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Behind the poster

Lead Designer and Art Director Emma Wagstaff tells us how the marketing and graphic design team at MTC conceptualise and execute the artwork for a typical play like Così. 

Research 

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The visual identity of Così began with an image we produced for our Season 2019 launch in September last year. Delving into the script was the first step; getting our head around the story and the genre, discovering the main characters and getting a sense of the era and setting. Our primary aim was to produce a narrative driven image that gave the audience a clear snapshot of what they could expect from this ensemble play.

FIRST BRIEF

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Our research then developed into a concept, which centred around the actors who were cast at this time. In the case of Così, we had three of the nine actors signed to the play. However, the costume and set designs were yet to be developed. As a result, we drew inspiration from the film, gave it a slight 70s theme and set the scene in an old town hall to create a sense of theatricality. All of this was interpreted into a brief for the creative team, which also outlined character elements, location, make-up and costuming.

CREATING THE IMAGE

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On the day of the shoot we tried various set ups of the three actors and narrowed it down to the image on the left, which then appeared in our Season brochure and on our MTC website. Another key element of our photoshoots is producing video content, which aims to bring the still image and the characters to life.

CAST CHANGE

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Later in the year, we were informed that one of the actors featured in our hero image could no longer participate in the production. Fortunately, we were able to take a still image from the video footage we captured with just one of the actors. This allowed us to swap in a new image, but retain some continuity until we were able to do a re-shoot with the full cast closer to the production. This temporary image brought a sense of wonder, beauty and the magic of theatre to the marketing elements for Così.

 

THE FINAL BRIEF

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Once the play was fully cast and we had a clear idea of the direction the production was heading in, we set about producing our final marketing image. We really wanted to showcase the large and fabulous ensemble cast, make a clear distinction between each character, and bring a sense of fun and action to the image. The underlying theme in the styling was to bring a sense of order through colour.

To create the final hero image for each play's marketing campaign, we leave nothing to chance on the day. A huge amount of work goes into preparing the brief which needs to give everyone a clear visual representation of what we want to achieve on the day — costuming, hair and makeup, styling references, sketches of the set up, photography and lighting style, props and a description of how we’d like the actors to interact.

 

RESHOOT

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Shoot day…It’s time to bring the brief to life! With the cast now in rehearsal and everyone prepped, it’s time to bring it all together. We have a team of hair and makeup artists, stylists, photographers and assistants, director, videographers, a content producer and stage mangers. Through a complex, coordinated effort, the image comes alive. The room has a real energy to it!

 

SELECTING THE IMAGE

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With so many brilliant photos from the shoot, the choice is tricky. But we always land on an image that balances the narrative with a sense of personality.

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Once we have narrowed down the selection to a couple of images, the graphic design is developed. This includes the title treatment, fonts, colours, tag-lines and quotes. From a marketing perspective, we want these design elements to hook the audience. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN

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Once we have narrowed down the selection to a couple of images, the graphic design is developed — the title treatment, fonts, colours, tag-lines and quotes. From a marketing perspective, we want these design elements to hook the audience. 

 

THE POSTER

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The final poster is colourful, character-driven and fun. This image is also used in a wide range of collateral including postcards, billboards, social media advertising and print advertising.

 

FINAL COLLATERAL

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The poster design is then rolled out through the entire marketing campaign for Così.

Published on 24 May 2019

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