My family first started watching movies on a really inexpensive projector from Amazon. It had been a goal of mine since I was 16 to have my own projector and throw up movies and games on the big screen.
Since we finished our basement, we’ve graduated to a more home theater model of projector, but that first one still has a special place for us – in lighting up our outdoor movies. We hang a DIY screen on the net of the trampoline, connect to a decent old powered speaker, and let the good times roll.
One thing we have learned from our outdoor movie experiences is that seating is very important. Making sure the adults are comfortable enough for a long viewing and can see while the kids have something low and in front – so they can watch or play as the movie moves along. Here’s how we manage our seating to try and make everyone happy.
This post is going to be about temporary seating for outdoor movies in your backyard. If you’ve set up a permanent outdoor theater (which sounds awesome, but not practical in my yard) you’re going to need more permanent seating.
The Basic Setup of an Outdoor Movie
Before we cover seating we have to go over a typical setup for an outdoor movie – this will impact how your seating is set up.
- Screen Setup: When it comes to movies, size does matter – right? And the bigger the screen the better. We’ve tried this in a few different ways, but we find that the best viewing outside means having a screen set as high as possible. This doesn’t have to mean expensive. We did a DIY screen at first and it cost us less that $50.
- Projector Setup: Unless you’re using a TV or a very fancy rear projector, you’re going to have a projector in the middle of your viewing area. If your projector is less expensive for outdoor use and doesn’t have a long throw then it will be sitting right in prime viewing area. If you’ve put your screen high, you’ll also have to put your projector fairly high (or use a lot of keystone correction to make it square.) We use a tripod to get our little projector high enough to get out of kid’s head range. Your projector is also going to need power, and potentially a line out to whatever media you’re playing.
- Sound Setup: Unless your projector has a mighty fine built-in speaker, or you’ve got integrated bluetooth (or other wireless sound projection), you’re going need to send a wire from your projector to your speaker(s). We can’t ever seem to get the speakers and the media player in the same place (the sound is funny coming from one side), so we have wires going in different directions through the seating area.
- Media Setup: You’re going to have to have something to drive media to your projector. Many projectors will have USB ports – so if you have your movie on a USB you might be able to play it directly. If not, you’re going to have to use something else to get your movie to your projector. We use a laptop, which means no remote and the wire comes out to where I’m sitting, but you could use a media box or disc player by the projector with a remote to minimize the wires coming out.
- Power Setup: If you’re like us, you’re going to have 3 powered devices in 3 different places. That means running extension cords through the seating area back to a single point or power bar. You might be able to go around for the media player and the speaker(s), but you’ll have to go right through for the projector.
- Wire Management: Depending on your setup, you might have 5 wires coming out of or through your seating area to connect your components to each other and to power. My recommendation is where you can – cover those wires with something that won’t move easily, or get them out of the way of moving feet. Having your projector tumble to the ground mid scene or the sound suddenly cut off isn’t fun for anyone. Cover with mats, tape them down – anything you can do to reduce the trip hazard.
The Overall Seating Layout
Seating for your outdoor movie will come in three parts (as referenced in the handy diagram below. Beautiful artwork, no?)
You’re going to have three zones of seating that you can cover. Any of the zones can stand alone and can be mixed and matched in any way. If you’re showing a kids movie for the young’uns while the adults enjoy a few beverages, you may want to set up “Up Front” and “Way Out Back”. If it’s a family affair and not a party, you might choose “Up Front” and “The Best Seats in the House”.
We’ll review some potential seating choices for each of the zones and what does and doesn’t make up a good choice for these spots.
Up Front – Low But Comfortable
The first seating space we want to conquer here is the section between the projector and the screen – the “Up Front” if you would. This section can seat anyone, but we typically find that the kids love to sit here. They can lounge on their bellies or backs and just hang out.
As long as whomever is sitting in this section keeps themselves at ground level, it won’t interfere with the picture. Given this, our choices for seating in this area are limited. We find the best choices for this area are one of the following:
Air Mattresses/Mattresses: This is my first choice for seating in this area. While air mattresses are more portable, your standard bed mattress will work here as well if you have one hanging out in a shed or garage. A mattress on the ground gives a significant amount of comfort and a couple of thick pillows will allow for great positioning while screening your film. We like to drop a tarp underneath the air mattress, just to keep the dirt off (and that would go double for a fabric mattress) and to protect and cabling that might run through this section (depending on your setup).
Blankets and Pillows: If you don’t happen to have an air mattress (or mattress) around, a bunch of blankets and pillows can be almost as comfortable – especially if you have a plush grass yard. The thicker the blankets the better, and you can double or triple them up if required. People are only going to be watching a movie for a couple of hours, so it’s not like they’ll be trying to sleep on this setup overnight. You can also use a tarp here, but blankets are washable so it’s not absolutely necessary.
Bean Bag Chairs/Ground Cushions: If you’re more interested in sitting than laying while up front, a bean bag chair or ground cushion is the way to go. The bean bags will have a little more back support, but will keep you low enough to the ground to stay out of the projector’s path. The best kind of bean bags or cushions for this area will be ones that can be used outside or have a durable and dampness-shedding exterior. If your beanbags don’t (and don’t have a washable shell) make sure you throw down that same tarp or a few blankets to keep them cleaner.
DIY Outdoor Theater Seating: A shoutout to the Not Just a Housewife blog and her innovative outdoor DIY movie seating. These look like a great adaptation of patio furniture cushions and a little plywood to watch an outdoor movie out front. I haven’t built any of these myself but you could sit the projector anywhere behind these seats and watch the movie effectively. This would likely be great for tweens and teens, as they’ll be a little more flexible getting up and down from the ground.
The Best Seats in the House – Back and To The Side
Now that you’ve got the kids settled, it’s time to move to the best seats in the house. I call them this because it’s the easiest place to:
- Control the movie
- Sit comfortably in a chair and still get a good view
- Be able to get up and down without significantly impacting other’s enjoyment
- Comfortably enjoy your refreshments without having to perform acrobatics or get into strange yoga poses
In other words, a great spot for parents to partake in the film in the highest degree of comfort. Now to do this we want comfortable seating that’s not going to either collapse on you, or dig itself into the ground. What kind of seating you can use may depend on the kind of ground that you’re putting it on. Seating for grass can be different that seating on a patio or deck just because of how the seating will react to the ground. Consider:
Patio Table Furniture: While the chairs that sit around your patio table will be comfortable enough to watch a movie (after all, they’re comfortable enough to sit outside in for hours around the fire table while enjoying a few adult beverages), they might not be the right choice if you’re going to be sitting on grass with soft ground. Earlier in the season or if the ground is not completely dried out, patio furniture with smaller feet can easily sink into the ground – and you’ll find yourself tilted back (or on your back) as the back feet go deeper and deeper. If you’re sitting on a deck or patio, patio table furniture is a great choice. If you are sitting on the grass and can only use patio furniture, consider picking up some rubber caster cups (the rubber squares that keep your indoor furniture from sliding) from your local hardware store or at Amazon.
Outdoor Sofas: In the past few years, patio furniture has taken a big leap forward in comfort with the rapid rise in popularity of the outdoor sofa. This kind of patio furniture is ideal for outdoor movie watching, as it offers practically the same comfort that you’d have while watching a movie indoors. Add a blanket or two and it also allows for a more date-night like atmosphere. Outdoor sofas will typically have larger feet that won’t be so likely to dig into grass than patio table chairs, but you can always add some caster cups if you’re worried about your outdoor sofa (or have experimented with it and find it does sink in like a knife into butter.)
Camp Chairs: My older son plays baseball, and I can tell you that the right camp chair can be sat in for hours and hours at a time. This also makes them almost perfect for outdoor movie viewing (as long as they don’t have a canopy!) These seats are made to sit on grass, and have the bigger feet required to keep the chair stable and above ground. Camp chairs do come in all shapes and sizes, but I like the fold-able big and tall models – they have that extra support so you don’t think the chair is going to collapse on you the first time you get up or down. You can also get sofa-like camp chairs and ones with hanging coolers, cup holders, pockets – choices abound! There are even low slung camp chairs that might be good for sitting Up Front, if you that’s something that interests you.
Inflatable Furniture: An final interesting consideration for the best seats in the house in inflatable furniture. I’m not looking at an air mattress here, but rather something like an inflatable couch. Like the rest of your temporary theater setup, this could be taken down and easily stored away. They can also be useful for camping so might not be a unitasker. If you’re interested in inflatable furniture take a quick hop over to Amazon and do a search for inflatable couches and sofas – there’s lots of choices.
Way Out Back – The Party Zone
Now that the main seating for the movie has been taken care of, it’s time to look at the section where the entertainment happens – Way Out Back. This is where you put you and any guests can mingle while not disturbing those watching the movie too much. It’s also a good place to keep the food and drinks, or other supplies that you might need.
Way out back typically doesn’t have any seating for watching the movie – but it is ideal for quiet conversations between adults while the kids watch a children’s movie on the big screen. You can either set up chairs that will enable those quiet conversations, or do away with seating entirely and make it a standing zone only. Let’s consider a few options:
The Food Table: Whether this is your patio table or a collapsible table you use for entertaining, this is the place for food (meals or snacks), drinks (children and adults), cutlery, plates, napkins – and whatever else you need to store out of the way. If it’s a movie birthday party, presents go on the table here or in this section, and the cake goes here for when it’s time to sing. If it’s a simple gathering, the food table makes it a place where those not focused on the movie will gather to graze and chat.
Patio Furniture: If your patio or deck is in the Way Out Back section, it’s perfect – leave it there. Patio tables and chairs are a great spot to sit and enjoy while other watch the movie. This can also be the food table, or can be used for a meal for the adults if it’s the kids watching the film.
Fire Table/Fire Pit: Wouldn’t have a fire be fantastic if you’re not watching? All the seating choices for the best seats in the house also apply for your fire pit or fire table Way Out Back.
Water Based Watching – A Special Case
If you have an in-ground pool, there is a special case for watching movies outdoors that is definitely worth the bother. Find a way to set up your projector and screen so that it can be seen from the pool, and enjoy relaxing in the water while you’re also enjoying your film.
It can be a little tricky to get the setup right – you may need a long throw projector to be able to throw the movie over the pool – and you don’t want to have the projector (with it’s attached power) close enough to the pool to fall or be knocked in – so don’t try to get it set up on the pool deck itself. You may need to project the movie over the short side of the pool, or use a rear projector to get the movie on the screen.
Once you get your pool movie party set up sorted out, make sure you have lots of inflatables in your pool – rings, mattresses, unicorns, flamingos, donuts – whatever your fancy – but you’ll need at least one for each person. Treading water for the entire movie would lessen the enjoyment a little! Make sure you keep your eyes on any little ones, or make them watch from the pool deck instead of in the pool itself.
If you’re over the top about your outdoor movies, there is definitely a lot you can do. Head on over to here for some amazing outdoor movie setups.
