The plot of Universal Pictures' new Judd Apatow movie with Adam Sandler, Funny People, a cautionary tale about getting famous and losing sight of what's important, didn't lend itself to a theme party as much as some other big premieres this summer—Transformers, Brüno, or Harry Potter, anyone? So the party following the screening at multiple theaters at the ArcLight took to the rooftop of the complex's parking structure with a clean, summery look marked by twinkling trees and crisp white seating clusters. The studio's senior vice president of special projects, Hollace Davids, oversaw the production, tapping ELS for production, led by senior production manager Mary Pat Kasravi.
After the screenings that simultaneously began around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, guests took the elevator up to find the rooftop space—owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and managed by Parking Concepts—transformed by tables covered in summery green linens and illuminated white cocktail tables. White lights hung in trees and topiaries, and uplit the greens for a fresh, cheery look amid decor by Angel City Designs. Heaters dotted the space, but most went unused on the warm July night.
It's Our Party catered an array of dinner and dessert buffets, including fish, chicken, and beef grill stations; Japanese stations with sushi rolls, cucumber salad, and edamame; and sweets like mini pies, cake squares, and cookies.
DJ Daisy O'Dell spun a danceable mix that included Tony Toni Tone and Michael Jackson, as well as beats from the musicians with small parts in the movie, like Eminem and RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. Behind her platform stood a wall made to look like the Improv comedy club, important to the plot of the movie about comedians.
Because Funny People featured an eclectic cast—including bit parts for Sarah Silverman and Andy Dick—a dense and diverse mix of celebrities and fans roamed the crowd, affording prime people-watching opportunities for the rest. Costar Seth Rogen, plus RZA, Anna Faris, Gary Shandling, and Jimmy Kimmel meandered around the alfresco party space with 360-degree city views.