MULTIMEDIA / DESIGN / PERFORMANCE
Heretic
Heretic is an experimental live opera experience—a collaboration between musical and visual artists. As a team, we created a five-minute opera performance featuring live piano, singing, and audio-reactive visuals.
The experience took place inside an inflatable dome, setting the stage for a truly immersive and magical environment.
Qiyun (Q) Gao, Jiawen Wang
Composers:
Josh Belperio,homas Blakeley
Vocalists:
Mayu Sierra Tayama
Emma Zanetti
Sadiyah Babatunde
Tools: Touchdesigner, Isadora, NDI, Dome Projection
Concepts
The story is set in a deep forest, where women are being accused of practicing witchcraft. We believe this concept is perfect to explore within a dome environment. The immersive nature of the dome invites the audience to fully enter this mystical and emotionally charged narrative.
There are three main characters in the play: Mara, the accused witch; the Justiciar, a state prosecutor and executioner; and Ember, the embodiment of fire and the pyre. Together, they guide the audience through a tense and haunting act.
Although the execution of accused witches is a thing of the past, the shadow of such persecution persists in different forms today. Unjust accusations continue to be directed at women—especially women of color—and the question of how to resist and fight back remains as urgent as ever.
Design Choices
Visuals for Different Characters and Scenes
Before designing the visuals, we had one guiding principle: they should not be too loud or distracting, so the audience’s attention remains on the singers. After testing different approaches, we settled on a minimalist visual style with upward motion—symbolizing the chaotic, expansive nature of fire.
We tailored the visuals for each character. For Ember, the pyre, we used textures composed of burning, fire-like particles. For the other characters, we adjusted the color palettes to reflect their distinct traits. In the final scenes, we introduced a red and yellow palette, evoking intensity and perfectly suiting the climax.
Since the projected visuals are the only source of light on stage, we carefully controlled their brightness to support each scene’s emotional tone—some moments are dimmer and more intimate, while others burst with brightness.
Audio-Reactive Elements
We wanted the visuals to respond live to the singing. Rather than using pre-edited visuals, as is common in traditional stage design, we aimed to experiment with live control—allowing the visuals to react directly to the singers in real time.
To do this, we divided the audio input into three frequency ranges: low, mid, and high. Each range was assigned to a different singer based on their vocal register. We then linked the visuals to the volume of each range, so that the intensity of the sound controls the speed of the upward motion.
We made this choice for two reasons: first, synchronizing the visuals with the vocals helps the audience perceive a more immediate connection between the performance and the visuals, without overwhelming them. Second, it allows for dynamic and responsive lighting tailored to each scene.