Crafting Memorable Experiences

The Power of Typography in Entertainment & Experience

Typography plays a significant role in the entertainment and live show industry. It is essential for creating visually engaging and appealing designs that capture the audience's attention and convey the event's theme or message. From concert posters to live shows, typography can set the tone and mood of the performance. Typography can also help with branding and show identity, as the consistent use of fonts across various media creates a unified and coherent look. Overall, typography is an important tool that helps the entertainment and live show industry leave a lasting impression on its audience before, during, and after representations.

Open book with the left page titled "LA MISE EN SCÈNE DU TEXTE" in large black font, and the right page featuring text, musical notation, and a black and white photograph of a person in costume wearing a mask.

From Draft to Completion

Any show begins with an idea that will be written down, rehearsed, and finally represented. Indeed, the show goes through several states, or several hands before being presented to the public.

Open magazine showing a page with French text and a large photograph of characters from The Wizard of Oz in costumes, including the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, and the Wizard in green. The opposite page has a collage of book covers.

The very first step is about communicating and promoting the story to attract future viewers. Graphic Designers and the Art Director work together efficiently to transcribe the story and the text based on key visual elements. Shows like Annie Jr, Funny Girl or The Wizard of Oz are perfect examples of this. If you look at the book The Wizard of Oz, as well as the photo above of the first performance on Broadway in 1939, you can tell the main elements of the script are being represented and have been ever since then - Dorothy's blue dress is used as a key element.

Re-inventing the Communication around Live Entertainment

In this performing arts industry, several mediums of communication remain iconic and are a means to keep the memory of the show alive. Some spectators also attach great importance to collecting tickets or posters for shows they attend. You can’t tell me you’ve never wasted some $35 on an official poster at the end of a concert or not kept a ticket as a reminder of the magical night you experienced!

Open magazine featuring vintage-inspired Gucci-themed tickets, cards, and packaging design for a spring summer collection.

Until now, tickets have always been designed in such a way that they would hold as much information as possible within very small dimensions, while also trying to inspire as much as possible - using text only! That’s why we usually use posters or ads to inspire potential spectators. In the past 15 years however, we’ve seen more and more new innovative invitations emerge: more immersive, innovative, using different materials or objects, connecting the viewer even more to the show and its performers. It’s an excellent way to immerse spectators in the story beforehand, raise the excitement and re-invent this traditional medium.

The Graphic Language as a Tool to Service The Work

Prior to the show, the significance of the text truly emerges during rehearsals and the practice sessions. It's at that moment that comedians and actors immerse themselves into the material, following the instructions provided by the art director. Yet, there's a notable absence of visual aids in this field - hardly any are tools available to aid professionals in mastering these scripts, besides written notes, scripts that are marked up, highlighted, or just personalized to each’s needs.

Page from a magazine or book featuring large bold number '03' and the title 'Le langage graphique comme support au service de l'oeuvre,' with text in French and graphics related to electronic music and visual symbols.

A graphic language is then established and allows readers to combine a sign with an action.

A person with painted red nails is flipping through a magazine that features a black and white photograph of a woman in traditional dress holding a stick with objects. The magazine page also contains large text in French, starting with '03' and mentioning Lebanon.
Open book displaying a black-and-white portrait of Rudolf von Laban in a mask and traditional clothing, seated on the floor with one hand raised. The pages contain text, musical notation, and a signature.

Art Directing takes on its full purpose during the performance. In the show industry, art directing is about having something to be seen and heard - It’s time.

Shh, the audience is here. Lights, curtain, music.

Graphically Transcribing the Text Through Light

In this part, we will look at the notion of highlighting the text - Light on stage is designed to reflect all layers of the script and bring out all of its nuances. Before being technical, light is "scenographic". Light is the most important actor, doing the same work on the character, text, and dramaturgy.

Conversely, various graphical notation systems have long existed for disciplines like dance, music, and stage movement.

A black and white graphic layout with large section number '01' and French text discussing the importance of lighting in a theatrical performance. The design features a mix of large and small serif fonts, with some text emphasized by circles and lines.
Two photographs displaying the word 'laffart' in letters created with movement and light, against a black background. The photos show blurred, glowing text with a documentary caption in French below.
Open book displaying abstract black and white distorted and layered text and script.
The illuminated word 'future' written in a stylized, glowing font against a dark background.

There are also the soundtracks, the sound effects and of course, the voice of the actors - many aspects to take into account when trying to add sound to a text. Let's narrow our analysis by focusing on one type of show in particular: Musical Theatre. These performances bring together all the disciplines of a live performance: mimes, puppets, circus, acrobatics, singing, dancing, theater...

Graphically Transcribing the Text Through Sound

There are many approaches to sonorising text. Here, I’m interested in finding ways to express the sound of a word or a letter - The accurate combination of the two notions of light and sound will create an overall experience that can only become spectacular when they are perfectly coordinated.

During a show, several sound aspects must be taken into account. First, the show is punctuated by the applause and excitement of the spectators who accompany the start, the intermission, and the end of the experience.

Open magazine displaying chapter 2 titled 'La Sonorisation du Texte' with French text on the left page and a collage of images and symbols related to sound and media on the right page.
A display featuring various graphic posters and books related to graphic movements. The left side shows a collection of black and white and colorful posters with artwork and text, including a prominent circular poster with an image of a woman and Russian text. The right side displays an orange book titled "Zang Tumb Tumb" by F. T. Marinetti, dated October 1912. The background is black, with white text in French explaining the subject of the display and its context.

The Show Must Go On

Last note. Applause. Music. Light.
The curtain call in the theater is a moment of truth. The performers step forward to the edge of the stage, as if approaching a border. They break away from the fiction, still imbued with its privilege. They reclaim their civilian identity while basking in the aura of their characters. The actors' final bow is an unforgettable moment of truth where art and life intertwine.

Open magazine featuring a large headline 'Intro' on the left page, with smaller text below, and a photograph of a male performer singing into a microphone on the right page, wearing suspenders.
Open magazine with black-and-white theater scene on right page and colorful theatrical images and text in French on the left page.
A black background with a photo of women’s legs in high heels dancing on a stage at the top, and white text in cursive that reads "The Show Still Goes On" below.

One question subsists:

How can I combine sound and light in order to create a unique and interesting object to take home, allowing users to constantly relive the spectacular experience that is a live show?

This case study focuses on finding new means to make the entertainment world continue living when the curtain goes down. Discover my graphic answer with the project “Chicago”.


- Coming soon -

Open book with the title 'La Mise En Scene Du Texte' on the cover, black text on white background, and an interior page showing text, music notation, and a black-and-white photograph of a person with a mask.