Surtitles
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Who are we?

The Canadian Opera Company's The Golden Ass, 1999. Photo: Gary Beechey

 

We consist of me, one person, GUNTA DREIFELDS, who was part of the team that invented SURTITLES™ in 1983 at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, Canada, along with Lotfi Mansouri and John Leberg. Since 1987 I have been an independant consultant, retaining the Canadian Opera Company as one of my major clients. I draw from a large group of experts in the fields of projection, screens, IT, and IATSE.

I translate operas into English from the original language, specifically but not exclusively from Italian, German, and French, without infringing on any copyright, for production during live performance. Although surtitles (TM) were invented with opera in mind, I have adapted the process for live theatre as well as concerts. (See Catalogue).

We also consult with companies of any and every size, for first time installation, training of projector operator and cuer, and evaluating the many existing technologies to adapt the one most suitable for your company.

In the technical domain, we consider:

Screen - size, material, placement
Computer - software and hardware, compatibility
Projector - slide projectors, LEDs, LCDs, lumens, throws
Slides - font, placement

In the textual domain, we consider:

Music - first and foremost; including cuts and repetitions
Direction - adapting existing titles for new productions, or creating new titles
Fades - to change titles unobtrusively

 

COC's Oedipus Rex

The Canadian Opera Company's Oedipus Rex, 1997. Photo: Gary Beechey

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