A friend joining Zopley for the first time should not need to understand your whole setup. Give them the invitation, explain the plan and help them find the video and chat.
1. Send the basics in advance
Tell guests what you will watch, when you will start and how to enter the room. Include the invitation link or code. If the session uses an external viewing source, clarify any access requirements before the evening.
Send the room invitation with a one-sentence explanation of the viewing source. Ask guests to check any required account before the event.
The W3C accessible media guide explains captions, transcripts and audio description. Ask which options your guests need, then test them before the session.
Test dialogue and a scene with an important sound. Confirm the text is readable on the device your guest will use.
W3C accessible media guide · Availability depends on your video
2. Allow a short arrival window
Open the room early and ask people to confirm that they can see and hear the source. Use a brief test rather than playing the film's opening repeatedly. Someone joining on a phone may need to tap the player before audio starts.
Give a guest a short test clip and ask for PICTURE OK and SOUND OK. On a phone, try tapping play locally if the browser blocks initial audio.
Use the W3C guidance on captions and subtitles to distinguish translated dialogue from captions that also describe important sounds. Check which track your current source provides.
3. Introduce the room's rhythm
Point out the chat and explain who handles playback. Tell guests how to request a pause and whether comments are welcome during the movie. A simple welcome message can cover all of this without a long tutorial.
Point out the chat, explain the pause request and name the playback host. Keep the welcome to a few lines people can reread.
For a structured way to prepare a screening, use the Into Film club planning guide and adapt the activities to your own group.
4. Check quietly if someone disappears
A dropped connection can look like a friend leaving. If someone stops responding, send a short message in your existing group conversation. Let them re-enter with the same invitation before deciding whether to resume.
Pause if a guest reports a lost connection. Ask them to use the same current invitation and confirm their picture before the host resumes.