I've just come to the end of my latest mini-project as an intern here, and that was the hosting of a screening of the new Narnia movie last Tuesday. Premier Christian Radio (who Youthwork magazine are a part of) are the official media partners for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader and we somehow managed to wangle a free advance screening at the Empire Leicester Square for 350 youth workers. WOW! When we were first told about the screening it just sort of washed over me - just another task. But it slowly began to dawn on me that this was quite a big thing, and to allow Martin and Helen (Ed. and Dep. Ed.) to do as much of their journalisticy stuff as they could, I took it on!
The first task was filling the cinema. You'd think that a free screening of a new blockbuster film, days before its release, in London's renowned Leicester Square would be an easy thing to give out tickets for. You'd be wrong! Despite regular postings on the mag's and the Summit's Facebook and Twitter pages and emailing various people, the numbers the weekend before the event were sitting at around 150 people. We were preparing what to say to 20th Century Fox when they realised this cinema that they paid for would be less than half full.
The screening was due to start at 6:30, and as that crept nearer I stayed upstairs in the foyer to meet and greet all the people who I'd been in email contact with over the past few weeks and to direct them to the basement where the very glamarous Screen 2 is located. Helen was doing some technical checks at this time as she would be introducing the film and talking a little bit about the redesign. I loved how happy and cheery all the people who came in were! And it was amazing to think how all these people were at the front line of shaping the lives of young people.
But what about the film? I missed the first few minutes because I was waiting for any stragglers upstairs, and I hadn't seen the second film Prince Caspian or read any of C.S. Lewis's books so I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to follow it. My first moment of confusion came when I realised that Peter and Susan (the two eldest Pevensie children) had gone off galavanting somewhere (I guess) leaving just Lucy and Edmund and their hilarious cousin Eustace, played by actor Will Poulter from School of Comedy. I honestly thought that based on the adverts the film was going to be a bit rubbish, but from the opening scenes I realised I couldn't have been more wrong. I was blown away by the special effects and the 3D, at one point actually shielding myself because I thought I was going to get splashed by the waves. For a PG film, there were surprisingly large amounts of action. The at-sea fighting scenes combined with a dragon made the film feel very much like a cross between the Pirates of The Carribean and Harry Potter franchises.
Also, not having read the books, I found myself actively looking for the Christian metaphors within the film, and was completely overwhelmed by what Aslan says at the end of the movie - don't worry, I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet! After the screening we handed out some (regrettably) old copies of the magazine, and chatted to some of the attending youth workers about the film, about the magazine, and about what they do as a youth worker, and after packing up and finally grabbing dinner, we headed for home! The level of gratitude was amazing (a free Leicester Square advance screening, I would be!) but I want to thank everyone who came along as you really made the evening a great one for us as well.
Sean is normally under the harsh whip of Youthwork Editor Martin Saunders as his intern, but is currently enjoying his new-found freedom while Saunders is on paternity leave! He loves singing and frosty mornings, and you can follow him @SeanUSX
