Solo: A Star Wars Story
Veronica Nunez
November 2, 2019
The last Star Wars Line Up to date was for Solo: A Star Wars Story. We returned to our Line home at the TCL Chinese Theatres Imax forecourt for a two day line which began at 7pm on May 22 and ended with the screening at 7pm on May 24, 2018. LiningUp.Net organizes shorter lines for the off-shoot films of the Star Wars franchise. Rogue One and Solo were both 2 day long Line Ups, and longer Line Ups being reserved for the core Star Wars films.
The shorter Line Ups work differently than the longer Lines. Instead of accumulating hours in Line to pick your seats, we were given a raffle ticket when we checked-in for the Line. The raffle takes place on the first night, and that’s when we get to select our seats. We also paid for our tickets and badges, and t-shirts (if we ordered one) in advance of the Line starting.
Here are the logistics for how the Line Up is run for the longer Line Ups in the time of internet pre-purchased tickets. You sign in with the organizer manning the check-in table. A release is completed and signed when you first sign up/check-in at the table. You can leave the line for a short time (to smoke, go to the bathroom, get food) as long as it’s a short-time, I think about 20-30 minutes. If you leave for a longer time, you need to check-out with the check-in/out table. So it’s easy to run home to take a shower, get more clean clothes, etc. The organizers tabulate the amount of time each person spends in line. The person who has the most hours gets to select their seats/tickets first, the person with second highest time selects their seats/tickets second, etc. I believe it was the Star Wars: The Last Jedi line they added a QR code to our name badges to use an app to tabulate the hours. It was easier for the organizers and for the rest of us, because there was more than one person who could check us in/out.
Before the opening night screening the TCL Chinese Theatre Imax hosted a plaque dedication ceremony for Carrie Fisher. The idea of the plaque was revealed on opening night for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and you can read more about that event here. The plaque was installed into the concrete in the forecourt during night of May 23, 2018. There’s nothing like the sound of a saw cutting into concrete at 2am. At least I remembered to bring my earplugs. Todd Fisher and his wife, actress Catherine Hickland, were present for the ceremony.
A couple of us mentioned an error in the plaque to theater management who was not happy. See the photo of the installed plaque. Do you see what it is? I believe it has been corrected from a recent photo I saw, but I haven’t been to the theater in a long time to see it.
After the ceremony, we milled about and did any press interviews requested for a few hours before having to clear the area. About an hour before show time, the forecourt is cleared of people and the barricades are placed between the forecourt and public sidewalks. All ticket holders get into a literal line along the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. After the screening the Lining Up group heads up to the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on the third level of the Hollywood and Highland Center for our after party.
For more information on Lining Up here. Like their Facebook page, and you can follow them on Instagram (@LiningUp_Net) and Twitter (@LiningUpNet), too!
Information on the amazing work the Starlight Children’s Foundation does can be found here, and you can donate to our cause here.
You can join us for the next Line Up at the TCL Chinese Theatre Imax in Hollywood from December 10-19, 2019. Help us raise money for a wonderful charity, the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and have fun meeting fellow Star Wars fans! Check out the Facebook event page for the next Line for more information.
May the Force be With You.
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