On November 13th, I had the opportunity to do something special. In conjunction with our friends and clients at Dolby Theatre, I attended the red carpet premiere for Justice League in Los Angeles. We’ve been working with them since March of 2016 and producing ALL KINDS of great content about the numerous high profile events that they host. You might have heard of one: it happens in February, all of Hollywood gathers for it, and they hand out these little golden statues to the winners. I’m not sure, legally, if I can mention the name, but I’m hoping you can read between the lines. Last hint – if you were Scooby Doo you’d call it the Roscars. Got it? Good.
It was, in a word, thrilling. Not only is Dolby Theatre an awesome venue, but they were pulling out all the stops for this event. Hollywood Boulevard it usually a beehive of activity since it’s the site of Grumman’s Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, amongst others, but they shut the street down for Justice League. Workers were erecting stands for the fans, laying red carpet, putting up backdrops with images of the stars, and PARKING THE BATMOBILE. As an honorary member of the staff, I was able to get out there and take all sorts of photos (check our Facebook page for a gallery) and videos of what was going on. Except for me and a photographer named Michelle, no media people were allowed until the formal press event in the evening.
After I received my credentials, I headed out to the red carpet with Greg Lynch (the host of Happening @ Dolby Theatre) and we took our place in line. There were hundreds lining the red carpet and the street just wanting to catch a glimpse of the stars. We had people off each of our elbows lined up for a half-block from various media outlets live streaming, taking pictures, and conducting interviews. Warner Brothers was doing their own live stream of the event, so there were cameras flying overhead and an announcer that was hyping the crowd and introducing arrivals as they exited their limos.
It was two hours full of adrenaline and excitement as fans screamed and Hollywood stars interacted with them. We had the chance to speak with the production designer, one of the stars of Arrow, and Gary Clark Jr., who updated the classic “Come Together” for the film. We were a stones throw away from Diane Lane, Adrian Brody, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot. The entire Justice League was united before our eyes, and it was so cool.
To top it all off, once the stars were safely inside, we stepped in to watch the film. Dolby Theatre seats 3400 and has the best cinema tech on the planet; it is a wild experience for a first timer. Seeing this film in Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos sound sends shivers up your spine. It looked and sounded great, and with top notch production quality, you enjoy a visual and auditory feast. Many have touted this as the DC Universe’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers, especially for these sensory achievements. After clearing less than $95 million domestically last weekend, it still has a way to go to match the competition. Much like Marvel’s offering, though, it sets the individual heroes in the film up well for the continued universe they’re building.
So, to sum up – This was an adventure. I enjoyed every bit of it, and I think we have been blessed as a business to work with Dolby Theatre for going on two years. I was personally honored that they wanted me out there to enjoy this unique experience. All I can say about the future is: “Bring it on!”
