TIPS FOR HOSTING YOUR OWN POP-UP CINEMA
From parks to rooftops, and eclectic urban venues, SR cinema takes film out of the theatre and into the city, thereby creating a unique screening platform to enhance and re-define the cinema experience.
For first-time event planners, here are some tips to help you plan a successful pop-up cinema event.
REVENUE IS GENERATED FROM
Ticket sales
On-screen advertising
Sale of popcorn, sweets, drinks
Sponsorship
MARKETING
Marketing is essential to the success of your event. We suggest a lead time of 4 weeks minimum.
- Social media is an effective channel for marketing. Setup a Facebook event/ Twitter handle / Instagram.
- Run online competitions to generate interest, e.g.: "Share our event and WIN tickets for your local Open-Air cinema!"
- Contact newspapers, radio stations, bloggers.
- Print posters and flyers - this type of advertising will never go out of fashion
- Contact local businesses: Your audience is their target market - charge a fee for on-screen advertising that appears before the movie: logo placement/ infographic/ advertisement/ promotional film.
- Collaborate with vendors / traders who already have a following and can promote through their channels.
ON-SCREEN ADVERTISING
On-Screen advertising is a dynamic medium offering advertisers the opportunity to reach their target audience in a distraction-free compelling environment. On-screen advertising reaches movie goers with innovative messages that engage in a highly effective manner - another awesome revenue stream for your event. Invite local businesses to promote their brand or product at your cinema event: paid advertising (logo / video shown on-screen before the movie) - event sponsorship or - brand sampling.
SHOWTIME
Screening commences once the sun has set and we have a good image on screen, so we recommend you 'open the gates' 2 hours before the screening and advise ticket holders that the film will start just after sunset.
For example:
5pm: Gates open (arrive early to get a good seat and enjoy all the pre-show entertainment and delicious food on offer).
Movie will start just after sunset.
SET-UP TIMES
For medium to large events:
Your mobile cinema production team will need access to the venue from 2pm on the day of the event.
Please ensure the venue has access to electricity. The mobile cinema set-up does NOT require 3-phase, however we do need a dedicated plug point to power the cinema only.
Please let us know should the electricity point be further than 30m from the cinema set-up.
TICKETING
Get creative with your ticket structure by offering multiple tickets such as:
- A single ticket entry
- Combo ticket (discounted ticket for 2 people)
- Family ticket (up to 5 people)
- Group ticket (up to 10 people)
By using an online ticket platform you can manage attendance and also allow pre-orders of popcorn, food and beverage.
WEATHER
Pop-up cinema events are weather reliant. Our screens can withstand winds of up to 37km p/h, however, should heavy rain or wind prevent us from hosting a safe and enjoyable event for all, we will need to postpone the event to your weather date.
Date changes do not incur any additional fees, as long as the move is confirmed before 11am on the day of the show.
We strongly advise that you do not offer refunds. We cannot control the weather so be very clear in your ticket t's and c's that the ticket is non-refundable and in the case of bad weather, the event will be postponed and that ticket holders will be notified by midday on the day of the event with the postponed date.
FILM LICENSING
We work with the following major studios: Sony, Fox, Warner Bros, Disney, and Pixar. Please note that only films already released on DVD are eligible for pop-up cinema screenings.
We are not permitted to show titles currently in cinemas. Kindly budget R2,000 per film license and select a title from one of the studios listed above. Studio approval typically takes two to three weeks, so please plan accordingly.
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SR Cinema - Creating Unforgettable Movie Experiences