Setting up a second screen for special drive-in events

Drive-ins have a long history across Australia, from the kerbside pop-ups in suburban Melbourne and Adelaide in the 1950s to the surviving sites at Wallacia, Yatala and Geelong. Adding a second screen for a special event is one way operators can revive the magic of a double feature while doubling the car bays for a single evening. The why we screen stories capture what makes this format so enduring for regional communities.

Sorting through those early is the difference between a smooth weekend and a flat tyre at the gate: the shift from a single screen to twin-screen operation pulls in a stack of new logistics, from council approvals to cabling, staffing and food-truck placement.

This walkthrough covers the practical realities for anyone running a special event at a regional fairground or community oval, whether in Ballarat, Bendigo, Bunbury or anywhere else with a flat stretch of bitumen to turn into a cinema.

Choosing a site that works for two screens

A second screen needs its own clear sightlines, its own safe distance from parked cars, and enough separation so audio from one screen does not bleed into the other. Measuring diagonal sight angles and ensuring that headlights from latecomers do not shine directly into either projection zone is the starting point.

Local councils typically set conditions around maximum event size, vehicle numbers and noise. In Queensland, a community event for more than 1,000 patrons may need a council notification at least four weeks ahead. In Victoria, similar thresholds apply through the Public Land Use guidelines. Even a single-night event rarely stays a single-night conversation with the local authority.

Walk the site at the same time of evening the event will run. Sunset angles across a flat oval in Hobart in July behave very differently from the same oval in Brisbane in February. A return visit in a different season will catch what office planning cannot.

Power, audio and the wireless question

Australian drive-in audio is usually delivered through low-wattage FM transmitters, with patrons tuning their car radios to a pre-announced channel. Two screens means two transmitters, two clearly different channels and signage that explains which channel pairs with which screen.

The bigger electrical decision is whether the second screen runs on its own generator or ties into mains power. A 10 kVA silenced generator is usually enough for an inflatable screen and its transmitter, while a larger LED panel may need a 30 or 40 kVA unit. Many suburban councils set generator noise limits around 65 dB at the property boundary.

Cabling between the projection tent and the second screen can run on the surface, but it should be ramped or matted wherever vehicles cross. Wireless HDMI extenders can carry a signal up to about 150 metres in open air, although tree lines and parked utes shorten that range considerably.

Staffing, ticketing and crowd flow

One screen usually runs with three or four staff on the gates and another two inside the projection tent. A second screen typically doubles the gate requirement rather than halves it, because each car still needs a ticket, a radio check and a quick rundown. Operators often underestimate how long it takes to settle a queue of 200 cars in the first hour.

Tickets should clearly show which screen the patron is parked for. Some venues print two colour-coded tickets, with the colour matching the channel on signage. Pre-sale ticketing through TryBooking or Humanitix lets you cap each screen separately, avoiding the awkward moment of 80 cars booked for one screen and 30 for the other.

The projection team itself also doubles. Two operators on the night, plus a roaming supervisor who can step in if a transmitter drops out or a patron arrives mid-feature on the wrong channel, keeps the evening calm when the unexpected happens.

Food trucks, sponsorship and community ties

Food trucks are now a standard part of the Australian drive-in, much as a Bunnings sausage sizzle is part of weekend hardware shopping. Running a second screen gives the venue twice the dwell time, which gives vendors a better chance to turn a profit. The food and beverage offerings of any night rely on this longer window to move volume.

Sponsorship scales with screen count too. A second screen is a natural place to attach a local sponsor, whether a hardware store in Mudgee, a cafe in Castlemaine or a tourism board in Albany. The expectation is a logo on the screen pre-show, a brief radio mention and a banner near the food-truck lane.

Pairing the second screen with a charity partner also helps with marketing, because the partner's members share the event through their own networks. In many Victorian shires, community benefit is built into the event permit itself, making a charity link a condition rather than an option.

Permits, insurance and the fine print

Most Australian drive-in operators carry public liability cover between $10 million and $20 million, the usual council minimum. The insurer will want a risk assessment covering vehicle movement, fire extinguishers near generators and fuel storage. A second screen roughly doubles that assessment.

Council applications typically request the following paperwork:

• a site plan showing screen positions, vehicle bays, entry and exit points
• a traffic management plan, particularly if the venue backs onto a local road
• an event notification to the nearest police station or local area command
• a copy of the public liability certificate of currency
• a waste management plan covering bins, recycling and food-truck waste
• a noise management plan outlining the cut-off time for amplified sound

These documents are not bureaucratic box-ticking. Under the NSW Local Government Act, councils can shut down an event that lacks the right paperwork, even mid-feature. Treat it as part of the event rather than a chore for the week before.

A rehearsal before the real thing

The most useful habit before adding a second screen is a full dress rehearsal. Set up both screens, run both transmitters and park a handful of cars at the angles patrons will use. Listen from inside each vehicle to confirm the audio is clear and the right channel is paired with the right screen.

Time the changeover between features. The minutes spent resetting one screen are the same minutes the other is dark, so a documented run sheet with every staff role and timing point keeps the swap fast. Many operators pin the run sheet inside the projection tent so anyone can step in if the lead operator steps out.

The following roles are worth filling for the rehearsal even on a small night:

• lead projection operator on screen A
• lead projection operator on screen B
• audio supervisor walking the field with a portable radio
• gate staff running a small-scale entry simulation
• catering lead confirming vendor arrival times
• safety officer checking exits, extinguishers and first-aid kit

Walk the site at dusk. Shadows over a flat oval in Bunbury at 6:15 pm in March differ markedly from the same oval in September. A rehearsal in the right season will catch sightline problems that no amount of office planning will.

Adding a second screen is achievable for most community venues, provided planning starts at least three months out. Operators who do it well treat the second screen as a parallel venue rather than an add-on, with its own staff, signage and radio channel clearly separated from the first. That mindset turns a one-off special event into a repeatable format, and makes a return visit from the same patrons a near-certainty the next time the gates open.