25 Aug 2023
Project to turn Sydney Opera House into a giant screen with live audio-visual synchronisation wins Fast Co Innovation by Design Award
BY Tom Walker
An AV experience project, which turned the Sydney Opera House's famous 'sails' into huge video screens, has won the Experience Design category in Fast Company's 2023 Innovation by Design Awards.
Created by Australia-based Art Processors, the From the Sails: Light Years project included an original film artwork projected onto the Sydney Opera House's western sails to mark the iconic landmark's 50th-year celebrations.
The 17-minute film charts the building's history and legacy as a performance venue, as well as its reputation as a World Heritage-listed masterpiece of architecture.
Those watching the video – from across the harbour, on the water, or at a local venue – could listen to the accompanying musical score on their mobile device thanks to live audio-visual synchronisation technology.
The project was the brainchild of Sam Doust, group director of creative services at Art Processor. Doust is also a recognised Sydney Opera House historian.
Doust said: "My prior expertise in the many facets of the story was never more useful than beginning to think how best to visualise and represent, in an inclusive manner, the creativity and abundance of this world-renown performance venue.
"With such an extraordinary canvas to work with, here at Art Processors we were instantly compelled to give this opportunity the dual function of projection art and cinema by inventing a seamless way for anyone to sync live with the soundtrack from wherever they were.
"My colleagues Rob Keniger, Adam Phin and Anders Rasmussen developed the live audio synchronisation function.
"The technology itself is impressive for its ease and accessibility…but it's the magical quality of being on-site and suddenly listening in sync that is the transformative experience."
The Fast Company's Innovation by Design Awards are now in their 12th year.
Other winners this year included a project to reimagine the public realm of San Francisco's financial district, an indoor cycling stand called Kickr Rollr from Wahoo Fitness which mimics the feeling of riding outside and "The Hug", a chair designed to relieve stress, even during assembly.
For the full list of winners, click here for the Fast Company website.
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