We recently connected with Lionel Mendez and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lionel, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

We noticed several bars in our city offering free movie-nights as a way to bring in business, but after attending some of these ourselves, my partner and I found that they would often lack the necessary equipment and know-how to really do the movie any justice. We wanted to share our love of movies with the public while bringing a more professional polish to the presentation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My partner and I wanted to bring public attention to some of the obscure, odd, or otherwise unjustly ignored movie classics that we love. We work primarily with local bars in order to draw in customers with our movie-show. While other bars have offered movie-nights like this, we bring the necessary equipment and knowledge to put on a higher quality outdoor theater experience. We also strive to make each show a unique experience; in addition to the movie itself, we create an original video-intro for every movie we show and engage with the audience with pre-show trivia and prize giveaways.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think that positive word-of-mouth has been the single most important factor in building our reputation among local bar owners. It’s our passion for movies that piques the interest of potential clients, but it’s our commitment to professional service that builds the trust needed for good working relationships. We pride ourselves on never cancelling a show; though we are primarily an outdoor show, we are flexible enough to move our show indoors in case of inclement weather. We make sure to have back-up equipment and personnel in case anything should go wrong. We communicate with our clients and work collaboratively to make sure that they’re happy with the service they’re receiving.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of doing this kind of creative work is being able to connect with a live audience. In our specific line of business, we keep the focus on the show and off ourselves, so unlike a musician or a comedian, we don’t get that face-to-face feedback for the most part. Instead, we get to interact with our audience while being part of the audience ourselves, like a couple of nervous film-directors showing their movie to the public for the first time. We cheer, laugh, and groan right alongside our fans in a way that puts us all on the same level; you can’t talk to the actors during a play, but you can talk to us because we’re not on a stage–we’re sitting right next to you. That’s why we connect so much with our audience.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevideodungeon
• Twitter: VDT@TheVideoDungeon