Luna Outdoor Cinema – Case Study

Summer wouldn’t be summer without outdoor cinema. A perfect way to relax for an evening’s entertainment on a warm summer’s night, outdoor cinema has become a must-do summer activity. The range on offer is extensive – it might be American style drive-in screenings, relaxed picnicking or being seated in long rows watching feel good movies, blockbusters and classic films.

As the cooler nights of autumn dawn, outdoor cinema events provide a slightly different ambiance as visitors simply wrap up warmly, add some thick blankets and a ready supply of hot drinks to enjoy the film.

And it is not just the film that makes an outdoor cinema experience so memorable. We work with Luna Cinemas providing outdoor screenings at some of the most spectacular sites throughout the UK such as the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich; Tonbridge Castle, Ascot Racecourse, Westminster Abbey, Sandringham, Chatsworth House, Longleat, Thetford Forest and the Georgian splendour of Bath’s magnificent Royal Crescent. It is even possible to watch films on Brighton Beach where the sound of waves adds an extra touch to the experience.

Organising events of this kind do require a lot of work behind the scenes including booking films, arranging viewing permits and distribution rights, organising venues, organising staffing which can include a wide range of people including staff to set up the screens, stewards, car parking attendants, security staff as well as potentially booking caterers and staff to clean up afterwards returning the site to its former pristine condition.

Event staff is where we step in!

Each screening can be attended by thousands of people making it a massive logistical exercise when it comes to car parking or marshalling spectators.

Envisage Agency provide the following staff :-

• Event Managers
• Car Park Staff
• Event Stewards
• Bar Staff
• Security Guards

Drive in movies provides an additional challenge since everyone naturally wants a good view of the screen, and badly parked cars can cause all kinds of problems either by making access difficult or blocking another visitor’s viewpoint. Add to that, the vagaries of the British weather. There is always the possibility of sudden downpours that can turn car parks into quagmires.

Not surprisingly, our marshals, stewards and security staff are kept busy and have a lot of responsibility. It is not just a matter of turning up an hour or so before the car parks open and monitoring visitors. The sheer logistics of dealing with such large numbers of people and vehicles means that there is a need for people to be on site marking out the car parks, organising entrance and exit points, knowing where to place vehicles, ensuring that VIP and disabled areas are clearly marked out. As people begin to arrive, tickets may have to checked and vehicles have to be carefully funnelled into the appropriate rows.

Depending on the type of screening, there may be a need for the stewards and marshals to organise entry points where tickets can be checked as visitors walk into the viewing areas. Once the film starts, marshals and stewards can relax a little. After all, everyone’s attention is on the film – even the staff have the opportunity to watch for a while unless a problem or emergency occurs requiring their instant help.

Work begins again when the film ends, as staff ensure that vehicles leave the car parks safely, without causing any congestion on adjacent roads. As the lights eventually go out, it marks the end of an enjoyable, memorable evening for everyone, visitors and staff alike.