A cinema proposal works because your partner thinks you've only come to see a film. The lights go down, a few trailers play as usual, and in the next one the leads slowly turn into the two of you. For a cinema, the video should run a minute and a half to two and a half minutes, be exported to the cinema's own specification and be tested in the auditorium before the day. How smoothly it goes depends half on the video and half on the cinema's playback and on who does what on the day. Both halves are covered below.
What to confirm with the cinema first
Many cinemas offer private hire or proposal packages, and the details vary. Ask everything at once when you book:
- Whether you can play your own video: how it is played (through the cinema's projection system or from your own laptop), and what file format and specification they need.
- When to deliver the file and test it: how many days ahead they need the file, and whether you can do a test screening in the auditorium before the day.
- Where it sits in the running order: after the adverts and trailers, or just before the feature; whether the lights come up when it ends, and how bright.
- What you can bring in: flowers, decorations, camera equipment, and where family and friends can sit.
Pass the cinema's specification to the editor exactly as you receive it, and we export to it.
Making the video
Trailer style
The opening imitates an ordinary film trailer: a made-up studio logo, low music, one suspenseful caption. For the first ten or fifteen seconds your partner should believe it's just another trailer. Then familiar places and photos of you both appear, and the title and release date turn into your names and today's date. One last card, something like "Now showing", and the lights come up.
Length
A minute and a half to two and a half minutes. The big screen and the cinema's sound system already make everything feel larger, so it doesn't need to be long.
Picture and sound
- Picture quality: a cinema screen enlarges blur and compression, so send the original photos, not files that have been through a messaging app.
- Aspect ratio: exported to the cinema's specification, usually a widescreen ratio; portrait photos are placed on a designed background.
- Sound: cinema sound is loud, so the levels of the music and effects need to be balanced in the edit; see balancing music and voice in a video.
On the day: running order and who does what
- Arrive early: check the running order, the lighting and the moment you stand up once more.
- One friend liaises with the cinema staff: you sit beside your partner and stay out of any technical problems.
- One friend films: seated where they can see your partner's face, recording from before the video starts.
- When the video ends: the lights come up, you stand, and the rest is yours.
We don't offer filming; we specialise in editing, post-production and AI video. A friend or a photographer can film the day, and the footage can come to us afterwards, to be edited into a record of the proposal or an opening video for a wedding.
What usually goes wrong
- No test screening in the auditorium, so a wrong ratio or a sound problem only shows up on the day.
- The file format doesn't match the cinema's specification, and it can't be played at the last minute.
- Your partner gets suspicious early: only two people in a whole screen, or friends sitting too conspicuously. Ask the cinema to suggest a seating plan.
- Phone notifications and ringtones stand out in a quiet auditorium; ask everyone to switch to aeroplane mode before going in.
Frequently asked questions
We haven't received the cinema's specification yet. Can you start?
Yes. We can work to a standard widescreen ratio and export the playback version once the specification arrives. Tell us the cinema and the date when you get in touch.
Does a trailer-style video work with a projector instead of a cinema?
Yes. A private dining room, a friend's home or an outdoor screening all work. Check the projector and speakers first, and do a test run on site.
What other kinds of proposal video are there?
Memories, greetings from family and friends, travel and question cards; see what to put in a proposal video.
Our proposal video service is described on proposal video production.
