Chris Pfaff moderates the ‘Immersive Theatre: Building the XR Stage for New Audiences’ panel at AWE 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA on Thursday, June 18th. Richard Broadbridge, CEO of 4Dviews, developer of the leading volumetric video capture system, and Kiira Benz, executive creative director and founder of Double Eye Studios, appeared on the panel.
You can watch the entire session at: https://youtu.be/_nY35c1MFgI?si=Abw77SC07W20QTny
Chris Pfaff, Kiira Benz, Richard Broadbridge
ABOUT 4DVIEWS AND DOUBLE EYE STUDIOS
4Dviews currently provides the volumetric capture and supporting technology for some of the world’s most striking immersive experiences, including:
- ‘An Ark’ (The Shed, New York)
- ‘Playing with Fire’ (Symphonie, Paris)
- ‘Inside Project’ (Bristol, UK)
- ‘KAGAMI’ (Tokyo), and soon-to-be-released projects
- Artists, directors, and producers ranging from Sir Ian McKellen, Yuja Wang, Todd Eckert, and Antoine Cayrol are using HOLOSYS to deliver stunning, sold-out experiences that are traveling the world.
Kiira Benz’s work has premiered and won awards at some of the most prestigious festivals in the world. Selected credits: Finding Pandora X received the award for Best VR Immersive User Experience at the Venice Film Festival (2020), while Runnin’, filmed on the world’s largest volumetric capture stage at Intel Studios and starring Reggie Watts, won the SXSW Jury Award for Best Interactive. Other projects include Loveseat (Venice International Film Festival), territory (the first VR piece presented at Jacob’s Pillow), and Cardboard City, a 360° VR short film that won Samsung’s first VR contest in 2016.
Across her career, Kiira has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, achieving numerous “firsts” in the XR field. She directed the first AR documentary, founded the first VR Theatre Repertory Company, the first VR Theatre production to win at an A-List festival, the first VR Variety Comedy Show, the first VRChat experiences to premiere at A List festivals, and the first PCVR experience to integrate Meta Haptics. She has expanded the possibilities of live performance in virtual spaces for the XR Theatre industry. Her productions often combine worldbuilding, interactivity, and theatricality, inviting audiences into shared spaces that challenge the boundaries between art forms.
