Choose a location for the outdoor cinema. The possibilities are literally endless. Just confirm with the rental company and location that there is a proper power supply to inflate or light the screen and use the projector and sound system. Ideas include parks, empty baseball or softball fields, the beach, a campground or a famous town landmark. Additionally, choose a location that provides ample parking for the people attending.
When you think of an outdoor cinema, playing movies comes to mind. However, you can create an event that celebrates other content. For example, hold a night where you play a marathon of your favorite TV show. Play family slide shows at a reunion gathering. Invite your closest friends who love to play video games and play a massive outdoor game on the giant screen. Another idea is plugging in your cable television to the projector. This allows you to play anything from your TV cable box on the giant outdoor cinema screen. Think about the huge Super Bowl party you could hold.
Create a theme for the outdoor cinema. For example, one night play favorite baseball movies. Another night, dedicate the screen to Alfred Hitchcock favorites. Another evening might focus on a favorite movie series such as Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you belong to a specific organization hosting the event, then use that to guide your choices. For example, a 50s car club might want to play "American Graffiti" for the night and invite everyone to bring out their cars for a retro drive-in.
Select movie musicals to play on the outdoor cinema screen. Browse through the collection of the masters, such as Rodgers and Hammerstein who wrote shows such as "South Pacific," "Sounds of Music" and "Oklahoma." Other musical ideas include "The Music Man," "Bye, Bye Birdie" and "Damn Yankees." Invite members from a local chorus or singing group to lead everyone in the musical numbers as they appear on the screen. Providing everyone with a printout of the lyrics will help people keep up with the sing-a-long.
Use an outdoor cinema as a fundraiser for your charity or organization. Ask a your local town or community to waive any associated fees for setting up the cinema screen in a park. Rent the screen from a party supply company. Ask the company for a discount because it is for a fundraiser. Next, rent a movie that is rated G or PG so that many members of the community are allowed to attend. Have volunteers donate soda, candy and popcorn, then charge admission at the door and sell concessions to raise funds. Consider turning the fundraiser into a weekly or bi-weekly event over the course of the summer to take advantage of warm weather.