A show poster is an important tool we use at The Footlight Club to get the word out about a production. Hyde Park photographer Matt McKee produces many of the posters for our shows, and I am a big fan of his work. If you check out his online portfolio you'll see that he creates posters for many area theaters. His work for The Footlight Club has helped us create a brand and draw attention to our shows.

I asked Matt to describe the process involved in making posters for shows. He said that he starts by reading the play and then meeting with the producer and director to discuss themes and get some direction. Next in this creative process, Matt “sleeps on it” to get some ideas brewing. He pitches his vision to the producer and director and then begins gathering the props, scheduling the actors, and planning the shoot.

This past weekend, Matt held a photo shoot at his studio for our March show, Wild Party. He also managed to capture a bit of footage of what happened behind the scenes where you can see the many other factors that need to be considered such as costumes, makeup and lighting.

Once photos have been taken, Matt edits and adds the important details such as date, time, place and cost. He sends it around for proofing and approval, and then the file is sent to the printer.

Maybe you'll see the final product around town!

Curious about Wild Party? Check out the calendar listing.