Starlight Screenings
A 40-foot inflatable movie screen powering a summer-long outdoor cinema series in city parks.
Project Overview
Starlight Screenings runs free outdoor movie nights in city parks and needed a screen that could go up fast, survive wind and evening dew, and deliver a bright projection surface visible from 200 feet away. The 40-foot inflatable screen frame carries a front-projection skin tensioned flat enough for 4K content. The frame uses a dual-chamber bladder so a single puncture doesn't collapse the screen mid-film. Tie-downs are rated for open-field gusts, and the skin is removable for cleaning after dusty park nights. A quiet external blower maintains constant pressure without competing with the film's audio. After one season the client expanded from 6 to 14 parks, citing the screen's reliability and the 'wow' factor of a 40-foot image lighting up a park at dusk.
Project Gallery
Production Timeline
Site Survey
Crew surveyed each park for projection throw distance, power access, and prevailing wind, then tuned the tie-down plan per site.
Build & Testing
The dual-chamber frame and tensioned skin were built and projection-tested at 4K to confirm flatness across the full surface.
Season Run
The screen ran 14 Friday nights across the summer with no collapses; the skin was cleaned weekly and stored rolled, not folded.
Campaign Results
The series expanded from 6 to 14 parks the next season and averaged 1,800 attendees per screening.
“We projected 4K onto that screen every Friday all summer without a single wrinkle or collapse. Park attendance doubled.”
Elena Forsberg
Program Director, Starlight Screenings
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