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!