What looked like a simple movie night at Danbury High School was actually the result of months of planning, teamwork, and problem-solving by club leaders and members. “In order to successfully pull off our movie night, we had months in advance to prepare for it,” said Antonio Carrasco, the club’s senior secretary who was involved in organizing the event.

One of the most important early steps was securing a location. “The first thing we discussed and looked for was [whether] the Black Box was available for the day we wanted to do movie night,” said Carrasco. James Gassner, the senior president of the club, agreed and added that choosing the date and time was essential because “[they] had to make sure the black box was available on that day; otherwise, we couldn’t move forward.”

While the movie itself lasted only one night, preparation took far longer. Carrasco estimated that “the club took about two months to complete this event and have it running,” while Gassner elaborated that it happened over multiple flex periods, outside of school hours, and with regular check-ins with the club advisor.

The club faced several challenges during preparation. Carrasco noted that while selling tickets at lunch, “some lunch waves were left unattended, which led to fewer ticket sales.” To fix this,  “the club decided to sell tickets at the door as well.” 

Gassner pointed out another obstacle: “getting a date secured for the Black Box,” which required working around other school events. Technical issues also caused delays. As Gassner said, “Most streaming sites are blocked by the school,” making it difficult to connect the movie to the projector.

Despite challenges with scheduling, ticket sales, and technology, teamwork and community support kept the event running smoothly. Donations from local businesses helped lower costs, and club members adjusted plans as issues came up. Reflecting on the experience, Gassner summed it up by stating “Without teamwork, the movie night wouldn’t have been as successful as it was.”