Massman Theatre Preservation Project
The Massman Theatre Preservation Project was an initiative led by students at the USC School of Dramatic Arts to digitally preserve the legacy of the Martin Massman Theatre ahead of the demolition of the USC Drama Center in early 2024. The project aimed to honor the rich history of student performances and foster an enduring digital tribute to the space that served as a creative home for generations of students.
Position Role
Project Co-Lead, Digital Archivist & Technology Integrator
Software Used
Unreal Engine 5, Vectorworks, LiDAR Capture (IOS), Flickr, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom
Hardware Used
GoPro MAX 360 Action Camera
PROJECT INFO
Project Overview
In Spring 2023, it was announced that the Drama Center—which housed the Martin Massman Theatre—would be demolished in early 2024. The news sparked an immediate desire within the student community to preserve the theatre’s history before it was lost. As Independent Student Production (ISP) Co-Chair on the Theatre Students Association Board, I was honored to co-lead this effort alongside Brooklyn Nelson, with guidance from Rhea Mehta. The project had two main goals: to organize a farewell event for the student community and to digitally preserve the Massman Theatre space and its beloved dressing room. The dressing room in particular held a unique visual archive, as generations of students had contributed artwork to its walls from 2008 through 2024. After months of planning and research, we chose digital preservation as the best approach. Our team utilized a range of technologies, including LiDAR scanning via iOS devices, 360-degree photography, and individual high-resolution photography of wall art. I also created a 3D model of the theatre using Vectorworks, which was exported into Unreal Engine 5 to provide a fully explorable digital environment and a glimpse of what future productions might have looked like in the space.The preservation project culminated in a farewell event, Last Night at the Massman, where students were able to say goodbye to the theatre. Although some artworks could not be perfectly preserved due to deterioration or obstruction, the project succeeded in safeguarding a significant portion of the Massman Theatre’s visual and cultural history. This initiative represents not only a technical achievement but also a meaningful act of community preservation—ensuring that the creativity and camaraderie fostered in the Massman Theatre will be remembered by future generations of USC theatre artists.
Role & Responsibilities
I served as Project Co-Lead and was primarily responsible for digital archiving, technology integration, and 3D modeling. My contributions included coordinating the use of LiDAR scanning and 360-degree photography, creating the Vectorworks base model of the theatre, transferring the model into Unreal Engine 5, and managing the technical workflow for the preservation experience. I also helped lead project planning, team coordination, and communication between the Theatre Students Association and the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Workflow
The project began with team planning and research into possible preservation methods. We conducted LiDAR scans of the dressing room, captured 360-degree images of the theatre, and took high-resolution photographs of individual artworks. I extracted and refined the Massman Theatre base model in Vectorworks and exported it to Unreal Engine 5, where we created an interactive environment to showcase the preserved space. The process involved months of collaboration, data capture, and digital reconstruction. The project concluded with the Last Night at the Massman farewell event and the creation of a digital archive for long-term preservation.
Massman Theatre Preservation Project
The Massman Theatre Preservation Project was an initiative led by students at the USC School of Dramatic Arts to digitally preserve the legacy of the Martin Massman Theatre ahead of the demolition of the USC Drama Center in early 2024. The project aimed to honor the rich history of student performances and foster an enduring digital tribute to the space that served as a creative home for generations of students.
Position Role
Project Co-Lead, Digital Archivist & Technology Integrator
Software Used
Unreal Engine 5, Vectorworks, LiDAR Capture (IOS), Flickr, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom
Hardware Used
GoPro MAX 360 Action Camera
PROJECT INFO
Project Overview
In Spring 2023, it was announced that the Drama Center—which housed the Martin Massman Theatre—would be demolished in early 2024. The news sparked an immediate desire within the student community to preserve the theatre’s history before it was lost. As Independent Student Production (ISP) Co-Chair on the Theatre Students Association Board, I was honored to co-lead this effort alongside Brooklyn Nelson, with guidance from Rhea Mehta. The project had two main goals: to organize a farewell event for the student community and to digitally preserve the Massman Theatre space and its beloved dressing room. The dressing room in particular held a unique visual archive, as generations of students had contributed artwork to its walls from 2008 through 2024. After months of planning and research, we chose digital preservation as the best approach. Our team utilized a range of technologies, including LiDAR scanning via iOS devices, 360-degree photography, and individual high-resolution photography of wall art. I also created a 3D model of the theatre using Vectorworks, which was exported into Unreal Engine 5 to provide a fully explorable digital environment and a glimpse of what future productions might have looked like in the space.The preservation project culminated in a farewell event, Last Night at the Massman, where students were able to say goodbye to the theatre. Although some artworks could not be perfectly preserved due to deterioration or obstruction, the project succeeded in safeguarding a significant portion of the Massman Theatre’s visual and cultural history. This initiative represents not only a technical achievement but also a meaningful act of community preservation—ensuring that the creativity and camaraderie fostered in the Massman Theatre will be remembered by future generations of USC theatre artists.
Role & Responsibilities
I served as Project Co-Lead and was primarily responsible for digital archiving, technology integration, and 3D modeling. My contributions included coordinating the use of LiDAR scanning and 360-degree photography, creating the Vectorworks base model of the theatre, transferring the model into Unreal Engine 5, and managing the technical workflow for the preservation experience. I also helped lead project planning, team coordination, and communication between the Theatre Students Association and the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Workflow
The project began with team planning and research into possible preservation methods. We conducted LiDAR scans of the dressing room, captured 360-degree images of the theatre, and took high-resolution photographs of individual artworks. I extracted and refined the Massman Theatre base model in Vectorworks and exported it to Unreal Engine 5, where we created an interactive environment to showcase the preserved space. The process involved months of collaboration, data capture, and digital reconstruction. The project concluded with the Last Night at the Massman farewell event and the creation of a digital archive for long-term preservation.
Massman Theatre Preservation Project
The Massman Theatre Preservation Project was an initiative led by students at the USC School of Dramatic Arts to digitally preserve the legacy of the Martin Massman Theatre ahead of the demolition of the USC Drama Center in early 2024. The project aimed to honor the rich history of student performances and foster an enduring digital tribute to the space that served as a creative home for generations of students.
Position Role
Project Co-Lead, Digital Archivist & Technology Integrator
Software Used
Unreal Engine 5, Vectorworks, LiDAR Capture (IOS), Flickr, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom
Hardware Used
GoPro MAX 360 Action Camera
PROJECT INFO
Project Overview
In Spring 2023, it was announced that the Drama Center—which housed the Martin Massman Theatre—would be demolished in early 2024. The news sparked an immediate desire within the student community to preserve the theatre’s history before it was lost. As Independent Student Production (ISP) Co-Chair on the Theatre Students Association Board, I was honored to co-lead this effort alongside Brooklyn Nelson, with guidance from Rhea Mehta. The project had two main goals: to organize a farewell event for the student community and to digitally preserve the Massman Theatre space and its beloved dressing room. The dressing room in particular held a unique visual archive, as generations of students had contributed artwork to its walls from 2008 through 2024. After months of planning and research, we chose digital preservation as the best approach. Our team utilized a range of technologies, including LiDAR scanning via iOS devices, 360-degree photography, and individual high-resolution photography of wall art. I also created a 3D model of the theatre using Vectorworks, which was exported into Unreal Engine 5 to provide a fully explorable digital environment and a glimpse of what future productions might have looked like in the space.The preservation project culminated in a farewell event, Last Night at the Massman, where students were able to say goodbye to the theatre. Although some artworks could not be perfectly preserved due to deterioration or obstruction, the project succeeded in safeguarding a significant portion of the Massman Theatre’s visual and cultural history. This initiative represents not only a technical achievement but also a meaningful act of community preservation—ensuring that the creativity and camaraderie fostered in the Massman Theatre will be remembered by future generations of USC theatre artists.
Role & Responsibilities
I served as Project Co-Lead and was primarily responsible for digital archiving, technology integration, and 3D modeling. My contributions included coordinating the use of LiDAR scanning and 360-degree photography, creating the Vectorworks base model of the theatre, transferring the model into Unreal Engine 5, and managing the technical workflow for the preservation experience. I also helped lead project planning, team coordination, and communication between the Theatre Students Association and the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Workflow
The project began with team planning and research into possible preservation methods. We conducted LiDAR scans of the dressing room, captured 360-degree images of the theatre, and took high-resolution photographs of individual artworks. I extracted and refined the Massman Theatre base model in Vectorworks and exported it to Unreal Engine 5, where we created an interactive environment to showcase the preserved space. The process involved months of collaboration, data capture, and digital reconstruction. The project concluded with the Last Night at the Massman farewell event and the creation of a digital archive for long-term preservation.