March 2013
Lyon, France
Opera de Lyon
Artwork by Gary Hill & Ludwig van Beethoven
Reilly Donovan: Computer Animation Manager, Computer Animator, Lead Editor, Projection Mapper, Project Completer
www.opera-lyon.com
www.edfringe.com
“A space-age opera for a space-age opera house – it seems only fitting. Jean Nouvels astonishing opera house at Lyon took shape within the architectural shell of the original 1831 Opera when that space became unworkable in the 1990s. The result belies its neo-classical exterior in a black-lacquer, modernist fantasy of escalators and walkways, extending high up into a new vaulted roof-space – a triumph of spatial and aesthetic reclamation. Now American artist Gary Hill has set up his own concept-space within Beethovens Fidelio, creating a futuristic, sci-fi meditation within the musical shell of the original.”
-Newstatesman
For this massive project Gary hired me and a team of two other computer animators to generate 5 channels of CGI for the 3 hour duration of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. For two months we stayed in Lyon, working 16+ hours a day usually without a weekend, pumping out conceptual content to fuel the science fiction fire. I managed the animators, interfaced with the directors, projection mapped the 8 channel super intelligent cylinder known as MIMA, edited, optimized, and finalized the entire piece for the big event. The final work was 2 TB and still hot when I delivered it for opening night.
Press
For some reason I consider this review by the Guardian a compliment.
Fidelio Review
