How to Run an Outdoor Movie Night at Your School
Running an outdoor movie night as either a community fun night or a fundraiser is a lot easier than it sounds. Follow these steps to ensure a painless and really fun evening for the entire school.
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Instructions
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Allow the kids to choose the movie. You will probably have to choose from movies that are already out on DVD (unless you know some important people). Create a ballot like the one pictured and hold a vote at lunchtime.
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Be sure to check with your district or principal about the rules for charging admission or asking for a donation at the door. Usually, if you ask for a $5 donation instead of charging for tickets, about 80 percent of the people will donate the $5.
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Contact a local outdoor theater company. They will bring a screen (usually inflatable) and take care of the audio and visual components. Our school pays about $2,500 for the evening.
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Set up tables to sell concessions such as popcorn, drinks, glow sticks-anything fun and appropriate for "the movies."
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Have the parents bring beach chairs or bean bags to sit in. You'll want to skip the folding chairs; they are just too uncomfortable to endure for the duration of a movie.
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Check with your most trusted weather source and choose a night when you can bet on having good weather.
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Start as early as possible, so the kids don't get tired and cranky!
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Comments
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scrapmom2boys
Oct 06, 2009
I got this off of Movie Licensing USA website. Are there limitations to this Public Performance Site License? Yes. This license is for K-12 Schools only. This license does not permit entertainment movies to be used when an admission fee is charged, other than to cover costs. OUTDOOR SHOWINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED OR COVERED UNDER OUR MOVIE LICENSING AGREEMENTS. In addition, the movies may not be altered, duplicated, digitized or transmitted electronically in any form without specific permission from the copyright owner. I was looking into this since our school has no indoor facilities at this time. So looks as if we cannot have movie nights this year as we do not have an indoor arena to show one in. -
outdoormovies
Sep 24, 2009
Yes a Public Performance License would be required for this event. WHAT THE LAW SAYS The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) governs how copyrighted materials, such as movies, may be used. Neither the rental nor the purchase of a movie carries with it the right to show the movie outside the home. In some instances no license is required to view a movie, such as inside the home by family or social acquaintances and in certain narrowly defined face-to-face teaching activities. Taverns, restaurants, private clubs, prisons, lodges, factories, summer camps, public libraries, daycare facilities, parks and recreation departments, churches and non-classroom use at schools and universities are all examples of situations where a public performance license must be obtained. This legal requirement applies regardless of whether an admission fee is charged, whether the institution...
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iheartschool
Dec 07, 2008
i think that if you are not charging for admission it is legal to show a movie that is already on dvd. am i wrong?
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iheartschool
Dec 07, 2008
i think that if you are not charging for admission it is legal to show a movie that is already on dvd. am i wrong?
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iheartschool
Dec 07, 2008
i think that if you are not charging for admission it's ok to show a movie that is already on DVD. am i wrong?
