Introduction
The Magic Flute, Mozart’s most famous opera, has been staged and performed countless times over the centuries. Theater Freiburg takes it a step further and, in collaboration with Moby Digg, creates a new version of the piece: The performance becomes a game, and the audience decides each evening how the story unfolds.
Challenge
The entire opera production was to be enhanced with a digital dimension. This was no easy task and came with many new challenges, even for an experienced team. Much had to be learned and tested anew, but there was a wealth of prior knowledge from past projects that provided a solid foundation on which the team could build their work.
Approach
The focus was on conceptually and visually harmonizing the different worlds. In collaboration with Theater Freiburg, Moby Digg developed a visually cohesive concept. By employing AI technologies in the creation of 3D objects, the team had a lot of flexibility in the creative process. Precise text prompts for generating concept images and their subsequent conversion into 3D models helped to quickly transition from a conceptual idea to a diverse database of over 1,000 3D assets.
Additional design elements include complex tribal designs that provide the visual framework for the project. These were developed to create a connection between the physical stage set and the digital worlds, guiding the audience through the storyline. Elements on the side of the screen give the visuals a gaming look, while decision screens present viewers with choices on how the story should proceed. Together with the AI-generated assets and the collaboratively developed characters, complex worlds were created where the narrative could be retold in new ways.
By using motion-capture suits, movements are transferred into the digital worlds. The performance of the singers on stage is enhanced by their digital counterparts, which move through the virtual worlds on the screen in parallel with the storyline.
Outcome
The collaboration within the team and with experts from various fields led to the advancement of existing structures and maximized cooperation. Together, they realized a comprehensive and impressive production of The Magic Flute, which ends differently each time. Translating the well-known storyline into new digital worlds, learning new hardware and software, and creating these worlds through collaborative, creative work highlighted the importance of a communicative, curious team and a shared vision.
Outlook
This pioneering project successfully connected different worlds and opened up many perspectives for further development for Moby Digg. The skills and expertise that led our team to achieve this goal inspire enthusiasm for more projects of this kind.
