Sydney Opera House light years ahead with magical AV sync tech

Challenge

Sydney Opera House commissioned our Group Director, Creative Services Sam Doust, to create a film and sound experience that captured the history of the building. It was to be the launching event for a year-long program of celebrations. 

They wanted to tell the story of the Opera House’s creation as well as the people who brought it into reality and filled its spaces with performance of all forms. From the earliest stories of the First Nations owners to its ongoing contribution to the Sydney community, the challenge was to capture the spirit of a place that is central to the Australian cultural landscape.

As a recognised subject-matter-expert on the history of the Sydney Opera House—not to mention an award-winning motion artist—Sam was uniquely placed to create a spectacular event that translated the wealth of stories into an artwork spoke to all audiences.

Added to that, it would be the first time the House was telling its own story through the popular “Lighting of the Sails”, but also the first time the projections were being accompanied by live synchronised audio that could be accessed by anyone, anywhere, online. 

The film is based on a circular sense of time—it loops and doesn't start or finish. This is an acknowledgement of the history of the land the Opera House is resting on, Tubowgule, which has been a First Nations meeting point since time immemorial. It says this House was chosen to be on this incredible place.

– Sam Doust,
   Group Director Creative Services, Art Processors

Picture: Sam giving an interview to Fiona Winning, Sydney Opera House Director of Programming, during the launch event for From The Sail: Light Years.

Solution

The result was an epic 17 minute storyline in a continuous loop beginning and returning to a reflection on the land on which Sydney Opera House is situated, Tubowgule. It was a statement that said “this a special place”.

There was no need for audiences to download an app—all they needed to do was pull out their phone, scan a QR code, and our beautifully-designed web player synchronised with the live performance to deliver the score.

Audiences could choose how and when they encountered the film—people could take it in at any moment during the two weeks that it lit up the night skyline of the Sydney Opera House roof. The live synchronised soundtrack offered the chance for personal immersion as viewers took in the changing images across the Sails, or a shared moment of entertainment with others.

The film was also a celebration of the diversity of people who have breathed life into the iconic building. From those who undertook to raise the building into reality—Jørn Utzon, Ove Arup and Peter Hall—to the welders, carpenters, engineers and construction workers, the artists on its stages and the many creators backstage.

It explored the House’s construction and opening in 1973, before celebrating its legacy as a performing arts venue and the countless events that have brought the community together for half a century.

Adding to the tech experience for the Opera House team, there was no limit to the number of people who could listen to the soundscape in real-time and latency was barely noticeable—we were asked to deliver latency of less than 500 milliseconds but the result was less than 45 milliseconds, ensuring this future-proof tech can be used again for any future projections that require lip syncing.

To extend the audio element of the sails projection to the whole harbour has been a great endeavour. Anyone who can see the sails can now listen to the soundtrack perfectly synchronised. This supports a broader audience, and enhances immersion and a sense of belonging. I hope we can continue to evolve this solution for the needs of future projections and lighting the Sails, whatever they may be.

– Nic Whyte,
   Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Art Processors