-definition (HD) media facilities to capture Moby-Dick’s dramatic stage action and critically acclaimed musical score. The HD taping of Moby-Dick is video-directed by Frank Zamacona, a veteran video director of more than 42 stage productions for San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. 

Opera Vision at the San Francisco Opera

OperaVision – Summer 2013

As the resident video director at SF Opera, I had the opportunity and privilege of directing the summer operas for OperaVision and future distribution.  Capturing these operas not only takes a lot of preparation and coordination with one’s score, crew and other departments of the opera but also the audience.  That’s right, the paying customers who watch OperaVision.  

OperaVision has been around since 2007 and was the brainchild of General Director David Gockley.  OperaVision has been a great idea along with the ballpark simulcasts.  OperaVision is shot live with our complement of 11 cameras.  Besides OperaVision, we broadcast live simulcasts and capture for DVD’s, theatrical as well television releases like Moby-Dick which will air on PBS on Nov. 1 (check your local listings) In this blog, I am going to talk about OperaVision.

As many OperaVision audience members know the San Francisco Opera covers three and sometimes four opera performances for each opera title. This summer’s Tales of Hofmann had us covering it four times and Cosi Fan Tutte and Mary Magdalene three.

Each of these three operas had their own challenges.  One important element to any director is that you always want to keep your audience in mind.  My job is to tell the story.   Since the beginning of OperaVision (2007) camera operator Doug Hunt and I have ventured up to “our people,” in the balcony and asked them their opinion of our coverage. 

Throughout the years we have questions like;  “What are your thoughts regarding OperaVision, good or bad.”  In the first year, we got an affirmative 60 per cent.  Over the years, the affirmative vote has climbed to 90 percent. The remaining 10 percent like it but still prefer to see it with their opera glasses or live.

Here are some of the responses during the summer of 2013:

1  “Love it, we changed our subscription to sit up here.  The close-ups are great.”

2   “It’s great not only seeing the close-ups but also seeing the super titles on the screen , it really helps.”

3   “You really tell the story.”

4   “This was my first time coming to the opera and the OperaVision really helps.”

5   “My wife and I love the OperaVision and the directing is spot on.” His wife said  “Almost of the time.”

6  “I love sitting in the balcony for the music and now I get to see the close-ups.”

7   “I am glad that there are cameras because I cannot see the set and action when it is way upstage.”

8    From a couple from Los Angeles: “I come to all the OperaVision’s and this time I brought my wife.”

9  “Many audience members wish that SF Opera would have OperaVision for every performance.”  (Note: We did every other performance the first year just so we could work out the bugs) budgetary considerations have limited us to offering only 3 to 4 per each opera.

Some critical remarks were:

1   “The projection sometimes does not match the color on stage.” (Note: sometimes the stage lighting uses different types of lighting for live effect and in HD Video we color correct for skin tones)

2   “I would rather see it live.” (From a person who uses opera glasses)

So there you have it a tiny sample of our unofficial surveys .  This season you may see Doug and I ask for your opinion.  If you have never been to an  Opera before, Opera Vision  might be for you.  Thanks for watching!

Live Simulcast tomorrow

I will be directing the live simulcast to Stanford's Frost Amphitheater tomorrow night.  If you are in the Bay Area, check it out, it's free!  Here is the link for more info http://live.stanford.edu/event.php?code=SFOM
I am still tweaking my score adding more shots, taking away shots.  Never satisfied till the bitter end :)!

3 Days to Live Simulcast to Frost Amphitheater

Worked on more blocking today in Act 3.  Picking out my closeups carefully getting the most impact.  I Choosing the right camera and angle to tell the story is like making the right chess move.  At SF opera we have 11 cameras and 4 camera ops so everyone has at least 2 cameras at a time.  2 of the 11 are static.  It involves strategy and a little bit of juggling.  

5 Days to Live Simulcast to Frost Amphitheater on Oct 11.

Yesterday we captured and rehearsed the final dress for the cast and musicians of SF Opera's, Falstaff.   Tomorrow we will review it with the cameras operators.  We had a couple of bad lens'.  Sent them off to Fujinon.  Hopefully they will be fixed in time for the simulcast.  Another great show and if all goes (technically well) the 8,000 attendees will be entertained by a great story and music.

Had a great time last night.  Looking forward for the feedback from audiences from Europe.
My crew was terrific and the cast was fantastic!

Me(White shirt), score reader , Micah and Josh, TD.

Camera crew Gerry, Ray, and Mike.

Countdown......

Tonight's the night.  We are set to go live to Europe and 92 theaters.   SF Opera's Mephistofeles is a great opera and I hope the publicity is good and people will fill the Movie Houses.  Thanks to everyone for their help on this project.