An Experiment in High Definition

During the final days before the premiere of Swan Lake, preparations for an entirely different kind of production were underway: a live HD recording of the new ballet. The filming was part of an experiment funded in part by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. SF Ballet wanted to determine whether it was possible to capture dance utilizing the existing Opera House technical infrastructure installed by the San Francisco Opera.

Film crew at their stations in the Opera House media suite during a test filming of Swan Lake.

Normally up to 10 robotic cameras are controlled by operators in the media suite, a control room found in the upper reaches of the Opera House.  In order to modify the system for dance, the robotic cameras had to be repositioned to replicate the viewing angle of a audience member in the orchestra level.  Also, to ensure every jeté was recorded, the cameras were mounted on tripods and controlled manually.

Just a few hours before the opening night, I sat in the back of the media suite and watched Director Frank Zamacona oversee the taping of the final dress rehearsal. The room was dark save for the dozens of monitors showing various live camera feeds and technical readouts. The Tchaikovsky score filled the room, accompanied regularly by Frank’s directions to the camera operators in the house.  I wanted to watch all the activity in the suite but I found my eyes constantly drawn to the monitors and the extraordinarily crisp HD video of our dancers performing live a few floors down.

The experiment went remarkably well and the lessons, as well as the video footage, will be invaluable as SF Ballet continues to explore new ways to share our art form. Keep an eye out for HD excerpts of the Swan Lake test in the near future.

Director Frank Zamacona gives direction to the camera operators as media consultant Judy Flannery looks on during the final minutes of Swan Lake. Click for a close up.