A New Standard in Stage Design, Opera, and Theater Production

Stage design and theater production are crucial components of live performances, transforming creative visions into unforgettable experiences. But behind the scenes lies a number of challenges, from tight budgets and limited stage time to collaboration barriers and sustainability concerns. Born to address these obstacles, Younite Virtual Stage was developed with the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, setting a new standard in stage design and theater production.

Key Takeaways

• Younite Virtual Stage is a stage design tool developed specifically for the performing arts.
• Using a photorealistic digital twin of the target theater, Virtual Stage allows users to visualize performances long before production even begins. 
• Productions using Virtual Stage experience improved artistic quality, seamless collaboration, new revenue opportunities, and more.

Why was Virtual Stage created for stage design, opera, and theater production?

The idea of Virtual Stage was created by the technical team of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet— professionals who know firsthand the unique struggles of the performing arts. 

“The artistic and technical processes for opera, ballet, and theater productions have largely been unchanged for the past few hundred years. Although 3D lighting softwares like wysiwyg exist, they aren’t photorealistic or intuitive enough to use, so creative teams and technical departments still rely heavily on 1:25 scale models,” says Timo Tuovila, Production Director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. 

Beginning development in 2018, Virtual Stage was developed to tackle these pain-points head on by enabling artistic and technical design on a virtual stage. 

“Virtual Stage is a game changer in this long history of theater production. Now, for the first time ever, creative teams can virtually jump on stage and explore different alternatives, both artistically and technically, years before the performance even premieres.”

How can Virtual Stage improve stage design, opera, and theater production?

Virtual Stage revolutionizes stage design and theater production by offering an innovative way to enhance creativity, collaboration, and efficiency. Below are key ways Virtual Stage is setting a new standard in the performing arts:

Improved Artistic Quality

Virtual Stage empowers directors and designers to explore a wide range of creative possibilities, all without the constraints of physical space or time. Teams can refine their visions by iterating and testing multiple ideas in a virtual space. 

Better Communication

At its core, Virtual Stage is a communication tool for planning a performance. It enables artistic and technical design on a virtual stage. Users can meet and collaborate on a shared platform, regardless of their physical location.

“Imagine trying to explain your stage design to a director halfway across the world,” says Laura Olin, Younite’s Chief of Staff who has been involved with Virtual Stage since 2018. “Instead of holding up sketches over a video call, or moving cardboard models around, what if everyone could step into the design and experience it firsthand together?”

Unlimited Stage Time

Stage time is one of the scarcest resources in production. Virtual Stage is a photorealistic tool that lets you plan as much as needed in the virtual platform. Its functionalities go beyond set design to include lighting and video design, as well as the ability to integrate performers using motion capture technology.

Revenue From Renting

Finding money to fund performances can be tough. Virtual Stage lets productions maximize their assets and earn revenue by renting out their sets, props, costumes, stage directions, lighting, and videos. Its easy modification capabilities make these assets adaptable for other stages, which is especially impactful for co-productions between international opera houses.

“Right now, we are preparing for Don Carlos, which is set to premiere in Helsinki in a few weeks,” shares Timo Tuovila. “Don Carlos first premiered in Copenhagen, where it was manufactured, and will be heading to the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet next. Without Virtual Stage and its renting capabilities, adapting the opera to these different houses would have been far more difficult and expensive."

Increased Sustainability

Virtual Stage minimizes travel, logistics, and waste accumulation. Designing set prototypes can include technical, functional, or artistic mistakes that typically go unnoticed until onstage, about six weeks before premiere. Making changes is feasible but can eat up costs and resources, and increase the carbon footprint. By identifying potential flaws early, Virtual Stage helps productions minimize or avoid these mistakes altogether. 

The Future of Virtual Stage

The potential of Virtual Stage goes even further. As more and more live performance spaces adopt the tool, a network of virtual stages will emerge. This could transform how productions around the world are planned:

• Global collaboration: A director in Los Angeles could easily visualize how a London production fits on their stage. Will every performer be visible from the back row? Virtual Stage provides the answers. 
• Increased rentability: Productions store countless props, costumes, and more. With Virtual Stage, productions can rent out their digital assets globally, reducing production costs while creating new revenue opportunities.
• Seamless co-productions: Virtual Stage can simplify the complexities of co-productions by using a digital twin of each opera house involved. This ensures that sets can be adapted to different venues, no matter the stage size or machinery. 

Tell Your Story with Younite Virtual Stage

Younite Virtual Stage was created to bring live performance production planning to the next level. It allows users to collaborate from anywhere, at any time using mobile, desktop or XR. Developed for Unreal Engine and now in USD format, this platform enables high-quality visualization. By streamlining collaboration and minimizing reliance on traditional scale models, users can bring their ideas to life long before production even begins.

Interested in telling your story with Virtual Stage? Let’s start a conversation today.