a. Movie Premieres
Premieres are the best known type of movie screening. They will have the red carpet, spotlights and many of the key movie stars will attend. Movie premieres are set up for one reason, to generate publicity for the movie. Major magazines and TV shows will be invited and as the stars arrive, they will do interviews with the cast and director. Movie stars will stop and pose for the photographers, showing off their latest glamour and fashion sense.

While the best seats in the theater are typically reserved for the directors, actors and studio guests, there are usually extra seats that are given away to the general public. People who attend world premieres often have great stories about how they sat next to someone in the movie or were able to get a picture with their favorite stars outside of the theater.

Tickets for movie premieres are often given away through contests that are set up with the official partners. If you are exclusive enough to get invited on behalf of the studio, you will be asked to approach the will call area, where you will be provided with your tickets. At times, tickets for movie premieres will be given away in a content or appear on e-ticketing sites like Gofobo and FilmMetro. If you receive general admission tickets for a premiere, it’s usually recommended to arrive at least 1-2 hours before the event is scheduled to begin. This is because the general admission area is overbooked to ensure that every seat is taken. For most premieres the seating will be assigned. This is because the actors and directors have designated seats for them. As the stars arrive with their family and friends, any unused tickets will be provided for people with the general admission tickets.

b. Promotional Screenings
Promotional screenings are marketing tools that studios use to help generate awareness for the movie through mainstream media. These types of screenings will happen in most major cities across America and in Canada. Tickets for these screenings are given away through contests or sweepstakes by local radio, television or newspapers. Studios leverage the free tickets in exchange for the opportunity to be mentioned through the media. For example, when a radio station announces “Win Tickets to a special advance screening of Spiderman”, all radio listeners will hear the name of the movie, even through only a small number of tickets may actually be given away. This becomes a win-win as the radio station is able to provide exclusive screening tickets to its listeners and the movie studio saves money because they are not paying for an advertisement.

Some of the online forums often have people who report the latest promotions in each city. Most promotional partners will require that you are a winner, sign up on the partner’s website or attend an event and receive tickets in a giveaway. While the rise of e-ticketing is making it much easier to download tickets from home, some of the promotional partners may require winners to drive to their office and sign a waiver before they can receive the tickets.

c. Word Of Mouth Screenings
Word of Mouth screenings are used to help begin to generate a buzz in local cities and markets. For these screenings, the studio will typically target specific groups that relate to the movie. One of the best examples to show the effectiveness of local word of mouth screenings would be The Passion of the Christ. Before the movie was released, the studio went to local church groups and pastors and offered them tickets to screenings for the movie. As these key influential people began to get excited about the movie, they started telling others about the movie. This began to generate a buzz in the Christian community and the end result was that The Passion of the Christ generated over $600 million dollars worldwide.

There is no easy way to search out tickets from word of mouth groups, as it varies for each movie. Word of mouth screenings typically happen within 1-6 weeks from the opening weekend. One good option is to look at sites like Gofobo, which often displays the name or logo of the groups working with the screening. Another good option would be to reach out to retail stores in your area that might be related to a specific movie. For example, if you wanted to see a new Batman movie, it might be worth your time to call up the local comic book stores in your area and ask if they are expecting to get screening tickets for the movie and if so, how will they be giving them away.

d. Press Screenings
Press screenings are where members of TV, radio, newspapers, websites and blogs come to view the movie and then write a review. While the majority of these screenings happen in Los Angeles and New York, most major cities will also have a press screening for local press in the area. Depending on the screening, there can often be extra seats to these screenings which are made available to the general public.

At the screening, members of the press will typically have reserved seats. This means even if you are the first person in line, you may walk into the theater to see a large number of seats roped off and only have a limited selection to choose from. There is no need to get frustrated or proclaim it’s unfair, as it’s just the way it works with press screenings. Take the opportunity to make conversation with 1-2 of the press after the screening. You’ll often get amazing insights regarding the movie as these are the movie critics from some of the largest publications or online sites.

e. Research Screenings
Studios invest in research screenings as they are used to get feedback from specific audiences about the storyline, cinematography, and acting. Research screenings will usually take place 3-12 months before the movie opens and feedback from the audience will often be used to change or modify the film. Research screenings are most common in Los Angeles and New York, but also occur in most major cities across the United States. While it’s not that common, you can sometimes receive incentives like free movie tickets if you participate.

Tickets for research screenings are given out by Movie-View.com, TheScreeningExchange.com or by local recruiters that work for one of these two companies. Recruiters are paid to reach out to people who fit specific criteria requested by the studio. They can often be spotted carrying a clipboard and standing near a movie theater or in a mall. If you fit the targeted demographic, the recruiter will provide you information about how to RSVP for the screening.

After watching the movie, the audience will be asked questions and required to fill out a questionnaire. The responses from the audience will be used to reformat or change the movie accordingly to their needs. For example, E.T. was supposed to die in the original movie until test audiences protested. Also, many DVD’s that include alternative endings are because the original ending was modified because of audience feedback.

f. Sneak Previews
Sneak previews are a marketing strategy used by the studio to help generate buzz for the movie one week before a movie opens. The studio will select a number of theaters across the country and allow the general public to see this movie before it officially opens. Unlike movie screenings, attending a sneak preview movie will cost the same as a normal movie ticket. However, you will have the opportunity to see it before the nationwide release. Information about sneak previews can typically be found in your local newspaper or through TV advertisements.