A movie premiere planner's challenge is guiding a guest immediately out of the screening experience—all awash in Hollywood magic—into the real world of the after-party without a jarring disconnect. And that challenge may have been particularly pronounced in the case of the party following the world premiere of Universal/Working Title's Cate Blanchett vehicle Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a gorgeous period picture packed with luxe costumes, jewels, and palace trappings. Evoking those images without overdoing it is what Universal's Hollace Davids, Linda Pace-Alexander, and a joint team from Universal's feature film group and Universal Studios Hollywood had in mind for the party on Monday outside the Gibson Amphitheatre.
"We worked really hard to make the space suggestive of the period—ethereal and beautiful," Pace-Alexander said. "But we didn't want it to be dripping with gold and overbearing."
Ethereal and beautiful may indeed have described guests' impressions as they trickled into the outdoor party space, where a chamber orchestra from Fortune Entertainment greeted them. "Instead of killing them with a DJ right after the movie, we brought in a lovely chamber orchestra just to continue the feel of the film," Pace-Alexander said. (Later, a DJ did enliven the mood.)At the center of the space was a towering set piece meant to recall the marble archways of Elizabeth's palace. Costumes and props (including a very prickly looking torture device) dotted the area. Wolfgang Puck's buffets were all British-inspired, with the likes of bangers and mash, fish and chips, and shepherd's pies for the vegetarians and carnivores alike. Delicate cookies and warm chocolate bread pudding decked the dessert tables. Open rose blossoms spilled from urns.
On the side of a nearby building in the Universal Studios theme park, ELS projected a scene of an approaching Spanish Armada shrouded in fog, which appeared to subtly drift from side to side. The effect was dramatic, if not as menacing as the approach of the ships as portrayed in the film, allowing an out-of-character Blanchett to relinquish her queen role and mingle informally amid the crowd.
"We worked really hard to make the space suggestive of the period—ethereal and beautiful," Pace-Alexander said. "But we didn't want it to be dripping with gold and overbearing."
Ethereal and beautiful may indeed have described guests' impressions as they trickled into the outdoor party space, where a chamber orchestra from Fortune Entertainment greeted them. "Instead of killing them with a DJ right after the movie, we brought in a lovely chamber orchestra just to continue the feel of the film," Pace-Alexander said. (Later, a DJ did enliven the mood.)At the center of the space was a towering set piece meant to recall the marble archways of Elizabeth's palace. Costumes and props (including a very prickly looking torture device) dotted the area. Wolfgang Puck's buffets were all British-inspired, with the likes of bangers and mash, fish and chips, and shepherd's pies for the vegetarians and carnivores alike. Delicate cookies and warm chocolate bread pudding decked the dessert tables. Open rose blossoms spilled from urns.
On the side of a nearby building in the Universal Studios theme park, ELS projected a scene of an approaching Spanish Armada shrouded in fog, which appeared to subtly drift from side to side. The effect was dramatic, if not as menacing as the approach of the ships as portrayed in the film, allowing an out-of-character Blanchett to relinquish her queen role and mingle informally amid the crowd.
Elizabeth's prop-filled party.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
Angel City's central set piece was meant to evoke the palace's dramatic marble archways.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
Props from the movie filled the party space.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
A ship's sail and bold flowers added splashes of color.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
ELS projected ships in the Spanish Armada onto the wall of a building in the Universal Studios theme park.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
Dessert buffets offered sweets like star-shaped cookies and warm bread pudding.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
A fabric-covered tent recalled the luxurious fabrics used in the film's set dressing and costuming.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
A suit of armor stood next to a royal gown.
Photo: Line 8 Photography
