J.W. LYNNE
AUTHOR OF BESTSELLING NOVELS WITH TWISTS, TURNS, AND SURPRISES
Connect with J.W. LYNNE on
 

So You’re Going to a Movie Premiere WITHOUT a Ticket

The Top 7 Things You Need to Know to Make Your Experience Magical

Do you want to watch your favorite celebrities walk the red carpet? Here are 7 tips from Jen at mydreamcametrue.com to help you have a magical time.

1. Find out when and where a premiere will be held.

Many big movies premiere in multiple cities all over the world, including New York City, Los Angeles, and London. Premieres are generally held a few days before the movie is released in theaters.

To find out when and where a movie will be premiering, try Googling the name of the movie and "world premiere." For example, "Hunger Games Mockingjay" "world premiere." Another good source for premiere dates is http://www.seeing-stars.com/calendar/

2. Bring ... 

a friend, water, snacks, comfortable/warm layers of clothes (it may get very cold when the sun goes down, even in sunny Los Angeles), comfortable shoes, a camera with a good zoom lens, an extra battery and memory card for your camera, binoculars, a hidden wallet (to keep valuables safe while you are distracted), and patience.

3. Arrive early.

For most movie premieres, if you arrive 2-3 hours early you will find plenty of space to stand along the barricades. For highly-anticipated movies, like the Hunger Games movies, fans started lining up days before the event. If this is allowed, there is generally information available online a few days before the event about when and where fans are allowed to set up camp.

4. Figure out the best place to watch the action.

When they arrive, celebrities will step out of their vehicle in the unloading area. They might stop to greet nearby fans. Then they will be hustled to the photography area and pose for photos. If there are fans located opposite the photographers, they might greet fans there. Then they will do interviews with the journalists lining the remaining portion of the carpet. If there are fans located opposite the journalists, they might greet fans there. Then they will socialize with their friends and colleagues outside the theater or head inside the theater.

You may be able to watch some of the action from outside the barricades. There is no way of knowing for sure where the best spot to stand will be, because it varies based on many different factors. To increase your chances of a good view:

A. Ask a security person for suggestions on the best place to see the celebrities. Security personnel are usually wearing suits rather than security uniforms, and they are usually stationed at entry and exit points along the barricades. Some of them may be more helpful and knowledgeable than others so you might want to try asking more than one person.

B. Find the closest barricade to the red carpet. Note that this will probably put you close to the celebrities and at least some of the action, but you might find yourself looking mostly at the celebrities' backsides.
 

View from the barricades along the black carpet at the Divergent premiere in Westwood, facing the photographers
 
C. Consider a higher vantage point. You will be a bit further from the action, but you might get a better view. Look up and see if you can find a public area, like a mall, located above the carpet.   
 

Fans check out a birds-eye view of the Finding Dory blue carpet (left) and the Frozen white carpet (right) from the mall across the street from the El Capitan Theatre
 
Warning: About 2-3 hours before the premiere, the press photographers and journalists will arrive. There will be an area reserved for them somewhere along the carpet. If the press area (especially the area for the photographers) is located between you and the red carpet, your view of the celebrities may become partially or completely blocked once the photographers and journalists take their places. At that point, it may be too late to find any good and still-available vantage points. Ask the security personnel where the journalists and photographers will be standing to prevent this unwelcome surprise from happening to you.

5. Be patient.

Celebrities generally start to arrive about 2 hours before the premiere is scheduled to begin. Often the actors who are actually in the movie and the big-name celebrities arrive last, about an hour before the premiere.

6. Have your camera ready at all times.

You might only get a split second to take a photo of your favorite star. Be sure that your camera is fully charged and ready at every moment. 
 

A fan's photos of Brad Pitt (left) and Angelina Jolie (right) at the premiere of By the Sea.
(photo credit: Lisa Nasco) 
 
7. Have fun!

Once the celebrities start to arrive, you will likely feel a palpable energy and excitement in the air that can't quite be captured in photos or video. For me, that is what makes the experience magical. I hope you experience that magic too!

~ Jen (California, USA)
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jen is also known as J.W. Lynne, a best selling author of twelve novels.
Check out her books on Amazon:

THE UNKNOWN: Eight kids learn the shocking reason why they were kidnapped.

ABOVE THE SKY: A strict society is hiding shocking secrets.

WHAT HE DIDN'T TELL ME: A traumatized girl meets a boy with a horrible secret.

IF I TELL: A teen wonders if her father is a serial killer.

THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE
: Ten families are locked in a bunker to take a simulated trip to the moon.

WILD ANIMAL SCHOOL: A girl falls in love at an exotic animal ranch.

KID DOCS: An experimental program teaches kids to be doctors.

**Not sure which book to choose? Visit our book recommendation page!**

**Jen's books are available on Kindle Unlimited.**

Besides reading books and dreaming up stories to write, Jen's favorite activities are singing along to musical theater soundtracks and hiking in California's beautiful parks.

 

You might also enjoy Jen's other popular posts ...


Reviews of TV show tapings and filmings:
The Big Bang Theory (2013-2014 Season)
Two and a Half Men (2011-2012 Season)
Extra
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Riff-Raff Room)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (studio audience)
American Idol taping
American Idol finale
Today show

Jen's list of bucket-list-worthy things to do in Los Angeles


Reviews of red-carpet movie premieres:
Finding Dory premiere and afterparty
Divergent premiere
Disney's Planes premiere and pre-party
The Lion King 3D premiere
Red Riding Hood premiere
Disney's Frozen premiere

Top 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Hit the Red Carpet

How to get a selfie with a celebrity

Attending a hand and footprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

Visiting the Oscars red carpet the day before the Oscars

Performing in a show at Disneyland

Auditioning for Universal Studios Hollywood