Photography of Amateur Stage Production

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

I'm going to be photographing a high-school drama-club play. My wife will be using her Canon digital gear for stills and video, but I've been asked to take some shots during the live production with colour negative stock (for a "retro" look). There will be no opportunities to shoot when they do blocking, during dress rehearsals, etc., so no going on stage to take close-up stills. I will be seated in the front row where my 50mm and 90mm 'cron primes will suffice.

Back in the 1970s, I did some rock-concert photography for a large city daily and the only emulsion we ever used was Tri-X (rated at 800), which we developed in-house. I have never in my life used colour for a live indoor event. I plan on using Kodak Portra 800 as I have several bricks on ice in my freezer.

My query here is whether I should switch to a tungsten-balanced film, such as CineStill 800T, or simply stick with the daylight-balanced Portra. I have a few bricks of Fujicolor Press 800 on ice also but again that's daylight. Is it worth switching to CineStill 800T? I'm doing the job gratis but the school has offered to pay for the cost of the film. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Bill Blackwell Images]

Many years ago I did jobs such as what you describe and weddings. I always used daylight film with fill flash at around ASA 200 (never above 400). I never had an issue. But I also liked to shoot with Tri-X when shooting stage plays. B&W always seemed more "natural" in this venue. But I almost always forced myself back stage for some after shots (sometimes at the intermission) of the actors in character and in costume. 

[AJG]

I also used to shoot a lot of theater productions, mostly in B&W, although I did shoot a lot of other events where flash wasn't allowed and color was needed and found the Fuji Press 800 worked remarkably well and could be corrected pretty well for the daylight/tungsten color balance problems.  How your film will fare after many years of freezer storage is question that would best be answered by shooting a test roll and seeing what kind of shape it is in.

[Karim Ghantous]

5 hours ago, Jeffrey L.T. von Glück said:

I'm going to be photographing a high-school drama-club play...

I shoot live theatre rehearsals a lot (on digital though). It's great fun and I enjoy it. Anyway, I don't like Cinestill at all. But, it is tungsten balanced, so that will help OTOH, do you know that the theatre has tungsten lights? Or do they have LED lights?

Portra 800 is my favourite colour negative stock, FWIW.

I presume you will be using two bodies? I use a zoom lens, as most people do. But, if I used primes, I'd have two bodies.

Also, I recommend that you do not use flash. Obviously you aren't using it here, but if you're tempted, just don't. 😉

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

1 minute ago, Karim Ghantous said:

…do you know that the theatre has tungsten lights? Or do they have LED lights?

Portra 800 is my favourite colour negative stock, FWIW.

I presume you will be using two bodies? 

Also, I recommend that you do not use flash. 

It's an older auditorium and best as I can tell, no LEDs, just old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, but will ask, just in case; didn't even think about that, thanks.

Definitely 2 bodies, probably my M7 and M5, and no flash, never used that for any of my concert photography back in the day, verboten!

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

4 hours ago, Bill Blackwell Images said:

Great, expressive shot.

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

4 hours ago, AJG said:

How your film will fare after many years of freezer storage is question that would best be answered by shooting a test roll and seeing what kind of shape it is in.

Will be shooting a test roll at midnight Mass tomorrow evening, but all my stock in the freezer has never been a problem. Still successfully using long-outdated Agfa Ultracolor sitting in my freezer.