Everyone enjoys visiting the cinema and being able to experience the latest releases on the silver screen. There used to be a movie hall in every town and city, but now they’re not so easy to find. Yes, it’s possible to stream movies on the go from seemingly countless different places. However, watching them on your phone, laptop or even desktop is not quite the same experience.
You can invite a few friends around to your home and have a movie night together but being able to watch movies with a large number of people makes the occasion even better. If you’d like to organize a regular movie screening and start your own club, here are some tips to help you.
What is a Film Club?
A film club is a gathering of people with the purpose of watching a film. The result of that screening will be the group bouncing around ideas, experiences, and emotions. The topics that will be raised will not be everyday topics of conversation, but many will be those that shape our lives. There are thousands of films to choose from, covering a wide range of cultures and languages. Providing college students with a way to see movies that are not generally released is a great opportunity.
What Makes a College Film Club Special?
The idea behind a film club is not to make a profit, but to give your audience the opportunity to pick films they want to see. Apart from this benefit, there are a number of other reasons why a college film club will be special. It will provide the audience with a warm and friendly atmosphere in which everyone will feel welcomed. It will be a good social occasion in which your fellow students will be able to discuss and debate films and make new connections. A diverse selection of movies can be shown, from world cinema and indie movies to the classics. Screenings can include short films, documentaries, animations, and archive footage.
First Find a Suitable Venue
It’s all well and good holding a film night in your home, but if you want to do things on a grander scale, you’ll need to find the right venue. You’re in a great position already because there are bound to be spare halls or rooms in the college where you can gather with some friends. Chat with some of your college staff and see what’s available.
While you’re talking with the staff discuss the need for a license and whether the college will help towards the expense. Paying for a license can be expensive, and you’re not going to be able to cover the cost yourself. Applying for financing in the form of bad credit student loans is one idea, and is the perfect choice if you need help with your other college expenses, too, including tuition, room and board and other costs. It could be that there is already a valid license your screenings will be covered by. Do some research in your local area, and there may well be a charitable organization that can be approached for funding.
To cover the cost of a license, you’ll need to charge a membership fee. Including food and drink in the price of a ticket will make it less painful for the audience. It’s probably only going to be a few dollars, which when compared with the prices charged by big cinema chains it makes it good value.
You also need to look into the guidelines that may be in place for starting a new school club. There could be an application process and set timeline you need to comply with. To begin with, you may have to make a proposal and then wait for official approval. If you’re worried about meeting the guidelines, there is always the option of starting you film club outside of the college. For example, in a local library or community center.
Publicizing Your Movie Club
You need to let your club members know what’s coming up. If your audience doesn’t know the upcoming titles, they’re not going to turn up. Consider creating your own website. If you’re not that technically minded there are bound to be students who can help. If you’re going to be working on a tight budget, you could always try setting up a free WordPress or Tumblr blog. Reach a much bigger potential audience by setting up a Twitter or Facebook account. Alternatively, produce a leaflet or flyer that you can distribute around the campus. If there’s a college newspaper, ask about free advertising.
Which Movies are You Going to Show?
A great idea is to allow club members to choose or vote on movies they want to see. Just because you’ve organized the event doesn’t mean you always get to choose the movie. There’s nothing wrong with adding in a few of your favorites, but you also need to let others choose, so they get to feel part of it. Another option is to decide on a theme for the semester and pick movies that are relevant to that theme.
Where you get your movies from will be another thing to think about. There are several different distributors you can approach for suitable movies, and it’s a good idea to look at all of them in order to create a balanced program.
For a few days before every screening, you’re going to be worried whether it all pays off. Will the projection equipment work without a hitch? How many people are going to turn up for the screening? Will there be a problem with the venue? These and many more questions will be going through your mind every time. However, when a lively discussion ensues after a screening and people come up to you and say they loved it, it will make it all worthwhile. Try not to screen too many movies; one a month will be ideal. This will give you plenty of time in between to make plans and organize the next screening.
