Discover how the University of North Texas leverages Swank's Screen Play games to energize
movie screenings, drive higher student participation and reduce staffing needs.

OPPORTUNITY
As Director for Union Programming & Arts at the University of North Texas (UNT), Molly Orr oversees a variety of engaging events, from monthly bingo and trivia nights to signature events during UNT’s First Flight Week, their kickoff to Welcome Week.

"I love doing movies during this event because it's an easy activity that runs itself," said Molly. "It's an event that I can have going on that day when I have nine other events going on.”

Molly usually shows multiple movies in one day during Welcome Week. However, attendance at last year’s throwback movie screenings wasn’t great. When she was introduced to Swank’s Screen Play games, she saw it as an opportunity to enhance throwback screenings and drive greater engagement without adding extra work to her – or her team’s – plate.

APPROACH
For First Flight Week, Molly incorporated Screen Play bingo into the packed program lineup of activities, including art workshops and gameshows. “We were showing a throwback film again, but this time added the bingo element to draw students in,” Molly explained.

The Screen Play experience allowed students to actively participate in the movie screening, earning points as the movie played. Molly made sure to offer two types of prizes — one for the bingo winner and another for the leaderboard winner — to keep students engaged throughout the full runtime.

"I loved that we could do multiple prizes, because at first I was like, 'Why wouldn't they just leave once someone won bingo?'” But this way it keeps them engaged throughout the whole film.”

One of Screen Play’s key benefits for Molly’s team was the ease of execution. “It was so simple. Once everything was set up, I didn’t have to staff the event,” Molly shared. “We could leave and just come back at the end to give out prizes. It’s really a ‘press play’ experience, and as an event planner, sometimes that’s exactly what you need.”

RESULTS
Adding a Screen Play game to their movie screenings during Welcome Week proved highly successful for UNT. The first screening of the day saw a dramatic increase in attendance compared to the previous year's throwback movie event, with 103 students in the audience.

The bingo format also helped students connect in a new way, especially those attending alone. “We had students who were there solo, and the game gave them something fun to do to make them feel less awkward,” Molly explained.

Molly also appreciated the "turn-key" nature of Screen Play, which required minimal staffing overhead. “When we did a different bingo earlier that day, we had to have three people in the room,” Molly shared. “But this bingo required no staff.”

Her team plans to continue using Screen Play Bingo in future events, seeing it as an easy way to add value without additional costs or staffing needs. “If people play it, great! If they don’t, that’s fine too—it’s still no extra work for us, and it adds a fun twist to the event,” Molly shared.

From UNT’s perspective, Screen Play has proven to be a cost-effective, turn-key solution that enhances student engagement and creates memorable events without the usual logistical demands. “We’ll definitely be incorporating Screen Play games into our programming again,” Molly concluded. “It’s a valuable addition that gives students a new way to interact, and we always appreciate Swank’s support in making it happen.”

If you’re interested in adding a Screen Play event to your next
movie screening, contact your Account Executive for more information.