How Film4 FrightFest will work in 2014
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:23 pm
The move away from the Empire has required us to rethink how FrightFest will work in 2014. The issue was how to apply this to an event previously built round one large cinema, not losing what made the festival so unique, while adapting it too and taking advantage of the new location. To be frank much hair was pulled out and candles burnt late into the night as we edged towards a solution.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the FILM4 FrightFest in 2014 is located at the nine screen VUE West End Cinema, Leicester Square, London. We will be using five of the cinemas nine screens. They will be 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. 5, 6, and 7 will be our Main Screens. Think big Empire cinema from previous years. 3 and 8 will be our Discovery auditoriums.
Initially, our thinking was that we would play the films that we would have been running in the big Empire over screens 5, 6 and 7 all at the same time. However, the more we thought about it the more we began to realise that that wouldn't work. There were many reasons, but the main one was we felt we'd be shortchanging you, our audience, the people who turn up year after year allowing us to stage the event. Where would we host our guests and surprises etc? These can only be in one screen at the one time. We could always have a camera in any screen so that people in the other cinemas could see what was going on, but that didn't sit right with us.
Before I get down to the real detail, there are a couple of things to explain. The three main screens this year are sponsored, so will be referred to by name rather than number. Also, because of the way that the VUE West End is laid out, the screens will start in a certain order. Screen 6, The Arrow Video Screen will generally always start first, followed by 5, The Film 4 Screen which is followed in turn by 7, The Horror Channel Screen. This is to aid the flow of bodies around the cinema and to help avoid congestion.
Okay, with that out of the way, let's get down to the real detail of what you all want to know. It may seam a bit complicated at first, but stick with it.
Other than Thursday’s festival opener, The Guest, that will play over the three main screens at the same time, films will screen on a rotating schedule.
Each day will have six movies scheduled to screen and they will be separated into two groups of three. One group will play before the late afternoon break and the final group in the evening.
For example, film A will start in the Arrow Video Screen at 10:30 am followed by film B in the Film4 Screen at 10.45 am. Film C will get under way in the Horror Channel Screen at 11.00 am. The process will repeat at 12:45 pm. This time with film C in the Arrow Screen, film A in the Film 4 and film B in the Horror Channel screens starting at 15 minute intervals. Finally, the process will repeat for a third time at 3:15 pm with film B in the Arrow Screen, film C in the Film 4 Cinema and film A in the Horror Channel screen. Again the films will be starting at 15 minute intervals. The whole process will be repeated again in the evening with three new films along similar lines.
I want to stress that EVERYONE will see all of the films, surprises and guests. The way that films are scheduled a director, producer or star will follow the film. It means that they will have to do their introductions, Q&A sessions three times, but this is the way it works at other festivals. If you just want to sit in your seat in the main screen of your choice, all the Main Screen films will come your way with guests over the weekend. It’s going to be different. There is no other way round this. We may not get it 100% right this year, but goodness we’ve given it a good go.
The Discovery screens will operate from Friday 22nd, with much increased capacities, and be timed as normal. If you choose to see a Discovery Screen film, only one Main Screen film will be missed. How the ticketing will work for the Discovery Screens this year I will get to later, but we have devised a system which will do away with the early morning queuing of previous years. Discovery screen films this year will only screen once.
Ian.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the FILM4 FrightFest in 2014 is located at the nine screen VUE West End Cinema, Leicester Square, London. We will be using five of the cinemas nine screens. They will be 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. 5, 6, and 7 will be our Main Screens. Think big Empire cinema from previous years. 3 and 8 will be our Discovery auditoriums.
Initially, our thinking was that we would play the films that we would have been running in the big Empire over screens 5, 6 and 7 all at the same time. However, the more we thought about it the more we began to realise that that wouldn't work. There were many reasons, but the main one was we felt we'd be shortchanging you, our audience, the people who turn up year after year allowing us to stage the event. Where would we host our guests and surprises etc? These can only be in one screen at the one time. We could always have a camera in any screen so that people in the other cinemas could see what was going on, but that didn't sit right with us.
Before I get down to the real detail, there are a couple of things to explain. The three main screens this year are sponsored, so will be referred to by name rather than number. Also, because of the way that the VUE West End is laid out, the screens will start in a certain order. Screen 6, The Arrow Video Screen will generally always start first, followed by 5, The Film 4 Screen which is followed in turn by 7, The Horror Channel Screen. This is to aid the flow of bodies around the cinema and to help avoid congestion.
Okay, with that out of the way, let's get down to the real detail of what you all want to know. It may seam a bit complicated at first, but stick with it.
Other than Thursday’s festival opener, The Guest, that will play over the three main screens at the same time, films will screen on a rotating schedule.
Each day will have six movies scheduled to screen and they will be separated into two groups of three. One group will play before the late afternoon break and the final group in the evening.
For example, film A will start in the Arrow Video Screen at 10:30 am followed by film B in the Film4 Screen at 10.45 am. Film C will get under way in the Horror Channel Screen at 11.00 am. The process will repeat at 12:45 pm. This time with film C in the Arrow Screen, film A in the Film 4 and film B in the Horror Channel screens starting at 15 minute intervals. Finally, the process will repeat for a third time at 3:15 pm with film B in the Arrow Screen, film C in the Film 4 Cinema and film A in the Horror Channel screen. Again the films will be starting at 15 minute intervals. The whole process will be repeated again in the evening with three new films along similar lines.
I want to stress that EVERYONE will see all of the films, surprises and guests. The way that films are scheduled a director, producer or star will follow the film. It means that they will have to do their introductions, Q&A sessions three times, but this is the way it works at other festivals. If you just want to sit in your seat in the main screen of your choice, all the Main Screen films will come your way with guests over the weekend. It’s going to be different. There is no other way round this. We may not get it 100% right this year, but goodness we’ve given it a good go.
The Discovery screens will operate from Friday 22nd, with much increased capacities, and be timed as normal. If you choose to see a Discovery Screen film, only one Main Screen film will be missed. How the ticketing will work for the Discovery Screens this year I will get to later, but we have devised a system which will do away with the early morning queuing of previous years. Discovery screen films this year will only screen once.
Ian.
