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 re-creating 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 tongue-in-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 type-writing, 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.

Gradyhanding 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: