"Hollywood magic" doesn't just apply to the action that takes place on the screen: The movie-making engine in Los Angeles is also responsible for churning out high-impact premiere parties to market those films, with particular focus on the summer blockbusters intended to bring in major revenue for the studios. This year's crop of summer movies—including Jurassic World, Minions, Tomorrowland, Straight Outta Compton, and Inside Out—had premieres with an emphasis on dramatic arrivals setups, audiovisual production, decor and design, and more.
N.W.A. group member portraits surrounding a pentagon-shaped central decor piece hung above a mirror ball and dance floor.
The last major debut of the summer, Straight Outta Compton’s world premiere took over the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live on Monday. Universal senior vice president of special projects Hollace Davids served as executive producer of the event, with design and production from ELS, led by Joel Goldman. Stars gathered for arrivals on a black carpet backed with imagery and logos from the movie.Â
The arrivals area included a giant turntable decor piece alongside elevated logos.
At the premiere party on the Event Deck at L.A. Live, portraits of the original members of N.W.A. set into industrial-style decor pieces hung above the space.
A fleet of tricked-out cars decorated the premiere party space.
Black and white signage served as the backdrop for the bars, including vintage photos of the characters in the biopic, as well as enlarged images of the Compton Boulevard street sign.
The movie's title marked the front of a DJ booth. Sponsorship came from Beats, the company founded by Dr. Dre, who was an original member of N.W.A. and a central character in the movie.
On June 28, Paramount Pictures hosted the Los Angeles premiere of Terminator Genisys at the Dolby Theatre, drawing cast members including Arnold Schwarzenegger. A splashy arrivals area included pyrotechnic displays on Hollywood Boulevard.Â
Metal decor pieces and industrial-looking design decorated the premiere party poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt. Â
By the end of its opening weekend, it was clear that Jurassic World would become a record smasher for the history books, earning $524 million in the biggest worldwide debut ever. In anticipation of the release, the June 9 premiere in Los Angeles—helmed by Universal's Davids—was itself a large-scale theatrical affair that transported guests convincingly to a dino-filled theme park. A vehicle from sponsor Mercedes-Benz’s stood prominently at the entrance.
For the Jurassic World premiere, Joel Goldman and ELS worked with Davids to produce and design a rare premiere in the round, dressing all three tiers of Hollywood & Highland, including a massive covering of the complex's grand archway.
Sponsor Samsung created a video wall featuring content from the film on its new SUHD TVs, which immersed guests in the Jurassic World theme park through color and detail on the red carpet. Because the plot of the movie centers on a park off the coast of Costa Rica where guests can interact with prehistoric creatures, the idea for the premiere was to emphasize that interaction through virtual reality experiences at the party.
Jimmy Buffett performed at the premiere party, where star Chris Pratt joined him on stage to sing "Margaritaville."
The premiere party included various actual props from the movie for a Jurassic-era look and feel.
A magnified image of DNA strands decorated the façade of a bar at the premiere party.Â
In May, Disney debuted the George Clooney movie Tomorrowland with a premiere at Disneyland that made for some complicated logistics: The studio brought invited guests into multiple theaters in the AMC multiplex at the Downtown Disney complex adjacent to the park. It then filtered them to the premiere party at Tomorrowland, about a 10-minute walk through the public crowds.Â
The premiere party in the park included rare experiences for guests: bars serving alcohol and no lines for popular rides. Futuristic dessert stations included confections that resembled the Tomorrowland pins that play a major role in the film’s plot.
On June 9, Disney and Pixar premiered Inside Out at the El Capitan Theatre. A whimsical entrance outfitted with the movie's title hung over a purple arrivals carpet.
On May 8, Universal hosted the premiere for Pitch Perfect 2 at L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre, since renamed as the Microsoft Theater, where hundreds of fans of the cult film franchise gathered to gawk. Jumbo screens and projections at the arrivals area showed movie clips as well as live interviews from the black carpet.
Breakup patterns and a movie title logo gobo cast light on the premiere party at the Event Deck.
Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment hosted the Minions premiere at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27. Stars like Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, and Allison Janney walked the yellow carpet, where likenesses of the film's famous characters served as engaging photo backdrops.
Costumed Minions characters made appearances on the yellow carpet for interactive photo ops.
