Film launch party help

[Mouse]

I'm starting to go a bit mad, staring at maps of London.

I've tried Googling to no avail. But where the hell are launch parties for films held in London?

I've got a made-up hotel but nowhere to put it. I want somewhere with at least a little bit of space out the front so photos can be taken of the guests going in.

Should I just make up a street? I'm trying to look for a bit of green space too and that's pretty much impossible in London! Every time I see somewhere on the map that looks possible, I zoom in on the street view thing and it's a teeny square of grass smaller than my back garden. God, I couldn't live in a city.

Help!

[Flugel Meister]

The IMAX Cinema in Waterloo hosted the Transformers 3 premier.

[Flugel Meister]

And there's Leicester Square.

[Mouse]

Leicester Square might do.

It's a small independent film. I should've mentioned that in my first post. I'm tempted to just make them drive the hell out of London entirely.

[Fantastyfan]

Could it be at some rich guy's house? Maybe a sponsor of the movie or something? He could have it in a big room of his house or if the weather is nice, it could be an outside event. I'm not sure how far you would have to go out of London to get some big houses like that, but maybe it wouldn't be too far.

[Vertigo]

For a small independent film how about somewhere (could be made up) in Soho. It's not just porn and stuff there, much of it is extremely Bohemian, probably due to it being so close to all the major cinemas and theatres.

[Mouse]

I did look at Soho actually. I think I'll go for Leicester Square... been looking at photos of the place and it looks all right.

[chrispenycate]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Leicester Square might do.

It's a small independent film. I should've mentioned that in my first post. I'm tempted to just make them drive the hell out of London entirely.

Might be cheaper.

Most of the film thingies:- Hire companies, production companies, agencies, even ADR and mixing studios are in Soho, spin off of the theatre industry. There's simply not much green round there, and prices are horrible. But some of those little green pocket handkerchieves you're commenting on aren't all that small, actually; you could probably get a thousand or so people into Soho square (although the gardeners would be very unhappy). But I can't see anywhere you could conveniently hire there (I just zoomed in and the place I used to work is no more; but you couldn't have hired it for a launch, anyway).

If you go down to Hyde Park you've got all the green you could ask for, and masses of hotels overlooking it, but a multi-lane highway running between the two (and have you any idea what a reception room in the Dorchester is going to set you back? Not to mention the nibbles and beverages for the gentlemen of the press).

Probably better to go out to somewhere like Russell Square, where you don't have to put half of the budget into the one press conference (but is less impressive).

Or go right out into Hampstead, where there's still a possibility to park a car, or even breathe. There's actually a lot of green in London, still, but anywhere it is is either drastically expensive or far enough out to be unfashionable.

[Mouse]

Hmm. Now see, Russell Square looks good too.

Thanks all!

[Venusian Broon]

If it is independent, then the arty, trendy crowd of London town (Wonderfully sent up by Charley Brookers and Chris Morris's Nathan Barley)are definitely further east - Clerkenwell, Hoxton and Shoreditch, with loads of venues (many quite up market) there and around south Bethnal Green as well. Definitely if you are young and trendy that's the place to be seen.

[Vertigo]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Hmm. Now see, Russell Square looks good too.

Thanks all!

That guest house whose ceiling collapsed was just off Russell Square, there are loads of them around there.

I used to walk my dogs in Russell square when I was staying there. Not a nice place to be late at night. You really don't want to know some of the stuff my dogs and I saw there Actually, to be fair, I think they've cleaned it up a little now.

[Mouse]

My agency is set in Clerkenwell.

Sounds grim, Vertigo!

[Vertigo]

Gay pros used to wait for business all around the perimeter path. So long as you went into the centre you were fine. Too open for them there

[Phyrebrat]

Originally Posted by Venusian Broon

If it is independent, then the arty, trendy crowd of London town (Wonderfully sent up by Charley Brookers and Chris Morris's Nathan Barley)are definitely further east - Clerkenwell, Hoxton and Shoreditch, with loads of venues (many quite up market) there and around south Bethnal Green as well. Definitely if you are young and trendy that's the place to be seen.

I have to echo this. It is a very arty area with some great wall murals, strange galleries and a plethora of urban spaces. All the projects I've been involved with that have had funding from people like Arts Council etc, have been produced in Shoreditch.

However, I wanted to recommend Notting Hill Gate. It is similar - but perhaps more old school - to Shoreditch, and more established, but it has avoided the stigma of Shoreditch (There is a term in London to desribe painfully artsy types as 'Shoreditch W*****s' because there is a sense of pretension there.). It has plenty of green space as it is next to Kensington Park and Hyde Park, has a bus every few mins that goes straight to Oxford Circus (the 207, N207 (nightbus), 607 (express bus)), and is on the Central Line. I also think NHG is more romantic.

Many events have been held on Portobello Road in NHG, most notably at The Electric Cinema. If you check 'Up My Street' for Portobello Road, you'll see lots of other bohemian dens.

Finally, check out Hackney Marshes. The Hackney Festival has just finished having offered us a free concert in Hackney with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj et al. All hip hop artists, I know, but regardless of that, it is hard to beleive that we had Jay Z here in the Marshes! The Hackney Empire and Richmix (Liverpool St) may be worth a look at. They both stage lots of indie stuff, although much tends to be of Afro-Caribbean culture.

If you're going for Shoreditch, The Richmix is a very good choice as it is a very arty and indie theatre and cinema venue. Its (overground) station is Shoreditch High Street (or Liverpool St Underground Station then a 10 min walk) Not sure about green spaces around it though.

Hope this helps.

pH

[Mouse]

I looked at Portobello Road but dismissed it for some reason (don't remember why!).

Shoreditch sounds quite good... Pretension's fine! Ta muchly.