I keep watching The Shining over and over and looking up set photographs to find more ideas on how best to decorate the space. We don’t have the largest budget for props and costumes so I am looking for the most effective way to make an impact for the least amount of money. I am so glad we chose this film as the Watershed spaces lend themselves so well to the style and the “Hotel” experience we are aiming for.

I have really enjoyed researching the event design aspects and managing the budget. I have almost finalised the props and costumes we need for the event so am now trying to source them most cost effectively. I am mainly looking online as I have thankfully left enough time for most things to be able to be ordered and delivered.

The floor plan of the Watershed has been useful whilst we decide on the route for the audience and generally identifying the areas we can use.

We have produced a document about the overall vision of the event with times and outlines of the activities. This has been a great way to make sure everyone involved is on the same page. It has been particularly helpful in our ops meetings and to keep Compass up to date.

The Shining.OP’s Doc 26.11.013

Health and Safety

Yesterday we had a full Ops meeting with the Watershed team and finalised most elements of the event. It was really interesting seeing how the different departments within the venue worked together and seeing how the meeting was managed. The main area that halted any elements we wished to include was health and safety and it made me more aware of how many regulations there are in place in a venue such as Watershed. It has highlighted all of the precautions we shall have to ensure are in place. I have been doing further research into this and been discussing with James (who is taking a lead on H&S) any issues I need to be particularly aware of.

At the beginning of the event we shall have both our audience and the general public inside the building but wish them to be kept separately. This has caused some issues as we can’t block entrances/exits or completely cover the glass in the doors but we have found ways round these issues. Another area that has raised concerns is that it is a promenade event with the audience moving around the space. We shall need to make sure all precautions are in place for this, including eradicating trip hazards and ensuring there are enough staff to guide the audience through the space and check they do not enter prohibited areas. The audience shall first be entering through the fire exit at the back of the building so we shall have to make sure this is fully safe and at no point is the exit blocked.

We shall brief all ushers before the event on safety protocols and ensure they are all aware of their roles incase of emergency.

Collecting Feedback

Collecting feedback from the audience will be hugely important. Similarly to the late night screening events (Hausu, Suspiria and Repulsion) we shall be handing out evaluation forms. These will help us identify if we have succeeded in our aim of bringing in more audience members between 18-25. We shall also be encouraging the audience to use social media to give feedback, using the hashtag #redrum. This will also be a way of reaching further possible audiences.

We now have less than a month to go so the pressure is building but I feel we have delegated roles/tasks effectively to ensure we stay on track. I am now going to be fully concentrating on sourcing all of the props and costumes and ensuring everything is Pat tested etc in plenty of time.