How To Behave At An Event Cinema Screening - CinemaLive's Etiquette Guide
Tonight we’re screening Jonas Kaufmann: Under the Stars in cinemas and it got us thinking about a topic very close to our hearts. Just before we release an event on the big screen, we often see fans asking: what’s the dresscode? How do I behave? What if I just can’t help it and I find myself suddenly singing Volare in my very own blend of Italian and English (or Itanglish, as it’s apparently called), or tapping my foot rhythmically to the beat of Cliff Richard’s ‘Congratulations’?
Well my friends, I’m here to help you understand the wonderful nuances of event cinema etiquette!
1. DO feel free to clap!
Jonas Kaufmann really nailed those famous Nessun Dorma last notes? Ian McKellen took your breath away in King Lear’s final moments? The Australian Ballet’s Amber Scott and Adam Bull brought you to tears with their romantic pas de deux? Then by all means clap, cry or laugh, let your emotions soar!
2. DO sing along!
Perhaps not to Nessun Dorma, admittedly that would not be my song of choice for karaoke. But if you do know some lyrics to Volare, knock yourself out! Been a fan of Cliff Richard for years and know all of his songs by heart? Congratulations, let it show! I remember I attended an Andrè Rieu cinema event once, and while his concerts are always full of beautiful instrumental pieces, his special guest that year was Lou Bega. When Mambo No.5 came on, there was not a soul in that screen that didn’t have ‘a little bit of Monica’ in their life. And everyone had an amazing time!
3. DO dance if you want!*
Whether you spring to your feet and give it your all, or simply sway a little and bob your head, feel free to go with the flow – with fellow fans all around you, no one should judge your moves! And do be that first one to lead by example, others will follow for sure, grateful they didn’t have to stand up alone. Just be mindful of those behind you – if they’d rather sit, don’t obstruct their view.
Some of the best event cinema screenings I’ve been to had people dancing together – I’ll never forget the sea of raised hands I’ve joined while singing along to… well, Take That’s ‘Never Forget’ of course!
4. DO share your experience with friends!
Whether it’s through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or in any other way, if you enjoy our shows, do share the love! Join the conversation using the event’s specific hashtag, share your fabulous outfit for the night (we do encourage dress up and we secretly hope there’ll be some Cliff look-alikes attending our live concert in October!), tell us what you think! Nothing melts our hearts more than your wonderful comments we get via social media and email, and we appreciate constructive criticism too – it helps us grow and bring you bigger and better events in the future.
5. DON’T be that person
You know what person we mean. The one who brings Chinese takeaway into the screen. Or takes their shoes off and puts their feet up so that the person in front of them can admire their socks. Or spends the whole concert checking their messages so you get a nice distracting phone glare in your face. Be mindful to the people around you – have fun, but let others enjoy themselves too!
In the past, we’ve created some handy event cinema etiquette guides for our events – you may have picked up one of our Take That postcards, or you can still grab a Cliff Richard one at your local cinema. But the bottom line is – we want you to feel like you’re actually there, in the middle of the action, surrounded by fans like you, enjoying the show together.
And if Mark Owen shouts out ‘Hello cinema people’, do feel free to shout back. We sure will.
*Please be aware, while every cinema out there wants you to enjoy your screening, some may have stricter safety policies than others and might not allow dancing in the screen if they feel you might end up harming yourself. If that’s the case at your chosen venue, please do respect the house rules and be polite to the staff enforcing them.
By Kat