Viz Academy is building a collaborative knowledge base on **spatial previsualisation** for theatre, live events, and beyond. This project was initiated by Benjamin Collins in 2025, following access granted **Royal Shakespeare Company** to research the history and future of previsualization practices in theatre, specifically focusing on **Spatial Previsualization** with VR and AR, projecting its impact over the next decade. Aside from some internal research documents by Ryan Metcalfe, the rest of the work has relied on publicly available information, and published research on platforms like ResearchGate and ArXiv. Since publishing Viz Academy, more than one industry pro has reached out, saying something like 'There's more to this. This is old news!' We see this as a signal to open the doors to collaborators: if you have a story that builds on, complements or *contradicts* the research and analysis here, we would love to hear from you. We could set up a written or spoken interview and sign off an article together - or you are very welcome to take it in any direction you like! **Theory, case studies, and cross-industry insights are welcome!** ## The Vision The idea is to produce a living body of work on this website, that helps stakeholders and practitioners old and new have a lens into the industry, and see what is possible when the ideas of an industry are ambitions, focused and unified. Successive versions of Viz Academy will be 'frozen' and made available. You are probably looking at something close to the 'First Edition' - but wouldn't it be fascinating to see if and how it changes over time, from the stories, accounts, to the conclusion. ## What We're Looking For We welcome contributions from practitioners, researchers, and technologists working with spatial visualization in pre-production: - **Case studies** from previs departments or practitioners - **Technical innovations** and workflow developments - **Cross-industry applications** and lessons learned (film, games, events, live performance) - **Historical perspectives** on visualization in pre-production - **Practitioner testimonies** documenting authentic experiences ## Submission Process This is a collaborative process, not a traditional submission/review system. **To contribute:** 1. Email your proposal or draft to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) 2. Include a brief outline of what you'd like to cover 3. Share your background/credentials in this area 4. Mention any relevant case studies or examples We'll work together to develop articles that fit seamlessly into the Viz Academy knowledge base. ## Criteria We're seeking contributions that: - Are based on **authentic experience and testimony** - Are **truthful and well-documented** - Contribute to **the history of visualization in pre-production** - Help practitioners and stakeholders understand spatial previs applications *We aim for a reasonable degree of scientific rigour. Part of this research's nature is to be speculative about what is to come, but we aim for complete accuracy when it comes to the facts of what has occurred!* ## Get In Touch Have an idea? Questions about contributing? **[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])** We're excited to grow this resource together with the community! --- # Contributors This collaborative knowledge base has been developed by practitioners and researchers in the field: ### Benjamin Collins **Researcher, creator of Viz Academy** Benjamin Collins is a strategist and researcher with a background in theatre and film. He completed the foundational research for Viz Academy with exclusive access from the RSC. [benjamincollins.me](https://benjamincollins.me) --- *Want to see your name here? [Get in touch](mailto:[email protected]) to contribute.* --- *Special thanks to Jamie Wright, Julia Walter, Sarah Ellis, and Tamara Harvey at the Royal Shakespeare Company for making the initial research possible.*