Opera Grand Rapids & Colvin Theatrical Film Stinney: An American Execution Opera with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton January 15, 2025
0 Comments
Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and DaVinci Resolve Studio used to create one of the first streamed multicam cinematic live opera films.
Blackmagic Design today announced Opera Grand Rapids and Colvin Theatrical used Blackmagic Design cameras, switchers and DaVinci Resolve for editing and grading the cinematic opera film Stinney: An American Execution. The film, which premiered on PBS, is one of the first live operas to be shot cinematically, using six Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 digital cinema cameras and DaVinci Resolve editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software for editing and color correction.
Opera Grand Rapids is the longest running professional opera company in Michigan, and since 1967 has engaged some of the world's most talented artists, stage directors, conductors, choreographers, set designers, costume designers, and others, in addition to the regional Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Grand Rapids Chorus and Children's Chorus.
Stinney: An American Execution spotlights the agony of the injustice of the 1944 wrongful execution of George Stinney Jr., the youngest person to be legally executed in America. The opera was composed by Frances Pollock with libretto by Tia Price and Pollock.
Opera Grand Rapids has been one of the world's first opera companies to jump into cinematic filming and streaming of operas, and was the first company to complete a streaming production of a live opera in 2020.
Executive Director Emilee Syrewicze has grown Opera Grand Rapids to become one of the world's most respected and forward thinking opera companies, through the use of film and streaming, as well as new programming, such as Hip Opera, to help new audiences connect with the art form.
She explained how Stinney builds on that vision: Grand opera is meant to be big and impressive just by its volume. It is spectacle. Stinney' is different. It's a contemporary work that is deep and visceral with a social message.
When Opera Grand Rapids announced its production of Stinney, Syrewicze met with filmmaker Cody Colvin to develop a film capture concept for the contemporary opera. Colvin, the founder of Colvin Theatrical, a film and media company with experience in cinematic multicamera captures, directed the film capture and managed the film production process.
Colvin explained the planning, pitching and advantages of shooting cinematic opera performances: When Emilee and I began discussing Stinney,' I felt it would shine if shot on cinema cameras, but couldn't find an example of a full length opera filmed that way. Opera captures have been traditionally shot with broadcast cameras, which are more forgiving than cinema cameras. Cinema cameras, which use shallow depth of field and require high precision operation, are typically considered too difficult to deploy in live environments. However, my team and I had used Blackmagic cinema cameras in live theatre environments before, and felt comfortable using the Blackmagic cinema workflow for Stinney.' We are very happy we did.
He continued: Shooting with cinema cameras provided us with a level of detail that we think will set a new standard for filmed opera going forward. Capturing performers' minute expressions, shifting focus from one actor to another, and capturing opera's ultra dynamic lighting fixtures are all possible using Blackmagic Design gear. Additionally, Blackmagic's competitive and affordable price point makes this kind of capture accessible to smaller regional performing arts companies.
Specific features of the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 were also instrumental in helping Colvin shoot with a full audience. The Pockets are tiny, even when they're fully rigged, and they fit on light tripods. We were able to shoot without interrupting the live audience's experience, and the compact size of the Pocket helped us make sure we didn't block anybody's view.
Colvin also cited the Super 35 sensor of the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 as an advantage in shooting live performances. The crop factor of the Pocket 6K allowed us to shoot with affordable 70-200mm telephoto lenses, giving us a functional focal length of 300mm plus, which was very helpful when filming from the audience.
Following filming, Colvin had to meet a very tight PBS deadline. To do this, he used DaVinci Resolve Studio for everything from editing to color correction, and made extensive use of DaVinci Resolve Studio's multicamera editing feature. He was able to use DaVinci Resolve Studio to adjust the final version to meet PBS's strict broadcast standards, as well as formatting the footage to render the film with PBS mandated interlaced delivery. With Resolve, we can export a public television version, a web version, and a cinema version all from one timeline. Using Blackmagic's built in broadcast safe' and gamut limiter' features allowed us to spec the film for public television quickly, while retaining our other color grades for digital and theatrical delivery.
The reaction from the first audiences was breathless stunned silence and then thunderous applause. Syrewicze explained: This is a new way to experience opera. A good example is that we were able to get in close to the main character, George Stinney, and zoom into his eyes. You felt his pain at an emotional level that was more powerful than what you feel sitting in the audience. And to say that about an opera, which is already one of the most emotional theater experiences you can have, is amazing.
Stinney: An American Execution is available to stream at pbs.org.
January 20, 2025Sonnet Announces Industry's First
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
25/11/2025
FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....
25/11/2025
Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...
25/11/2025
NEW YORK NFL and college football coverage, the MLB postseason and the new fall broadcast-TV season contributed to major gains for traditional media companies a...
25/11/2025
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Tower Products, a manufacturer and distributor of pro video and audio equipment here, said President and CEO Jim Veltrie will retire from the c...
25/11/2025
Following last week's disclosure that it had acquired a 8.2% stake in E.W. Scripps, Sinclair has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission pr...
25/11/2025
25 Nov 2025
VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM...
25/11/2025
UKTV has acquired a high-profile slate of US dramas from Paramount Global Conten...
25/11/2025
A symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance, boldly reimagined from Peter Shaffe...
25/11/2025
Article courtesy of Cinematography World
Read the article
FilmLight has finalised the prestigious 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning...
25/11/2025
Article courtesy of Prensario
Read the article
La serie fue dirigida por Juli n de Tavira, Rodrigo Santos, y David Leche Ruiz, con direcci n de fotograf a a...
Opera Grand Rapids & Colvin Theatrical Film Stinney: An American Execution Opera with Blackmagic Design 
