10 Tips for Putting on Your Local Screening
Now that it is almost time to put on your first local screening, here are some things to think about in the few days before, during, and immediately after your event.
1) To make sure your event goes well, here are some things to do shortly before the screening:
- Create a checklist of all the things you will bring to the screening if you haven’t already done so. If you have already created a checklist, review it to be sure you have done everything on it and add anything else you want to include.
- Create a short review form, so people who liked the film can leave comments you can use to later promote the film. You can label this form “Review and Comments” and you might include ratings form from 1–10, which individuals can check to say how much they liked the film. Additionally, ask them to write a one or two sentence review if they liked the film, and ask them to include their name or initials, city, and state, which you can use on your website or flyers about the film.
- Double check that you have all the items on your checklist, including any flyers, business cards, film posters, products to display, sign-up forms, clipboards, refreshments, and a cash box.
- A week or so before the screening, double check with the individual making the arrangements at the selected venue to see that everything is moving ahead as expected. If you have to make a final payment to confirm your booking, make it now.
2) Some list minute things to do include the following:
- A day or two before your screening, take all the items you plan to bring there to a central location. This will help to show what you already have and what you still need. Also, having everything in this central place will enable you to quickly take these items to the screening.
- A few days before the event, check with the individuals putting on the screening with you, such as the person handling sign-ins or introducing you, to be sure they will still be there. If you have arranged for a videographer, check that he or she is still planning to come. As necessary, make other arrangements to handle the assignments for those who can’t attend.
- A day or two before the event, double check that any individuals participating in the screening are still coming as planned, such as other producers and actors in the film, and there are no illnesses or other problems that might interfere with their participation. If necessary, make last minute arrangements, if possible, to take on the responsibilities of those who won’t be there.
- If the individuals coming to the screening need directions, send them this information. If they are coming at a time when they might expect traffic, advise them that they may encounter some delays, so they can leave earlier and arrive on time.
- A day or two before the screening, buy any snacks and beverages you plan to have at the event or arrange for someone to buy these items for you. Estimate how much to bring based on how many people you expect. Gather the necessary number of plates, dishes, cups, glasses, napkins, and paper plates to serve attendees. Preferably, pick up food items you might eat or drink later in case you end up with leftovers.
- Print out the names of the individuals who have signed-up and paid on Eventbrite and the names of anyone who has signed up through Meetup or other platforms. Place the names and lists of the individuals who signed up with your checklist and sign-ups printouts, so anyone at the door can check who has already paid and collect payments from those signing in at the door.
- Review what you plan to say in introducing your film and in any question and answer session after your film. If you are doing a presentation with someone else, review what you plan to say together. Then, practice your presentation, as necessary.
- The day before the event, check with the individual in charge of the venue that everything is or will be set up as planned.
- Print out any needed forms and flyers.
- Plan to bring a camera or your phone to take pictures.
3) Here’s what to do the day of the screening:
- In the morning, make a last minute call to the individual in charge of the venue and to others helping you to put on the screening to make sure everything is still going ahead as planned.
- Allow enough time to pack everything in your car or other transportation.
- Pack everything you need and go.
4) Generally, you will have about 15 to 30 minutes to set up for your screening before your official start time. Figure on some attendees coming 5 to 10 minutes early, so be ready to greet them and sign them in. If necessary, use some of the networking time — about15–20 minutes — to finish your set up.
Set up your sign-in table with the following:
- sign-in forms
- film review and comment forms
- a list or print-out of the individuals who have already RSVPed and paid
- a cash box
- any separate forms for credit card payments, if you can take these.
The sign-in table might also include your business cards and flyers for future screenings, DVD sales, and any product specials you are offering to attendees. If this is a large group with a dozen or more attendees, you can have name badges and a pen or sharpie for people to fill out the badges. If a small group, name tags aren’t necessary.
Next, set up your display table with whatever you have brought to display, such as flyers and brochures about your film and future showings or sales on Amazon. This way individual can share information with friends or buy DVDs of your film. If you are using any easels to display posters, set them up.
Set up a separate table or section of your display table for refreshments, along with any cups, plates, and napkins.
Additionally, check that everything for your screening is set up and in working order. This includes checking that the venue organizer has set out the chairs or set them up yourself. Sometimes the venue will have one or two techs who can help you check the equipment. If so, let them set up the system and see that everything works.
5) Arrange for someone to take photos at your screening with your camera or phone, so you can later post them on the social media or otherwise use them in promoting your next screening. Include members of the audience if you can. You can take some photos during or after you set up, such as of the display table, sign-in table, and the whole room. Additionally, ask someone to take a few photos of you doing your introduction or Q&A after the film, even if you have to simulate doing this.
You can later use some of these photos to create a promotional video with the help of a video editor or use a program like Camtasia where you plug in photos on one track and any audio, such as music or a voice over, on another.
If you have arranged for a videographer to record your screening, he or she should make sure that the camera and mics are ready to go and let you know when they are.
Besides creating a promotional video, you can use images from the video to create photos of the event.
6) Once everything is set up, focus on welcoming the attendees. Ideally, have someone at the door about 15 minutes before the program starts to greeting people.
As attendees arrive, whoever is at the door should greet them warmly and check if they have registered by looking at the sign-up list or printout of attendees. Invite attendees to pick up any material at the sign-in table, and point out any tables with refreshments and items on display.
Attendees can be free to do their own networking and stake out their seats for the program. Once everything at the sign-in table is under control with at least one person to sign in arrivals, you and others putting on the screening can mingle with the arriving attendees. Introduce yourself and let them know your role in the film, such as the writer, producer, or director. Consider this networking period a way to warm up the audience by helping everyone feel more engaged in attending your screening.
7) About two to three minutes before you make an introduction and the film starts, you or someone from your team should announce that the screening is about to get started, so attendees should take their seats. Most or all attendees will do so, and once everyone — or almost everyone — is seated, you can begin your introduction and then show the film.
When you introduce the film, keep it short — about a minute or two. Briefly welcome everyone to the screening, let people know this is the first showing in this area, and tell them what the film will be about in a sentence or two. Let them know who from the film is in the audience and indicate that you and any others from the film will have a question and answer session after the film. Indicate if you plan to talk about the film, too, such as describing how you made it.
8) After the film ends, quickly turn on the lights and come up to the front to let people know you will be talking about the film and asking for questions from the audience, so people don’t think the program is over and immediately leave. Also, thank everyone for coming. Have someone pass out review forms for anyone who hasn’t gotten one at the door and ask people to rate the film and share any comments. Allow about 10–15 minutes for this discussion and questions. If you doing this, invite attendees to stay for networking, visit the display table, or help themselves to any refreshments.
9) Once your program is over, thank anyone who helped out and pack up everything to take back with you. If some attendees can stay to help out, great.
If a videographer is creating a video for you, go over the next steps, such as when you can see the raw footage and how you can arrange to have the footage edited to create the final video.
Then, it’s over — your first screening. Now you can go home, relax, and put everything away. Later, you can think about how to use any reviews and comments for promotion and any video to further promote your film. But for now, it’s all over. So just CHILL and RELAX for a while.
Later review what happened to see how you can improve for the future. In doing so, consider the following:
- How did your preparations go for what to bring?
- How did the arrangements work out with the venue you selected?
- How did things go when you arrived to set up for the screening?
- How do you feel about the program?
- How effective was your marketing and promotion of the screening?
- What can you do to make each aspect of the screening better?
In short, in this review, go over what you did from developing the program to presenting it to assess what you did and what you can do better next time. In doing this assessment, rate each thing that happened on a scale of 1 to 10, and think about how you improve anything with a rating of less than 8 or 9.
10) Based on your assessment of any problems in your screening, decide how to fix them in the future. For example:
- If you didn’t use a checklist, make one and go over it to check that you are including everything you need for future screenings.
- If there were problems with the venue, go over any problems with the venue organizer to see if you can fix those in the future, or consider using a different venue in the future.
- If you want to use a videographer in the future, review any problems with your first videographer and see if these can be corrected or allow plenty of time to find another videographer and review their work, pricing, and arrangements to help you make your selection.
- If you had problems in working with the technology, see how you can better set up the system or bring in a person to coordinate the technology for you in the future.
- Polish up your introduction, remarks, and answers after the film. If you had the program videotaped, apart from using the video to help you set up future screenings, review the video to help you assess what worked well and what can be improved.
As you notice things to change, work out a plan for implementing these improvements. After that, practice what you want to do differently and better.
In short, figure out what to improve based on your assessment of any problems in preparing or putting on your screening. Then, set up a schedule for what you will do — and DO IT! You can use the chart below to help you do this assessment.
GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., J.D., is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar leader, specializing in business and work relationships, professional and personal development, social trends, and popular culture. She has published 50 books with major publishers. She has worked with dozens of clients on memoirs, self-help, popular business books, and film scripts. Writing samples are at www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com.
She is the founder of Changemakers Publishing, featuring books on work, business, psychology, social trends, and self-help. The company has published over 150 print, e-books, and audiobooks. She has licensed several dozen books for foreign sales, including the UK, Russia, Korea, Spain, and Japan.
She has received national media exposure for her books, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN. She has been the producer and host of a talk show series, Changemakers, featuring interviews on social trends.
Scott is active in a number of community and business groups, including the Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek Chambers of Commerce. She is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Contra Costa program. She does workshops and seminars on the topics of her books.
She is also the writer and executive producer of 10 films in distribution, release, or production. Her most recent films that have been released include Driver, The New Age of Aging, and Infidelity.
She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from the University of San Francisco Law School. She has received five MAs at Cal State University, East Bay, most recently in Communication.