Hyperion Show Promotion
Overview.
The Hyperion Players are an Indiana-based regional theater troupe. They bring an eclectic range of stories to the stage from theater classics to original pieces from local playwrights. When creating promotional materials for their season of shows, one of the unique challenges is to capture the personality and individuality of each show while maintaining the consistent brand presence of professionalism and excellence that defines Hyperion. Instead of creating traditional trailers, we wanted to interview the cast and crew behind these shows. These are dedicated and passionate storytellers, and we wanted them to share in their own words what makes these shows special.
This video is a compilation highlight reel of all the promotional videos that were created as a part of this season:
Background.
Having worked with Hyperion in previous seasons for shows like Call Me Sister, Waiting for Godot, Doubt: A Parable, and Grand Horizons, we developed a repeatable filming schedule, including b-roll and behind the scenes photos during rehearsals and cast & crew interviews leading up to the performances. Over time, this process became more than documentation; it became a storytelling rhythm that helped audiences connect with the people and process behind each production.
By highlighting the creative journey as much as the final performance, we helped Hyperion share the deeper narrative of what it means to build live theatre in community; the long rehearsals, the laughter, the tension, and the transformation that happens on and off the stage. Each season’s story became part of a larger, evolving brand narrative that celebrates the craft of theatre and the human stories that make it meaningful.
Process & Results.
Each production received its own tailored planning process that treated storytelling as both strategy and art. In pre-production, we collaborated closely with the director to understand the heart of each story: its tone, tension, and emotional throughline. Through mood-boarding and one-on-one creative sessions, we explored visual metaphors and narrative cues that would later guide filming and photography. These early conversations helped us identify the story behind the story; what each production was ultimately saying about humanity, relationships, or community.
During production, our team captured on-location video and photography throughout rehearsals, documenting the progression from first read-throughs to dress rehearsals. This approach allowed us to visually weave together the transformation of the cast and the evolution of the performance, giving audiences a glimpse into the creative process that fuels each show.
In post-production, storytelling took shape through editing. We produced 4–6 short promotional videos, each 60–90 seconds in length, designed to highlight different emotional or thematic aspects of the production. These varied in format, from character spotlights to behind-the-scenes reflections, to give audiences multiple entry points into the narrative. For select productions, we also created conceptual imagery and professional headshots that extended the show’s visual identity across print and digital media.
This process not only generated consistent, engaging promotional content, but also established a storytelling framework that celebrated Hyperion’s creative journey; helping audiences see that the story begins long before opening night and continues long after the final bow.
The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps is a parody play based off the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. It features a cast of many characters but only four actors, providing many comedic opportunities. We created a playful intro for each cast member, showing an “infinite improbability drive” styled character change to highlight their variability. This show received its own compilation promo in addition to each individually themed promotion. Work for this show also included custom headshots for the cast and crew.
An Inspector Calls
The social consciousness of Charles Dickens meets the suspense of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. An Inspector Calls is a powerful play about the far-reaching consequences of actions. This show had an especially unique production element: Shadow Puppets were employed to tell the cut-away scenes in the story. These shadow puppets were them used in customer lower-third graphic animations.
Rocket Man
Expertly blending comedy and tragedy, Rocket Man is an unforgettable story of obsession and the pursuit of discovery. Ultimately, the audience encounters a profound exploration of what it means to be human. These interviews took a deeper dive into the themes explored by individual characters in the play, following the format of the play’s “mirror world” concept and the duality of each each of them explored. Work for this show also included custom head shots for the cast and crew.
Woman in Black
A haunting ghost story, Woman in Black is full of twists and turns, leading to a disturbing and deeply human conclusion. This shows was timed perfectly for spooky season and included a surprising reveal in the final compilation promo video. The work for this show also included custom conceptual photography, utilizing studio techniques and compositing.
