Virtual stage and lighting setup for Duke Bluebeard's Castle.

The Royal Opera House (ROH) underwent an extensive program of refurbishment during 1997-2000. The objective was to achieve a more accessible theater, not only in terms of its physical structure and public appeal, but also in its production capabilities, including lighting design. In the past this required a full crew and hours of work to program the 200 moving lights over the stage.

Image representing set design process for Sleeping Beauty, from wireframe model to virtual stage to live performance.

Using NVIDIA technology, ROH created a virtual stage where lighting and set changes can be designed and animated with the click of a mouse. The accurate virtual reproduction creates a dedicated environment for production designers to test possible setups before a single light is hoisted. The virtual stage has all the properties of its real counterpart, enabling designers to move lights, see shadows, and create special effects.

The virtual stage can be viewed from the perspective of any seat in the house, allowing designers to evaluate their work from the audience's perspective before it goes live. ROH's David Harvey comments: "This technology doesn't just save time and money—it has actually improved the artistic content of our productions. Our relationship with NVIDIA is helping us to cement the Royal Opera House's position at the cutting edge of theater technology."

More Information
For more information, please visit: www.royalopera.org.

Images courtesy of Royal Opera House.