#FutureStages Free 3D Theatre Template (VR)
As I watched the mass adoption of platforms like Zoom for live storytelling merely because the tools were free and accessible, it became clear the only path to convince theater practitioners to consider alternatives would be to build something equally accessible and cost efficient. So I released the #FutureStages, a complete theater-going experience under creative commons using open source, browser-based virtual reality.
AS SEEN IN
The experience was originally “housed” on a platform called Mozilla Hubs, which allows almost any device’s web browser to log into a 3D “room” (known as “WebXR”) that can be customized using their design tool, called Mozilla Spoke. Users can then create and release these customized designs, called “templated spaces.” Think of it like a website template, but for an entire virtual environment. I designed the layout and you can use it to spin up your own personal “room” by replacing my show art, links, seating arrangement, etc. My version still exists in my room and it scales exponentially so unlimited performances could use the same “venue” simultaneously.
There are many similar platforms for this type of virtual collaboration or “social VR” but Mozilla stands out given its:
ubiquitous access (no download or headset required);
built-in design tool (Spoke);
a button to search and import almost any existing 3D model from SketchFab or Google Poly;
and even the ability to rent your own server space to create a custom iteration of Hubs with your own features (if you know how to code).
Quickly, I realized that while Spoke is a fantastic tool for basic environments, a more robust modeling software was needed to create my theater. An incredibly digital architect, Aleena Sohail, helped build and optimize the theater using Blender and I released the entire thing under creative commons so anyone could download and use it for free. This wasn’t entirely selfless. I’m an actor. If there are no theaters, I can’t perform. And doing unpaid, one-night readings wasn’t cutting it. My genuine hope is that if I built a path to a sustainable creative economy, I could return to my place within it.
Playbill’s Ruthie Fierberg was kind enough to take my very first tour of the space and wrote a lovely feature.
HOST YOUR OWN
LIVE PERFORMANCE
WITHIN MINUTES
Use the “buttons” below to take a virtual tour of the space, customize the theater for your own event, and download samples for all graphic needs. Use your arrow keys to navigate, click and drag mouse to look around, and use spacebar to interact with objects. The video on stage is an example of what can be livestreamed to the theater (and you can adjust the volume and playback by clicking on it).
This is a direct link to the Spoke project on Mozilla’s cloud. Just click the button above and then click “Remix in Spoke” to replace the show art and livestream video link with your own URLs.
When Spoke loads, you will double click on the list items in the top right corner to change “Replace Live 2D Video”, “Replace Billboard”, “Replace Poster.” Once you double click on an item, you will see the field in the bottom right corner where my default URL is pasted. Just replace that link with your own.
Brendan has also created a video tutorial to show you how to customize the template.
You could also add your own 3d and 2d assets the environment. It just takes a little getting used to.
When you’re finished, double-click the list item “3-Lobby-View-Double-Click-Before-Publishing.” This will take you to the back row of the theater to set your “Lobby View” that the audience will see when they first go to your Room URL.
Finally, click Publish and give your project a unique name (uncheck the boxes for sharing with Mozilla). Now you can create a new Room using this customized set up. This lets you “stage” your production and create a different Room for every performance.
The original template was a proscenium theatre with the back wall as a livestream video player. This was meant for anyone to drag and drop their current livestreams into a 3D environment. Immediately, creators began asking me about the ability to customize the layout of the theatre. So I kept the facade/structure of the original and designed an open floor plan to allow for a black box version of the space. This template has successfully hosted both live video feeds of actors and actors performing as 3D avatars.
You can use these dimensions and layout to create your own Billboard Show Art outside the theater. Just host on your website and replace the Billboard URLs in the Spoke project.
You can use these dimensions and layout to create your own Poster Show Art inside the atrium. Just host on your website and replace the Poster URLs in the Spoke project.
You can create and upload any PDF as a show program by hosting it on your website and pasting the URL inside your Hubs Room. Special thanks to Playbill’s team to let me use PlaybillDER as a placeholder to show how it could work in the environment. Create your own at: https://www.playbillder.com/pub/howitworks
Click the button above for a google document of helpful hints for newcomers to Mozilla Hubs to help your audience enjoy the show!
Now go create something!
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What is Mozilla Hubs? Founder Greg Fodor talks about the inspiration behind Mozilla Hubs as an open source, social environment for unlimited interaction.