Q&A: Ned Loach and Robert Gontier (360 Screenings)

Since the advent of the talking pictures, audiences have been lining up to take part in the entertaining, sensory experience of “going to the movies,” escaping their own lives for a few hours to take part in new adventures. As a medium, however, film is ultimately limited in its two-dimensional presentation, as the images stay onscreen and are merely watched by those in attendance.

Imagine combining the thrill of a live theatre performance with a film viewing, and being able to really experience that film in a three-dimensional way. A new Toronto screening series, 360 Screenings, has done just that—the location of the screening is not revealed until 24 hours before the show, and upon arriving at the location, the audience is immersed in the film’s environment and scenes. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails are served while the audience interacts with the performance of dialogue and scenes from
the film, all while trying to guess which film is about to be screened.

On October 24th, 360 Screenings will present a special Halloween production, featuring their usual creative formula of cocktails and a theatre performance, followed by the film itself. Theatromania caught up with founders Ned Loach and Robert Gontier to find out more about how the series works, and how audiences have responded so far.

Theatromania: How did you come up with the concept for 360 Screenings?

NL & RG: When we were living in Europe a large part of the theatre and film-going scene includes audience participation to varying degrees. We wanted to give Toronto audiences the chance to take part in experiencing the film in a whole new way.

Theatromania: Past screenings have included Fight Club and Ghost. What attracted you to these particular films?

NL & RG: It’s important that we choose films that not only resonate with us artistically, but lend themselves to being adapted in a theatrical setting. So looking for things like; specific characters, recognizable environments/settings, food, themes, etc. With Ghost, we wanted to pick a film that everybody knew and loved, and there were many things in the film, like the pottery scene, that would make for a great interactive element with the guests. Fight Club was a no-brainer when we visited it again. We knew right away that it would be a perfect film for us to adapt for a number of reasons—the characters are so distinct and iconic, and the concept of an underground society was perfect for our guests to become part of the action.

Theatromania: Have audiences ever been genuinely stumped as to what the film is while watching the pre-screening performance?

NL & RG: That’s the best part! We walk around during the event and interview people on what film they think they’re going to be watching. It’s always a lot of fun to hear their guesses and so far they’ve ranged from hitting the nail on the head to not even being in the right genre! It becomes a game, and that’s something that’s so exciting to us about the concept of 360 Screenings.

Theatromania: How have audiences responded to the performances so far? What do you hope audiences take away from the 360 screenings experience?

NL & RG: The audience reception has been really inspiring so far, and it’s always such a pleasant surprise to see how far our guests are willing to take the interactive elements. Our sets are always heavily detailed with clues and pieces from the film, so seeing someone ruffle through the notebooks and digging through the drawers is gratifying to watch. At our Fight Club screening we instructed everyone to wear all black and had two fantastic makeup artists from Complections College of Makeup Art & Design onsite providing guests with fake bruises and scrapes as though they were actual Fight Club members. What we didn’t anticipate was that everyone wanted to have it done, and by the end of the night we had a full venue of fighters dressed in all black with battle wounds. It was amazing!

Theatromania: When can we expect your next screening (after October 24)?

NL & RG: We’re working towards a date in February.

Catch 360 Screenings’ next produciton on Wednesday, October 24 at 7pm. Visit 360screenings.com for more information and to buy tickets.