headshots in the lobby Who do I include?

[dmoes]

When doing plays, does your theatre take headshots of participants for in the lobby? Who do you include? is there a recognized standard or guideline? Colour or Black and white?

One of my many hats at our theatre is Photographer. We are well established community theatre that puts on 6 plays plus a musical each year.

Historically we have had black and white photos of each actor, the director, stage manager and production manager. Lately a few producers have suggested that we include the crew out of fairness. They have a point since we are all volunteers, but it would lead to massive clutter on the picture board. So I ask what are the conventions, should I Include the crew? should I just have one group shot of the crew or just designers. or should I just say no?

 

[Daffey]

Maybe you could go by department with a separate headshot/picture for the head of each departments/designers.

And maybe you could group the cast the same e.g. ensemble in one shot with maybe only the principals getting their own picture each.

 

[sk8rsdad]

For us it is headshots for cast and director, most time. Large cast productions may use group shots instead of individual head shots. Once in a blue moon there will be a crew group shot, usually at the insistence of the director. We're all volunteer, too.

 

[cpf]

In all my community & "professional" theatergoing experience I've only ever seen B&W individual headshots of every cast member, and maybe the director. Personally I don't see the strongest reasoning for putting crew on there too, but a group shot sounds like a good idea.

 

[BrockTucker]

We do a group shot of the cast. Sometimes the director will be in that shot as well.

We're all volunteer cast, paid directors, half and half tech.

 

[Morydd]

B&W headshots are tradition based on the fact that color prints were much more expensive, and as an actor handing out hundreds of them over the course of a year, you wanted to keep it cheap. That's not so much the case any more, so color is rapidly becoming the norm.

 

[Les]

I've seen community theatres give the crew a group shot.

Most often, the principles will have head shots, ensemble/supporting cast will have group shots (groups of four to six usually), and the directors will have either a group shot, or individual shots depending on how many of them there are.

I've also been in shows where they take a group shot of the creative team, and I like that idea. Usually, getting the entire crew can be difficult. Getting them all in one place at one time can prove challenging.

 

[techieman33]

Usually I see headshots of principals and a group shot of other cast, chorus, etc. As a tech I would never want my picture up there, having my name in the program is pushing it as it is.

 

[seanandkate]

As was mentioned, B & W for the convenience factor. Headshots of the principals, director, designers and SM, group shots of minors and chorus, no crew, management or assistants. The lobby is only so big...

 

[MarshallPope]

For most of our theatre productions, my college has individual 8x10 color headshots of all of the cast, with no creative or technical personnel. The community theatre I am involved with uses 8x10 B&Ws of the same. The only time the crew is ever photographed here is a group shot for the program of our social club /etc. variety show thing that is impossible to describe. (It's somewhat like Sing! at some colleges?)

 

[lighttechie5948]

At the theater that I work at (which is volunteer cast, paid directors, designers, & production staff, and volunteer running crew) the headshot board in the lobby includes all of the leads (usually 9-12 8x10 photos, color or B/W, whatever the actor provides). The website displays the bios and head shots of all cast members. Then a head shot and bio for the director, choreographer, musical director, stage manager, lighting, scenic, sound and costume designers. No crew. Sometimes the website includes a photo album with rehearsal/tech/production candids. That's where crew would go I suppose. I know pics of the lighting load in and scenic painting have made it to the site.

 

[dmoes]

Thanks for the replies this confirms pretty much what I thought. I had a minor blowup with the production team and director of an upcomming show regarding shots of the crew. I finnaly aggreed to a group shot but with deep reservation.

time for a policy meeting! yuk I hate these.