I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for new and unique experiences to do with my friends around Los Angeles. With the bustling entertainment industry in our backyard, it’s hard to not want to immerse yourself in the glimmering and mysterious world that is Hollywood. My (literal) ticket into demystifying and experiencing this world first came to me at the end of 2019, with a casual text from my friend Sophi: “Wanna see a movie tonight?” Knowing that Sophi always has something up her sleeve when it comes to plans, I knew that I was in for the ride.
A long line outside of the mall just ten minutes away greeted us upon arrival. We checked in and were soon ushered to stand in designated “fan areas,” where we managed to see Kobe Byrant walk the red carpet and get interviewed before sneaking off into a side door. By the end of the night, we had become some of the first people to see the new Just Mercy movie, with an introduction to the film by none other than the cast themselves. With my complimentary popcorn and soda in hand, I watched Brie Larson, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx discuss the film just a few feet in front of me.
Sophi and I walked out of our premiere bursting with excitement. Not only were we entranced by the film from the moments the lights began to dim, we were also in shock as to what we had just witnessed. The cherry on top of everything? Our tickets were free. My 1iota obsession was born.
1iota.com is a free ticketing website for fans. It is usually associated with talk shows, as the website regularly boasts an assortment of late night and daytime tickets for shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Kelly Clarkson Show. However, my personal favorite events that they offer are usually found under the “Movies” and “Fan Experiences” tabs. I find that these tabs are usually updated every few days or so with random new events, like movie screenings or premieres.
My second 1iota event was discovered after randomly checking the upcoming events: a “Bojack Horseman” season six premiere. Held in the historic Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the event hosted a bunch of fun show momentos around the theater and included a sentimental speech by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the creator of the show. The audience was lively and passionate, with everyone coming to the event in celebration of their love for the show. I brought my friend Reilly as my plus one, as she could match my insane love for “Bojack” and fully geek out with me. We took pictures with cardboard cutouts while Will Arnett got interviewed across the way from us. After watching the first two episodes of the season, we left alongside the rest of the superfans excited to binge watch the rest of the season at home.
A lot of their 1iota events are also held around UCLA! The Fox Theater in the heart of Westwood hosts numerous premieres at all times of the year, including the “Never Have I Ever” season three premiere that my friend Sophi ended up going to thanks to 1iota. If you’re ever on a Trader Joe’s run and happen to see a tech crew preparing for a premiere in Westwood, I would definitely check the website to see if some tickets are available to the public.
Overall, I’m a huge advocate for this random website. I think it’s really fun to go into screenings with no context beforehand and engage with a piece of media that I maybe wouldn’t have shown interest in before. Or maybe, you’ll get lucky and find a fan event held for your all-time favorite show. Regardless, 1iota.com will introduce you to the flashy side of Hollywood without the typical price tag.