Drive-in theaters were on the wane even during our childhood, but we still nostalgically recall our family visits. These days, you may be hard-pressed to find a drive-in in your area, but it's still possible to share the excitement of outdoor entertainment with your kids. If you don't have a backyard, consider joining forces with some neighbors and taking the show to a nearby public space. It's more do-able - and affordable - than you might think.
How To: Create an Outdoor Theater (on the Cheap)
We found this excellent community resource on setting up your own backyard theater. The second post from the top contains a detailed step-by-step tutorial, but the basic points are this:
To start, you'll need the following components:
- A video source (usually a DVD player)
- A video projector
- A screen
- A sound system
You may already have some or all of these components, or you may have to get some. If you need to buy, don't look for the biggest or the best, just find the best prices. Check Craigslist for used components. Remember: you're not looking for home theater quality - the "wow" factor of watching a movie on a large outdoor screen will more than compensate for less-than-perfect image or sound quality. (Remember the horrible, barely audible tinniness of the speakers at 1970s drive-ins?) And later, if you get really into outdoor entertainment, you can always invest in better components for future summers.
Be sure to read the full tutorial for many hard-won tips from hardcore outdoor theater enthusiasts.
Photo sources: kelemvor (top of post) and AaronC (second), members of BackyardTheater.com
Comments (8)
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awesome! a friend of mine scored a projector for free from her church because they got a new one and she used to put on movie nights in the summer. our local zoo does zoo-vies in the summer on projectors too, havent checked it out yet but i will once my toddler can handle watching a whole movie!
view erinpearce's profile
Great post, we have thought about doing this in the summer (I am in southern hemisphere so have a while to wait)...some of the local pools in my city offer "Dive In" movie sessions at the peak of summer where you can laze around in the public pool and watch a movie on the big screen, we thought it would be fun to try in our home pool.
view Miss_Shwee's profile
If you find an inexpensive projector on say craigslist or ebay, just be sure to research the replacement bulb required for the projector. Some of the replacement bulbs are $300-500.
view oandel's profile
Who needs a screen?
Just paint the windowless side of your McMansion silver...
view bepsf's profile
There's a neighborhood on the southeast side of my city that has a picture frame painted onto the side of a brick building. They project movies there during the summer in front of the parking lot. Sounds pretty cool.
view Alaricus's profile
We just did this! We rent but we can use the backyard when the downstairs neighbors are away. We made a screen from blackout cloth, borrowed a projector, and used my husband's keyboard amp for sound. The picture was surprisingly good, and everyone had a great time.
view emilie_b's profile
We just started doing this on our roofdeck! We have a decent projector and use a white tarp but are perfecting it as we go. The key seems to be really good popcorn.
view ikithecat222's profile
I have asked my S.O. for this laptop projector that is about the size of your hand!
http://www.itechnews.net/2009/02/11/aaxa-p1-pico-projector-with-1gb-memory/#more-18653
AAXA P1 Pico Projector is priced at $259.
AAXA P1 is a micro projector that offers 640×480 VGA resolution, 10 ANSI lumens brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio and a Single Chip White LED lamp with 30,000 hours of life. AAXA’s P1 comes with 1GB onboard memory and a microSD slot.
view asked you first's profile