Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 For Immersive Affective Design Video

#AffectiveDesign #UX #Interactive #SpatialDesign #Research #XREnvironments #360Video #Innovation #ProjectManagement

Introduction

In an era where hybrid cinematic experiences are reshaping audience engagement, this project asked: How can we extend the cultural presence of historically significant venues like the Capitol Theatre into virtual realms, while also enabling student filmmakers to prototype within immersive production environments?

Responding to this challenge, students were embedded within a real-world simulation of a film production studio, assuming professional roles across all stages of the production pipeline. My role as Lecturer involved directing the project while serving as Director of Photography (DOP) and Production Manager — ensuring students navigated both the creative and technical complexities of XR filmmaking.

Overview

Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 was an immersive learning initiative that integrated cutting-edge volumetric capture technologies, cinematic storytelling, and extended reality (XR) postproduction workflows. The project formed part of a blended learning pipeline designed to upskill students in emerging media practices through a practice-based research framework. Using the Insta360 Pro 2 camera system, students worked collaboratively to reimagine Melbourne’s iconic Capitol Theatre as an experiential XR canvas.

Project Summary

The workshop unfolded in three distinct but interlinked phases, each designed to scaffold both technical competency and conceptual fluency:

1. Preproduction (Location-Specific)

Students visited the Capitol Theatre to scout the space, develop spatial storyboards, and identify key cinematic perspectives. This phase emphasized production design for 360° capture — a unique challenge requiring spatial choreography and non-linear thinking.

2. Production (On-Site Filming with Insta360 Pro 2)

Using the Insta360 Pro 2, students executed location shoots in 8K stereoscopic video, engaging in:

  • Camera rig operation and spatial blocking

  • Sound spatialisation and ambient audio capture

  • Data wrangling and file management in a multi-terabyte workflow
    Students also learned to convert raw 8K footage to 4K for accessible postproduction editing.

3. Postproduction (Remote/Hybrid)

The final stage explored an innovative technique: embedding students’ standard UHD video projects within the Capitol Theatre’s virtual cinema screen. The result was a layered spatial montage — their own narrative short films premiered inside the virtual Capitol. This simulated the prestige of screening at an iconic venue, while maintaining a fully immersive 360° environment.

Deliverables

  • 360° digital twin of the Capitol Theatre interior

  • Student-led immersive short films, premiered within a virtual theatre screen

  • Collaborative production logbooks documenting roles, workflows, and reflections

  • Exported immersive videos suitable for VR headsets and web-based XR platforms

  • Practice-based research reflections for each student, focused on role-based learning and spatial design insights

Key Insights

  • Spatial storytelling changes how students understand screen direction and audience agency. Working in 360 forced them to think beyond the frame and into spatial experience design.

  • Emergent pipelines require interdisciplinary coordination. The film production company model helped students understand the interplay between direction, DOP, postproduction, and digital asset management in new media formats.

  • Simulating real-world prestige environments creates affective motivation. The act of ‘screening’ their film within the virtual Capitol theatre had a powerful psychological effect — making the experience tangible and emotionally resonant.

  • Blended learning supports real-world readiness. The combination of in-location production and remote post workflows mirrors contemporary XR production pipelines used in the industry.

Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 not only introduced students to extended reality filmmaking but also provided a framework for collaboration, creative ownership, and spatial literacy in digital storytelling. The outcome was more than just immersive content — it was a generative learning environment, equipping students to prototype the future of cinema itself.

A Virtual Tour of the Capitol

This is an example of an RMIT alumni student work, Lucy Ryan, that captured a creative approach to an immersive audiovisual tour of the Capitol Theatre. It serves both as documentation and preservation of cultural place/space but also doubled as a medium for designers to explore augmentation and bridging of virtual and physical space in an immersive, interactive and there