Event Spotlight: Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol

Manual Cinema released tickets to their online production of Christmas Carol, with the support of Mixily. Beyond powering their ticket sales, we're helping them create their own virtual venue: customized and embedded on their own website, without the distractions of other streaming platforms.

Founded in 2010 and based in Chicago, IL, Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema - especially now as it will be happening all online.

Mixily worked together with Manual Cinema over the course of two months to build out the tools for Manual Cinema to in effect, for the first time in their 10 year history, own their own “venue”. Mixily’s “virtual usher” lets them host the performance on their own website, instead of having their attendees look at a Zoom screen or YouTube page. Manual Cinema will have complete control of the content and branding of the show experience, plus attendees won’t be able to share their tickets with friends.

Mixily has created a tool for independent theater groups, musicians and venues to adapt and thrive in the virtual event space and is piloting with Manual Cinema.

Join Manual Cinema this Dec 3-20 for a spooky adaptation of Dickens's classic ghost story featuring hundreds of paper puppets, miniatures sets and a live score! Tickets are available here, on Mixily.