| EVENT REPORT 12.18.08 6:54 AM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Rain Check |
| The premiere party for Columbia Pictures' Will Smith picture Seven Pounds made some tweaks on account of the rainy forecast and persistent cold weather, and its decor channeled a sunnier seaside setting. |
|
Generally speaking, Los Angelenos are not known for their fondness of inclement weather. But for Tuesday night's premiere party after Columbia Pictures' new Will Smith vehicle, Seven Pounds, a thick crowd—with a notably high celebrity quotient—made its way undaunted from the screening at Mann's Village Theatre clear across Westwood Village to the Hammer Museum, despite the cold temperature and the persistent threat of rain. The reason for their dutiful pilgrimage may be simple: "It's Will. Everyone comes out for Will," said event producer Chris Benarroch, tapped by Columbia Pictures' Alison Bossert.
But—not reliant on star Smith's draw alone—the production team adapted the party's original plans to allow for the possibility of rain (which didn't actually materialize on event night). "I was checking Weather.com all day long," Bossert said, adding a quip about Hollywood's wide-sweeping influence: "But we have connections." |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Cold and the threat of rain drove the Seven Pounds premiere party largely upstairs at the Hammer Museum, rather than in its courtyard as originally planned.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
|
 | Wolfgang Puck dished up a comfort-food menu including butternut squash ravioli, crab-infused deviled eggs, and bacon-wrapped dates.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
 | Sofas and chairs served as comfy lounge seating on the Hammer's second-floor terrace.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
|
 | Lighting patterns on the walls and ceiling conjured the beach and garden settings that supplied the film's moments of relative levity.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
 | Blanched branches and beechwood evoked the seaside home in the movie.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
|
 | Wolfgang Puck's dessert tables included cupcakes, lemon creme brulée, and pumpkin panna cotta.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
|
|
Originally intended to cover the ground-floor courtyard at the Hammer, the party moved largely upstairs to the museum's covered second-floor terrace. In the courtyard, a clear-topped tent (equipped with heating ducts) sheltered some of the 500 guests plus a round center bar. Tea lights—once intended to hover above the entire courtyard area—twinkled under the tent's translucent top, on view for guests above.
Lounge seating above made use of cozy couches, sea blues, and driftwood tables—meant to evoke the Malibu beach and also garden settings that mark the feel-good high points in an otherwise heavy movie. "It's an inspirational but very serious movie," Benarroch said. "And we thought, what was the happiest part for Will [Smith's character]?"
Although the rain held off until after the party, and although the team had contingencies in place in case it hadn't, Bossert admitted there's a bit of luck involved in planning any event. "A little wind and all this would have been ruined," she said at the alfresco party.
—Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Columbia Pictures, Seven Pounds
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Us Weekly Takes to Voyeur With Scantily Clad Models, Burlesque Feel
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves
Chrysalis Benefit Cuts Ticket Prices in Half, Draws Same Crowd
Wende Museum Closes Wilshire for Cold War Anniversary Celebration
MORE STORIES ABOUT COLUMBIA PICTURES
This Is It Premiere Sprawls Over L.A. Live With Aerialists, LEDs, and Fans Galore
Movie Pictures: A Look at Meatballs, Zombieland, Law Abiding Citizen, and Whip It Premieres
Ugly Truth Premiere Relies on Feminine Wiles, With Dancers on Satin-Dressed Bed
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Trump National Golf Club
On the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with sweeping views of the sparkling Pacific, the majestic coastline, and picturesque Catalina Island, Trump National is the most romantic location in Los Angeles. Choose between two exquisite venues for your next wedding or special event: The grand ballroom and Trump's are available for as many as 300 guests, while the catering staff assists you in creating magical memories that will prove unforgettable. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Moss Inc.
Add depth and drama to any environment with tensioned fabric event solutions from Moss Inc. Moss Events is a comprehensive line of innovative shapes and decor designed to add three-dimensional flair to any event. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Wendy Creed Productions LLC
Wendy Creed Productions is a full-service event production and environment design firm that offers innovative concepts and experiential design services for Fortune 500 companies, entertainment studios, and high-profile clientele. Conceptualizing and supervising all facets of each project in turnkey fashion, Creed—a "hands-on" leader—and a team of professionals with interdisciplinary skills deliver modern, original, unique productions, always managed with business goals and financial parameters top of mind. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
