PHOTO SHOOTING CAPTURES DUALITY OF TEST
The theme of duality is the core of the TEST concept: right meets wrong, grief meets joy, evil meets good, science meets nature. The TEST visual director, Jussi Hyttinen, came to Krista’s house near Basel on June 27 with his sturdy Nikon and a trunk full of lighting equipment to capture what this duality looks like in the faces of the actors. The schedule was nonstop, starting at 9 a.m. and not ending until the last click on the camera at close to midnight.
The visual aspect is a key element of TEST. The marketing team is developing TEST not as a one-off event that is enjoyed on the night of the show only. The idea is to create widespread interest in the public across several channels over many months. The visuals are not merely an add-on or afterthought to the music and story. They are an essential part of the experience.
That’s why Jussi prodded and coached the actors in front of the camera, with the actors adding their own professional skills, of course. Each actor had about an hour, first to show off the upbeat, lighter side of their character, and then the hidden, darker side. The lighting changed with the duality, of course, as did the make-up. The actors were able to bring forth the two sides of their character through their action, manners, and facial expressions.
Martin Sommerlatte, for example, who plays Dr. Cunningham, displayed a broad smile to light up the sunny side of his character. Dr. Cunningham is the man responsible for the happiness in Happyville. But he also harbors some doubts about whether his hard work in genetics has been worth the effort, and whether the results are useful. In his photo session, Martin Sommerlatte displayed a look of anguished questioning to show the shadow side of his character.
When not in front of the camera, the cast members got to know each other. There were a lot of smiles and good conversation, for example, as Marc Storace stayed for lunch after his photo shooting to meet and chat with new additions to the cast such as Christoph Wettstein, the Boss God, and Sven Olaf Denkinger, who plays Mr. Conrad.
By the time midnight rolled around, Jussi had taken well over a thousand shots on his Nikon. And under the glow of a waxing moon, the creative team sat with Jussi for a drink in the outside patio at Krista’s house to review his work and see what duality looks like in the faces of TEST actors.
