Brighton's Big Screen (From The Argus)

Brighton's Big Screen

5:50pm Friday 27th July 2012 in Events By Dominic Smith

The blockbuster events taking place in London’s Olympic Park will be shown on an equally grand outdoor screen in Brighton.

A 100 sqft LED screen will beam out the best moments from the games, beginning with the opening ceremony airing at 9.30pm tonight.

Events will be shown throughout the day for free and the power will not be cut if a medal ceremony or event overruns.

The screen will be located on the seafront in front of the Metropole Hotel, east of the West Pier , facing the sea.

There will be room for up to 2,600 viewers in the space, which is currently used as a skate park.

“We are providing somewhere to collectively come as a city to watch the games,” says Bill Murray of Murray Media, a PR firm which has branched out into event organisation and is ploughing its own money into this project.

“Some people don’t want to go to pubs or to sit at home to watch the action. In Brighton we have a beautiful beach, so it was a no-brainer.”

He says it was important to involve local companies and the screen has been rented in Sussex.

A team of bar staff will be on hand to serve Langham ales shipped in from the micro-brewery located between Midhurst and Petworth.

A marquee with two 65” screens will be next to the bar in case it rains.

There will picnic tables and room for 1,300 people if everyone is seated.

To make best use of the screen, films will be shown when there are lulls in the Olympic schedule.

“We will have a fright night with Daniel Radcliffe’s new film, The Woman In Black, and lots of fun films to complement this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the nation.”

Murray says the opening film will be Jaws – which, if nothing else, will surely clear the sea for anyone who fancies a swim. “We had to show Jaws.

It’d be rude not to show it with a seafront location.”

Most of the films are Hollywood blockbusters – Grease, Avatar, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Hunger Games, Mamma Mia! – but locally-filmed City Of Dreamers will be shown, extreme sports films aired before the Olympic BMX event, as well as two films selected by popular demand on the final weekend.

“Having paid for the infrastructure, we wanted to give the screen as much airtime as possible. Showing films was the obvious choice.”

Murray says the Olympic events to be shown will follow the BBC’s programming schedule and the screen was cleared with games committee LOCOG.

He expects the biggest crowds for Tom Daley in the diving.

“He will draw a huge crowd because he has had a turbulent time with the death of his father and it would be incredible if he won.

“We have a strong athletics team, too. And women’s football will be popular. There is no weak area.”

The screen itself is cutting edge, explains Murray, whose firm has organised the event with sustainability company, Boho Green.

It has four-colour definition and can be easily lowered in bad weather because it is hung from a frame. “There have been big screens sponsored by beer companies before but this is very much a Brighton event in Brighton, for Brighton and Hove.

“Also it has a much more family feel. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on making sure families are catered for.”

Brighton's Big Screen is on Brighton Seafront, next to the West Pier, until August 12, open daily, times vary, free. Visit www.murray-media.co.uk/brightonsbigscreen