Start Your Own "Guerrilla Theater" - Outdoor Theater Educational Outreach!

[dannno]

...AND transform your living room into a real "home theater" experience at the same time!!!

Imagine showing documentaries about our money supply, the federal reserve, government propaganda and of course, liberty and Ron Paul out in the open, at private events or even in public spaces!

"What's that over there? It looks like a movie!"

People who haven't yet awoken will be walking by and will wonder what is going on and come over to see and next thing you know they are being educated about liberty!

This project can cost a little bit of money but some of you might be in position to get the equipment or might have some of it already.

If you decide you want to do this and don't have the money, you might ask some people in your meet-up if they have any of the equipment already or if they want to buy or chip-in to buy some of the equipment.

Of course, if you have any questions about the equipment or anything else related to the theater showings please feel free to use this thread to discuss your plans and ask for advice. I am not the ultimate expert on each piece of equipment that we will be discussing, but other members here are!


What you need

If you're already looking into getting a new tv set soon, you might consider getting an HD Projector instead. Then you can take it off the mount once a week or whenever you decide to have your own Guerrilla Theater showing!! HD Projectors range from about $650-$2,000, but the ones I have experience with were all under $1,000 and performed very well. The above brand is Optoma. They are reasonably priced and I have had good experience with them so far.

My roommate has one and we have an 86" projection on the wall in our living room. Sure beats the hell out of a 52" TV!! For home theater you will want to make sure and set it up in a room that doesn't get too much sunlight, or has blinds so you can block it out when you want to watch during the day. Ours works great during the day as long as we have the curtains covering the windows.

My roommate is an activist for the Zeitgeist Movement and he has been doing outdoor theater unofficially since last fall when the Occupy Movement began and officially as of a couple months ago has started a weekly "Guerrilla Theater".


At first he was projecting movies onto the walls of City Hall, various public buildings and make-shift projection screens using white sheets.

Recently he bought an outdoor projection screen.

The first two screens above cost between $60 (edit: plus the cost of a DIY frame, 2nd pic) and $160 (first pic) and the third is more I am sure, they vary depending on size and quality. I'm also not sure what kind of projector they have in the first picture where they can watch a movie that bright during the day, but you will probably want to have your Guerrilla Theater sessions starting dusk and into the night. With summer coming up, it should be very nice out at night!

You will also need a laptop with display output and some good (loud) computer speakers. And of course you will need some documentaries to watch!


Lastly you will need power!! Some public spaces have access to electricity outlets, but not many!! You may need a generator. On craigslist I am seeing some pretty good generators for about $350-$500, but maybe there are some better deals in your area. Here is a quiet propane generator brand new from amazon for $360, free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

That generator will be enough to run your movie as well as plenty of extra wattage for any other appliances you might want to run (suggestions below).

I'm not a pro on the subject of generators by any means, so if you have any questions or concerns with this particular model or one you are looking at please discuss them below as there are plenty of experts on the subject here at RPF!

I do know you will want a relatively quiet generator since you are going to be playing a movie. I recommend getting a long extension chord and running the generator 50' or 100' away from the movie watching area. Then all you need is a surge protector and a small folding table. Plug-in your laptop, projector and computer speakers and you're set. Remember to bring some Ron Paul literature and Republican Voter Registration forms if applicable. Since you have power, you can also bring things like a coffee maker and have coffee and tea, or even make popcorn for everyone!

If you have any other ideas for portable devices to bring to attract people in and make things more comfortable, please suggest them below.


How:

I recommend having regular showings, weather permitting. Advertise to your local meet-up groups and other local activist groups. The more people you have, the more likely others will come over to see what the fuss is all about.

You can do it in public parks, around public buildings, at festivals, pretty much wherever but make sure and check your local ordinances or get permission from private property owners

 

[jmdrake]

+rep! Seriously Dannno this is your best post ever.

 

[sailingaway]

This is a very useful concept. Some of our grass roots used it in NH and ME just before the primaries there. Here is a video and write up done about the NH occasion.

You have to hand it to Ron Paul supporters, they are the most animated in this election season. For some, like Republican challenger Newt Gingrich, their enthusiasm might even border on the annoying.

At least one hundred Paul supporters stood in front of Newt’s campaign headquarters on Elm Street in Manchester after 6 pm Monday, celebrating their candidate with songs and a laser light show.

I was driving down Elm in a GMC Envoy and had to power down the passenger window. Is that Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York? It is, only the singer is saying it’s up to the voters to chose Ron Paul instead of its up to you, New York, New York. A small amplifier and a speaker stood bungie corded to the top of a white Ford mini van that looked like it had been painted from a can of egg shell white Behr from Lowes. On the hood was a sign reading Ron Paul Revolution. The letters EVOL were spelled backwards so it read LOVE. Yup, these guys love Ron Paul. Who loves Newt? Does any voter love Newt?

I looked for a place to park, which is not easy this time of year in Manchester. Every sidewalk spot is taken. At the Radisson, CBS and the AP are recording. A full moon makes a bit easier to see all the cable wires crawling across the sidewalk under ready-made speed bumps. A chubby woman nearly trips over one in front of me and a cop holding a doberman on a leash.

Some lone wolf carrying an Occupy New Hampshire Primaries sign shouts out “Occupy Democracy! Down with bureaucracy!” His voice vanishes, uncared for like a Tweet.

Closer to Newt’s office, a CVS sign is on the fritz. The letter C is blinking red like a siren. A Manchester police car is parked on the corner of Elm and Stark in front of Ben & Jerry’s where loud rap music is playing an ode to Ron Paul. The guy playing it tells me that a bunch of grassroots singers nationwide made these songs for Paul and they have been flowing into the campaign since Iowa. This week, country pop singer Kelly Clarkson endorsed Paul on Twitter.

I’m thinking that maybe there’s got to be a Newt supporter in the bunch out here, having some friendly words with one another, bad mouthing Obama, the liberals and, of course, the media bias. I did see four Newt supporters. Two young girls had their signs dangling limp to their sides. Two middle aged white men cowered back against the office window, smoking. I looked over their shoulders through the window at dozens of Newt volunteers all crammed into the room, not coming out. Paul supporters had effectively barricaded them inside. Another reporter was inside, writing in a yellow lined notepad the illegible scribble of a New Yorker journalist.

She comes out to join the party. No Newt supporters follow her. We shake hands.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2012/01/09/gingrich-nh-offices-invaded-by-paul-supporters/

 

[dannno]

+rep! Seriously Dannno this is your best post ever.

Ya, I needed to make up for my infraction yesterday

 

[dannno]

bump

 

[dannno]

I gotta PM asking about the screens.

The screens in the $60 range are all on ebay, and it turns out it is just the screen material and they have instructions for a DIY frame. Not sure how easy it is to take apart or put together the DIY frame, but if you're looking for a cheap option to make a bigger screen and you like DIY stuff this might work for you.

This will make a 138" screen which is a little bigger than the ones below for $75 worth of screen material + cost of frame (?)

http://compare.ebay.com/like/230767101766?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y

180" screen material ($125) + cost of frame (?)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/9x12-B-ADEA...097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35bb6610f9



I believe my roommate has the Camp Chef 120-Inch Portable Outdoor Movie Theater Screen, $153.99 and free shipping:

120"

http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-120-Inch-Portable-Outdoor/dp/B0033SC2SE

Costs more, but it is probably a bit easier to setup and move around.


Also this one looks super easy to setup and take down:

Outdoor Projection Screen- The EasyGo® screen can be taken anywhere for a movie or business event. Simple to set-up and take down.

120"

http://www.amazon.com/Projection-The-EasyGo®-screen-electricity/dp/B005C64F3A/ref=pd_sbs_lg_4


If anybody else sees a better brand or better deal, post it up!

Also, as I mentioned in the OP it's very easy to make a screen out of a sheet with ropes if you have two posts or something in the area you are planning on holding the screening.

 

[dannno]

bump

 

[Brick-in-the-Wall]

We did this at my church when I was a kid. We'd just get a projector, a white sheet, and hang it on the side of the church. It was a way to draw in kids from the neighborhood and it worked very well. If you do the same, I'm sure neighbors from around the area might be curious.

 

[kathy88]

What infraction? Hmmmm???

 

[dannno]

What infraction? Hmmmm???

I made a really crude joke about s'mores in the "Feminism’s latest triumph: Boys are afraid of girls" thread which was deleted.

 

[Noble Savage]

I think talking about deleted threads is an infraction so I won't say anything

 

[Natural Citizen]

An old trick used abroad was to just hang a white sheet up and do it that way. Of course it's a bit darker in the desert but you get the idea.

 

[kathy88]

I made a really crude joke about s'mores in the "Feminism’s latest triumph: Boys are afraid of girls" thread which was deleted.

I didn't even dare click on that one. I've been pretty grumpy.

 

[BuddyRey]

Can you make money off of screening movies this way, or would that be illegal?

 

[Natural Citizen]

Can you make money off of screening movies this way, or would that be illegal?

Here's how it's done with "Thrive".

http://www.thrivemovement.com/screening_host

Which, btw, is one of the most thorough eye openers which does what few do correctly. Follow the money....properly.

(Official Movie) THRIVE: What On Earth Will It Take? Full Movie - Some may be turned off by the first 30 minutes or so but ...opinions vary. This group really does a better job at explaining our situation than any self proclaimed know it all I've heard. Major research on how we came to allow the hijacking of our economy.

I suppose that the crowd here would do well to start watching at the 41:15 mark. That's when they really begin to touch on and explain what is often discussed here in fragmented logic. It's over two hours long though and demands more than a 6 second attention span.

 

[J_White]

bump !
i like this idea !
also the fractional reserve banking system clip from the Thrive docu is good too !


I was also wondering if we could have small skits at public places to spread the message.
something simple about the illogical system of money and the irrationality of our foreign policy etc.

 

[dannno]

Does anybody with generator experience have any advice about propane vs. gasoline?

I was thinking it would be nice to have gasoline because you can store it and it might be more available than propane in a SHTF scenario.. I also heard that some gasoline generators are slightly less noisy than propane, although propane appears to be advertised as very quiet.

But then, I thought, it's also possible to store propane in small tanks and maybe in a SHTF scenario gasoline might be MORE hard to come by?

On top of that, propane is a compressible fuel. Can you fit a lot more 'watts' of propane energy in a square foot of space than gasoline? What about cost of fuel?

 

[brushfire]

Does anybody with generator experience have any advice about propane vs. gasoline?

I was thinking it would be nice to have gasoline because you can store it and it might be more available than propane in a SHTF scenario.. I also heard that some gasoline generators are slightly less noisy than propane, although propane appears to be advertised as very quiet.

But then, I thought, it's also possible to store propane in small tanks and maybe in a SHTF scenario gasoline might be MORE hard to come by?

On top of that, propane is a compressible fuel. Can you fit a lot more 'watts' of propane energy in a square foot of space than gasoline? What about cost of fuel?

I dont have a direct answer to your question other than gas goes stale and will varnish over time. It actually has a relatively short shelf life.

Propane has an indefinite shelf life.

I'm not certain on the BTU's of propane vs gasoline. I believe propane offers more - so given its volumetric/thermal efficiency, it may have the capacity to produce more watts, for the same displacement.

Propane may also offer jetting to adapt the carb for natural gas (less btu, but same storage/maintenance benefits)

All statements, subject to googling - just recalling from my diminishing memory

 

[The Northbreather]

Bumpers

 

[row333au]

The best 'establishment' tactic have been to encourage 'disassociation between conservatives, progressive liberals and Ron Paul libertarians'.

They have successfully discourages 'the people' who are being pushed to be fully engross into the 'hate and blame marketing propaganda' - whether coming from left and right sides of the politics, in order to block people's perception on engaging actual issues and problems as well as masking that both sides have the same agenda with different ways of pursuing them.... so therefore this also discourages 'the people' in uniting regardless of differences to find core solutions that will stop the wheel of the vicious cycle of problems and political divisions.

The majority of the population still consist of the centralist voters (those who sit on the fence, but come voting time will go to the most popular preferred social population safety net). Therefore Ron Paul supporters should stop believing in the hopelessness in salvaging or even turning around a new leaf for the 'Tea Party Movement', necons or even the Democrats as a whole.....The key to get to them are still getting educated about Libertarian movements, learning more about America's corruptions and becoming a true republic consensus.


Remember politics and government is not about right or wrong to the psyche of the masses
...........but its about popularity and how much the propaganda can make right to be wrong.

The Antithesis to this is best set examples or models in showing what would it be like living under a Ron Paul society
.....(since negative has the negative effect on viewers and everyone can see the harshness of reality which most have shut out of their reality)...

Win the centralist and you win the nomination and inevitably the presidency....


Another observation.....

People who believes to the lies that mainstream media reports or mainstream media's social commentary pass as truths - whether they fall into neoconservatives or progressive liberals - those believing so hard of nothing is out of place but results of reality of society; they don't care how many facts you show them.

For them, its all about no matter what.... even if the country goes in dire straight or failure.... what's important is that their loyalty and heart is with their team, and to believe no matter what - even how evil their team have become - for them its still acceptable as well as any collateral is a worth effort justifiable sacrifice, since their ones not doing the dying... Once they become this way, it's hard to make them see the truth.

So no matter, how many videos of Ron Paul of being consistent, honest and genuinely for the people, you show them..... for them it will be about skepticism (to the point of creating lies to justify their belief no matter how wrong) and will rather have close their mind than to realize what's a better choice - cause they view all of this with "that everything is evil and best to chose the lesser of the evils, while hoping that no evil will come of it".

They're scared of change for the worse; and let alone they would believe someone who wants good change for the better.

So if coming across to these kind of people then its best to priorities them last and concentrate on centralist minded first, since its still a numbers game when it comes to election results, and their the best accelerators of the movement by capitalizing 'for enthusiasm' in their early waking up.


Another observation...

There is not enough showing or demonstration of...

Ron Paul doesn't let his personal views on something (whether political, beliefs or ideology) to stop him from believing and protecting people having the 'protected rights and freedom by civil liberties and bill of rights', and that creating and maintaining a police state nor does corporatism partnerships nor Global world governance with the US government could ever be America's solution...

In my opinion these will demystify...

Issues - state's beliefs as long as civil, human, freedom or liberties and democratic rights are protected are dealt by the state's citizen's referendum and organize by the state government without lobbying groups being involve to tackle their problems... (this could be religious, social, commerce, policing or military issues)

Services - example like healthcare and pensions being out of federal government's control, but by the state government base on its state's citizen's consensus plebiscite decision, on how they want it delivered or components.... the federal government is there to make sure that the citizens are protected and have fair returns or advantages

Taxes - example the state's citizens decides best way paid taxes can directly benefit for everyone in allocating distribution agreeable by consensus, the transparency and use of the taxes becomes more open to the public

As well as the state's citizens better access to their local government and to their state government by eliminating red tapes and bureaucracy created by federal governments and other authorize agencies making all actions forthcoming.

Regardless of state to state differences, its state's citizens or as a whole American citizens' rights and freedom that they can move to best the state that compliments them

The version of "Their" media mainstream and arms of propaganda are very powerful and never to be under estimated specially if it does everything they can to give viewers the impression that Ron Paul even without proof but by constricting coincidence of him as evil.

Of course isn't that the devil's way of winning, by trying to convince you that he has your best interest's at heart, and anyone who opposes the devil stops you from allowing him to make you great therefore its for you to destroy them for him. But then again the devil tells you "he does not exist and its just the way nature is...."