Vintage Steam Diesel & Electric Trains & Vintage Double and Single Decker Buses
Intro by director/producer of "One Day" prior to watching the movie
Saturday - My first shift as a volunteer @ the Sydney Film Festival was today stationed at The State Theatre from 1 pm - 6 pm. So what did I think of volunteering at this event for the first time, the movies and the venue itself?
The Venue - If you haven't been to the State Theatre before ( I can't remember the last time I visited it) , it is a must visit - ask to take a tour of the theatre. Beautifully restored with 3 levels - the top level being the Dress Circle (the view from up here is amazing if you don't mind the set of stairs to get upto this level. Meant to be the best seats of the house - sitting up here does really make you feel like royalty or upper class with a feeling of poshiness), the middle or street level entrance the Mezzanine (most accessible seating however some seats have obstructed views) and the basement or lower ground level the Stalls ( you can see why seating down here was for general admission or for the "plebs"). Each level is connected by curved sets of stairs with a bar in the basement where the Stalls are and a concession near the entrance on the side of the foyer area which sells alcohol popcorn and other light snacks as well as a candy bar upstairs in the Dress Circle although not open during the day. Further in on the other side of the foyer there is a coffee and food concession selling vegetarian wraps cakes and other light refreshments. The toliet arrangements are a little strange - ladies restrooms are to your right as you enter inside the theatre on each level although there is one ladies restroom on one of the levels ( I believe it is the Dress Circle) outside the theatre. Mens restrooms are all outside the theatres on each level. Accessibility is a little difficult for wheelchairs walkers prams etc to the Dress Circle and the Stalls as there are no visible lifts. Most patrons needing assistance reserved seats in the Mezzanine and a small temporary ramp was placed at the side of the few steps from the foyer to the theatre for easier access.
Photo attached below of venue
- Assisting with race kit collections at the pre race registration tent prior to participating in the race myself for the Blackmores Running Festival
- Preparing tax returns for people of disadvantaged, elderly or with a disability through the Tax Help program run by the ATO before preparing my own
- Working in a soup kitchen through the Enspire Foundation @ The Living Room preparing and serving upto 200 meals whilst vacationing overseas
- Smaller events include assisting with a seniors brunch @ Barclay House organised through the West End Community Centre whilst vacationing overseas or more locally assisting with and sharing a Thursday lunch for asylum seekers and refugees organised by The House of Welcome.
- Other organisations I have volunteered for are The Salvation Army and The Food Bank overseas.
I originally had 5 shifts booked in all allocated at the State Theatre which was the minimum requirement but I needed a day off over the long weekend to see and do other activities therefore am down to 4 shifts locked in. To be honest after viewing the shifts I was allocated, the venue I was stationed at and then turning up on my first shift I will not be applying to volunteer for this festival again next year. I have some very valid reasons for this.
Boredom. ok so if you love your movies you will probably like volunteering for this festival but for me I was all "movied out" 3 hours into my first shift. I love movies but you have to be able to take away something more with you from your volunteer work whether it be new skills or friends. I don't believe crowd control or scanning tickets qualify as my customer service and people skills are already exceptional. The opportunity to sit in on movies just didn't excite me either.
In the original application to volunteer 3 important questions were asked however were totally overlooked -
1. Why are you volunteering for this event? My response was to meet other people with a common interest. Shift 1 I didn't get to know other volunteers much due to time restraints but shift 2 I did by finding out what movies they saw on their day or time off or sat in on during their shifts. Most volunteers were very nice. I did not go to the volunteer party which was on a Thursday night after work hours.
B. Which roles whould you like to work in ? I ticked most of the roles except ushering and a few others on the list. Again crowd control and ticket scanning don't qualify. People asking you to direct them to their seats also did not qualify especially if you did not select usher on your original application. I was unable to direct people to their seats as I was unfamiliar with the theatre's layout due to not receiving a detailed tour of the inside of each theatre level and just a very brief tour of the state theatre levels enough to direct patrons to the location of the toilets bars and whether they were seated in the Stalls Mezzanine or Dress Circle concluding that it was more the jobs of the State Theatre staff ( or was it?). Big "?" on this one.
C. Where (which venues) would you like to work at? I am sure I selected more then 1 venue in the city on my application however was only allocated 1 venue for all my original shifts. I had to request to volunteer elsewhere ie at the VR hub at the Townhall and only have 1 short shift there. I was notified of a training session for that but it was very last minute and I unfortunately could not attend due to work commitments and a very tight schedule. At the last minute a notice was put out on facebook for volunteers required at other venues over the long weekend including the VR hub which was too late for me.
Technology - some scanners were better then others. I got a good scanner on the Saturday I worked however did not need it for high volume scanning of tickets. I got a bad scanner on the Monday I worked which slowed me down especially when I was moved to the front doors to high volume scanning of tickets. I am grateful the scanner did not cease working altogther! I actually thought it was due to a low battery but when I had a look the scanner was only down to 50% power. A fellow volunteer tells me after the rush was over that he had my scanner previously and it was a dud. It was one of the more recent iPhones. I reported this problem to the co ordinator who just responded with that is just technology and didn't replace it or take it out of circulation.
Post Script : By weekend #2 one of the volunteers stationed at the doors at the State theatre was scanning tickets and her scanner did actually fail. She was unable to locate the site volunteer co ordinator immediately and asked if we knew where she was.
Orientation/Training/ Overall Organisation - I managed to make it to the volunteer induction night (refer previous blog) on the night I returned from Melbourne however I am unsure about the handbook we were suppose to receive to read - who has time to read it? and I think mine went to spam if it was sent to me electronically. We were also advised we would receive training on using the scanners. If so it was very brief and all I can say is not everyone is an iphone user! Apparently at last year's induction volunteers were given a hands on test of the scanners prior to opening night. In terms of venues if you have not been at the venue you have been asigned to work at - familiarise yourself with it beforehand as a tour of the venues for first time volunteers is not always given. Luckily I was given a brief tour of The State Theatre as I received a lot of questions from patrons of where the toliets were located! Too bad the more important information of exits was not given in detail.
Dealing with issues/questions - I also had a few strange questions - Can I eat my own lunch in the foyer?- Yes discreetly after I referred this question to a State Theatre staff member. I have been scanned but have forgotten my seat numbers as I don't have my tickets. I could have provided them with this information if it was available on my scanner however when I performed a search on their names it did indeed say they have had their tickets scanned but only provided a booking number not a drill down to their seat numbers. If I could drill down I was not trained on how to do so and the type of information or functions I could use my scanner for. Luckily there were quite a few seats empty and they knew they were in row W so they managed to find some seats even if it was not the exact ones they were allocated originally. Another reason scanner training is necessary - I had no idea what functions I could use these scanners for. The movie I just saw was not the movie I was suppose to see at the timeslot given - I consulted the program for the day before referring them to a State Theatre staff member who referred them to the box office.
The Movies - one of the "perks" of volunteering during the Sydney Film Festival is you get chance to see a screening of movies however it is pot luck if you get to see one or more of the movies you had on your list to see. I had no intention of seeing The Breaker Upperers a NZ comedy as one of the movies on my list Rating : 9/10. My manager had just mentioned it to me the previous day and it had great reviews. The State Theatre was sold out for the 2 pm session of this movie. It was hilarious. I got to watch the entire movie however was standing throughout the entire screening. Tomorrow I intend to see 3 movies on my day off from volunteering and work - 11.30 am The Miseducation of Cameron Post @ The State Theatre Rating : 9/10, 4.30 pm Chef Flynn @ Event Cinemas on George Street Rating : 7/10 and 8.15 pm The Ice King also @ Event Cinemas on George Street Rating : N/A .
Post script : After seeing the first 2 movies above combined with taking a ride on a vintage train (refer below for details) in between movies on Sunday, I did not end up seeing the 3rd movie above as I was so tired by 6 pm that I went straight home.
Sunday - my first stop of the day was The Transport Heritage Expo 2018 held over the long weekend @ Central Station Regional Trains Concourse & Platforms 1, 2 & 3 to try and purchase a ticket on The Railmotor Ride as I had so much trouble online with sales changing between all sessions available and sold out each time I tried to book. I decided to go to Central Station in person and purchase a ticket at the ticket office. When I arrived the Railmotor rides were indeed sold out completely over the long weekend. I therefore had to make a very quick decision between a 1.5 hour return trip on the old rattlers bound for East Hills departing Central @ 2.30 pm or an hour ride on "The Nanny" bound for Hurstville departing @ 3.05 pm as all other sessions before these were booked out. I chose "The Nanny" however I did not specify a class and was stuck with the following further below:
For more photos refer the below link on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/1244668633/posts/10217459103889900/
Next stop was to go back to The State Theatre to see my first film as a non volunteer for today @ 11.30 am The Miseducation of Cameron Post. I was 7 minutes late and everyone in the Stalls had found their seats . It was general admission therefore seats were unallocated ie first in best dressed. The movie had started and it was very dark I could not find a spare seat as the session looked as if it was another sold out session. I was directed to 2 spare seats in the back rows but the lady sitting next to them advised me that they were taken so I sat on the steps only to be told that if I was going to watch the movie I had to sit in a spare seat so I advised the staff member on duty what the lady seated next to the spare seats said ie that they were actually taken when they weren't therefore I ended up sitting in one of them and watch the rest of the movie. Disappointed I missed the first part of the movie trying to find a spare seat. Great movie a little sad towards the end though.
Back to Central Station straight after the movie. Does this remind you of Chuggington? (refer photo below) All aboard "The Nanny" @ 3.05 pm steam train departing Central Station bound for Hurstville. A round trip of about an hour in duration. I took quite a few photos as this event was so much fun for all ages! I'll rate it straight way Rating : 8/10. I would have given it a higher score if I didn't have so much trouble booking online and if I had a seat on my first choice of a ride on the Railmotor which was completely sold out for all days and times AND if my so called allocated First Class seat B40 on "The Nanny" was a true first class seat. To me it was so squishy and the seats would not recline like the others behind did. Lucky my seats were facing forward. Taking a walk through the carriages I stopped and turned around as soon as I got a glimpse of the so called Second Class carriage all in private enclosed compartments or sleepers via the Second Class sets of seats complete with tables and much more leg room then my First Class seats. I think I got ripped off paying $30 for my so called First Class ticket but it could have been worse and I could have been allocated a green cattle class hard wooden bench seat for the same price with more leg room then pews in a church. Apparently the green seats in Second class may look more comfortable with more leg room but the seats themselves don't recline, are harder to sit on and lean against and don't change to the direction of travel.
I was early to arrive and boarded Car B of The Nanny and found my seat which was a softer red leather. I was well prepared with my Contigo of hot water and a packet of unopened vegetable crackers as a snack. I had eaten a sandwich before boarding the train. There is no canteen on board the entire train but I was surprised of how many full sized toliets there were on board
(hopefully functioning). By the way, to board the train it was a very long walk down to the other end of platform 3 - after the set of dining carriages serving high teas that were permanently parked next to the platform for the entire long weekend.
Because it was so tight in first class, if you dont know the people you are sitting next to or opposite on the train, you soon will. We discussed all sorts of things such as how the people in the sleeper compartments would not leave their seats to see what the other carriages of the train looked like ie eventhough we were in first class seats and they were in their allocated second class seats they thought we were "the plebs"
Something else funny happened. There was a mother and her 5 kids sitting opposite me in first class who were misbehaving and very noisy. I thought I had seen them before on a day trip to the Blue Mountains and yep they were the same noisy kids except they had their dad travelling with them that time. Anyway I began talking to them and their mother and mentioned this and the little girl who is very observant says to me that she thinks she has seen me before too and she was right on the bus during the week days from Gordon station to St Ives Shopping Village - small world isn't it The poor little kids were hungry and the mum had no snacks so I offered my packet of vegetable crackers to them. They were all very greatful and for the rest of the train ride well behaved and 2 even fell asleep! The little girl was particularly polite and thanked me. I made sure all the kids got an equal amount of crckers but not too many to spoil their dinner (of KFC.) The little girl then asked if the volunteer's real name was Thomas as per his name badge. When I first saw his name badge getting onto the train I thought his name badge which read
Thomas
Volunteer
actually meant he was a volunteer for Thomas The Tank Engine which is an event run quite regularly and that wasn't actually his name. He explained that it wasn't his name and he had lost his badge and ended up with it. He joked about how his parents suddenly found out that they now had a son named Thomas. I said to the little girl that he probably was (although politically incorrect) The Fat Controller!
Back @ Central station by 4 05 pm and onto another movie Chef Flynn at 4.30 pm @ Events Cinema George Street. Gee the queue was long to get into the cinema eventhough it was only at half capacity. Not my favourite movie but interesting.
6pm & I'm done for today. So tired. I decided to go straight home instead of seeing The Ice King again at Event Cinemas George Street at 8.15 pm.
Monday - second volunteering shift @ The State Theatre from 12.30 pm - 5.30 pm. The theatre was slammed for the movie Beirut. Although I had the chance to stand in on a once again sold out session , I chose not to watch it. Violence is not my type of movie and I don't think the issues of war in the Middle East should be made glamourous by Hollywood. Before this movie even started I had just gone inside to start scanning subscription holders who were staying to see this movie following the previous one. I just scanned 2 passes when I was dragged away from what I was doing and abandoning my fellow volunteer to assist with scanning at the front doors. This was a nightmare yelled at by the volunteer co - ordinator and having what turned out to be the dodgy scanner one of my other fellow volunteers had used previously - great that is all I needed! Most of the patrons going to see the movie were pretty polite and one even gave me a " you volunteers are doing a great job!" shout out. After everyone including a few stragglers had had their tickets scanned I returned back downstairs to the Stalls to where my fellow volunteer was who had scanned everyone inside the theatre himself. He then decided to have a bit of a break leaving me in peace for a while. Then just before the movie ended a new crowd started to form in the foyer area of tge Stalls. As crowd controller I needed everone to keep the doorway and and pathway to the men's toliet clear for subscribers to exit nd re enter the theatre. I also had to ensure the crowd in the foyer were away from the doors to the theatre as you do not want to be hit by one of the doors opening outwards. As the movie ended crowds inside exited by the left fire exit inside the theatre - I had to direct subscribers to State Theatre staff as some needed to use the bathroom get a drink or snack or change to the dress circle or mezzanine seats for the next movie. Once the theatre was almost empty I had to start scanning subscribers who were again staying for the next movie in the stalls. I start from my right and work inwards nd my fellow volunteer started from the opposite end and we met in the middle. Our system worked and everyone looked as if their passes had been scanned. Now open the doors and let everyone inside! Unfortunately there were no State Theatre staff acting as ushers so everyone was asking me where their seats were - I had to be truthful and advise them that it was not part of my job unfortunately and that I had no idea of the theatres layout. I think they understood nd managed to find their own seats before the movie started ( and yes I referred them to a State Theatre staff member) . The theatre was far from full for this movie One Day so my fellow volunteer and I along with other volunteers sat in for the entire movie. What did we think of it? I rated it a 7/10 however they gave it a 6/10. It was a bit flat there was no climax and an indefinite ending. Maybe we should have stayed for the Q & A session at the end of it. It sounded interesting and all our questions would have been answered.
End of another volunteering day - exhausted I went straight home again.
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