Summer season
Preparing your summer cinema season
From June to September, an open-air screening comes down to three things: a screen big enough for the expected audience, a start time set to nightfall, and a clear rule if the wind picks up. The rest is pure enjoyment.
Describe my season and get a quoteWhat you need to last the season
A summer evening takes weeks of preparation — and even more so if you're planning several.
A screen made for the outdoors
Inflatable, set up by two people, folded back into a bag at the end of the evening: that's what makes a screening possible where there is neither a venue nor a fixed structure.
The right size for your audience
Fifty people in a courtyard or eight hundred in a square call for different screens. The size is chosen based on the expected audience and the available setback distance.
Rent for a night, buy for a season
A single date can be rented. A whole season takes planning: the equipment stays with you, ready for a screening added at the last minute.
Municipalities, hotels, festivals
They are the ones who fill summer evenings, and each has its own constraints: a safety file for a municipality, discretion for a hotel, quick setup for a festival.
Four steps, from decision to screening
Plan your season for spring
Summer is prepared before summer. Multiple dates on the same equipment, venues that change from one screening to the next: all of this is settled well before the first showing.
Setting the time based on nightfall, not the programme
An image projected onto a still-bright sky loses all its contrast. In June, this pushes the start back to around 10:30 PM; by late August, you can start around 9 PM.
Finding the venue
Ground, clearance, power supply, prevailing wind: a site visit avoids nasty surprises. The screen sets up without a crane, but it needs space and anchoring.
The D-Day rule
Above 38 km/h of wind (6 Beaufort), deflate the screen. A few minutes are enough, and you inflate it again once the gust has passed. That is the only rule to remember.
Planning your summer: your questions
When should you book for a summer screening?
As early as possible if you are aiming for a July or August weekend, as these are the most sought-after dates. For a full season, get in touch in the spring: this leaves time to adapt the equipment to your venues, which are rarely the same from one screening to the next.
What time should the screening start in summer?
After nightfall, never before. In June, it is only truly dark after 10 p.m.; by late August, you gain more than an hour. Many organizers open the site earlier, with a refreshment stand or entertainment, and start the film once the picture finally holds.
What screen size for a summer evening?
It is chosen based on the number of spectators and the available setback, not on the size of the site. Our page dedicated to dimensions gives the full match-up, from small schoolyard audiences to large village squares.
Is it better to rent or buy for the summer?
For a one-off date, rental meets the need. As soon as screenings repeat, season after season, buying changes the logistics: no more return schedule, and the freedom to add a date without asking anyone. We cost out both options — the comparison is based on your programme, not in general.
How many screenings this summer?
Tell us the number of dates, the expected audience and the venues: we'll suggest the setup that lasts the whole season, with a free quote within 24 hours.