Behind the Scenes | The 39 Steps Press Photos

This is Natalie, Tipping Point’s Marketing Manager. Our Press Photos for The 39 Steps were a big success and a whole lot of fun for the whole team so I wanted to share how it all came together!

I start the process brainstorming what photos would be beneficial for us to have for marketing the show. It needs to be something relevant that will give potential audience members a good idea of what they can expect to see, just from one picture. For The 39 Steps, it was almost a no-brainer to go for an over dramatic film noir style. It easily makes people think of old spy movies and, based off of research I did, they would be fairly easy to create. Add some actors that are directed to exaggerate their movements, and we had a heck of an idea on our hands.

The next step is finding a time everyone is available to participate. Because we are an Equity theatre, there are some guidelines we must follow that put a few more restrictions on us. The shoot can only last an hour and a half and must be scheduled before or after a rehearsal. Typically, we aim for the first week of rehearsals in order to give us plenty of time to edit and share them with the public. Depending on the cast size or how many actors are actually called for the shoot, this can be a difficult task. An email was sent to the actors and photographer, asking for availability. The schedule is then coordinated to accommodate everyone.

One of the most important aspects of the shoot is the clothing. Our costumer for the production is consulted to see if they will have any costumes for the actors available for us to use by the time of the shoot. If not, they may be asked for suggestions on colors or clothing they would suggest for the characters. Most of the time what we use for the photos is no where near what they will be wearing for the actual show. It’s all about telling a story and setting a mood to get people excited for the show.

Next, we decide where the photo shoot will take place. Do we need to be outdoors or meet up at a different location? This time, location was the least of my worries. I knew the theatre space would be relatively cleared out from striking Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!). Using our space also meant we could use our moving lights to spotlight an area to create dramatic shadows.

Props give our actors something to do while we snap photos of them and can help clue the audience in on major plot points. The hats that were found in our storage really helped create the characters while the prop gun added more suspense and action to the image. One of my favorite props for this set was the fog machine. It hadn’t been used in YEARS, last being turned on for I Hate Hamlet back in 2013. We warmed the thing up and crossed our fingers. It worked!

Now on to the actual photo shoot! Our actors got into their costumes, while the theatre space was prepared. The fog machine needed to warm up to create the fog and the practicality of the lights needed to be sorted out. Our trusty photographer and volunteer of the year, Steve Fecht, arrived and set up all of his equipment. For this, he brought four different synced flashes that were then set up on tripods and his camera to help create even more light and shadow in the pictures. Once everyone was ready, we took some test shots to help us get a better idea of what we were getting in to. We played around with how much smoke should be used, where the flashes should be staged, and what shadows looked best on our actors.

The fog took on a life of its own, creating depth in our otherwise empty space. We tried a few without it on and the shots just didn’t have the same sense of mystery.

Without smoke.

With smoke.

We finished the shoot in about an hour and the actors went on to start their first full rehearsal! It’s truly amazing what a dark space, lights and some smoke can do.

The 39 Steps runs January 30 - March 8, 2020. Tickets are on sale now! Those interested in The 39 Steps are encouraged to purchase their tickets ahead of time as this show is anticipated to sell out. Tickets are non refundable but may be exchanged to a different performance of the same show up to 48 hours before the performance with no penalty. The 39 Steps is not intended for young audiences and will include strobe lights and haze effects.