The Shining Immersive Cinema Night Ideas.
Concept and outline of how see the night going:
Experience: I think the experience should have and take on and look at
different layers within The Shining film and what draws people to it.
When I say layers I mean how some enjoy the film from a psychological
horror POV, some for the shocks, some for the cult nature, some of the
camera work and iconic scenes, etc. The idea of building and
constructing different individual as well as group feelings of humour,
tongue in cheek micky taking and shocks and surprises that interest an
audience on different intellectual levels (as in getting them to think
deeper into their ideas of the film and to caught them off guard). Like
the film the tone can change throughout the night and even playing with
the history of the hotel and its needs/wants but has to have peaks and
troughs. I think it is important to uses the temporal layers of the film and
history of the hotel, i.e. the 1920s opening up to the 1980s and even
before with the Indian Burial Ground and creating this sense of the hotel
being in its own time zone or dimension. Also really think we need to do
something with making them individually think or feel the power of
having the gift of ‘shining’.
Four Stages of Event:
1) Pre-event:
Use of emails that are addressed from the manager, giving
information on their bookings and details on dress code or having a
brochure for the hotel and the faculties.
Using social media: blogs, videos or a fake ‘experts/guests/crack pots’
writing about the history of the hotel. Could have even a blog that’s a
conspiracy about the hotel’s history and what goes on there (history
of murders and links to the mafia in formation (at least in book which
can bring in for light touch). Having an account for the hotel itself and
members of staff like the manager and using social media to
advertise the hotel trying to new clients and for new members of
staff including a new caretaker and having people applying for the
role. Have someone as character of Jack applying? Mention perhaps
the hotel has been re-decorated and interact with guests by getting
views on the new décor or on the new season program?
Guerrilla/pop-up mini events: The idea of with the other screenings
or on particular events running in the Watershed that might have a
young audience using small scenes or bits from our immersive night
happening in the Watershed to engage people….for example having
Grady in the men’s toilets talking to customers, the twins in the
elevator or Jack sitting in the café trying to write. Possibility of doing
this at other young/student venues or haunts? BEYOND the
Watershed perhaps on the Waterside on a student night or two
having photo opportunities with Jack in a robe carrying a fake axe.
Some sort of pre-event mission?: Idea of perhaps linking in for some
the chance to meet someone in a near-by location with information
on the Hotel and it’s history and how the Hotel seeks out people with
‘The Shining’ an hour or so before…as a kind of bonus for the very
keen? I don’t think this would need to then lead to a main story-line
but just more of a background discovery thing that can give some
people extra information about the Hotel and such.
Dress Code: Having the audience come dressed as guests for either
the 1920s Gold Room scenes or from the 1980s. Personally the idea
of mixing between the two I think would give different groups a
reason to talk to each other and also could link with this idea of the
hotel being in its own demented state of time.
2) Arrival:
Arrive at the Hotel and having to check in and have a brief introduction
to the Hotel by a bell-boy or waitress. Given a key and then lead through
the service elevator (not yet seen but if it is quite creepy possibility of
adding temporary wallpaper or design to fit the motif of the hotel) and
then lead on a tour of the Colorado Lounge and public areas before
being shown to the Gold Bar for a drink. From there you can allow time
for them to mingle and talk with other guests and throw in some actors
in the audience (Horace ((the barman)), perhaps even characters
dressed in 1920s gear, the owner welcoming guests, even with the
caretaker having Grady around?). Have some elements of interaction in
bar with 1920s music and from hear go to more tension and build after
eased into it…
3) Main Interaction and Experiences:
How we can use different Interactive spots: I think like using the
elevator for different mini-scenes happening, doing similar things with
the rest of the key gimmick areas and set ups could also work and add to
the experience in a progressive way as if like the film things slowly get
more and more bizarre.
Things perhaps starting to turn as writing or things mysteriously happen
before and during when audience members are allowed to explore the
rooms like ‘redrum’ appearing on walls, sinister or changes in the
personalities of characters and other events beginning to happen. Trying
also to use the two time layers and periods of the film in the event with
the link between the scenes with the 1920s and then when the Hotel has
shut for the winter.
Having in places or rooms or at points the sounds of a type-writer, a ball
bouncing against a wall and a tricycle moving being used to draw people
from one location to the next.
These two time periods that exist in the film that we can recreate and
play with. First there is the scene in the dinner room and bar area where
Jack ends up in the 1940s during the middle of a party...having an
audience in a dinner room style area and having an actor playing Jack in
and re-creating/re-working that scene could allow an audience to
interact with the character and be a part of that scene...but also the
history of the building. Then there’s the other side of the Overlook...the
deserted, isolated hotel in the midst of winter in the present which has a
creepier, disturbing elements of it which can re-create in part also by recreating scenes, famous imagery from the movie like the sounds of a ball
against a wall, a typewriter, room 237, the twin girls, the tricycle...what
about the maze? With the latter you can also do elements where the
audience explores in small groups and sees, hears and experiences
elements of the isolation and loneliest and get the sensation of
becoming stir crazy, feeling creped out and in a way part of the hotels
history like a ghost...especially if start as a 1940s based and evolved
from there it could create another level of immersion and being within
the film and set. Also use to add another laying to audience experiences
of actually are they guests there, ghosts or both or like the Torrance’s
sort of trapped in the Hotels ‘shine’ and time distortion and chaos. From
this can give options or a role to play in what see of actions around
them.
Using PM studio technology and expertise for sound and such to help
create atmosphere and add extra touches to the event? One key
thing might be to try and use PM studio technology or lights, music,
etc, to re-create aspects of the film’s haunted nature. What about
trying to give an audience an understanding/experience of what ‘the
Shining’ Danny and Dick have is?
Communication and voice of Tony?
4) Film Screening and Afterparty: Film screening introduced by a
character. Maybe on the wall out parts of the venue changed and
made to look like the Hotel has closed up for the Winter and perhaps
even having the murder scene re-created in the corridor near the
stairs to take the audience by surprise on the way out or the elevator
covered in fake (easy clean) blood. Going into more fun and tonguein-cheek experiences or work. Having a disco and dance that perhaps
starts with 1920s style music from the film and slowly turns more of a
modern rave with music from the film being used (HellFire Club DJs?)
Idea of stuff perhaps like people doing tricycle races or short
(drinking) games based on parts of the film, maybe involving typewriting, having a mirror or writable screen for people to right
‘RedRuM’ on, pictures with face in the axe-hole in the door? For
feedback having guest book for people to write how they felt the
night went. Ending the night with a massive group photograph in the
style of the New Year’s Eve picture from the 1920s which Jack
appears in at the end of the film.
Locations and Interactive Set Ups:
ACTORS: Caretaker/Writer/Jack: If we used as a character have
interacting with the guests before the screening but also moving around
at times doing his own thing as if he doesn’t realize they are there and
using to recreate scenes. If used it could be interesting playing with and
using the costume changes that appear in the film and help so the slow
disintegration of his mental state and the changes of the Hotel and the
experience. They wouldn’t necessarily need to go through all changes or
have to end up running around with an axe but could be interesting.
WENDY: Interesting with the audience and recreating certain scenes.
Danny/Tony: Unseen force and character but if we use the radio as we
do I thought having perhaps on the frequencies or sometimes
communication with someone named ‘Tony’ could be add to the
experience, perhaps even warning the guests about the Hotel.
Barman, staff and Other 1920s folk: Having these characters stuck in that
time period and representing high society talking to the audience but
also later being more creepy in their interactions and without adding
story or telling the audience, they are looking for those with the shining.
Grady handing out drinks, perhaps recreating when spills drink on Jack
and the bathroom scene. Or separately later having this actor in the
bathroom talking to the audience and trying to talk them into a killing
spree? Later perhaps appearing covered in blood at some point before
the screening to shock the guests.
Twins in the elevator and elsewhere.
The use of Horace (the owner of the hotel) and his lackey…the guy from
the room getting head by a guy in an animal costume. Having this scene
randomly appear in the elevator and these two characters amongst the
crowd at first could be interesting.
Recreating the Colorado Lounge (typewriter scene):
Might be extremely difficult, but what about having it placed near the
elevator in the main café bar or in the entrance way by the stairs? If we
do recreate the most essential things seem to be the long table placed
there with a time writer and placing lights around it. Also during the
night the idea of using it as a centre piece and having different things
occur there like someone in character sitting working on a script, then
allowing the audience to use the typewriter themselves to write
something and then later in the night having pages or even a paper trail
leading near or around it with the immortal words ‘all work and no
play…’. Also having ball noise around this area to drag audience in.
Elevator: Have it go up and down at different points in time (every
minute) and each time it opens the Twins doing something
different…even on an odd occasion in between have it empty or insert
other characters like the guest with blood on his head or re-create the
guy getting head from a man in an animal costume in it. Also what about
after the screening the idea of it opening and there is easy clean fake
blood in there suggesting their murder.
Gold Room: A part from opening as the scene for when guests arrive,
perhaps at some point in the evening, either while exploring the rest of
the rooms or during the screening the room is changed so that it is made
to look deserted and closed for the winter rather than being open for
the 4th July Party? But also if at first if it’s the 4th July party, perhaps using
this event to create some kinds of activities for the guests to partake in
as if it were a real party at a hotel with some kind of contests and such?
Ullman’s Office: The radio allowing the audience to talk or communicate
with the Police Station, but also on other frequencies having perhaps
static, other characters that remain nameless (i.e. ghosts or something
related to the hotel), later or at points the voice of Tony warning them
about the Hotel.
The Red Bathroom: Could re-create the scene of Grady talking to guests
trying to convince them of what they need to do and such.
Small details with props and items:
Small detail props and items like signs or familiar parts of the hotel like: