Cue Fury
About
Why Cue Fury Helps
An opera production’s surtitles and score are traditionally separate entities. Surtitles are often formatted as massive PowerPoint files with 1000+ slides, and opera scores can be 300+ page PDFs.
These are disconnected, making revisions tedious and exhausting.
Cue Fury alleviates this by directly connecting the surtitles to the PDF score for streamlined editing and performance operation.
What are surtitles?
Surtitles, often called supertitles, are projected text used in opera performances. Think of them as live film subtitles.
They are usually projected above the stage and help audiences follow the story when the opera is sung in a foreign language.
Like film subtitles and dubbing, opera surtitles use translations that fit the timing of the singing without losing the meaning.
While singing remains the ground truth of expression and meaning, surtitles often use poetic translations and may even take creative liberties to guide a modern audience.
How are traditional surtitles created?
Where the Text Comes From
Traditional surtitles often begin with a libretto in its original language followed by a literal English translation. The text is then shaped for a modern audience.
Placing Cues in the Score
Cue markings are placed and permanently burned into the music score. The cue positions correspond to singers' lines to create a live "lip sync."
Rehearsing and Revising
A director may want to revise the surtitles for their unique interpretation of the opera, or there may be many cuts like in the recitativo of a Mozart opera. Surtitles are edited during the normal rehearsal process.
Preparing for Projection
Projection is set up for the theatre’s specific format and needs. The surtitles could be projected above or beside the stage, or even on seatback LED screens.
Creating Surtitles for New Operas, Recitals, and Scenes
Not every performance begins with an existing surtitle set.
New works require surtitles to be created from scratch, as do performances like recitals and opera scenes programs. For example, a recital may include songs in many different languages, and an opera scenes program may feature excerpts from several different operas.
For a short program, renting or commissioning a complete opera surtitle set may not be budget friendly. Instead, create your own custom set with Cue Fury.