Someone from Preevue Ltd. operates a FARO focus laser scanner at the London Palladium.
Preevue Ltd.Buying tickets to Broadway shows could soon get easier.
Preevue, a leading provider of technology that allows audience members to sneak peeks from their seats, could soon be available at more Broadway theaters. “We are in discussions with a major Broadway theater owner to begin scanning operations,” confirmed CEO Ryan Metcalf.
Founded in 2016, the London-based company uses laser scanning technology and computer-aided design to create 3D digital replicas of theatres. Capturing a million measurements as small as an inch every second, Preevue has scanned more than 65,000 seats in more than 250 theaters worldwide, including more than three-quarters of the theaters in London’s West End.
“Customer satisfaction is incredibly positive,” noted Metcalfe. “People are very aware now of what they’re getting,” he said, adding that “you never have a moment anymore where people arrive at the theater and are upset to find a pillar blocking their view of the stage.”
But the British company has a much smaller footprint on Broadway. It has only swept Disney’s New Amsterdam Theater and Ambassador Theater Group’s Al Hirschfeld Theater, Hudson Theater and Lyric Theatre.
While there are websites that allow viewers to share photos from their seats at other Broadway theaters, it’s often difficult to find photos of specific seats in each theater, and “the architecture of the theater can change drastically along a row or in a different place of a unit,” explained Metcalf. For example, there may be an overhang from the balcony or a speaker blocking the view from a particular seat.
Also, with crowd-sourced images, there is no standardization or quality control. “There is no way to know if the person took a photo with a wide-angle lens while standing or with a zoom lens while sitting,” Metcalfe said.
Preevue’s technology, which offers 2D images and a 360-degree panoramic view from every seat, provides “total transparency to the public during the booking process.” declare yourself Metcalfe.
“When people are going to spend $250 on a hotel room, they often spend at least 20 minutes looking at photos and reviews, deciding whether or not they want to take it,” Metcalfe said. “But when they want to spend $250 at a theater, the theater often doesn’t give them any information and it’s like ‘just trust us,'” he lamented.
In addition, Preevue’s technology provides useful information to producers and designers.
With access to each theater’s digital twin, creative teams are often able to expedite and even complete tasks that would normally arise during technical rehearsals. “You can use the files we create to pre-program lighting and pre-visualize anything from anywhere in the world,” confirmed Metcalfe. Creative teams can refine their lighting and sets before ever setting foot in their theaters.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, its producers Moulin Rouge! decided to use Preevue’s scan of the Broadway production at the Al Hirschfeld Theater to refine the design for the West End production at the Piccadilly Theatre. “We cut the Broadway production from the laser scan and adapted it to fit the Piccadilly Theatre, working with the production team on how it adapted and how it changed,” recalls Metcalfe. By checking the sights for different designs from different seats, the creative team was able to “make decisions that would otherwise be basically guesswork until they got into the space,” he said.
“If you can minimize the time you actually need in theatre, then everyone involved can save money,” Metcalfe added.
Disclaimer: I am the director of the theater production company 42nd.club, which co-produces Moulin Rouge! However, I am not personally involved in the production.
