How to Have a Movie Night

Pick a movie. Since you’re with a group, you’ll want to pick something that’s a crowd pleaser. Consult with the people you’re sure you’re inviting, offer suggestions. Don’t be afraid to choose them yourself.

Pick a time and a place with your friends. Try to aim for the place that has the best ratio of seating space to screen size. In the event that you have space and a friend has a big screen or projector you could use, coordinate getting it. Make sure it’s compatible with your computer’s outputs and that you will have adequate sound, as many projectors and computer monitors lack or have weak, low-quality built-in speakers.

• Set up an event online. If more people can come than you’ve invited then consider making an event on a social networking site and seeing who can come. You should avoid over inviting for your space and means for entertaining. Try to avoid annoying people with notifications and updates about the event by making your plans clear and firm when you make the event page online.

Decide what snacks and drinks you will provide. If you aren’t providing food or drink, let your guests know in case they want to bring something. Make sure any allergy information or dietary needs are known by other invitees. You will want to do a cupboard-check and shop for anything you might be lacking.

• If your night involves alcoholic beverages or other drugs, make sure your guests know about the rules of the space so as to avoid discomfort or strife with anyone you share the space with. Police and angry roommates can ruin a night very quickly and make a lot of people uncomfortable.
• Serve easy snacks or premade drinks. Easy snacks include popcorn^[2] , hummus ^[3] and vegetables, and nachos ^[4] . Saving yourself time and effort will allow you to focus on details and keep the event fun and stress-free. You can avoid long queues of unserved guests and bolster the supply of snacks and drinks by keeping it simple.
• Prepare any refreshments so that way they’ll be ready when your guests arrive, though popcorn is quick enough where it’s advisable to make it fresh for anyone who wants it. You can customize popcorn readily to a person’s satisfaction. It is also a good idea to make sure snacks are in a single area and that the area has any necessary utensils, dishes, and napkins.

Set up the viewing area. Place your seats in an arc around the screen and in rows to encourage a theater like experience. If you have the space and means, consider offering footstools so guests can relax and stretch a bit more than at the theater^[5] . Set up the home theater system you plan on using. Make sure the player you’re using has sound and video working when connected to your screen and speakers. ^[6] Consider theming the space like a theater. The effect can be achieved with row seating, curtains, and movie posters in the space you’re using, and can delight some guests with your flair for decorating. ^[7]

• Set up any game materials. A lot of people like to make games out of movie night, like movie quote bingo, movie trivia (before or after the movie), or a drinking game. These games often require printed materials, research, and some effort to assemble, as they are specific to certain movies quite frequently. Don’t underestimate the prep time on these.

Secure a projector, speakers and screen. Projectors can often be checked out from school libraries, or bought secondhand if you don’t already have one. You can use any large, neutral-toned surface like a big sheet of canvas or a garage wall as a screen, though there are portable projector screens that are easy to set up. ^[8]

Pick what to watch. Ideally this will be a movie that benefits from projection onto a larger screen, the kind of spectacular movie people like going to the theaters to see. Since you’re hosting outdoors, you’re likely to have more guests, and a crowd-pleaser is desirable to put butts in seats and keep them there.

Decide on where. If you aren’t hosting it in your backyard, you’ll want to make sure you have legal access to the space at the time you host the movie night. Use permits for public parks and the aggressiveness of local police and park rangers vary depending on your locality. If you run into trouble, stay calm, have your ID ready, and be prepared to leave.

• Make sure the weather permits for your event. No one wants them and their movie equipment to get rained on. Pick a day with a low change or precipitation and that isn’t going to be too windy so as to disrupt your screen. You can secure your screen with a well anchored frame against most normal wind activity.

Decide what you will provide food and drink wise. Consider that outside you won’t be able to prepare additional food and that drinks should be kept simple. Outdoor litter is difficult to manage and should be kept to a minimum, and depending on your area it might be a crime to litter. You will want to have materials for cleaning up with you and handy.

Invite your guests. Make sure they know the time, location, and are available and know whether or not to bring snacks and/or drinks. Make sure your guests know about any dietary restrictions other guests might have. An event page can help, especially if your location is out of the way or more difficult to locate.

Get adequate protection from insects and pests. Mosquitoes, ticks, and moths will be an issue at night between the light source and large gathering of people outside, likely with food. You will want mothballs near your projector to keep them away from the light source. Citronella candles, bug spray, or a bug zapper lamp are all effective ways to manage more personal pests. ^[9]

Set up the space. Make sure seats are arranged so that everyone has a good view of the screen and can hear clearly. Have a waste bin ready along with signs to the restrooms, and lay out any refreshments in one place to keep the area reasonably free of litter. If you are streaming the movie, make sure you have adequate signal outdoors to do so. Make sure your area is dark enough to project the movie with no glare or washed out colors.

Relax and watch the movie. Your guests will attend to themselves mostly while the movie is playing. This is your chance to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your work for a while. However, you should make sure refreshments don’t run out and be prepared to handle your guests’ needs.