Just Push the Button: Oslo Opera House Makes Magic with Pearl

Oslo Opera House, internationally acclaimed as a world-class performing arts center, is home to the prestigious Norwegian Opera & Ballet – globally recognized for its outstanding opera and ballet productions. To sustain and elevate their renowned artistic excellence, the institution relies heavily on automated video systems to refine performances, streamline rehearsal processes, and create compelling cultural content.

Challenge: reliable and effortless video documentation

Given its packed schedule of rehearsals and live performances, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet required a robust, intuitive video recording and review system. It was crucial that non-technical users, including stage managers, artistic teams, and production staff, could easily access recordings and live video feeds without delay. Video documentation has become indispensable for refining rehearsals and performances conducted simultaneously across multiple stages and ballet studios.

“We use video documentation to improve performance quality, refine cues, and ensure synchronization across every aspect of a production.” says Anders Verde, System Developer at The Norwegian Opera & Ballet.

Demand for video documentation has surged significantly—the number of recordings has doubled annually since 2019—making a reliable, automated solution essential.

“It’s not that we planned for this level of growth—it’s because people see the value. They know it’s possible, they know it’s easy, and they want more.” adds Anders.

Solution: streamlined  video recording and monitoring with Epiphan Pearl

To address these growing demands, the Oslo Opera House deployed a network of Epiphan Pearls throughout their performance and rehearsal spaces. The system was delivered in collaboration with Leteng, a trusted Norwegian AV distributor and longtime Epiphan partner.

“Pearl is what the end users see. We use it all over the place. And that’s how I present the ability to record to any user. It’s my go-to device.” says Anders.

Key features of the solution:

• Pearl-2: Enables multi-view recordings, capturing multiple synchronized camera angles for comprehensive performance analysis.
• Pearl Nano: Facilitates instant, single-channel video recordings suitable for quick content review on stages and in studios.
• Skaarhoj Controller Integration: Simplifies operation with intuitive, one-button control.
• Automated Dropbox Integration: Ensures immediate access to video recordings through automatic uploads.
• Epiphan Edge: Manages devices remotely and provides users seamless access to live video feeds.

“For our non-technical users, the system has to be as easy to use as their phone. When we have 250 people involved in a rehearsal, it needs to just work. It’s a big deal” Anders explains.

Results: precision and efficiency at the push of a button

Thanks to their Epiphan Pearl deployment, the Oslo Opera House has dramatically streamlined video documentation across stages and ballet studios. With just the press of a button, non-technical users—from stage managers to ballet masters—can reliably capture high-quality multi-camera video for performance review, artistic refinement, and archiving.

The simplicity of the system ensures recordings are captured without disruption, while the automation behind the scenes guarantees consistent file delivery and minimal technical intervention.

“Before video documentation, performance review relied on notes and memory, which could be subjective. Now, video provides an objective truth—everyone sees the same thing,” explains Anders.

With Pearl, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet is empowered to maintain world-class precision and elevate artistic excellence.

“The Opera House is a place where people can experience the magic of things you don’t see many places. Everyone has a feeling this is something special” says Anders.