Host a viewing of The Lost Springs or River Be Dammed (or a double feature!). After the film, encourage your audience to take action to help us finally Free the Ocklawaha!
- The Lost Springs is a 40-minute documentary film produced by Matt Keene that follows artist Margaret Ross Tolbert as she experiences a collection of freshwater Florida springs normally drowned due to the Rodman/Kirkpatrick dam on the Ocklawaha River.
- River Be Dammed is an 18-minute short documentary that examines the Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam and its impacts on the Ocklawaha River in Florida. It is also produced by Matt Keene.
Following social distancing guidelines, we recommend doing a watch party that is completely virtual or in a setting that does not endanger people. We will detail options and procedures below, but above all, remember to be safe.
This can be a fun and educational activity to do with family, friends, civic groups, faith groups and whomever else you’d like to invite! Even though many groups are not having formal meetings in the summer, many are looking for things to do that are safe, entertaining, and purposeful and whomever else you’d like to invite!
Stream online or download the film directly:
More info: lostsprings.org
Virtual Watch Party
The Lost Springs on our website
A simple option for your group is to visit our "The Lost Springs" page to watch the filmmaker, Matt Keene, give an introduction to the film, The Lost Springs, and then enjoy the film right on our site.
- Set a time for your group to watch the film together but separately.
- Set up a group call (Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc) to discuss the film afterwards.
YouTube Premiere
YouTube Premiere is a great option for a virtual watch party. Read the directions below on how to use:
Use YouTube Premiere to host a movie where everyone with a link can start watching at the same time.
YouTube Premieres lets you and your viewers watch and experience a new video together (but separately). It's like a movie or TV show premiere. Premiering your video lets you schedule a video upload and create a public watchpage that you can share in advance of the premiere.
Unlike a YouTube Live stream, where you can use a webcam, mobile device, or an encoder, Premieres can only be created using a computer, but viewers can watch the premiere on any platform like computer, iOS, Android, and mWeb.
Steps to Premiere a new video:
- Click Upload, or visit youtube.com/upload.
- Select your video to upload and enter video details. Note: 360/vr180 or an output greater than 1080p isn’t supported for Premieres
- On the “Preview & publish” tab, check the box next to “Set as a Premiere”.
- Choose between “Start immediately” and “Schedule for a later date”. If scheduling for later, select the date and time of your premiere.
- Select Done to complete the upload process.
- Once a premiere is scheduled, a shareable and public watch page is created. This page shows the video metadata, including title, description, and thumbnail.
Group Watch Party
If you would like to host a watch party in person, please follow CDC guidelines and be safe.
Group watch parties can be super fun, and we must use creativity and precaution to safely interact with one another.
These are just a few suggestions of watch parties that you could host:
- Drive-in Theatre: Reach out to your local drive-in movie theatre. Drive-ins are ideal because they allow people to be socially distant and in the comfort of their cars. Remember to bring popcorn and candy!
- DIY Drive-in Theatre: There are people hosting their own drive-in theaters in their neighborhoods. Look here for some guidance and tips on how to do so.
- Community Organizations: Reach out to your local religious or community organizations. Many have buildings and projectors, and you could organize a drive-in movie, while encouraging people to maintain social distance. We don’t recommend passing out drinks or snacks. Encourage movie-goers to bring their own goodies!
- Watch Party: Host a watch party and invite a small number of guests (if you are with family, do it with those you are already quarantining with) so that everyone can still maintain six feet while inside a home, building or backyard. We don’t recommend passing out drinks or snacks. If you are going to, make sure it is all packaged and wiped down. Encourage movie-goers to bring their own goodies!
- Be creative!: If you have an idea in mind or want to reach out to organizations or people not listed above, go for it. Let us know if you have any questions.
Discussion
We encourage our hosts and viewers to engage in a discussion after the viewing (on Zoom or through another platform). You can request an expert to join your virtual discussion by emailing info@FreetheOcklawaha.com.
We have listed some questions below that can be used; feel free to come up with some of your own or let the conversation flow as it does!
- What is your takeaway from the film?
- What questions do you have about the Ocklawaha River and the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam?
- What stood out to you?
- Was there something that surprised or intrigued you?
- Was there a quote that impacted you?
- How can we be advocates for a free and restored Ocklawaha River?
We actually have the answer to that last one! Visit our Be an Advocate page, and sign up to show your support for a free Ocklawaha River.
Social Media
Be sure to share your virtual movie night with us on social media! Take a selfie, post the picture and share using hashtags such as #FreeTheOcklawaha and #SaveTheLostSprings and use @freetheocklawaha so we can see and share!
Online Tools to Help with Your Party
These online tools can be used to increase engagement and create excitement for the watch party! Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about the tools.
- Sample invitations:
- Social media postcards: Post these postcards on social media in order to increase engagement and user turnout.
- Movie fact sheets with videographer and artist bios: Visit our site here to see our movie fact sheet; feel free to use this page for information and viewing.
- Fact sheets about Freeing the Ocklawaha River: Visit our site here to learn more about restoration benefits.