Make eye contact before greeting. When you've established eye contact, say, "Hi, how are you?" or something similarly friendly.
• Keep it local. If everybody says "hey" instead of "hi", say "hey". If they say "hello", say "hello".
Wait until they acknowledge you. When they say "hi" back to you, smile and introduce yourself.
• You might also add how you know them, or how they might know you. For example, "Hi, I'm Johnny. We were in film class together last semester." This helps avoid embarrassing situations or that awkward silence when they don't remember you.
Start a conversation. Presumably you would like to get to know this person to whom you've just introduced yourself. If you have something in common, talk about that. You could say, "Are you still a fan of Richard Linklater," or "I'd love to talk with you for a few minutes, why don't we get out of this hailstorm!"