Local Premiere Ideas?

[FrankLad]

Hey hey hey hey hey!

I'm gearing up for a local showing of my recently-completed film, "Hickory Never Bleeds", and I'm looking for some ideas.

The local screening is pretty important to me. The main goal for this entire project is the simple enjoyment of sharing the end result with the cast, their families/friends, and as many other folks as we can fit in the building.

Personally, I'm not a glitzy/glamour kinda guy... so the red carpet stuff doesn't appeal to me much. But ultimately I want this to be a memorable experience for the cast, so I'm looking into these things.

I've hired out a photographer and ordered a backdrop for some photo-op type stuff. I've also purchased some small posters for the cast to sign, which will be available after the premiere.

We'll have light refreshments and hopefully create an environment where people will mingle, talk about the experience, etc, etc.

Even thought about doing something along the lines of a "program", or at least a one-page with cast bios and a little info about the film.

Any other ideas?

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

What you have there sounds really good. I think that the cast and crew would really like the whole red carpet treatment and would love you for it. You could notify your local media outlets of the premiere and invite reporters/critics if you want. I'm sure that any of your actors would be over the moon to have their photograph in the paper or on the news. To facilitate that, you can put together a small media pack with swag from the flick, cast and crew bios (play up the local boy done good angle), a short trailer for the movie, and tickets to the premiere. Best of luck to you, it sounds great.

 

[Zensteve]

Any significant props to have on display, in/near the photo-op room/area?

Maybe a huge cardboard backing, covered witha collage of official screencaps & also bts photographs?

Copies of the DVD available for sale? (if that's not an issue for your festival circuit, of course) For the general public, that is.

Sounds like awesome time. I really wanna see this, btw. I was following the production thread, and I just couldn't grasp it but it sounded so weird & compelling.

Edit: Oh, have a short Q&A session after the movie. Something a bit more formal than the general mingling afterwards.

 

[PaulGriffith]

For one of our shorts that we put a ton of effort into, we had a house party screening. In the back yard we set up a projector and moved couches and chairs out there to watch it, then before and after there were tons of food and drinks. Kind of a thank you and screening party for cast/crew/friends. We had colored LED lights all around and one of the girls went to town with decorations and a red rug at the door haha. It may have been overkill for what it was, but it really was a blast.

 

[FrankLad]

What you have there sounds really good. I think that the cast and crew would really like the whole red carpet treatment and would love you for it. You could notify your local media outlets of the premiere and invite reporters/critics if you want. I'm sure that any of your actors would be over the moon to have their photograph in the paper or on the news. To facilitate that, you can put together a small media pack with swag from the flick, cast and crew bios (play up the local boy done good angle), a short trailer for the movie, and tickets to the premiere. Best of luck to you, it sounds great.

Good stuff! The upcoming premiere has been getting a little press in local papers, and we've got a TV spot set up for a couple days before the show, but it hasn't even crossed my mind to do a media pack. Thanks!

Any significant props to have on display, in/near the photo-op room/area?

Maybe a huge cardboard backing, covered witha collage of official screencaps & also bts photographs?

Copies of the DVD available for sale? (if that's not an issue for your festival circuit, of course) For the general public, that is.

Sounds like awesome time. I really wanna see this, btw. I was following the production thread, and I just couldn't grasp it but it sounded so weird & compelling.

Edit: Oh, have a short Q&A session after the movie. Something a bit more formal than the general mingling afterwards.

I thought about making a "limited run" of DVDs available... and even going for intentionally handmade-looking type packaging w/ the logo stenciled on or something. There are a couple festivals I'd like to submit to, but it seems the film can't be available on the internet... so physical copies should be ok. (I'll have to double-check this.)

The Q&A session sounds good! (Though a couple of my actors share their political views quite freely, so that makes me a tad nervous. HA HA!)

Thank you for the ideas!

And it IS a weird film. Part of the inspiration for this was the Errol Morris documentary "Vernon, Florida", if that tells you anything.
So to some people it may drag in parts, but I did put a LITTLE action in there because I felt like I'd owe it to the audience by the end.

For one of our shorts that we put a ton of effort into, we had a house party screening. In the back yard we set up a projector and moved couches and chairs out there to watch it, then before and after there were tons of food and drinks. Kind of a thank you and screening party for cast/crew/friends. We had colored LED lights all around and one of the girls went to town with decorations and a red rug at the door haha. It may have been overkill for what it was, but it really was a blast.

This sounds fantastic, man! That's what it's all about!