Opera and theater productions thrive on the worlds created on the stages. Yet, a good stage design not only has to reflect the artistic concept of the director but above all, it has to be functional. Up to now, it was common practice at opera houses and theaters to develop stage designs directly on the stage with so-called mock-ups in the course of construction rehearsals in order to evaluate the fulfillment of requirements such as practicable assembly and disassembly, ideal lighting, or the consideration of all visual axes under real conditions. Especially in opera, however, the stage is the most precious resource and time for construction rehearsals is limited. Here, the translation of the stage space into a highly detailed virtual 3D copy opens up completely new possibilities for planning stage design as if it were real, detached from the actual stage.
Virtual reality has already been used for a long time in countless training and planning scenarios to test real-life scenarios in virtual space. In close collaboration with the technical department of the Vienna State Opera, researchers of our Multiple Senses Group have now developed a VR visualization solution for scenography that offers a cost-effective and comparatively inexpensive alternative in the field of stage design: detached from the real stage, and de facto also from time and space, virtual reality makes it possible to plan 3D stage sets even down to the smallest detail.
Through VR stage designs, the development of scenery can henceforth be carried out by different participants at different locations around the world. In addition, it is quite easy to transmit 3D stage models to other venues, allowing them to have a look at them in VR and adapt them to their own requirements. Or an opera singer who is still in a previous engagement can familiarize herself with the VR stage models by using VR glasses and contribute remotely without actually being on-site.
Vienna State Opera
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