I heard that Toronto TIFF mixes industry people with normal movie goers. Studio executives chooses their rows of seats in advance. The theater volunteers will guard those rows. Normal movie goers come in and pick the rest of the seats.
With Easy Virtue, the Premiere will be at the Elgin Theater in Toronto, AKA the Visa Screening Room, because Visa paid for that theater to be used, in exchange to have their name attached.
Movie goers buy their ticket that the four box offices located throughout downtown Toronto.
On the movie day, you come and line up outside. If you have a Visa card, show it to a volunteer along with your ticket, they will let you inside the theater's lounge room, and because you're inside, you can pick your seat when the auditorium doors open. If you want to sit near a star, watch for any volunteers guarding seats near an exit.
Stars sit near the exit to the right (not the best seats) but it allow them to quickly exit, and their limos park right outside. A total of about 6 footsteps and they're gone. They come in through the long winding front door, with red carpet, and exit through the back quickly. The limo take them to their awaiting party.
Studio executives and their friends will pick rows of seats in the middle of the theater.
Only when the lounge room is full, Visa card holders will have to wait outside. When the show is sold out, you can go and line up at the rush line. Seats might be available when ticket holders don't show up.
The Elgin Theater is more expensive than the other venues. I've heard ticket price reached about $50, while other venues cost around $15 to $20.
The two venues with most stars showed up are - The Elgin Theater & Roy Thomson Hall.
reply
share
16 years ago
[deleted]
enterdream2
16 years ago
The waiting lines are long. One line for Winter Garden Theater which is right on top of the Elgin, and one line for Elgin. The won't be much room to wander around, if you wander around, a volunteer will ask you to stay in line. The lines run along the sidewalk and turn at a corner. If you line up around the corner, you won't see anything. I'm sure there will be a lot of heads blocking your view. But there will be people in line or on the other side of the street, who will be able to see stars.
If you reach a point where you can see things and want to stay there, you can ask a volunteer to take people behind you in first, they might let you depends on how order or chaos the scenary is.
You can watch stars inside. The media will line along the entrance's wall all the way into the auditorium's door. Stars will stand around for interview and pictures.
Stars and studio exes, often don't come very early, they arrive just minutes before the movie, because they don't have to fight for seats. By the time that they arrived, you might be in your seat already.
--
reply
share
16 years ago
[deleted]
eyeonthesilverscreen
16 years ago
Hopefully I can help. I've been to many Visa Room screenings (sadly not this year because they made them more expensive and not part of the regular ticket package. :( )
People can be there up to two hours early or more. The lines getreally long really fast and you want to make sure you get a good seat. Bring a book or make line friends!
If you have a Visa card, there is a separate line up which isn't as long but still fairly lengthy. They let you in slightly early so you get first pick of the seats, free popcorn and drinks etc. The stars usually come slightly after everyone's in their seats. If you go save your seat then come back up to the entrance, you can usually see the stars walk the press line and maybe even talk to them (I didn't do this but others sitting near me did). Also, if you get your seat by the first block of seats on the right side of the theatre by the exits (in front of 'reserved' seats) you can see the stars if they're sitting in the audience. Most likely they'll come out on stage before the film so you'll see them then. Often, they don't stay for the movie or even go to their seats but they might come out at the end.
I'm not sure if you're officially allowed to take pictures but lots of people did anyway.
There is no dress code. Obviously the stars dress up but you don't have to. I just wore jeans and a nice top. Some people go business casual.
Hope this helps! Have fun!
reply
share