Loading screen in Unity Free?

Scripting
1

I always thought that I could make a loading screen by loading a scene with a simple graphic, calling LoadLevelAsync on the next scene, and simply loading it when done.

Then I found out that LoadLevelAsync was Pro-only. Is there any other way to visibly show users that I am loading a level?

2

Show a guitexture that stands as loading screen and is set to dont destroy, then do the loadlevel and then hide it again in the other scene (OnLevelWasLoaded callback)