THE PANEL
Chrissie Ferber managing director, Concorde Media
Emma Gold co-founder, GSP
Caroline Lockyer-Nibbs managing director, Nibbs Events
Rachel Rolfe researcher, Fisher Productions
What are the key elements needed for producing a film premiere?
Chrissie Ferber A good relationship with the local council, police and security is a must. They have to be fully informed, have approved all proposed plans and be in place on event date. Great lighting and sound are also crucial if you want to give your arrivals a fantastic impact.
Emma Gold A great venue. Possibly look at new spaces that haven't been used before. Amazing food, service, drink and good music and entertainment should be a given. It's not a good idea to have a hidden VIP area, otherwise you'll have the whole party trying to get in.
Caroline Lockyer-Nibbs Attention to detail, meticulous organisation and creativity.
Rachel Rolfe Invitations have to give a hint of what to expect, and the after-party venue has to be of the right calibre to ensure as much celebrity attendance as possible. It's also important to get the right caterer for the event, so choose someone who works from a creative perspective and can really enter into the spirit of the film.
What are the most challenging factors in creating a film premiere?
CLN Creating something new, exciting and memorable for an audience that attend nearly every premiere.
RR Allocating the budget; it's about making the best choices. It's our job to bring conspicuous themes from the film to the event in a novel way. Design, dressing, props, colour references and canape trays will all give identity to the event.
EG Coming up with unique venues and ideas that haven't been seen before, and ensuring guests are fully looked after. Also making sure the quality of service on all levels is of an exceptionally high standard.
CF Timings, making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time, and good weather. If it rains, there's going to be a lot of umbrellas on the carpet.
How is their success measured?
RR Success can be measured in column inches. The more write-ups you get, the more people read about the film. All press is good, even if it's bad. At The War of the Worlds premiere, Tom Cruise got squirted with water on his walkabout and got more minutes on TV and more stories in the press than he would have done otherwise.
EG Press coverage and feedback from guests.
CLN If the cast, director and producers are impressed by the event then you know it's been a success. They have often been to several other launches of the film in other countries before yours. You can also gauge it by the amount of coverage achieved in the papers, online and on TV the next morning.
CF Through celebrity and VIP guest attendance, press coverage and feedback from guests and clients.
How have budgets for film premieres changed in the past five years?
CLN More money is going into the premiere event at the cinema and less into the party on average. However, there are always some exceptions, where there is an opportunity to organise a big, themed party.
EG I have found that budgets have increased, especially for the big blockbusters. If you're going to have an after-party, you want to ensure you have one to remember.
RR Budgets pretty much follow the economy, which means at the moment we have to get as much bang for our buck as possible. The biggest budget goes to the country that hosts the world premiere because all eyes will be on it.
CF Big blockbusters are coming with larger budgets for premieres that will draw media attention. As well as showcasing the film for the first time, premieres are all about the glitz and the glamour that surround them, so doing the next big thing with regards to the dressing and the venue is becoming more important.
What is the most impressive film premiere you have witnessed that wasn't your own?
CF I will always remember attending The Beach premiere in February 2000, which inspired me to launch my company. It took place in an old disused building in Covent Garden, with the floors representing various scenes from the movie. One floor was dressed like a tropical rainforest. Leonardo DiCaprio attended, which, of course, drew a plethora of other celebrities and media. It was great.
EG I liked what they did for The Chronicles of Narnia and the first Daniel Craig James Bond film, Casino Royale, in terms of location.
RR Sadly, I don't get invited to other people's film premieres, we only get to go to cast and crew screenings, where the budget is pretty much all spent on alcohol. However, I do remember reading about the Pearl Harbour premiere a while back, which was actually held in Pearl Harbour on a battleship that was converted into a huge cinema, which sounded pretty impressive.
If you had an unlimited budget how would you use it to produce the wow factor at a film premiere?
CF I would take over the whole of Leicester Square and utilise all the cinemas, equalling 10,000 guests. I would build a major feature in the gardens in Leicester Square and have sky trackers on the tops of all the buildings lighting up the Square. Depending on the film title, the carpet would be themed, and a scene from the film would be recreated on the surrounding office buildings, either by dressing them or projecting images on to their facia. I would take over Horse Guards Parade and build the party venue there. At the end of the party, there would be an enormous fireworks display. To top it all, Prince William, Prince Harry, Madonna, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would all attend.
EXPERTS' CHOICE
Our film premieres club reveal their favourite venues and suppliers for producing the perfect event.
VENUES
Chrissie Ferber
17 Berkeley Street; Banqueting House
Old Billingsgate
One Marylebone Road
Sketch
Emma Gold
Cirque Hippodrome
Old Billingsgate
Olympia
Roundhouse
Tobacco Docks
Caroline Lockyer-Nibbs
The Dorchester
Floridita; Home House
Middle Temple
Wallace Collection
Rachel Rolfe
Banqueting House
Floridita;
Flower Cellars;
Natural History Museum
Senate House
SUPPLIERS
Chrissie Ferber
Bubble Catering;
deWintons
Music & Arts
Security;
Utopian;
Visible
Emma Gold
Event Concept
Great Hire;
Rhubarb
Rocket;
Totem Construction
Caroline Lockyer-Nibbs
deWintons
Dobson Sound;
Peppers Marquees;
Rhubarb
Starlight Design
Rachel Rolfe
Ariba Resources;
Dobson Sound;
Gary Collins Productions;
Great Hire
Pinnacle Solutions