There are a lot of different directions you can take a show poster. For Season 38, we really wanted to focus on the people and the characters that populate the worlds of our shows. Part of our plan with the posters was to have them change over time, primarily over the summer, just like the characters themselves do, just like people do.
We started working on our preliminary Season Announcement design last December and decided to keep it simple to showcase the shows themselves.
The original Season 38 announcement.
Once the summer hit, we started to add in the flavor of the shows themselves to the overall design, tweaking and playing with the background and adding both textures and unique storybook qualities to the characters until we ended up with our Season Membership package series. We even reshot the character photos for I Sing the Rising Sea and The Wiz (click for more about that photo shoot).
Season 38: I Sing the Rising Sea, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, A Streetcar Named Desire, Venus in Fur, The Wiz
You will also notice that the posters for Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol have undergone an additional transformation. Every year, as a part of our annual Gala, the chance to star in the A Christmas Carol poster is auctioned off. (Click here to read about that photo shoot!)
Since Oliver Twist is a brand new adaptation that has evolved even more over the past couple months, the poster has gotten some extra attention.
The updated version of the Oliver Twist poster that better reflects the feel of the show, featuring cast members!
You'll notice that after the show begins, a lot of our marketing materials will be switched over to production photos, like in this post-Rising Sea website banner.
I've included some of our in-progress images, inspiration, and photos from some of our photo shoots:
So, I've created posters for Virginia Stage Company's 38th season, and now it's your turn!
We are seeking submissions of visual art about Oliver Twist. Think of it as your chance to design a show poster that highlights your aesthetic. It's a huge part of our #ARTwithaTWIST Competition for a Cause. Submission guidelines, details, and inspiration can be found here. The deadline is looming ever closer (tomorrow!!), so get your pieces finished and sent in! We're excited to see what you've come up with.