This past summer I decided to move my movie screen, projector, and speaker system outside to watch a movie in our newly constructed backyard. It was an awesome night! After spending some time rigging it up and actually sitting down for the first time I realized some important factors to consider for the next time I set it up.
So what are these 5 realizations I came to? You need to find a way to:
- Repel Bugs
- Stay warm
- Disassemble in the dark
- Have ground seating
- Make sure the sound doesn’t transcend into your neighbor’s realm
These minor factors are easy fixes and shouldn’t discourage you from setting up an outdoor movie in the backyard. It really is an awesome experience once you implement one or all of these factors.
Repelling Bugs
Like most things in life, there is no one exact way to keep bugs and mosquitoes out of your existence when you’re outside (especially during a summer night). If you don’t have this issue in your area, feel free to skip this section. For the rest of us, we have to do something about it. Putting on bug spray before watching a movie isn’t that comfortable. It makes you all sticky and gross. So what else do you do? Wearing a blanket works well too, but even after I did that I was still having to fend off bugs from my ears and face- not a perfect solution but it does something. The best success I had fending off bugs was with the Tiki Torches that my parents had. This section on Amazon is what I’m talking about (I am not getting sponsored to talk about this). If you are serious about removing bugs or if you have a bigger presence of them in your area, it’s worth going through and seeing which ones would work for you.
Staying Warm
This section applies to both summer and winter months. Yes, there are ways to have an all seasonal outdoor movie theater set-up. But for general comfort and if blankets won’t do the job, an outdoor heater can save the day! There’s a wide variety of different products that serve many different needs. The one my family uses is a typical commercial patio heater that you can actually stand near (not just sit). We (safely) put it next to an umbrella so it keeps a dome of heat venting down on our viewing encirclement. I’m excited to see how well it works during the winter months since we just got it in May. Have you looked into getting a firepit? We used ours so much that it actually passed away recently but it also did a fantastic job of keeping everyone warm. Watching a movie at the same time shouldn’t be that much different. If you put any quality firepit at an angle to the seating area, that also can work really well.
The Neighbor That Wants to Watch Too
Not every neighbor appreciates the sound effects of the dark knight rising, so choosing a speaker system that won’t permeate the entire block is something to consider. My family just connects to a Bluetooth portable speaker and we put it right next to where we are sitting. The one we have delivers great sound and helps keep people from getting annoyed (I think). I don’t recommend investing in a dedicated Bose speaker because you really do have to consider the fact that you’re outside and potentially be okay with other people hearing ambiances of your movie, 90% of the time, people are indoors and won’t even know, but again, something to consider.
Disassembly in The Dark
It’s generally a fun and exciting time when you’re setting up an outdoor movie for the night. Snacks are being made, popcorn is poppin, maybe you’ve already found the hit movie of the night. You have everything set-up, people are watching, laughing, crying, or watching a plot twist unfold, and you as the host are realizing it’s an eventful night. After everyone is done, your friends get up and leave, kids go to bed or fell asleep watching and need to be woken up so they can go inside, and you realize the task is up to you to take everything down! BUT YOUR SO COMFORTABLE AND CONTENT! If the hardest part about your movie set up is taking it down, you’ve done well. But it still has to be done so make sure there is a plan to do that. Even though it’s something small, having a system in place or a plan for where to put all the chords, speakers, and projectors/players you used afterward, can make the takedown process run smoothly. I recommend putting your chords and plugs in a dedicated box that you can just throw them in. When we take down our screen we just slide it into our sunroom and then the next morning I’ll actually put it back in my room where it belongs. As for the projector, PS4, and speaker, we just put them inside on the dinner table and then worry about it the next morning. It takes us no more than five minutes of complete disassembly when we do it this way. When you follow these tips you’ll come to find it works really well.
Sitting on The Ground
It really does make sense to have people sit on the ground if your audience will be big for the night. Prioritize using your actual seats first and once those are taken up, have a comfortable way to let people sit on the ground so it’s not like anyone is obstructing anyone else. A blanket on grass works really well but there are also some alternative options to this. Lovesac is super expensive this link below is just meant to give you an idea of what you can do with a beanbag seat. These bags can come with an outdoor sleeve that you can throw on the ground without ruining the bag itself. If all else fails, have a bunch of blankets down on the grass or buff it with enough cushion so it’s comfortable.
Related Questions
How long does an outdoor heater last? The guy a Home Depot said it depends on how much you use it. It will last as long as your average grill does before it needs to be changed.
What if I don’t have an outlet to plug in all my movie equipment? We used to use an extension cord and then found a way to neatly route it to where we were watching. Now we have an outlet installed near the grass but this is by no means necessary. It makes our life easier and I’m pretty sure my parents use it for gardening tools and things like that. It’s nice if you have one or have the ability to easily get one installed.
How long does it take to set-up an outdoor movie? The first time it took us around an hour but now we have it down to 15 minutes. The first time we had to experiment with the best way to set it up and how to actually get everything up and running. Once we organized the cords into a box and kept our equipment in an organized storage, it was easy to bust out and set up. We also marked the ground with a sharpie to help us line up the projector table exactly the same way every time. If you really did this for time, I bet you could have a set-up going in 10 minutes.
What screen do you use? I actually did a video on this . I used to just tape up a white sheet and that worked for a bit but it’s honestly worth getting a screen to have for years and years to come. The one I talk about in the link is actually not that expensive compared to some other ones.
Verdict
Need more ideas for your backyard theater? Get some ideas for your seating arrangement here
Our first movie night was awesome! And it only got better once we starting implementing solutions to the five realizations listed above. You don’t even have to wait until it’s all perfect to begin trying out what works for you. That’s how I started. Every couple of months we would get something to better enhance our viewing experiences such as the outdoor heater and the Lovesac bag. I definitely think that mosquito repellent Tiki torches made the biggest difference. Other factors like ground seating and staying warm can be solved through the mighty power of the blanket. Find out what works best for you and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com.