Case study
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops concerts are a beloved tradition in its venerable Symphony Hall, and no concert is complete without an annual visit from Santa Claus himself. Every year, there is always a theme to Santa’s visit and ensuing banter with maestro Keith Lockhart.
In 2014, I was hired by the BSO to produce a series of images for Santa’s “newly launched Instagram account.”
Disciplines
Art direction, design, photography, retouching
Deliverables
Digital files for projection in Boston Symphony Hall
Collaborators
Dennis Alves, Amanda Severin, Wei Jing Saw, Keith Lockhart
Background and research
I shot Santa in front of a green screen in the various poses suggested by the script, and then composited him into the different situations as needed (e.g., relaxing on the beach, taking a Swan Boat ride with Rudolph, meeting David Ortiz). I even posed as the stand-in for the maestro in the final shot.
Original photos
Hashtag Happy Holidays
“This was such a fun project to work on with Kyle. His enthusiasm and talent perfectly brought our vision to life to the delight of our audiences young and old.”
—Wei Jing Saw, Boston Pops manager of artistic administration
Projected in Symphony Hall
Conclusions
The project was met with high praise both from the client and the over 80,000 audience members who encountered it throughout the holiday season. I was invited back twice more to collaborate with the BSO Pops team on other projects.