So you’re planning on having an outdoor movie viewing and you need to get some stuff together to make the event a one-of-a-kind occasion that people will remember.
You’re already taking the right steps with attempting to plan in the first place and we’re here to help you with that.
While this isn’t a checklist of things you should do to prepare for an outdoor movie viewing, they are some general guidelines to help you with that process and keep everything efficient.
Here are nine things you need to keep in mind while planning your outdoor movie viewing event:
Audience Size
This will help you configure everything from screen size to seating and the arrangement thereof. How many people do you expect? Try to come up with three numbers: What you expect, a little more than that, and a little less than that number. This should help give you a good range so that you don’t go overboard and don’t arrive unprepared.
Venue
Where are you holding the viewing? Some screens work better in different lighting scenarios. You’ll also want to consider the time of the event and the general environment’s lighting at that time.
Scope of Event
How much is going to be going on at your outdoor movie viewing? Think about the range of activities in relation to the venue size, screen size, and total audience to help you gauge just what you’re going to have to spend to actually make it worthwhile.
Seating
Will there be seating or not? If it is outdoors, what is the plan for seating and how will it fan out from the screen? You’ll probably want to consult with your screen rental company about this aspect so that you don’t arrange seating in a way where people are blocking one another’s view of the screen or unable to see it at all.
Contingencies for Weather
What are your plans for bad weather? What if there is bad weather a few days before? Does this impact seating and the venue? Have Plan A, B, and C if you can.
Lighting
What kind of lighting equipment will you require and will you need to rent this as well? Many screen rental companies will help provide ancillary lighting for nighttime or dusk viewings so be sure to inquire as to whether you think this will be necessary.
Screen Type
You should spend a considerable amount of time matching up the screen to your venue and its conditions. This is not only an easy way to optimize the viewing experience but also it will help avoid getting the wrong screen for the occasion which, at best, will result in a sub-par viewing or, at worst, nothing visible at all depending on conditions.
Sound
Will you need extra sound capacity? What kind of sound output are you looking for at the event? You might even consider what kind of movie you are showing with action flicks tending to benefit from louder sound and art films tending towards the softer noises.
Catering
Will there be food at the event and how will that be arranged in relation to the screen and audience area?
Parking
Parking for outdoor movie viewings is no small consideration but we put it here as a suggestion for a potential way to incorporate a kind of seating into the experience. For example, you could host a drive-in movie as a backup plan for an outdoor picnic viewing if the weather doesn’t permit for the latter.
https://www.tzcinema.com/outdoor-movie-screen-rentals/rental-faqs/
