Host a Screening of The Story of Plastic Followed By a Panel Discussion
Hosting a screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary film, The Story of Plastic followed by a panel discussion is a powerful way to raise awareness about plastic pollution and move people to action to address this global scourge.
The Story of Plastic uncovers the ugly truth behind the current global plastic pollution crisis. Striking footage shot over three continents illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash; rivers and seas clogged with waste; and skies choked with the poisonous runoff from plastic production and recycling processes with no end in sight. Original animations, interviews with experts and activists, and never-before-filmed scenes reveal the disastrous consequences of the flood of plastic smothering ecosystems and poisoning communities around the world – and the global movement rising up in response.
This award-winning documentary was created by our friends at The Story of Stuff and is distributed by Outcast Films. The film is one hour and 35 minutes long and is suitable for audiences high school aged and up.
Although you may choose to host a screening in person, you can also do both the screening and the panel virtually. Follow the steps below to help ensure a successful event.
1. Plan Ahead! Schedule your event as far in advance as possible (ideally at least a month) as it can take The Story of Stuff folks a few weeks to get you the link to the online film and you will need time to assemble a great panel and promote it to your community, your elected officials, and your local news media.
2. Request The Film ASAP. The Story of Stuff will grant community groups a one-time usage license for educational screenings. Get the details and submit your request here. Please note that if you do not hear back from The Story of Stuff folks in a reasonable amount of time, do not be afraid to get in touch with them via email at storyofplastic@gmail.com.
3. Line Up Your A-List Speakers. Choose two eloquent and inspiring speakers who bring something unique to the table and get them to commit (send lots of calendar invites and make sure they accept them). You can choose either all local speakers or a mix of a local and non-local panelist.
4. Collect RSVPs Online. Set up a way for people to RSVP online, whether it’s via Zoom, Facebook, Action Network or another tool. This gives you an easy way for you to follow up to share the link to watch the film online (ideally, two weeks in advance) and will make it easier for you to follow up to remind people and can also be a great email list building tool for your local group or affiliate. If you are hosting a virtual event, you may want to allow people to submit questions for your panelists in advance to help get the discussion rolling and allow them to prepare.
5. Make A Virtual Flier Or Other Promotional Graphic. Use Canva (or another tool of your choice) to create a flier and a set of promotional graphics you can use to spread the word about your screening and panel online and offline. We recommend creating a set of social media-ready graphics in the following dimensions - 1200 x 628 pixels (suitable for Twitter and Facebook) and 1080 x 1080 pixels (suitable for Facebook and Instagram).
6. Promote, Promote, Promote. Send a listing to your local events calendar and newspapers, invite your local elected officials, send a note asking people who run environmental and other relevant listservs or lead local groups asking them to share the invitation with their networks, and send a number of reminders to your own contacts. You can share the teaser for the film with everyone if it’s helpful.
7. Create a Run of Show. Write out a clear schedule that leaves plenty of time for Q&A. Assign a moderator and someone to run the technology if you’re doing an online event. Ask your moderator and panelists to write their questions and key points out ahead of time. If your event is online, consider including at least one interactive element like a poll or survey. You can also ask people to submit questions when they register that your moderator and panelists can review in advance.
8. Schedule a Practice Run. Find a time that works for all your panelists and your moderator and tech person to hop on Zoom (or if you’re hosting an in-person event, meet up in person) a few days before your event to run through everything and practice the flow of the event.
9. Invite the Media. Issue a media advisory to let local reporters know about your event. Click here for a media advisory template you can customize.
10. Send Reminders! People are busy so send lots of reminders (including to your panelists). Don’t forget to share the link to watch the film virtually at least one week (or two) in advance to allow people plenty of time to watch before your panel. Ideally, you’ll send out the link to watch the film two weeks in advance and then send a reminder with log in to attend the panel a week before the event, another reminder the day before the event, and a final reminder the day of your event.
11. Follow Up. Send an email to everyone who signed up/attended after the panel to thank them, share the link to the recording (if you’ve done a virtual event or recorded your live event), and share more ways they can get involved in your work.
GET THE FACTS
Knowledge is power! Having facts at your fingertips will help you make your organizing around the Story of Plastic more effective. Here are a few different resources that may be helpful to you:
SAMPLE MEDIA ADVISORY
This is your chance to get some media coverage of your event so let reporters know it’s coming up and make your media advisory count using our tips below. Click here to use our media advisory template as a starting point.
Give it an eye-catching headline
Include contact information at the top
Highlight your impressive local speakers
Include a quote or two
Keep it short
SAMPLE RUN OF SHOW
One of the keys to a successful event is drafting a clear run of show to guide your schedule. Make sure that everyone knows which pieces they are responsible for during the event to avoid any confusion. Schedule a practice run through a week to several days before the event and ask your panelists to prepare their remarks in writing in advance, as well as any slides they may wish to present. Click here for a sample run of show document you can adapt.
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT
Social media is a powerful tool to spread the word about your event and get more people to attend.
We’ve put together sample content you can share on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as well as some ready-to-use graphics to help you get the most out of your screening and panel event.
Browse the toolkit to get started now but please don’t be afraid to make your own materials as your work advances. Canva is a great tool for creating easy, professional-looking graphics.