There’s nothing quite like an outdoor movie night beneath twinkling stars. It’s a fun and engaging experience that brings everyone closer together, and it’s an escape from the cares of the world!
It can also be cost-effective and simple to organise if you do it right. However, unlike watching TV at home or visiting an indoor cinema (where little can go wrong), you’ll want to take account of significant variables when organising the perfect evening.
We’ll give you a head start, by showing you how to avoid pratfalls, annoying snags, and grumpy neighbors. We hope you enjoy our 10 simple rules to rock your very own Sundance Festival!
- Consider the weather
Make sure to look at the long-range forecast. If you identify a high chance of rain, be prepared to consider alternate dates or indoor options. Nothing puts a dampener on the mood like a downpour in the dark.
Having said this, if the risk is slight, then you can mitigate it by creating a refuge for guests in the unlikely event the skies open—either with a couple of gazebos or perhaps a garden dome or two, or plan a bolt-hole in the house where you can throw cushions on the floor and project onto a wall.
- Choose the right time of year
Outdoor cinema events work better in the autumn, winter, and spring than in the high summer. Early winter is ideal because there is less chance of snow, and it is not yet too cold. Dusk also comes earlier, so the movie can start at a reasonable hour.
It’s a beneficial idea to ask attendees to attire themselves in appropriate clothing. Wrapping up warm and wearing layers is always helpful. You can provide, or they can bring, blankets to cover themselves should the night turn chilly.
We always recommend inflatable seating and footrests for maximum comfort, as these provide a cushion of body-warmed air between guests and the ground, rather than using hard-backed or canvas chairs, which can be quite chilly.
- Choose a movie that suits the outdoors.
Try to go for films that have lots of colour and light. Dark movies (dark as in colour tones, not dark as in mood category) tend to blend with the darkness of the night and can be a tough watch. Comedies, action movies, and thrillers generally work well, as do in drama or romantic favourites – so long as the pace is not too slow.
For the family and kids, cartoons, holiday favourites and musicals are a sure-fire winner.
- Respect your neighbours
It’s a common courtesy to make your closest neighbours aware of your upcoming event. You might not be planning a rave, but outdoor movies do create a lot of bright light and loud sound. If it fits your guest list, invite them, but at least tell them when the party starts and ends.
It can also be useful to know a little about your neighbours’ lifestyles. Do they work nights? Are they going away on vacation? Will they be out during the day? Using this information in your planning will make life so much better.
- Use a quality projector.
You will need a good projector, so plan to buy or rent a model with 4K resolution, a zoom lens, and a light output power of at least 4,000 ANSI lumens. It must be powerful enough to project a relatively long distance to your screen, and you’ll need to be able to adjust the picture size, keystone alignment, and focus.
Be careful when making your choice. Sellers on Amazon will claim that their £150 projector with 8,000 lumens illumination power is the one for you. All those lumens make it sound powerful, but it’s not true. These are fake’ lumens and they’re using the term in what amounts to a smoke and mirrors trick.
To explain, there are around 7,000 lumens to every 1,000 ANSI lumens. So, a more expensive 4,000 ANSI lumens projector suitable for your event is actually packing around 28,000 of their lumens. Choose wisely! Caveat emptor…
- Sound is important too.
Ambient noise can sometimes impact outdoor spaces, necessitating a more powerful audio system than a room in your house. So you’ll need a powerful speaker unit and amplifier linked to the projector. Your sound system doesn’t need to be crazy loud but the built-in speakers on your projector are unlikely to be up to the job.
- Don’t overlook the player and the screen.
Then you must consider the player. Most people will use their mobile phone linked by USB cable to the projector, playing from Netflix or other providers, or will use a similarly linked laptop, USB drive, or DVD drive. Depending on your configuration and cabling, it is also possible to link to your cable TV provider’s box. Modern projectors function much like a TV screen and will accept HDMI, USB, and USB-C cables, and occasionally Bluetooth, although cabling is the better option.
Think carefully about your screen. The best screens for garden use tend to be inflatable and up to 240 inches in diagonal size. They’re quick to erect with an air blower and look impressive. Please ensure the area where they will be placed is checked. You don’t want jagged glass on the ground or nails sticking out from a fence. Also, check if you can anchor them securely. Usually, the kit comes with ropes, so ensure you tie the screen securely.
It’s possible to use smaller non-inflatable screens, but since 100 inches or above is the optimum size, fixed screens larger than this can be unwieldy.
- Check everything before guests arrive.
As with any presentation, ensure that everything is correctly set up and thoroughly tested well before guests arrive. You would rather not be faffing around with wires, cables, audio, or lens focus just as everyone is sitting down!
Please ensure the power source, cables, sound, and the movie itself are all checked, and kindly make sure wires are covered to prevent any tripping hazards. If you are using your phone or a laptop as the source, make sure that the batteries are topped up or that the unit is plugged in.
If your party is not private, you might also need to consider whether you must pay royalties.
- Begin with welcome drinks and snacks.
Nothing dents the enjoyment of the start of a movie more than latecomers, so give everyone a chance to socialise before the film and you’ll be onto a winner. Suggest everyone arrive an hour or half an hour early, while it is still light, so they can chat over drinks, hot beverages, or nibbles and enjoy the chance to catch up with friends.
Similarly, why not end the movie with an opportunity to tuck into hot food and drinks? A simple menu of BBQ with hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken wings, or vegan substitutes, works well. You can add hot Glühwein and Rum Toddies, while non-drinkers and children can enjoy a hot, zero-alcohol mandarin fruit punch! If it’s really cold, then renting a heated gazebo or a garden dome is a sure-fire way to defeat the chill for the pre- and post-movie activities!
- Embellish your event with cinematic extras!
It’s easy to create a cinema-like atmosphere with a few good props. Think red velvet VIP ropes, professional bar units, popcorn carts, and candyfloss makers. YYou can even obtain ex-cinema posters (sold cheaply for charity at your local cinema) and display them around the area. Invites in the form of tickets can add to the fun too.
If the event is to celebrate a birthday, then reach out to us for further advice on how to create backdrops, balloon garlands, themed table settings, and much more!
Are you looking for an event specialist to create a wonderful outdoor movie night for you?
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