From Los Angeles, California, to Lindon, Utah: Outdoor Movie Events and Open Air Cinema is a Growing Industry

A 2008 Los Angeles Times investigation into the outdoor cinema business found the industry small but growing rapidly. Cities and community groups had become reliable customers: La Quinta screened films near City Hall, San Jose used San Pedro Square, and outdoor screens had recently been set up against backdrops including the Brooklyn Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Stuart Farmer, president of Open Air Cinema in Lindon, Utah, told the Times that demand for outdoor screens was snowballing. The company sold inflatable screens mainly to large organizations and backyard customers -- roughly 80% of volume -- while generating at least $1 million annually from businesses focused on outdoor films. California operator Dana Schwartz of Open Air Productions estimated 100 events for 2008 at just under $200,000 in revenue -- “not bad,” she said, given the expenses of constant equipment upgrades.

Film licensing was a significant cost: Boulder Outdoor Cinema's Jeanine Fritz estimated roughly $300 per title. Other expenses -- portable restrooms, event insurance, generator fuel, staffing, permits -- could quickly absorb ticket revenue. Rooftop Films' Mark Elijah Rosenberg noted that without a proven crowd-drawing track record, sponsors and institutional funding were unlikely. “It's not easy, under any model,” he said. The industry consensus: “These screenings aren't a fad like chocolate fountains were. It's in the vernacular now.”