How to Create an Amazing Backyard Movie Night on a Budget

There's something quite special about having your film out under the evening sky. You don't need a massive theatre setup or a huge event budget to have a proper outdoor movie night. All you really need is a bit of planning, some comfortable seating, a bit of decoration, some reasonably priced snacks and the right rental equipment and you can have a very nice backyard cinema for the family, friends, a couple or indeed your neighbours.

The key is to spend your money where it actually makes a difference and not on features you don't actually need. Throw in a few smart DIY's and some reasonably priced party rentals in Utah and you can have a fantastic movie night without your backyard movie party turning into a major expense.

Choose the Right Movie and Plan Your Guest List

Start by working out who's going to be there and what type of movie night you're after. A family movie night is probably best served by an animated or an adventure film whereas a group of friends or a couple might prefer a comedy, a classic or just their own favourite blockbuster. You'll obviously have to tailor the event to your audience as that will in turn determine the size of the screen, the seating, the food and the general atmosphere of the night.

Keep your guest list small if you're on a tight budget. A smaller gathering can be quite intimate and gives you the chance to splurge a bit on a few key things (good seating, better sound, quality snacks etc). Before you go and send out the invites, have a good look at your backyard and work out how many people you can actually fit in there comfortably.

Find the Perfect Location in Your Backyard

You don't need a professionally designed outdoor entertainment area at all to have a movie night. Just find the flattest, cleanest patch of your yard that has enough space to have your guests sit several feet away from the screen. Get rid of any trees, fences, outdoor furniture etc that would otherwise be in the way.

Think about where the sun will be setting and how much natural light you'll get when the film actually starts. A darker location is generally preferable. If you can, position the screen so that it's not in the line of any outdoor light and turn off any porch/garden lights that aren't absolutely necessary once the film has started.

Rent a Quality Movie Screen Setup

One of the easiest ways to go about setting up a proper backyard cinema is to rent an outdoor screen rather than try and build one yourself. Movie Screens Rentals are available in a range of sizes so you can pick the one that is right for your backyard and the number of people you're expecting. A larger screen will obviously give you a more enveloping experience, but larger isn't necessarily better. The screen should be the right size for the viewing distance and the space you have. Before you go and book it though, you need to measure your backyard and work out exactly where the screen, the projector, the seating and the equipment is all going to be.

Working with a professional rental company can also make the set up a lot easier and reduce the chance of having an unstable DIY screen on movie night.

Choose the Right Movie Projector

The projector is just as important as the screen. A bad or inappropriate projector will result in a very dim image and that's going to be very difficult to see out in the open, particularly before the sky is completely black. When you're looking at movie projector rentals you need to look at brightness, resolution, throw distance, compatibility with your media source and power availability. You need to be able to position the projector at the correct distance from the screen and you need to have the right cables/connections.

If you're renting the equipment then ask the rental company what projector they would recommend for your screen size and type of event. It's worth testing the equipment before the guests arrive. Just run a few minutes of your film or some other video to check the image, the focus, the connection and the sound.

Create Comfortable Seating Without Overspending

You don't need any expensive outdoor furniture at all to have a good movie night. Just work with what you've got before you go out and rent any more seating. Outdoor chairs, camping chairs, patio furniture, cushions, blankets, floor pillows and a clean picnic blanket will all be good enough. For a really nice relaxed feel you can actually end up with a number of seating areas. Have your chairs towards the back for the people who want to sit up properly and have your blankets and cushions a bit closer to the front for the kids and the people who just want to sit down and relax.

If your guest list is bigger than your seating then consider renting in additional chairs via the party rentals Utah providers. It may well be more economical to just rent what you need rather than buy furniture that you're likely to go months without using again.

Use Affordable Lighting to Create the Atmosphere

Lighting can make a massive difference to the look and feel of your backyard without necessarily requiring a huge decorating budget. String lights around the fence, around the trees, down the patio and around the seating areas will go a long way to establishing a warm atmosphere before the movie.

Solar garden lights can also be used to light up a path with no further electrical connections required. Once the film's underway though, keep the decorative lighting very low so as not to take away from the screen.

Don't have bright lights directly behind or either side of the projector as they'll reduce the contrast of the image and make the film a lot harder to see.

Plan for Weather and Comfort

Outdoor movie nights are all about the weather so you need to check the forecast before the event and have a back-up plan. A fairly mild evening can quite easily turn into something you're not happy with if it turns cold.

Have a supply of spare blankets on hand for the guests and consider fans in the warmer months. If the weather's not up to scratch then know in advance whether you can move the event in (or indeed reschedule it).

When you're renting equipment, ask about the company's weather policy (especially with regard to screens, projectors, speakers and other electrical equipment). You need to protect the electronics from the weather and you must never leave the equipment out in the weather if it's not suitable.

Make the Experience Personal

The best backyard movie nights aren't necessarily the most expensive ones. They're the ones where you feel at home and everyone is properly included. Choose a film that's going to resonate with the group, get the snacks right (i.e. the ones that people actually want to eat) and create a space where people can just chill. It could be a family night, it could be a date night for two, it could be a student night out, it could be a few mates just getting together. The right amount of planning and the right kit will make your backyard the perfect place for a movie night.

With affordable party rentals in Utah, a decent sized movie screen, the right movie projector and some simple food and beverage rental ideas you can go ahead and put together an outdoor cinema experience that's absolutely brilliant without having to fork out a fortune.