Virtual Stage

The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB) has sold the rights to the Virtual Stage (formerly known as XR Stage) to the Finnish AI company Younite. The National Opera and Younite share the goal of establishing Virtual Stage as a global standard for stage space and production design in the performing arts.

Virtual Stage is an innovative virtual tool for stage design developed by the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. Virtual stages developed according to the concept are already in use in operas in Sweden, Chile, and Bulgaria. The commercial expansion of Virtual Stage does not fall within the core activities of the National Opera and Ballet, which is why Younite will take on the task of selling and commercializing the solution.

Younite is a company of Finnish origin specializing in AI and 3D solutions. It has over one hundred employees in Finland and the United States.

Better quality and lesser carbon footprint

“Thanks to the adoption of Virtual Stage, our carbon footprint has decreased, and the artistic and operational quality of our productions has improved. The solution has attracted significant interest worldwide. We believe that Virtual Stage has the potential to become the standard system in the industry,” says Timo Tuovila, Production Director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

"The Finnish National Opera and Ballet is a visionary adopter of new technologies. Members of Younite's team were involved in building the first version of Virtual Stage, so we know exactly what we are acquiring and are excited to collaborate with Opera. We share a common goal of making Virtual Stage the world’s leading tool for stage design," says Afa Heikkinen, CEO of Younite.

Younite's primary market is the United States, where Heikkinen sees significant potential beyond opera houses.

"In practice, we create a visually high-quality digital twin of the target theater and bring Virtual Stage's functionalities to the opera or theater as needed. The tool’s development will continue, utilizing AI and the USD standard increasingly common in digital twins."

Virtual Stage Brings Creators Together from Around the World

Virtual Stage enables artistic and technical design on a virtual stage. Users can meet and collaborate on a shared virtual platform regardless of their physical location.

"In a production house like the Opera, where stage time is limited both in terms of availability and cost, a virtual stage allows productions to be sketched, fine-tuned, and adjusted efficiently and cost-effectively," adds FNOB Production Director Timo Tuovila.

The functionalities go beyond set design to include lighting and video design, as well as the ability to integrate performers into plans using motion capture technology. This flexible tool is compatible with both conventional devices and virtual reality headsets. Initially built on the Unreal game engine, it is now being developed to comply with the USD format.

FNOB began research and development on Virtual Stage in 2018 as part of the Opera Beyond project funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. In 2022, with support from the FEDORA Next Stage grant, the tool’s development was completed, and it was brought into production use.

Currently, FNOB is running a project funded by the EU Structural Fund for the renewal of the cultural and creative sectors, which will continue until the end of May. The goal of this project is to model the public spaces of the Opera House and explore applications for audience use, such as guiding accessible routes and offering virtual tours of the facilities.

For more information:
Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Production and Technical Director Timo Tuovila, tel. +358 40 726 8500, timo.tuovila@opera.fi
 

Younite-AI Oy, CEO Afa Heikkinen, tel. +358 50 560 9640, afa@younite.ai

Media images: Anton Sucksdorff https://mediapankki.oopperabaletti.fi/xrstage