How To Be A Cinema

Getting Started

If you dream of owning a cinema or fancy your hand at showing films to others – but don’t know where to start – you’ve come to the right place. This wiki is designed and structured to give you a complete overview of all the facets of screening films. From the big important points like screening rights and finding a venue down to the minor worries like how much is too much to pay for custom cupcakes.

With vast leaps in technology, cinema is more accessible than ever to put on or capture an audience for. So without further ado here are the main categories that cover everything you need to cover as you prepare for your screening:

The Film

Looking at the process of picking films, how to track down the screening rights, the different kinds of screening rights (Theatrical vs Non Theatrical), formats, checking copyright © and a selection of best practices to help make the process as painless as possible. This first step helps to set everything else in motion. Once you have selected your film (or films) for screening this filters down into every subsequant step. After all, you don't want to book a venue, build an audience, sell tickets and get an expert speaker for a night of Akira Kurosawa films, if it turns out you can't get the rights sorted.

The Venue

Whether you are looking to screen in somebody else's venue or in your own we look at venue licencing; the equipment and technology to consider; the accessibility and health and safety requirements of your screening; and other important factors in dealing with a venue. We'll also touch upon what most venues will expect from you as a user of their space and how to best approach the money aspect of using a venue.

The Identity

If you're looking to screen in someone else's venue (or venues) then it's probably best to think about a name for you screenings. From the first steps of picking a name and making some choices about the future to setting up an online identity and how to promote yourself on a shoestring.

From the first steps of picking a name and making some choices about the future to setting up an online identity and how to promote yourself on a shoestring.

The Audience

Once you've decided on a film and found somewhere to screen it It's time to start letting people know about it. From traditional to social media there's something here to help you market and promote your event whatever the audience you're aiming for.

From traditional to social media there's something here to help you market and promote your event whatever the audience you're aiming for.

The Event

So now that you know what you're going to screen and where; sorted the licence, the dates and got the word out it's time for your event. All your preparation so far has gone into structuring the event and now it's time to screen. This section deals with everything from checks to perform on the day and common stumbling blocks to a smooth running event. We'll also go through some post-game analysis techniques to help you refine your process and make your next event even more succesful.

The Money

When it comes to the money for rights, venues and working with partners it's always best to be clear and honest. Whether it's negotiating the proportions of the takings with a venue, commissioning a designer to help with a poster or paying for your licence money is one of the big obstacles but don't be shy, we can point you in the right direction.

Whether it's negotiating the proportions of the takings with a venue, commissioning a designer to help with a poster or paying for your licence money is one of the big obstacles but don't be shy, we can point you in the right direction.

The Love

Some inspirational stories from volunteer-based cinemas and film clubs to help gee you up if it all gets a bit dispiriting.

help gee you up if it all gets a bit dispiriting.

The Partners

Perhaps you want to join up with other independent creators or makers. Could be a local designer to help with marketing materials, a local food maker, guest speakers or anyone else that can provide value to your screening. How do you decide what's appropriate for your event and how to find and engage other people.

Could be a local designer to help with marketing materials, a local food maker, guest speakers or anyone else that can provide value to your screening. How do you decide what's appropriate for your event and how to find and engage other people.

The Resources

Here we house everything from leaflet and poster templates to guideline documents and useful links that didn't fit in anywhere else to colour guides, font resources and free graphic software. This is a jumble box treasure trove of the miscellaneous.