Film Screening Toolkit

This document is a guide and provides suggestions on how to host a film screening event as part of the Campus Climate Challenge. Special Thanks to Sierra Youth Coalition and Sierra Club Productions for sharing their film festival screening toolkit and to the 11th Hour Project for their generosity in sponsoring 1,000 campus screenings of An Inconvenient Truth.

As part of our Truth on Campus initiative, the Campus Climate Challenge is offering a free DVD and public screenings rights to show An Inconvenient Truth to a large group of people for free on your campus. The offer is open to the first 1,000 campuses that sign up to host actions during the Rising to the Climate Challenge: Visions of Our Future, an international week of action January 29th through February 2nd, 2007. Hosting a large public screening or multiple screenings on campus of Al Gore's compelling and informative movie about the climate crisis is a great way to educate the campus community about global warming and recruit new students to your Campus Climate Challenge campaign. After the movie is over, make sure to have something planned to give people a way to take action locally on the global problem their eyes have just been opened to.

Before you do anything else, register!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Getting Started
2. Logistics
   
• Register to Receive a DVD
• Date(s)
• Venue
  
• Equipment
• Volunteers
• Costs
3. Promoting Your Campaign at the Screening
4. Promoting Your Screening (Email, Postering, Advertising, Radio, Facebook, Etc.)
5. The Event Itself
   

Appendix A: Sample Panel Discussion Questions
Appendix B: Sample Messages
Appendix C: Related Links and Resources

Hosting a screening of An Inconvenient Truth can be a very straightforward, simple, and rewarding way to start or build on a strong global warming campaign on your campus. It's important to start off with a clear idea of what you are trying to do with the screening. Do you have a large and consistent group on campus that can pull off a 2,000 person event where everyone writes to their Congressperson afterwards and people deliver pledges to your campus president the next day in support of your campaign? Perhaps you're just getting started and have ten people who can help you screen the film three times in a week with 50 people at each show, each time using the event to recruit more people to your new campaign to get clean energy on campus. Whatever your vision, start by setting your goals for the event as a group.

What are your objectives for this screening?
Consider how many people you want to turn out and what you want to accomplish in your campaign from the event. Remember the rule of halves for recruitment: If you call four people, two will probably say they will come. If two say they will come, one will probably show up. You can maximize turnout by give people something to take home and put on their fridge, getting phone numbers and doing call reminders, and continually promoting the event through many kinds of media on campus beforehand.

What is your organizational goal for the event?
Are you trying to: Generate a dialog about global warming on your campus, recruit volunteers to your clean energy campaign, raise awareness of an upcoming student referendum, etc. Consider how you can structure the rest of the week of actions and activities to make the most impact in your campaign to kick off the semester. Who is your campaign target for the week in the administration? Are you targeting your Congressperson or Senator during the week of action? How? Make the plan simple and targeted and you will be fine.

The public screening rights you will receive when you register cover 7 consecutive days of screening. Our sponsor, the 11th Hour Project has asked that campuses coordinate screenings sometime around the dates of our Climate Week of Action - January 29 - February 2, 2007. However, if your school is not in session that week or another period works better for you, you may choose other screening dates a little later in the semester.

You might choose to focus your efforts on one large screening or hold a series of screenings throughout the week.

If you’re running a campus climate or clean energy campaign, you should think about when to plan your event so that it builds momentum for your campaign. It’s a good idea to plan the film screening before a major event in your campaign. The film screening can be a great way to introduce new individuals to the issues that you work on.

• Give yourself enough time to plan and to promote.
• Check holidays, school schedules, and other organizational events that may be a conflict. Make sure key support people and/or speakers will be available.
• When is your top-choice venue available?

School auditoriums and theaters are ideal for large audiences, but a classroom or dorm living room can work too, as long as you have access to a projector or DVD player.

Being familiar with your screening location is very important. You should visit the location to get a feel for the place if you are not familiar with it. This is important! The quality of the screening could be affected by an unsuitable surrounding.

• Is the location central to those attending
• Is public transit available?
• Is there enough room for maximum planned attendance?
• Is there ample parking available?
• Is it wheelchair accessible?
• Do you need tables, chairs – will you have to move existing tables and chairs?
• If this is a large venue – will you need microphones?
• If there are lots of windows there could be a problem with glare, especially during the day.
• Does the venue provide all the audio and video equipment you need to arrange your screening.

• Projector - In most cases, a projector should be able to screen DVDs. But, it is imperative that you make sure the projector you do use is compatible with the player you get. Make sure the projector will be able to fit the screen and as large as you wish to have it. Know how far away the projector will need to be for best quality and make sure your venue can accommodate it.
• Screen - You will need to obtain a screen or television – one that the entire audience should have no troubling seeing. Also, it may be necessary to cover the perimeter (outside) of the screen with black cloth. This will enhance the clarity of the image and direct the audience’s focus solely on the screen and not any possible activity going on behind it.
• Audio - Most audio equipment will include an amplifier, speakers, cables and the control deck. The wattage of the speakers must be adequate to provide clear, crisp sound throughout the venue. Two speakers up in front with the screen should suffice in most cases. It should not be necessary to obtain speakers for “surround sound”.

d) Recruit Volunteers

How many volunteers do we need to help set up the event and what for? Here’s a sample template to work with:

It’s important to know what your budget is and if you can cover costs before you start locking in details. Although the DVD and screening rights will be free and some posters and materials will come with your screening packet, there are other costs for you to consider. Here’s a sample template to help you budget:

Item

Quantity

Cost

Film (free in this case!)

Venue

Projector/ DVD player

Posters

Postcards, sign-up sheets

Other Tabling Materials

Ads in Campus Media

Other:

Total:

How are we going pay for this?

Consider asking your student activities funds for support or holding a mini-fundraiser like an organic bake sale at the screenings. You may also be able to ask for support through a student actvities fund. Be sure to look into this with enought time to meet application deadlines.

The screening is an opportune time for you to raise awareness about your campaign and recruit volunteers to help you with it.

1. Table: Have a table at the event with information on your campaign and resources where people can learn more about the issues. Make sure the table is staffed throughout the screening.
2. Sign-Up Sheets: Be sure you have sign-up sheets for people who either want to learn more or get involved – we have attached one for your use at the last page of this document.
3. Postcards: While people are seated in the audience, you can pass out postcards that help them learn more, get involved, or take some action. Then you can collect the postcards at the end. You have a captive audience, so engage them and bring ‘em on board!

One idea to make the local connection on the energy issues addressed in the film is to host a panel discussion after the screening. The most successful panels will include a variety of topics and perspectives and invite questions and participation from the audience. It’s best to think of this as a roundtable, open discussion model that will engage the audience as well as the “expert panel.”

We’ve included sample questions below that can help start the conversation. It’s important to ask questions and broach topics that will generate concrete solutions for what each community can do on its particular energy challenges.

1. Pick a coordinator for organizing the panel discussion
2. Pick your moderator and your panelists. Consider inviting the following types of people to participate:
• University professors (in the fields of science, economics, etc)
• Your partners in the campaign
• Representatives from the hunting and fishing community
• Representatives from the faith community
• Representatives from labor groups
• Local ranchers, farmers, private property owners
• Local elected officials like your Mayor
• Campus administrators like the Sustainability Coordinator, the Director of
• Facilities or Energy Purchasing
• Representatives of power companies or wind farm operators
• Other conservation groups and non-profits/policy folks
• Environmental reporter (if they do a good job covering energy issues)
3. Invite your panelist by phone and/or email
4. Be sure to confirm remind your confirmed panelists about the event 48 hours before the screening.

A list of sample questions for your panel discussion is at the end of this document.

Once you've figured out your logistics, be sure to go back to www.climatechallenge.org, login to your climate challenge account and update the details on your screening event so that others on campus know where to go and when.

You campus may have a campus-wide listserv that you can announce the event through. You can also ask various campus groups to announce the screenings on the group listservs and at their group meetings.

Some tips on emails:

• Have a clear subject line: “Free Showing of An Inconvenient Truth this Friday”
• Be concise and to the point in the content: When, Where, Why, Brief Panel Discussion Description, Costs, etc.
• Include contact information for people who have questions or want to volunteer
• Send your email out one week prior to the screening with a reminder the day before and the day of if possible.

If you are showing the film as a part of your Campus Climate Challenge campaign, we encourage you to download the Challenge poster template at: http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org/materials

Last, but definitely not least, you could make your own posters and banners for the screenings.

Some tips on postering:

• Make sure to look into your campus’s rules on postering, because otherwise your posters may be taken down. Some campuses require approval of posters, others do not allow you to post things in bathroom stalls. It’s worth checking into!
• Assign a lead to coordinating the poster efforts.
• If you’re making your own posters, plan a Saturday or Sunday brunch where a group of people come together to make all the posters in 2 hours, rather than one or two people spending many more.
• Printing – If you decide to print at a Kinkos, Staples or local print business, ask them for a donation or discount on the posters and explain your campaign.Put your posters up a week before the event.

Tabling is a great way to reach people one on one and encourage them to commit to coming to the showing. If you will be selling tickets for the event, you should consider selling tickets in advance at your table. If not, you may hand out free passes that guarantee a seat to those that commit to coming. Tabling prior to the event is also a great way to connect your clean energy campaign to the screening of An Inconvenient Truth. Be sure to include information about your campaign at the table in addition to the details about the screening.

Advertise the film in your campus paper or other daily and weekly campus publications. If your event is open to the public, look into ad prices in your local community paper(s) and be sure to ask for donations!

Some tips:

• Be concise: When, Where, What, Brief Panel Discussion Description, Cost, etc.
• Make sure to look into advertising deadlines and have your ads prepared to meet these deadlines.
• Include contact information for people who have questions or want to volunteer

Other promotion tools you may consider: phone banking, snail mail, class announcements. You can find details on these strategies and more in the Campus Climate Challenge Toolkit: http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org/resources

f) Media Outreach

Energy is a hot topic right now, so you’ve got a built-in angle to help you pitch this story to reporters and producers. Start by considering the local hooks for your story. Is there a proposed wind farm nearby or, conversely, a proposed coal-fired power plant? Are wild places or open spaces in your area threatened by oil and gas drilling or coal mining? (Even where there isn’t a perfect local hook, energy is a top-tier issue of concern to most Americans, so the film screening will be important and newsworthy in and of itself.)

Once you register to host an event we’ll get you a sample press release and press advisory to help guide your outreach efforts. You can use these materials as tools to get your film screening listed in your local or campus newspaper’s calendar section (they will usually do this for free; give them as much advance notice as possible) and to encourage reporters (print, radio, TV) to come to your event and cover it. Always be sure to make follow-up calls to pitch the event.

For more media help tips check out the Campus Climate Challenge Toolkit at http://www.climatechallenge.org/resources.

5. The Event Itself

Pre-Event Checklist

• Venue/any technical needs confirmed
• Film/DVD arrived and received in good working order
• Take time to watch your film in advance
• Program for festival created and/or all outreach materials needed on hand
• Key speakers and organizers confirmed and advised of the goals and message
• Media (if any) invited

Last Minute Checklist

The big day is here!

• Plan to arrive early to set up – info tables, arranging chairs, food, etc.
• It is very important to perform an audio/visual check prior to the screening.
• Once guests arrive and are seated and ready to begin, let them know what to expect – will there be some time to discuss the film or issue before or after the screening?
• Make sure that during or at the end of the evening the group is aware of how they can “get involved” with the issue, including having take-aways available and flyers, etc. at a table.
• After the event, be sure to thank panelists and anyone who helped make the events a success.
• Add new contacts to your mailing/email/phone lists.
• Hold a de-briefing meeting with your group of volunteers to determine what went well, and where there’s room for improvement the next time you hold a film festival.

Hospitality

• If the media is invited, who will manage them at the event?
• Who will greet and oversee sign-in sheets for your guests so that you can email those you participate updates and more information?
• Do you have volunteers for set-up and clean-up crews?
• Will you serve food or drinks? Or allow someone to sell them?

• Al Gore and others promote carbon offsets, where one offsets one's individual production of global-warming pollution by paying money toward an organization that develops products that curb global warming. For instance, if you take a flight in a plane, you offset your part of the global-warming pollution created by contributing to a project that's building a windmill on tribal lands. What do you think about carbon offsets?
• Seriously, do my individual efforts make a difference?
• How many member of the panel (or audience members, raise your hands) have changed over every incandescent bulb in the house to a compact fluorescent?
• Are hybrid cars just too expensive to think enough Americans can buy one to make a serious impact on pollution from gas-engine cars?
• Why do you think hydrogen fuel cell technology is being pushed so hard? It is because of the interests of the suppliers?
• What are some simple changes that individuals can make in their lives to conserve energy?
• Are alternative forms of energy (solar, wind) accessible to everyone in small and/or large ways, and if not, are we getting there?
• What are the obstacles that keep folks from adopting energy-saving measures?
• What are some good ways to educate the public about individual steps that can be taken?
• What should be asking our decision-makers at the federal level to do re: energy policy?
• Likewise, what should we be asking our decision-makers at the local AND state levels to do re: energy policy?

MESSAGES

Campus Climate Challenge:

Everyone is talking about global warming, but almost no one is talking about solutions – even though the technologies exist right now to solve the problem.


There are cars on the roads right now that run on a fraction of the gasoline that the average car consumes, and power companies are currently making using of wind and solar power to generate energy. We must make create use of these technologies now – this is our generation’s problem and it’s up to us to solve it. So we’re running the Challenge, along with over 300 other high schools and universities across the US and Canada.


We are going to start right here by transforming the way YOUR CAMPUS gets and uses energy. We want all of our energy to come from renewable sources, not dirty fossil fuels. We’re going to rise to the challenge. We’re going to stop global warming.

More: http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org/

General Energy Message:

There's no denying that America faces an urgent energy challenge. We can continue the current expensive and unsustainable energy practices and policies that have left us addicted to oil. Or we can make the changes and take the actions that will put us on the path to a smarter, cheaper and cleaner energy future.


For example, if our cars, trucks and SUVs together averaged 40 miles per gallon — something that is achievable with existing technology — we would save as much oil as the United States currently imports from the Persian Gulf, with another million barrels to spare. And the average driver would save nearly $600 a year at the pump.


There is no magic solution to America's energy problems. But if we want to leave our children and grandchildren a healthy planet, our generation must decrease its dependence on polluting, global-warming-causing petroleum and other finite fossil fuels.


We know our nation can do it. Our history shows that there are few challenges we have not overcome with American ingenuity. Now we just need the political will and courage — something that is in short supply these days in Washington.

More: http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/

Arctic Refuge/Coasts/Drilling Message:

Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, off America’s coasts and in other special wild places will only add to the billions in profits already being made by Big Oil, do nothing to lower gas prices for American families or energy costs for American businesses, and will keep our nation dangerously dependent on oil.


Instead of destructive drilling, we could be adopting smart energy solutions that would help wean Americans off oil and save money at the pump. There's no denying that America faces an urgent energy challenge. We can continue the current expensive and unsustainable energy practices and policies that have left us addicted to oil. Or we can make the changes and take the actions that will put us on the path to a smarter, cheaper and cleaner energy future.

More: www.sierraclub.org/arctic and www.sierraclub.org/coasts

Global Warming Message:

Global warming has the power to affect everyone on the planet. Rising sea levels, more powerful storms, and the spread of terrible diseases are just some of the problems we are likely to face while energy prices continue to rise and supply shocks wreak hardship on our families and communities. We are all at risk unless we learn to curb our greenhouse gas emissions and end our addiction to fossil fuels. The Sierra Club believes that we can save our planet while preserving our way of life, that instead of falling into despair, we should look to this challenge as an opportunity.


We have the technology today to implement real energy solutions that will move our country forward into a brighter energy future. These solutions can curb global warming, and at the same time build a clean, sustainable economy that lowers energy bills and creates thousands of new jobs.

More: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/

Clean Cars:

Cars--many of us can't imagine living without one. They may be almost as American as apple pie, but cars are also a major contributor to America's global warming and energy problems. The gas we use to fuel our cars significantly adds to our dangerous oil dependence. Cars are also one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Fortunately, there are lots of things that can be done to help address these problems. Hybrids and other modern technology can help us build cleaner cars that save us money at the pump, curb global warming, and break our addiction to oil.


More: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/

Nuclear Power:

Despite once being promised that electricity from nuclear energy would be "too cheap to meter," it is the most expensive way anyone's ever discovered to boil water. Some people say that nuclear energy's carbon-free electricity is the solution to our global warming problem. Unfortunately, six decades of research and hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies have not made nuclear energy entirely safe, cost-effective, or freed us from the burden of tons of deadly waste that will be radioactive for the next 300,000 years or so. Before we resort to the nuclear option, it's important to understand that nuclear energy just isn't a very good deal. Before we trade one dirty and dangerous source of energy for another, it's time to invest in some real alternatives: efficiency, renewables, and other smart energy solutions.


More: http://www.sierraclub.org/energysummer/4nuclear/

Coal:

The coal industry has used an expensive ad campaign to tell us that coal is cheap, plentiful, and now even "clean." It certainly is plentiful, but it's only cheap if you exclude the costs to public health, our environment, climate, miners’ health and safety, and damage to lands across Appalachia and the West from highly destructive mining practices.


The industry talks a big talk about so-called "clean coal," but 84 percent of the 150 or so new coal plants on the drawing board in the U.S. are the same old-fashioned, low-tech dirty coal plants they've been building for decades -- and none will capture the carbon dioxide that causes global warming. Suddenly coal looks like just another dirty, outdated technology that's a bad deal for America at a time when we need to invest our resources in the smart energy solutions that will help us move past fossil fuels and fight global warming.

More: http://www.sierraclub.org/energysummer/6coal/

APPENDIX C: RELATED LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Register for the Climate Week of Action - http://www.climatechallenge.org/woa

• An Inconvenient Truth Official Website - http://www.climatecrisis.net

• Campus Climate Challenge Website - http://www.climatechallenge.org

• The 11th Hour Project - http://www.11thhourproject.org

• Truth on Campus Website - http://www.truthoncampus.org

Online Resources are available at http://www.climatechallenge.org/resources

Q 1: How do we know if we are part of the first 1,000 schools to have registered and will receive the DVD?
When we reach the 1,000 school number, we will change the website so that you are no longer able to register for the screening. So, if you signed up, you are in line to receive the DVD. If you have filled out the form correctly before the deadline you will soon receive an email asking you to "Post your showing" on www.truthoncampus.org. Once you complete this process, we will mail you your DVD and screening packet with the license to show the film on campus.


Q 2: I signed up, but my group doesn't show up on the Challenge map.
Refer to question 3 to log in and update your information. Make sure you entered your state and zip code correctly. If your state/province and zip code are correct and you are still not on the map, email webmaster@energyaction.net.


Q 3: How do I change something in my group's profile once I've posted it?
To update your information, you can follow the same steps as when registering. Use the same username and password that you set up initially. When you are logged in with your user account, you can use the registration form to update your information. It will populate with your current information if you are logged in correctly.


Q 4: When will I receive confirmation that I will receive the film?
After the deadline for signing up for a screening, you will receive an email explaining what to do next. See the answer to question 1.


Q 5: Since signing up, we have determined that we will not be able to organize a screening. How do we cancel the free DVD order?
To cancel your order and/or remove your week of action registration from the website, email webmaster@energyaction.net indicating your school and login name.


Q 6: Is it possible to receive the film in languages other than English?
Currently the DVD only includes the option of English subtitles or English for the hearing impaired.


Q 7: How much is the public screening license worth?
The 11th Hour Project generously paid for each of the public screening licenses for campus showings. Public screenings can cost up to $1000 depending on the size and location of the screening.


Q 8: Is it possible to show the film during dates outside of January 29th through February 2nd?
Yes. If it is not possible for you to show the film during the week of action, you may choose alternative dates. However, you may only screen the film on campus for one 7 day period. You must indicate the dates of your screening(s) when you "Post your Showing" information after receiving an email asking for the event details.


Q 9: What should I fill in the "Advisor" field?
Your Advisor can be any staff, faculty, or community member that can serve as an alternative contact person for your group. While it might be a good idea for you to have a direct advisor on your activities and campaign, we're not going to require that. We just want to know someone else who we can contact if you can't be reached.

Q 10: I am a High School educator. Should I register for a screening through ClimateChallenge.org or use the participate.net offer?
We want as many schools as possible to be able to show An Inconvenient Truth to large audiences. For high school educators who want to show the film to your class, you don't need this offer. You can get the film through http://www.participate.net/educators/. However, we still encourage you to participate in the Climate Week of Action and register your activities on ClimateChallenge.org.