The Fight Club Audience
Sharing the Movie
by Ned Loach
360 Screenings is part of a rising trend in entertainment where guests are not only encouraged, but expected to break traditional audience behaviour of sitting in a dark theatre watching the story unfold on stage or on screen. Robert Gontier and I, co-founders of 360 Screenings, spent a year in London, UK where a large part of the theatre scene there blurs the boundaries between various art forms. This inspired us not only by the way it challenged us artistically, but by how it resonated with everyone in the audience. We’d seen something truly unique and exciting.
Upon returning to Toronto, we knew we wanted to share the experience and be a part of this burgeoning trend, so we spent upwards of a year planning and adapting the model to make it appropriate for Toronto audiences. Before we knew it, we were well on our way to announcing the first screening in 360 Screenings’ immersive cinema series on May 25th, 2012.
We have a long list of Toronto Heritage and/or unique buildings that we’re hoping to repurpose and also a master list of 50 or so films that we’d like to explore in an immersive cinematic context. It’s funny - now that Robert and I are deep in the creative process, we can’t help but watch films with a “360 Screenings filter” - constantly asking ourselves if it would be a good film to adapt. Two screenings in, our guests also experience this “filter” and we absolutely love hearing their ideas.Upon returning to Toronto, we knew we wanted to share the experience and be a part of this burgeoning trend, so we spent upwards of a year planning and adapting the model to make it appropriate for Toronto audiences. Before we knew it, we were well on our way to announcing the first screening in 360 Screenings’ immersive cinema series on May 25th, 2012.
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| Fight Club |
Part of what makes coming to our events so unique is the element of mystery. You purchase a ticket without knowing the film you're going to see or the location of the venue. 24 hours before the screening, ticket buyers receive an email with the location and a style of clothing to wear. Once inside the venue though, they're free to interact with the characters and explore the sets from the film, so it becomes a sort of game for everyone to guess what film it is that they've just stepped into.
Add to that, everyone shares in a collective experience, everyone is suddenly a part of the film’s narrative. With Fight Club, we instructed everyone to wear all black and little did they know, their place in the film was being orchestrated. With the help of our makeup artists from Complections International Academy of Make-up Artistry, they all became members of Project Mayhem, the anti-corporate/materialist underground society in the film. By the end of the night, everyone was dressed in black and had fake bruises and cuts on their faces. We'd amassed our own fight club.
We are thrilled with how our screenings have been received, both critically and by our guests. When someone purchases a ticket to our event, you’re required to share how you came upon our event, and particularly with this third screening, approximately 75% of the answers have been either “came to a previous event” or “a friend recommended attending.” We realize there's nothing stronger than word-of-mouth, and that has been what's most exciting about this event on October 24th - our guests are eager to share the 360 Experience.
Each event is wildly different from the last. We've had a number of people who have been with us from the start and have attended all of our screenings. That's really rewarding to see.
Join us on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012, for our special Halloween production where we play with the concept of fear, and continue our mandate of giving you a new way to experience film.
Add to that, everyone shares in a collective experience, everyone is suddenly a part of the film’s narrative. With Fight Club, we instructed everyone to wear all black and little did they know, their place in the film was being orchestrated. With the help of our makeup artists from Complections International Academy of Make-up Artistry, they all became members of Project Mayhem, the anti-corporate/materialist underground society in the film. By the end of the night, everyone was dressed in black and had fake bruises and cuts on their faces. We'd amassed our own fight club.
We are thrilled with how our screenings have been received, both critically and by our guests. When someone purchases a ticket to our event, you’re required to share how you came upon our event, and particularly with this third screening, approximately 75% of the answers have been either “came to a previous event” or “a friend recommended attending.” We realize there's nothing stronger than word-of-mouth, and that has been what's most exciting about this event on October 24th - our guests are eager to share the 360 Experience.
Each event is wildly different from the last. We've had a number of people who have been with us from the start and have attended all of our screenings. That's really rewarding to see.
Join us on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012, for our special Halloween production where we play with the concept of fear, and continue our mandate of giving you a new way to experience film.
Tickets can be bought at our website: www.360screenings.com
Date: Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 @ 7:00pm
Price: $40.00 - $60.00
Ticket price includes: admission, screening, hors d'oeuvres. Wine & beer available at cash bar.
Date: Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 @ 7:00pm
Price: $40.00 - $60.00
Ticket price includes: admission, screening, hors d'oeuvres. Wine & beer available at cash bar.
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