Haunted America Chat

Re: Need ideas - amature house

Date: 19 Feb 1997 Time: 20:06:20
I dismember a cheap, effective idea at someone's H.A. that I liked. A room with matte black walls (not shiney plastic) with cheesy paper glow skeletons only one was a person dressed in a (spandex?) skeleton suit. If that person plays it cool and waits for the group to enter they can "drift" out and scare the sh*t out of them. also your person can turn around and "disapear". Forgot they had fans going to push the paper skeletons around. If my brain starts working again I'll post somemore.
Jim (cur86)

For that person needing ideas.....

Date: 14 Mar 1997 Time: 22:16:01
Definitely stay with quality and not quantity when planning a superior haunted house. Our "house" consisted of well thought-out rooms with great attention given to details. Many of our props were the real thing. A terrifying graveyard, surgery suite, morgue, witches' kitchen and even a prison yard with electric chair are some of our great successes. It grows bigger each year due to its' origionality and suprise. Never let them know everything right away!

Re: Frankenstein's Laboratory ideas

Date: 31 Jan 1997 Time: 11:48:31
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
The laboratory is always a good scene because it leaves a lot to the imagination of the sculptors building the set.
Since you are outside, try to do the things it would be hard to create inside. you have no ceiling, so build up. Try to get hold of some scaffolding. Imaging Victor Frankenstein building his apparatus to bring his creation closer to the life giving heavens. This would also be good to arrange lights on so people can see what is going on.
Because you are outside you may be able to do pyrotechnic and smoke effects that would be impossible indoors. Fireworks, if legal in your area, may be interesting if used creativly.
You could use a good loud sound system. Your actors may need to be amplified if they are performing outdoors before a large audience. Do you know of any electronic musicians who could do a musical piece and then special sound effects?
I built some laboratory shelves that had plexiglass shelves with long flourescent light fixtures in them, facing up. I put black lights in them and then hot glued all kind of plastic jars, bottles, aquarium tubing, pieces of plexiglass and aluminum, etc. I added a small strobe. I put some store bought rubber entrails in plastic jars and glued them down also. At the distance in your scene, you could even use hunks of shag carpeting and bits of foam in colored water. It's pretty effective, and alot of it is junk.
For your generator, you could build a lot of it out of formed packing foam spraypainted grey, bits of old wiring, etc. have someone wire up some lights etc. so when switches are pulled you get some effect, sound or light, from each switch. For example you have three old boom boxes with old answering machine tape loops in each. Your electroninc musician friend has recorded hideous whining machine type sounds on each. The boom boxes are set to play but the power is controlled by three switches on your 'apparatus' This way each swith produces a new sound thru the loudspeakers and a new lighting effect, strobes or whatever.
Hope this helps. Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: Haunted Houses all the time!!!

Date: 05 Jan 1997 Time: 16:09:19
you can email me at lrogers@swbell.net our hauntings in the past have consisted of a hayride with what we call acts along the way. These acts were usually just some kind of visual scene such as a guillotine, or a hanging or witches, etc. the hayride takes our victims to an old barn with a butcher and other things then they proceed thru the haunted hollow (walking) thru the graveyard, & into our haunted house. inside the house were other acts such as a werewolf hunter, clown room, caged monsters and an illusion transformation act, this year that worked very well. we also have a manacled man that really makes our victims wet their pants as he jumps out at them in a dark room while turning on a dim light to show himself. chainsaws also have an extreme effect on some people. we use all real people for our actors. staff size is about 80-100 and we were open about 10 nights this year. we also joke about doing christmas in the hollow using christmas themes for the hayride etc. but i don't think that will ever happen. It's a lot of work but is great for watching the people's reactions

Re: Is it Illusions or a bore!!??

Date: 26 Feb 1997 Time: 02:04:32
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
The question was basically, if it is a good idea to do gore in a haunted house. Every house is different, of course, so it'd be hard to develop hard, fast 'rules' to follow. Check out what other area haunts are doing and decide if you want to follow the tried and true path, or break new ground in your town.
I used to do a nice 'wet' haunted house becouse splashing a lot of blood around is cheap, easy (and kind of fun...) Problem is, it's a mess! If you want to create mini 'acts' in your event with an intro, and action, and an ending, unless you can figure out a way to mop up the floor and wipe down the walls every 60 seconds, everyone has a pretty good idea what is about to happen.
Another thought I have is peaple are pretty jaded by film. They see such hideaus bloodletting done Hollywood style that I think it would be very hard for a haunted event to compete with these glamorous effects. In any case, I think it is more unnerving to stumble upon the aftermath of a hideaus event and just imagine what took place. So, let them see carnage in your displays, if you must, but don't try to recreate film splatter. (My opinion.)
Now, of course, I must back pedal and let you know how I performed some simple splatter... Keep in mind your show must be reperformed every 60 seconds.
In a mad doctors room we covered the walls with old sheets and flung some slightly watered crimson colored paint around the room. Very bloody. To hide it we bathed the room in red light for the intro of the performance. This effectively camoflauged the blood while our evil doctor spent a few moments screaming at and taunting our audinence. He then grabs a skill saw and plunges it into the abdomen of a patient/victem shackled to a table. The doctor laughs maniacally and the victem screams. The saw trigger not only spins a noisy whining motor (bladeless) but it triggers a strobelight, who's harsh white light seers the image of those white sheets and all that blood into the retinas of the audience. It all ends with the doctor yanking intestines out of the patient and shakes them at the audience while the victem, still screaming tries to grab them and shove them back in. Turn the strobe off, and your ready for the next group. It may sound silly in print, but it's pretty effective.
It followes the rules; a three part act: 1. the intro, a taunting doctor 2. the action, the eviseration 3. the end, the chase with the guts It has lots of blood and guts. It's real easy to set up for the next performance. Hope you liked it.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re:

Is it Illusions or a bore

!!??

Date: 26 Feb 1997 Time: 02:04:32
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
OK, Webmaster Rick asked my opinion, an I'll give it!!!(You'll see by watching my posts I have several opinions on everything, however, they contradict each other so heavily that I prefer to give only one opinion at a time!!!) : )
The question was basically, if it is a good idea to do gore in a haunted house. Every house is different, of course, so it'd be hard to develop hard, fast 'rules' to follow. Check out what other area haunts are doing and decide if you want to follow the tried and true path, or break new ground in your town.
I used to do a nice 'wet' haunted house becouse splashing a lot of blood around is cheap, easy (and kind of fun...) Problem is, it's a mess! If you want to create mini 'acts' in your event with an intro, and action, and an ending, unless you can figure out a way to mop up the floor and wipe down the walls every 60 seconds, everyone has a pretty good idea what is about to happen.
Another thought I have is peaple are pretty jaded by film. They see such hideaus bloodletting done Hollywood style that I think it would be very hard for a haunted event to compete with these glamorous effects. In any case, I think it is more unnerving to stumble upon the aftermath of a hideaus event and just imagine what took place. So, let them see carnage in your displays, if you must, but don't try to recreate film splatter. (My opinion.)
Now, of course, I must back pedal and let you know how I performed some simple splatter... Keep in mind your show must be reperformed every 60 seconds.
In a mad doctors room we covered the walls with old sheets and flung some slightly watered crimson colored paint around the room. Very bloody. To hide it we bathed the room in red light for the intro of the performance. This effectively camoflauged the blood while our evil doctor spent a few moments screaming at and taunting our audinence. He then grabs a skill saw and plunges it into the abdomen of a patient/victem shackled to a table. The doctor laughs maniacally and the victem screams. The saw trigger not only spins a noisy whining motor (bladeless) but it triggers a strobelight, who's harsh white light seers the image of those white sheets and all that blood into the retinas of the audience. It all ends with the doctor yanking intestines out of the patient and shakes them at the audience while the victem, still screaming tries to grab them and shove them back in. Turn the strobe off, and your ready for the next group. It may sound silly in print, but it's pretty effective.
It followes the rules; a three part act: 1. the intro, a taunting doctor 2. the action, the eviseration 3. the end, the chase with the guts It has lots of blood and guts. It's real easy to set up for the next performance. Hope you liked it.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re:

Is it Illusions or a bore

!!??

Date: 26 Feb 1997 Time: 13:45:16
FIRST THINGS FIRST. Rick your not a potty mouth,in fact we truly enjoyed your anallogy. Thats exactley what you have to do, play mind games with your crowd.Remember they know in the back of their minds this is not real,SO,thats where you have to play off of.If the crowd can see it and it looks the least bit hokey,(I.E.THE BLOOD IS THE WRONG COLOR, OR YOU CAN TELL THAT ITS A FAKE HALF BODY, ITS DEFFINETLY FAKE)they are never going to go for it.NOW, on the other hand if some doubt is put into the secnerio, for instance just as the knife is about to enter the victim the lights go out and the screaming begins and the crowd gets splatered with something,kNOW you Have them thinking and best of all WORRIED&SCARED GOOD LUCK ,Mischeif Productions Omafright@aol.com

(SHS) Repost-Re: Need ideas

Date: 02 Mar 1997 Time: 02:48:39
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
Need ideas asks:
I need some help w/ room ideas for a low-scale haunted house held by high school-aged kids at my church.
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
Yes, he was looking for directions on how to *build* a fog machine. DON'T DO IT!!! Unless you want to be sued. There are plenty of commercial foggers out there that work great. Buy the biggest and best you can afford, follow the manufacturers directions to the letter concerning what fog juice to use and maintenance.
'Need ideas' asks:
A few rooms are already pretty well established: the maze, a "goulish" (oooooo, scary!) wedding scene, of course the cliche doctor's room, and the even more cliche chainsaw weilding maniacs at the end of it all.
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
Why must they be cliche? Try to work out ways to use the 'cliche' to put the audience off guard, then whack them with your new concept or idea.
'Need ideas' asks:
What I need are ideas for the room before the maze, the room between the wedding and the doctor, and the two rooms AFTER the doctor.
The room prior to the maze (actually part of a large room sectioned off w/ black plastic) is traditionally run by the junior highs. For several years we put a grave yard there, but the li'l children (the jr. highs) need something to actually do. It is basicly an enclove that our visitors merely pass by. We also may or may not have at our disposal the boiler room at the mouth of the maze (a friend and I did satanic rituals in there one year, but this was kinda frowned on by some church members - for obvious reasons).
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
Probably a good idea to leave religious rituals out of your haunt. Whether you belive a certain way or not, you job is to haunt folks, not make fun of thier beliefs and tee them off.
Need ideas asks:
The room before the doctor's room is another that the visitors pass by (it MIGHT be possible to construct it so they do walk through it). In the past we have tried a doctor's waiting room and, yes ANOTHER, satanic ritual (complete w/ the firey sacrifice pit) but nothing has ever worked that well.
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
Since this room seems to have little spark in it, instead of trying to get a good scare out of it, why not use it as a preface to the rest of the haunt? decorate it up and use a tape recorder music and a narrative to direct peoples attention to areas of the room where awful people did awful things or some such story at the end, invite them to continue if they dare.
'Need ideas' asks:
Visitors walk THROUGH the next two rooms. In the second of the two we have done a beast breaking out of a cage (which we might actually revive), a sort of alley or street scene, and other ideas which all have pretty much amounted to strobe lights and people jumping out. Other than that there's not much else to say except that the second one is larger and well ventilated and we have had a lot of success using the smoke machines in there w/out setting off the alarms (we've had bad experiences w/ the fire marshal some years).
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
If the two rooms are joined, the second should look like an obvious escape from the first hideous room, but then it should change and become just as dangerous as the first.
'Need ideas' asks:
I also need ideas for the theme of the chainsaw room. The hobo thing's been done and I'm sure the killer clown thing has been driven into the ground. People walk through this room and exit the haunted house right on to our playground into the brisk October air.
ScaryHouse Studio says:
How about a nice camping scene with a blood splattered tent, torn bloody clothing, etc. and a low growling animal noise coming out of a cave about waist high. People have an innate fear of wild animals. Get them jittery thinking something is going to charge at them out of the cave or other dark area. Then they back into your chainsaw guy.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: (SHS) Repost-Re:

Need ideas (I need more ideas)

Date: 07 Mar 1997 Time: 18:11:37
Thanks for the ideas everyone, they got thoughts brewing in my head and I think I've figured out 2 or 3 three rooms. I could use some more ideas, however, so I'm reposting it here (for everyone's added convieniance).
I forgot to mention in the original the format of it. We send in groups of fifteen or so with a guide (this is for security purposes) and they are only in the rooms for a half a minute to a minute. Also, we can't grab or touch any of the people (I guess we've had complaints) at all.
Here it is:
I need some help w/ room ideas for a low-scale haunted house held by high school-aged kids at my church. This being a fundraiser and all, our budget is minimal - we can usually afford a couple smoke machines (In fact, I think the guy asking about fog machines above is also involved w/ this). A few rooms are already pretty well established: the maze, a "goulish" (oooooo, scary!) wedding scene, of course the cliche doctor's room, and the even more cliche chainsaw weilding maniacs at the end of it all. What I need are ideas for the room before the maze, the room between the wedding and the doctor, and the two rooms AFTER the doctor.
The room prior to the maze (actually part of a large room sectioned off w/ black plastic) is traditionally run by the junior highs. For several years we put a grave yard there, but the li'l children (the jr. highs) need something to actually do. It is basicly an enclove that our visitors merely pass by. We also may or may not have at our disposal the boiler room at the mouth of the maze (a friend and I did satanic rituals in there one year, but this was kinda frowned on by some church members - for obvious reasons).
The room before the doctor's room is another that the visitors pass by (it MIGHT be possible to construct it so they do walk through it). In the past we have tried a doctor's waiting room and, yes ANOTHER, satanic ritual (complete w/ the firey sacrifice pit) but nothing has ever worked that well.
Visitors walk THROUGH the next two rooms. In the second of the two we have done a beast breaking out of a cage (which we might actually revive), a sort of alley or street scene, and other ideas which all have pretty much amounted to strobe lights and people jumping out. Other than that there's not much else to say except that the second one is larger and well ventilated and we have had a lot of success using the smoke machines in there w/out setting off the alarms (we've had bad experiences w/ the fire marshal some years).
I also need ideas for the theme of the chainsaw room. I will be a senior this time and will be in there (w/ 1 or 2 other guys) so I'm looking for some real "KICKASS" ideas. The hobo thing's been done and I'm sure the killer clown thing has been driven into the ground. People walk through this room and exit the haunted house right on to our playground into the brisk October air.
To give you an idea of size, all of these rooms are normally used for Sunday school (the 2nd room after the doctor and the chainsaw room are both the size of 2 rooms). We are able to use about half the space (the rest is to store nursery school junk). As for supplies, we have: heavy-duty black (and even some white) plastic to hang around the room, a couple smoke machines (1 will be used in the wedding), at least 3 strobes (1 for the chainsaw room), 2 or 3 chainsaws, and this REALLY COOL sledgehammer w/ a foam-rubber head (it's often used in the wedding). Keep in mind the age group here - most are not talented actors and, in fact, tend to overact.
I appreciate any suggestions for new rooms or for ways to spruce up the old and apologize for the length of my posting. Thanks. D.H. P.S. - Any ideas on cool (and inexpensive) FX?

Repost:

What do you do

(SHS)

Date: 26 Feb 1997 Time: 20:36:06
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
"What do you do?" asks:
If your a perfectionest, you care about every detail!! How do you handle remarks such as "This show needs help" and "The other haunt was better"!!! When you put your heart into your attraction, how do you handle these remarks!! Its extremly hard.......tell me guys...
ScaryHouse Studio said:
Yes, its very tough to handle. Your project become your overprotected child, and you never want to hear any negative comments about it. In college level studio art classes we used to have 'class critique' where students verbally stabbed each others art to death. It's horrible. Especially a 'shock artist' like myself taking classes with mundane artists who painted kittys and clowns etc.
Well, not everyone is going to be impressed with your work. Face it, some people are just bound and determined to prove your haunt is 'not scary' to them. They are not in the correct frame of mind, and it's not going to happen. The best thing is not to put any more effort into it than they are; if they are standing there acting unimpressed while your actor is performing his or her heart out, your actor should put in a good effort, but at a certain point just stop and say "Please move along..." That way the dud doesn't get too much of a kick out of undermining each act in your haunt.
You should have a way so you can get actual feedback from people who have ideas that could help you. Pass out comment cards. Interview patrons etc.
If you are doing your absolute best with the materials you have, and the finances you have, it will show and most people will be impressed with your efforts.
If you feel your haunt is lacking in some way check out other haunts and see what is working and what isn't. Add new artists and effect engineers to your team.
Keep in mind, you won't be able to impress everyone. Don't take it personally, try to correct what is in error and carry on...
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re:

Repost: What do you do

(SHS)

Date: 12 Mar 1997 Time: 00:13:35
Comments
I have done a haunted hous for the past 5 years and have participated in many of them. I try to keep in mind that Laughter and violence is a way of coping with fear for a lot of people who won't show you that their scared. I've had a ton of opportunities to walk through my own "Nightmare Gallery 9?" and I have seen all sorts of reactions to truly scary tableaus. I've seen everything from total panic and screaming to laughing. Sometimes they laugh as a nervous reaction. Sometimes they lash out at the character with violence as another coping skill for the less advanced. They hit because they are scared and feel threatened. I know this to be fact and find it very entertaining when it happens. I also look into the scene and what's going wrong with it and I have a number of scenes so I either cancell it or dramatically change to fit the scariness code. I do this fro enjoyment and I enjoy it when the get scared so I do everything posible to get them to walk out tof there either very impressed or stunned. I try every year to do this and you might do the same. Good Luck!

Re: Requested info

Date: 04 Apr 1997 Time: 07:27:03
Hi Thanks for responding, specifically I was interested in ideas for "MAZES" "A SPIDER BARN" and "OVERHEAD VIEWS" All are for a hay ride. The Maze would be outside and probably in a ski lift corrall where the patrons would get off the wagon and go through a maze to get on the lift which would take them to the top of the hill where they would then reboard a wagon which takes them down the trails. "OVERHEAD VIEWS" would be ideas for scenes etc on the ground that the patrons would look down on during their ride, up also if you have any other ideas on how to use this lift that would be helpful. "SPIDERBARN" would be ideas on how to decorate a fairly good size barn the wagon passes through and encounters spiders etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated and thanks again for responding.

Re: Alien scene

Date: 08 Apr 1997 Time: 17:47:22
The old tried and true diversion. Ust the aliens and set dressing to establish an escaped creature of considerable size. The small aliens are handling a large cage that something has obviously escaped from. As the customers become involved in the scene the escaped creature scares the customers from behind and or above. jbc

Re: The Sky is Falling (Look Out!!!!)

Date: 16 Apr 1997 Time: 21:19:32
We have successfully desinged and implemented a variety of "falling effects". As stated Saefty First is always an issue.
Here are two effects that we introduced 2 years ago at a small theme park here in Central Ohio that proved to get em every Time
The first is a 14' Tall Artificial Falling Tree- we began with an 18" diameter sono tube covered with textured burlap and 2
large limbs made from wire frames. Inside the tube we fabricated 1" steel tubular frame, then fabricated a hinge plate out of1/8" steel and 2" and 2 1/4" pipe, the hinge plate is bolted onto 12" threaded roods that are set into a 36" x 36" cement pad sunk into the ground. We incorporated 3 different safety catches and cables, and incorporated an Actor operator and lighting strike to complete the effect.
The second effect is a Falling Stone Wall fascade whose action allows it to fall forward and then crumble to the ground,stones are 1'x2' blocks fashioned out of 2" Durafoam, the blocks are attached to a fire resistant mesh sheathing and masonite struts, each block row is attached to a ball bearing carriages at either side, and the carriages travel in parallel 14' carriage tracks, the tracks are mounted to hinge plates at the bottom which bolt to the floor, and attachments at the top feed through to pulleys which control the cable that resets the effect. As stated the entire 8' wide 14' tall wall moves forward towards the audience only 36" then falls to the ground in 12" increments only 12" from its baseline. The entire wall can be reset by a single operator in 5-8 seconds.
I hope these examples make since. They have proven to be both safe and effective. If you would like a sketch feel free to give me a call and I'll fax you what I have.
Best regards, David Fachman The Scarefactory

Re: (Look Out!!!!)

Safety issues

Date: 15 Apr 1997
Time: 19:50:09
Comments
Falling walls sky and any object that can be dropped are effective, let me state, but some attractions have already found that effects like this usually bring in the worst inspectors of all. The dreaded Structural Safety Inspector or in some areas. The Mechanical Inspector or both. Since an effect happens every 60 seconds to 3 minutes, effects like this take great abuse structurally, be prepared to expect major expenses on design and construct, plus constant maintance and repair..
If this doesn't effect your operation cost. then buy the video tape "Behind the scenes at MGM" Kevin Dulle Dark World
http://home.earthlink.net/~darkworld

Re: Hotel scenes

Date: 05 May 1997 Time: 16:15:46
A really cool thing we are doing that would look great in your lobby is use the pepper's ghost illusion to make green colored electricity zap above every one's heads after something big happens (a witch cast a spell, a monster is killed, ect...) It looks very cool! Or, another pepper's ghost illusion you could do in the lobby is ghost rising out af the floor and flying through the ceiling, this is also very effective and we are using it in our HH this year after our pysic is possesed.

Re: An Elevator & Lativator

Date: 20 Jun 1997 Time: 23:19:57
Our Hotel has had at it's entrance a 6'x6' box built on aa large pallet. We use a Concrete Vibrator and attach to (Securly) to the Bottom of the Platform. The Doors where two sliding doors that meet in the middle (More like Star Trek than Elevator) We used barn door tracks, Angle them down to the middle a little and they will close automatically. Attach some rope to each with some pulleys to open them both. Also we put some of that 1/2" Plastic Square Tile and Scrim material. We hung a dummy on a noose and turned the light on just as we turned off the Vibrator. We aquired about 100' of Wide industrial Rollers. They are 48' wide and in 8' Sections. They where used to move pallets around a warehouse. We are thinking of placing this setup on these and slide them from side to side to their rooms. The Vibration should throw them off enough then the fact that they will be seeing another room. We have a Cherry Picker we where gonna Raise in the air and drape plastic as if we had actually built something for them to raise up into. ??? Up top is where we want to put a angle Grinder Spring Loaded against some high carbon Steel. Make them think they will be riding something similar to the TOT at WDW MGM. Ya' think anyone would be diappointed? Guess it's no different than the Elevator at LS at WDW EPCOT.

Re:

An Elevator

Date: 25 Jun 1997 Time: 03:43:01
We built some really neat elevators in our haunted house for the 97 season. It's hard for me to explain how to build the ones that we built but I will offer you a few suggestions; Build a frame out of 4x4, screw the 4x4 together and then find some solid "L" brackets and attach so that all corners of the frame are bracketed together so this frame won't shake apart. Then Line the inside with plywood and paint it to look like an elevator by the way we put metal hand rails in our elevator so people could hang on once the elevators got going. We also made a really neat pyramid shaped dome on the top with see through cut out of skulls and then jelled them with colored jells. The elevator itself would be suspened off the ground only about 2 or 3 inches by chain. You would build a frame out of 4x4 that would be attached to the floor with 4x4 posts that would have a heavy duty lag bolt with a ring on top. Attach cheater links to connect the chain from the posts to the bottom of the elevator in all 4 corners and now you have a moving elevator. We went a few steps further by adding air pistons that move it as well as speakers inside the elevator with awsome sounds of an elevator crashing. And don't forget sliding elevator doors with a creepy look to them. If anyone wants to see what the exterior of our elevator room looks like check it out on our web-site. We just recently added more pictures of our haunted house and this picture just happens to be one we added. After you have checked it out post a message on our message board and let me know what you think! www.halloweenproductions.com Larry Kirchner

Re:

An Elevator

Date: 20 Jun 1997 Time: 22:24:49
We used air rams with up and down motion, which is rather expensive but highly effective. I suppose suspending it with chains where it only moves a couple of inches would also work. However, remember this. The finishing touch, I found, is to have a slot, outside of which stands someone with a flashlight. When the "elevator" moves, have this person move the light up and down, it really completes the illusion of motion.

Re: An Elevator

Date: 24 Jun 1997 Time: 00:34:57
i hope this helps make a ply wood box say 4ft sq by 8ft make a door on 2 sides you enter one side exit the other get some short industrial springs mabye 6in by 10 in tall attach several to the bottom of box and secure the box and springs so its secure and safe when people enter the front door it shuts behind the and starts to sway and rock the exit door opens on opposite sid eof box and their magicaly on the next floor NIGHTMARE STUDIOS DALLAS

Re: House haunt

Date: 14 Feb 1998Time: 12:36:57
Scott, having acted in The Louisville Jaycees Haunted House on and off for several years, probably two of the best (and simplest) scare scenes are the "surprise door" and "the blackout"....With the "surprise door", you'd need to have a shallow closet, large enough to comfortably hold an actor, and a sturdy door frame and support wall...A sheet of painted metal would be hanging on the wall beside the door, so that when the actor slammed the door open, there'd be a loud "WHAM"....For "the blackout", you'd need a room that was self-contained, where no external light could leak in...Have the room dimly lit and made up like a crypt, mad scientist lab or what have you, and when your audience is in place, have your actor rise up and start towards them...You'd need a floor switch positioned so that JUST as the actor is within a few feet of the crowd, he/she steps on the switch, killing the lights and plunging the room into darkness...Having helped to "haunt" an old house with a notoriously bad circuit breaker, I can personally vouch that NOTHING scares the hell out of people more than having everything suddenly "go black"....

FIRE FIRE or The sky is falling, The Sky Is FALLING

OK Troops, load them flame throwers with Napalm and stand by. I have selected a position which is not going to be very popular. But first a little background.

The current building and fire codes (which we all love) have roots. The reality is I know nothing about these roots, but I am going to spin a parallel tale, that is I am making this all up. This is the story of a Powerful Amusement Park, a weak local municipality And a Dark Attraction. This attraction was a walk through made from trailers. The internal switch back design added to the problem of exits and safe customer egress in case of an emergency. The customers would walk through, looking at the displays and set decorations, no actors. From the outside it looked grand, great facade and entry area, even looked safe. Actually there are two identical attractions with one entry, during peak periods both sides would be opened. Between the two attractions was the entry and control room. One dark day there was a fire and a bunch of people died. End of story. NYET.

First lets examine the attraction. It met no building codes of the modern world, unless there is a part of this planet that specializes in coffins built to look like Dark Attractions. Exits were not to code, no smoke detection equipment, no emergency lighting, no emergency controls (OOPS I forgot the telephone) of any kind. In case of a fire no provision was made for the ventilation system to be shut down. The attraction was installed and leveled and its tires left on the wheels. The interior and exhibits met no flame proofing standards, as they were not flame proofed. The walls were coated with foam rubber to give a cave look. And even with all this said no one should have ever died. This hypothetical case was settled out of court, records sealed and witnesses advised against speaking out. But because I am making this up I will continue the story.

Less than two weeks before this make believe fire the local Fire Marshal paid his annual visit. He wrote a report. In it he said any fire here would be very difficult to fight. He failed to mention that the building met no safety standards, oh well its the Powerful Amusement Park, they rule.

Gee, I forgot, the staff. The highly trained Amusement Park teenage staff.

And now, the two bones I have to pick. Bone one, the unique construction of this attraction could very well have been the first case of anyone dying in a fully sprinkled building, except the building was not sprinkled. The victims of the fire died from smoke inhalation not the fire. And the smoke was extremely deadly. The burning foam rubber created a gas that once inhaled caused disorientation before killing you. Now I am disorientated in a smoke filled maze, gee. The smoldering foam fire was well in advance of the heat wave that would set off the sprinklers (the fire would be put out behind the advancing low heat yield burning foam), couple this with a ventilation system feeding oxygen to the fire and you have dead customers, period. And now we have sprinkled buildings. And if we are not very very careful people will die in them. Bone two is staff. The customers died because of the staff, no other reason. A customer actually informed the staff in the control room that there was a fire. Now I do not know what planet your from, but we detain such a customer with one hand while we pull the fire alarm with the other. (OOPS, sorry, no fire alarm to pull, oh well) There is no thinking here, there is no option, it is get the customers the HELL out and then check the fire. Well not today, the control room staff sent an observer (without a fire extinguisher) who indeed came back to the control room and said yep there's a fire. This is a maze, all that time wasted walking around. The case is sealed, the lawsuits settled and paid and we the public are left in the dark. A funky fire report was made and is on file, but hey, it's The Powerful Amusement Park.

So here we are. I am now ready for the flames. Because I will do my best to see to it that there is some type of certification process for haunt operators and staff, a license maybe. People are injured in haunts all the time, people have died in them. And like air crashes the responsibility falls mostly on pilot error. That means, the final responsibility is management's. I have walked through haunts in broad daylight that scared the Hell out of me for all the wrong reasons. I look at the teenage staff (nothing against teens, my son and daughter are) and know that they have not been trained to any standard, have not a clue and think it is neat to scare the bee gee gees out of people. (well, hell, so do I)

So I propose a national standard of some type. A book of knowledge that we can come to some type of an agreement on, and a method of testing staff, actors and management. Accreditation of a type, where cards are issued and levels of training are indicated. A haunt employees pay could be tied to his certification type and level. Displaying an ID card with your photo and achievement levels might give a better impression than "Yeah babe, I work in a Haunted House". In case of an accident or emergency a haunt would look better before a jury when presenting trained staff. (Not everyone would be required to have a certification, it is an option. ) But, it would also provide legitimacy to our craft. This is one of the reasons I favor an association, it is a formal way to get organized and prepare materials of this nature. And once it is formed I will push this till I turn purple (Barney not withstanding). Knowledge is power, the more you know, as an operator, the more you can and will be prepared for the most unlikely emergency. This knowledge can be obtained via reality, or you can learn it from others that have been there. The difference is learning as you go vs. I know what to do.

YES I am aware that some of this knowledge is available on the net via Haunted America and Haunt World, but there is no way to know who is/is not reading this information and no way to determine how much has been retained. I would like to see a sign or emblem in front of a haunt that indicates the level of professionalism contained inside. I, the customer, deserve it. And 'Katy Bar the Door' for those that come between me and my goal. Because I see only good, that's all my blinders will let me see. Others will see what others want to see. I can use some guidance, that is all. Of course you could (and probably will) try to dissuade me, and for that I promise to stay out of your haunt.
Jbcorn

Some

suggested areas of training:

Evacuation and crowd control
Evacuation and emergency plan design
Fire fighting techniques
CPR and other life saving
Customer management in the haunt
Crowd management
Scare tactics that protect the customer and actor
Haunt communication for safety/security
Haunt design parameters in regards to safety and ease of egress
Natural disaster management

Safety staff who know

From: Sharon HA.com
Date: 21 Aug 1998
Time: 14:48:02
Comments

I think what JB is saying and what I've experienced first hand, is too many times haunts open without having safety staff who know how to handle:

1) a fire extinguisher
2) basic first aid including CPR
3) an evacuation plan
4) a drill to test your evacuation plan.

Speaking honestly as the former co-owner/operator of Hades Haunted Houses from 1982-97, I can say that we:

1) did have safety staff that did practice using a fire extinguisher
2) however they were not necessarily trained in basic first aid or CPR. We did issue them a fanny pac with a paper bag for hyperventilation plastic gloves in case of blood, a flashlight and a radio, which was connect to the paramedic we had on site every night.
3) We did have an exvacuation plan
4) BUT We never had the time to actually test the plan by staging a mock evacuation drill.

I believe we really did do more than most haunts when it comes to safety (we also used metal detectors and had off duty police officers also on radio), but in retrospect we still weren't doing enough. I.e. we hadn't yet startedscreening employees by their social security numbers to make sure they didn't have any prior arrest records etc. Being in charge of safety really is a full-time job, or at least it was for me, and as I've said I still felt we could've done more.

As far as business or charity goes, who cares what anyone calls it. The point is, are we doing enough to insure the safety of our actors/audience and do we all have trained safety staff and evacuation plans not only in theory, but that have been drilled?

Why is this so important besides the obvious reason of responsible concern for human safety? Because an unsafe haunt is the quickest way you can invent to go Out Of Business! All it takes is one, avoidable accident and the future of your haunt is in jeopardy!

EMPLOYEE ISSUES

With October right around the corner a lot of Owners will soon be hiring staff. There are several issues that employers should be aware of while they are still in the interview process: Are you going to do background checks on prospective employees? Are you going to ask the prospective employee if he/she has ever been arrested and for what? You as an employer have an obligation to the public to assure their reasonable expectation to safety- by hiring a known sex offender that later commits a molestation in your house you have a problem There are many lawsuits out there for failure to hire properly- or failure to provide adequate security.

Are you going to ask an employee to submit to a drug test? Drug tests are used more and more in today's workplace and they are definitely a great tool in the hiring process. But Drug tests are not for everyone- they are expensive, time consuming (normally 72 hrs) and some smaller companies just can't afford them. Others object to them on privacy grounds.

Are you going to have employees sign contracts? A contract is a great asset to an employer- the contract should cover some basic information such as rate of pay, hours, employee behavior, e.g. no drinking on job etc. It should also cover what you expect the employee to do, e.g.: Actors must arrive 30 minutes before show time to apply makeup and costume It should also cover things that are prohibited: e.g.: touching guests, inappropriate interactions with other employees. And so on.

These are just some ideas on Employment issues that I have seen over the past several years. As we come into the Halloween season I know you are all going to be gearing up, if you have a specific question or need to talk to me about something please feel free to email to my attention info@HauntedAmerica.com or just put the question on the Safety Net so everyone will benefit from it. Sorry for my absence these last 2 months (physical injury) But I'm back and ready to help.
Mark Delia

WORKING WITH YOUR FIRE OFFICIALS

By Don McDurmon,
Fire Inspector

Have you ever asked yourself, where does the local fire marshal get his rules? Do they pull them out of their hat? Do they all work from the same book? Can they be altered at all?

A little background could help answer these questions. Do you want a simple answer? Sorry, there isn't one, but I'll try to keep it simple.

Fire Marshals and Fire Inspectors work for a division of the Fire Department or State Police called Fire Prevention or Fire Safety. They work by a specific set of rules, called Codes. These codes vary from community to community, but are basically the same wherever you go. Some communities use Life Safety 101, some use the BOCA Codes, some UBC, and so on. But how are these codes enacted into the community laws?

Codes in any given community must be adopted by Ordinance. These are usually called the Fire Prevention Ordinance. This ordinance, just like all the others, which keep your community safe, are spelled out in the ordinance books. These give the fire officials their power. The Fire Inspector is an extension of the Building Official in the community. BOCA, for example, has codebooks for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire codes. These books work together for overall safety of structures. They address Means of Egress (exiting from buildings) Sprinkler systems, exit lights, door widths, and hundreds of other things. Seems pretty simple eh?

But the problem we encounter is that fire officials treat Haunted Houses differently, and it annoys us (and downright bugs some people) But what is the reason for this? It's simple: The rules for buildings of this type are not cut and dried. And fire officials see a major potential for disaster in some haunted attractions. Building codes say the walls should be built of drywall. Do we ever try to avoid this code? Early haunts were built with, are you ready for this, cardboard walls covering wood studs. But the Haunted Industry has come a long way since then. And so have the codes. But are they fair?

Some of the easier codes to interpret include sprinkler systems in buildings over 1000 square feet, exit signs at all doors, and emergency lights throughout. The number of exits is determined by square feet and travel distance, which is the actual number of feet it takes to walk to a door.

But if you build your walls of metal studs and drywall, which is totally flame proof, doesn't that make your house flameproof? No way. Do you remember the story of the Iroquois Theatre?

The Iroquois was a totally flame proof building that killed hundreds of people due to a fire that burned everything inside the building, like drapes, curtains, and seats. And the exit doors opened IN! The doors trapped the people, and the smoke killed them. This fire was one of the main reasons current fire codes are in place. I have heard the argument that fires don't happen in Haunted Houses. That tells me these rules are working.

So you feel your fire official is being unreasonable here are some ideas to help ease their fears. Show them you are concerned for safety, and meet with the official as far in advance as you can. Address concerns, and involve them in your planning process. If a building architect has a question about a building, he will meet with the code officials to discuss the problem then fix it. You'd be amazed how well this works. Understand the process of developing the house plans and what is involved, such as exit lights, emergency lights, and exit doors will show them you are knowledgeable and care about what you are doing.

Fire extinguishers should be in every other room, out of the grasp of your customers. Ask you local fire department to give your actors a training course in how to use extinguishers. As far as that goes, ask the firefighters to help you out, either with being actors or working security for the house.

A Fire Inspector in Michigan called me to ask what could be done about a water supply to a Haunted Barn. There was no hydrant system to the area. I asked if there was a lake nearby. He told me there was. I then asked if any of their department members had an old fire truck that they would sit at the site when the house was open. This truck supplied water to the makeshift sprinkler system so the house could operate. Problem solved.

Use your heads: you come up with all of these wild Haunted House ideas so use the same ingenuity for fire safety problems.
If you have any specific questions I can answer, you can post them on the SafetyNet Chatlines and we will answer them for you, or suggest ideas! Happy Haunting! Don McDurmon Fire Inspector Plymouth Community Fire Dept. Plymouth, Michigan

SUCCESS IN OCTOBER SPELLS "GBN"

(Get Busy Now!)

If you looking for marketing and advertising secrets, there will be plenty here over the next months
as we move closer to the fall, 1998 season. For people's entertainment dollar it's getting tougher to
please! But, it's not
just what's in you attraction that matters --- it also is a big part of perception.

The way people see your attraction is critical to your success. If they think of our as a small, low
budget, not very good attraction, then your likely not to do very well at the box office. So, we will
address public perception and how to create the success through marketing.

For now, this month's focus must be on getting busy! If you haven't begun your work on this
year's marketing, then get started. First, re-contact everyone involved in your attraction last year
and let them know you are
working towards a great 1998 season. Put them on notice that your staying around and that your
getting busy.

If you had business relationships such as coupon distribution through retail, contact them and meet
now! Discuss ways to build on your relationship.

Remember also, that April means that there is only one more month of school left before summer,
so contacting schools to arrange for those fall ads would be important. For most schools, they
won't be back till September. Arranging that now is important to get the visibility lined up.

Do your database work now. Create or update your lists for media, schools and businesses. Get
that work done now and don't put it off.

So, getting busy now will pay off in the end.....remember.....

1. Contact all people involved last year.
2. Contact your schools and place ads now for fall.
3. Update your databases.

If you have specific questions, please feel free to post your question and I'll respond. Here's a
great resource for you.

Room ideas

(unorthocdox approaches)
From: Kevin Dulle - Dark World
Date: 17 Jun 1998
Time: 10:22:16

Comments
Recently, the conversation came up from a haunt owner about room ideas. He informed me of two room ideas that seem to work that seemed a little unorthodox, but increased the effect of the scares. In one are prior to a hard scare scene in an outdoor setting, he used a conecting room that was well lit forcing the eyes to reajust then they entered the next scene unable to quickly readjust for the dark. He said he got teh idea from the theater itself. Everytime he would arrive after the film started, it was impossible to see if there were any seats free. Thus applied the process to his haunt. He has decided last year to add a room 3 to 4 rooms from the end that looked as if the room was the exitting room and the scares were over. This, he said, gave the visitors a false sense of relief, then back into the haunt again. The haunt was located in Michigan at some school he said. Each year the try different things, bu keep records of what worked, even if they didn't understand why.
Hey, if it works do it. I find that some of the most unorthodox methods work even though we expect them not too. It seems to follow the comedians modo, "You must be willing to bomb if you want to succeed." I believe this works in scenes. Sometimes you just have to break form to get a different approach. It may not work, but it will clearify the reason why others do. Good luck - Much Fun - Scare'm to death.. Kevin Dulle - Dark World Entertainment Group


Our Visit to "

Skull Kingdom

"
From: Crew of Dark World
Date: 15 Jun 1998
Time: 18:22:45
Well folks and fellow haunters, the trip took 17+ hours of road travel but we made it back. As promised, heres the low down on the hoe down.
"Skull Kingdom" how can we put this..... NO!!! KINGDOM!!!, just a single building that's a story and a half high. Exterior looked great from afar. Up close, it was styrofoam skin painted up to look like block. Not much of crowds to speak of. The ticket area was far from spook flavored, more of office receptionist. The exibits inside are much like that of a gallery or collection format. Most scenes were props purchased from dealers at the Transworld Show. Our main critic in our group, a 9 year old girl, best reflected the adventure as being tearless and quiet.
As seeing the preliminary art work at the Transworld Show back in 96 or 97 of this "Skull Kingdom", the real thing was, I sorry to say, a major disappointment. Maybe it's out of season or possibly a bad night, but the energy and atmosphere wasn't there. But on an uplifting note, "Terror on Church Street" made up for the whole trip. Scenes were great, nothing majorly different, except the eye for detail. It made the difference. The sense of reality was there. Definately a 4 skull haunt, 5 if your not a haunter.
My advice to others, maintain detail and a sense of reality.
The crew at Dark World, home from Orlando.


Here is

1 of 3 room design ideas

"Casket of
Armidillo"
From: Joe Jensen - Hades Haunted House
Date: 10 Jun 1998
Time: 11:53:15
"

Casket of Armidillo

" Room by Joe Jensen
Hall entering into the room has a brick veneer. Inside the wall are speakers with cats meowing sounds interupted by a muffled help me. The walls in the the larger room are all bricked. Remnants of the building of the walls are strewn about. Screams come from behind the walls as the freshly laid brickwork is pushed towards the audience as if someone from behind the wall was desperately trying to get out. This happens in several different areas in the long room. It appears as if 4 or 5 people have been locked inside the walls. As the audience goes to the end of the room the last or second to the last spot of undulating bricks break open revealing a madman breaking out of his masonary prison and rushing towards you only to be stopped by the chains and shakles about his hands. He retreats to behind the wall resetting the bricks. Lastly, a armidillo looks up from you at the end of the hall.
Tech notes; 1)Brick work can be done using a variety of methods the best to me is vacuform bricking painted by a good scene painter. 2) Undulating wall can be created by cutting the vacuform bricks apart and then glueing them onto a piece of lycra or other flexiable fabric. 3) break away wall can be a hinged doubledoor with brick work cut in such a way to hide the door seam.

"

Footzilla

" by Joe Jensen (c)May 1998
16'x16' room. Decorated like a museum. Audience stands behind a railing pushed against one wall or two walls if a L pattern is used. Actor sits on the other side of the railing in the museum display as if she is a lost little girl looking for her group. Gun fire is heard, screams, footzilla roar, load thumping and then a large foot drops through the ceiling ontop of the girl. Engulfing her. Lights go out reset.
Tech notes: The foot of Footzilla is hollow so that the girl is completely covered by it when it drops. It should be made of some very lightweight material so that if it did fall accidently then no one would be hurt. Ideally it is counterweighted so that the fall is slow and impact can be added with strobe lights. The girl should be the one pull the switch for activating the creature foot to fall perhaps a floor switch. She can also reset it in the dark. The roof should also fall abit adding to the realism.

"

Orb

" by Joe Jensen (c)May 1998
16'x16' room. Railing circles the audience around the perimeters in the middle is a giant spinning ball of aluminum foil some 6 foot in diameter. The outside walls are also coated with foil. Strobes are placed at all four corners and are set at different rates. Looking down on the scene is an puppeter who can move the spinning ball at the audience for a scare. ( the ball should never break the plane of the railings) For more dramatic effect the ball can be sculpted to look like a skull.
Tech notes: Be prepared to replace the foil nightly as audiences love peeling the stuff off of walls. The orb is easily created by using exercise balls that come in large diameters and have handles that allow for mounting off a rope. A simple mirror ball rotator can be used to rotate the ball. And various methods can be deployed to move the entire assembly.

Pit of Knives

, wierd fogger question.
From: Tony Gonzalez
Date: 29 May 1998
Time: 15:41:23
This question springs from a discussion last week sometime at home. Remembrance of the HALL OF KNIVES which JB has yet to cover on either videotape (hopefully, tape 2 can cover it :). Anyhoo, the question was taking the name and making an original room idea without copying up the original idea. A room design evolved which can have future applications. It has a treuly wierd technical problem which we dont know how to solve yet.
The room itself is roughly a circular silo, about 20 feet in diameter and about 16 feet tall, roof has mechanism and crane types for running various sets of flying knives around the room, sometimes going for the scared guests running on the path below, sometimes dueling with themselves, etc.
The mechanisms are not the problem, some designs are already on paper. The wierd trick is to have a fog ON TOP to hide the mechanisms and appear to be a cloud which the knives are diving out of towards tyhe guests, zooming back up.
Fogs tend to lay low after a while or smoke up the whole room, which would ruin the effect. We are thinking of upward draft fans in strategic spots to keep the guest path clear. Is there any way anyone can think of to create fog which hangs out on the ceiling?

Question:
What do can you do if you

suspect Fire Officials of deliberately trying to drive you out of business

?
Answers:
John Hart posts on H.A. discussion area:
I got out of actually working on haunts about a decade ago, after getting moreinvolved with theater set construction. We use EPS foam all over the place on stage, it shapes easily and can be painted with latex/acrylic house paints or coated with a variety of materials that don't use hydrocarbon solvents. I know that fire codes are more stringent for dark attractions than they are for theater. (I firmly believe that the more onerous codes are written to drive the haunts out of business as I watched this in action). These foams, if properly prepared, will stand up to reasonable codes. The foam will burn when a flame source is put upon it but will stop burning once the flame source is removed. As you can tell, I like working with expanded polystyrene. It makes great sculpted objects without a lot of weight, and is inexpensive.
P.S. Does anybody have any answers on what to do if the inspecting Fire Marshall goes beyond his job and becomes an *!#?#%* ?

Kevin Dulles' Reply:
Your only recourse is to request a hearing from the Safety division. This is the department that controls and regulates the fire marshals and safety inspectors. I would suggest that everything be in writing of unspecified rulings or code violations.
Once you start this action the response from the marshals gets a little heated. I should know. My father is a Fire Marshal. That's one reason I help Haunts. I am aware what is allowed in most cases and how the regulations are "INTERPRETED" with regard to the haunted house industry.
Here's an example. You stated that the foam insulation was safe and did not burn after a flame was removed. The problem is not that it doesn't burn, more to the fact that the Styrene is still classified by the safety commission as "Plastic". An appeals hearing can over rule this if it complies with the safety factors and that it has a low smoke rating.
Please understand, I am not arguing if the product is safe or not, what I am stating is how the Safety commission views styrene's. Even if the rulings change in the book that doesn't imply that the regulation is enforced immediately. That's why there are hearing boards that can help or hurt the approval of selected products.

John Hart Posts:
Actually the Fire Marshall incident I mention has nothing to do with EPS. A few years back in a small city in California, a haunt operator I helped had to replace ALL his fireproof treated wood walls with drywall at no small expense. This and other things the city did drove him out of business.

Kevin Dulles's Reply:
At this point, you need to request a code violation report, which a Fire Marshal must submit if, and I stress if, there are true violations.
* Let me stress an action or how to handle this situation before it quickly explodes. Ask for the report on all violations to date. You inform the Marshal to list them and to address the regulation that they conflict with. Do this as if you wish to correct even ones he has not seen. ACT CONCERNED. Be Helpful and act responsible. DO NOT FLARE UP AT HIM or HER. Make sure the copy is signed and the code violations are noted by regulation and paragraph. Once you have the copy, have the violations checked against the stated regulations. You may have to pay a small fee for the copy of the local fire codes or consult a local commercial architect, but its worth more and cost less now then later.
* Once you review the regulations and identify the incorrect violations, point these out to the fire marshal (nicely) Show him or her that you actually do comply. If he agrees get it in writing. Remember that you're in business so treat it as business. If he or she does not waiver, then I suggest an appeal hearing with the safety board.
* A final note. The safety board may be located out of town at the county or state seat. Be prepared to travel and take photographs of the violations and copy that section of the code on the back of the photo that's in question. A safety board only can help if you have evidence to support the claim or appeal. Also make copies of chemical reports for safety such as fire retardant and types of fire extinguishers. Make at least three extra copies of your report to give to the safety board. At this time some safety boards will appoint a new fire marshal to reinspect your business for final approval. This has always been the most drastic solution and may take months, so plan ahead. If you are starting new, I suggest that you hire an architect as a consultant just as you would hire a lawyer on retainer.

Advertising image enhancement strategies

From: Brainstorm Studios
Date: 10 Jun 1998
Time: 05:52:05

Develop a theme

. This allows you an opportunity to add greater interest and strengthen your events identity.You can emphasize specific rooms or characters people will experience, or touch on the history of the attraction. Create a slogan. Consider creating a slogan that mentions key benefits of your attraction. You should try to describe your events greatest assets through the eyes of your consumers.

Find a niche

. Although Halloween is typically your central theme, you need to establish a niche and develop a unique identity that is separate and apart from your competition. Your Advertising should then reflect your event's particular niche or theme. Never underestimate the power of a strong first impression. Remember, any successful advertising endeavor should be capable of capturing your audiences imagination. That first impression formed by the viewer with regards to the effectivness and entertainment value of your event in contrast to your competition is one of the keys to maintaining and increasing your events profitability. Brainstorm Studios can help you make your advertising as strong as the show you present. Attract bigger sponsors, and bigger crowds. visit our website at www.brainstormstudios.com

Fantasy Faces Makeup

Posted by David Stewart on July 14, 1998 at 11:00:30:
In Reply to: Morris make up posted by Rob Nealy on July 14, 1998 at 01:21:33:
Ghouly;
I never had a problem with the Fantasy Faces running. My problem is that it is very expensive. The Mehron ran a bit and cracked with thick applications. I used my very tolerant wife as a test subject last night and the Createx worked well. (Only did extremities) I worked sprayed smooth with no clogs right out of the bottle and provided a smooth coverage at 12 psi. They (AC Moore) had a great selection of colors and 4 oz was only $2.00 and some change. We left it on for 45 minutes and there was no reaction to the skin. I have a 4 day break this weekend and plan to do a full arm test. (We'll go outside and do some yard-work and see if it sweats off.) I'll let you know how it turns out.

BARKING WITH BARON VERDUN

(Edited by Lance Pope)
(from Hauntworld!)
What makes the difference between a good haunted house and a stinker?
Have you ever ventured through a haunted house attraction and thought at the exit, "Man, what a waste of money!" Couldn't put your finger on the one element that was missing? It's probably because there was a major problem in every department. Almost all haunted houses have their strong points, but are lacking in other key areas. Here are a few tips to put on your attraction's checklist.
In many houses, actors can carry the show, but many operators don't realize the importance of guest interaction with other "performers" such as ticket sellers, ticket takers, and door personnel. Achieve the optimum effect by having these people in character. If they are not the character actor type, they should at least be courteous and helpful to the guests, and know pertinent information about the attraction. Nothing ruins an adventurous interlude in a haunted house quite as memorably as a rude, bored ticket person. Short scripts for general discussion with the guests will accent their experience. Dark humor is essential for pre-show conversation. Phrases like, "Keep your hands to yourself while inside the mansion -- if you don't want 'em, we don't want 'em either" can add some color to the situation.
Continuity is essential to a good haunted house. By continuity, I mean that the props, costumes, lighting, sound and scenery should all match the intention of the scene's design. For example, a scarecrow wouldn't work in a laboratory scene. If at all possible, scenes should at least loosely fit a central theme or story for the haunt. This makes the show much more interesting for the guests and promotes curiosity.
Want your customers to come back several times in a season? Extravagant detail will keep them coming back for more. Detailing every aspect of your attraction from costumes to scenery will make a customer curious to see what they have missed, and they will invariably want to go back for another look. Detail is more time-consuming than expensive, so start on your remodeling early each year to have time to add some interesting final touches. If you buy most of your props, individualize them by adding your own personal touches. For example, a simple styrofoam tombstone can be more interesting with some spanish moss and lichen attached and a little waterstaining.
Make sure that your ticket prices truthfully reflect the entertainment value of your attraction. We all get dollar signs in our eyes sometimes, but if you have a ten minute attraction with a $15 ticket price, you are going to have some monstrously unhappy customers. You might get away with it your first season, but you better move and change the attraction's name for the next season.
In a haunted house, atmosphere is everything. We want to take people away from their ordinary, everyday lives and put them in a world of horrifying fantasy. Every aspect of the haunt should reflect the time period, place, etc. of the theme. Hide the actors' water bottles and street clothes from the customer's view. Anything that doesn't fit the "feel" of the house should disappear so that it doesn't break the audience's fragile suspension of disbelief. Treat a haunted house like a good horror movie to be successful. In other words, the Grim Reaper wearing white Nikes just doesn't cut it.
A particular point where your guests can become agitated is the ever-present long line in front of your haunt. Concoct a way to entertain your crowd, especially on the big nights. An enthralled crowd will lose track of time in the long wait and enjoy themselves much more. Some good examples of queue line antics are magic shows, showcase character acts, clowns, or even staged hangings and beheadings. At Verdun Manor, we publicly decapitate a shill "guest" during the magic show for breaking the rules of the house. It's a big hit. An entertained guest in the line is a lot less likely to develop the attitude of "This had better be worth it."
The number one thing that makes a haunted house enjoyable to the public is when the owner/operator truly cares about their satisfaction. If you're just in it for the money, find another business - this one requires creativity to succeed for more than a season or two. Exit surveys are an excellent way to see if you have done your job and to find out what your audience expects. Put in a question about what they would like to see next season, and they have already done your brainstorming for remodeling. Care about your audience and they will keep your haunt thriving for many years to come. Keep Haunting and Howling, Baron Michael Verdun

Re: Need ideas - amature house

Date: 19 Feb 1997 Time: 20:06:20
Comments
I dismember a cheap, effective idea at someone's H.A. that I liked. A room with matte black walls (not shiney plastic) with cheesy paper glow skeletons only one was a person dressed in a (spandex?) skeleton suit. If that person plays it cool and waits for the group to enter they can "drift" out and scare the sh*t out of them. also your person can turn around and "disapear". Forgot they had fans going to push the paper skeletons around. If my brain starts working again I'll post somemore.

Jim (cur86)


Comments
The jury is still out on this one folks. (pardon the pun) Buying a Mask of Freddy Kruegar does not give you the right to use Freddy nor the mask as freddy in you Haunted House. Sure lots of us are doing it but according to our attorneys we could be liable. Characters such as Dracula and Frankenstien are in the Public Domain but the specific images of "Famous Monsters" may be held by the makeup designers or studios. Larger Haunted Houses have already been hit with licensing fees when using specific New Line characters. No major case that I know have has been taken to trial to more define this issue but it is certian that the copyright holders of these characters smelling money will make this an issue with our growing industry. Haunted America will be keeping a close eye on this and reporting back to you new developements.

Legally Yours Joe Jensen Nightscape

Re:

Please answer my questions!

!

Date: 19 Feb 1997 Time: 21:08:24
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!

OK, OK!!! You know the $150/hour consultation happens within 24 hours after the question is posted, the FREE advice may take a couple of days!!! : ) See below:

Planning said:
I'm an inspiring Haunted house creator/ director/ who has a few serious questions towards the big time pro's out there who own their dream, a horror themepark!! I'm planning on creating a park in the future that will contains an incredible haunted mansion and a hayride!! That's all i guess i can really plan for our first year since we might lack in money, but we want to build and expand year after year!! My questions are....

1)We want a farm as our location, but farms seem to always be away from the world....what are a few things we can do to bring the people in with marketing and etc!!??

ScaryHouse Studio said:
A farm seems like a great location for a permanant installment. There are a few haunted environments in outlying parts of my town and they seem to to pretty well. I think the long dark drive adds to the excitement of the event.

Try to cooperate with other haunters in the area and pass out coupons for each others events. Get a popular Disc Jockey to give away free tickets on the air and come out to visit opening night. Have local businesses where kids hang out set up booths or pass out give-aways at your event. They'll advertise it. Try to come up with interesting way to connect your event with businesses in the community and they will advertise.

Planning said:
2)I know it's always a good to start small and grow, but really what is considered a themepark in your eyes?Also for our first year, should we add anything else besides a mansion and a hayride?

ScaryHouse Studio said:
I'm not exactly sure what the standard definition of 'themepark' is; It seems to me that it would have to be a permanant installation where one would pay a regular admission at a front gate then have a choice of several attractions or rides to enjoy, rather than paying for each ride at a time or buying tickets for each ride.

I think you'll find a haunted mansion and a haunted hayride plenty for you for a first year attraction.

Planning said:
3) Last how much money do you believe should go into an attraction such as we are planning!! Of course we are limited but to start off from how much do you believe should go into a themepark?

ScaryHouse Studio said:
Seems to me, an actual themepark could have corporate sponsers pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project. If you have those kinds of connections, please contact me with some names!!! : )

I think my first conceren would be the space. Make sure it is secure, well insulated, well plumbed, well electrified, fire protected, and safe. Then, with the finances you have left, begin constructing your show.

You seem to already have a plan in mind, however, my option would be to build a temporary seasonal installation in a building that is already up to the job, a mall or storefront for instance. Do good work, document every display, document every advertisement, document every dime, then after a few successful years, put a hundred presskits together and go after those corporate sponsors for your themepark.

Planning said:
I know this is a long letter but please pro's with experience answer my questions for it will help us a million!!

ScaryHouse Studio said:
Hope this helps! Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: NEED HELP ANIMATING PROPS

Date: 18 Feb 1997 Time: 23:43:51 Comments
I NEED TO BUILD AN ANIMATED FIGURE THAT TURNS ITS HEAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. ANY IDEAS??? blake12@ix.netcom.com Comments
I WOULD SUGGEST YOU GET A SMALL CLOCK TYPE GEARMOTOR AND MAKE YOUR OWN. SUCH MOTORS ARE AVAILABLE FROM SURPLUS CENTER LINCOLN NEBRASKA. CALL 800-488-3407 FOR A FREE CATALOG OR YOU MIGHT TRY HERBACH AND RADEMAN 215-788-5583 THEY SELL LOW RPM TIMING MOTORS FOR A FEW BUCKS THAT WORK GREAT FOR THAT APPLICATION. ANOTHER GOOD SOURCE FOR GOODIES IS EDMUND SCIENTIFIC 609-573-6250 THEN STOP AT A HARDWARE STORE AND BUY A LOCK COLLAR OF THE CORRECT SIZE FOR THE MOTOR SHAFT. MOUNT THE HEAD ON A SMALL DIAMETER PIECE OF PVC PIPE MOUNT IT TO THE FRAME OF YOUR FIGURE WITH A COUPLE EYEBOLTS SO IT CAN SWIVEL REPLACE THE SETSCREW IN THE LOCK COLLAR WITH A 2" LONG STOVEBOLT BEND THE BOLT AT THE END AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO MAKE A CRANK ADD A HANDLE TO THE PVC TO TURN IT WITH AND CONNECT THE CRANK TO THE HANDLE WITH A STIFF PIECE OF WIRE. IF YOU NEED MORE INFO CONTACT rfeutz@nconnect.net
Comments
Cheapest way is using an oscillating fan. Make sure you allow for air flow (usually through the eyes of the mask.
Comments
The fan is not a good idea. It is a safety and fire hazzard. got any more ideas????

Maze Construction, any other ideas?

Date: 09 Feb 1997 Time: 02:52:29
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
I hope you all can help me with a problem... I'm putting together a haunted attraction in Rockford IL. It will be an installation in a storefront at a mall. Our goal is to keep materials as re-usable as possible from one year to the next. We have no real problems with effects etc. Our biggest challenge is the maze itself. Anyone have any ideas? The variables are:
Wall sections must be mostly modular so the maze can change from year to year.
The on-location construction must snap or peg togethter, no nails or screws.
the construction must be kind to the space, no drilling anchors into the floor etc.
The construction must be sturdy enough to withstand the abuses of thousands of teen-agers.
The construction material must stack in a semi-trailer.
The construction material must be relatively cost effective.
Try useing 4x8 plywood with 2x4 framing. ie: one sheet, 3 2x4s (one cut to fit between other two. screw together either straight -- or at right angles -|. The right angle parts will hold the walls up while you tie everything together with 2x4 braceing on top of the walls. if you cannot ancor to the existing walls then use 2x4 braceing at angles /| and |\, butt the brace where the existing wall and the floor meet. If you attach ANYTHING with SCREWS to the plywood make SURE you break the points off (you lose a screw or lawsuit). McCurdy's H.M. uses this outside and stores them outside and most have lasted for four+ yrs.
jim (cur86@mhv.net)
Comments
Yes this type of construction works great. Have used it for 12 years. We used to use just plain "drywall screws" but whenever possible I try to use a drywall screw called a "hi lo": it has a deep and a shallow thread. People can ram and pound the walls all they want and they DON'T loosen. Even if the maze uses nasty subwoofers to shake the walls (great effect!).
>>McCurdy's H.M. uses this outside and stores them outside and most have lasted for four+ yrs.

It all depends how you paint or coat them for a life outside! Ask carnival owners.

Webmaster Rick

HELP!HELP!HELP!

Date: 08 Feb 1997 Time: 00:45:32
Comments
IM DESIGNING FOUR HAUNTED HOUSES. FOR A HAUNTED FESTIVAL IN OHIO AND I COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP!!... HOUSE 1, THEME, SLAUHTER HOUSE. HOUSE 2, THEME, FUTUREISTIC. HOUSE 3, THEME, GOTHIC N OLD. HOUSE 4, THEME,MIX OF THINGS. SIZES OF THE ROOMS R 12x12 I COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP, SO E-MAIL ME AT LILMIKE837. ANY IDEA WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!

My first suggestion would be to divide the work up between different 'teams.' Have them report back to you for your O.K., but allow someone else to come up with the concepts and have different artists work on each of the arenas. That way each one has a different 'feel' to it. You can still oversee each project for 'quality control' but delegating each house out to a 'team leader' who picks his own staff and artists, is the best way to ensure each 'house' will stand on its own and be different from the others.

You might even try to get other organizations involved, local non-profits who may never have been able to do an event before may take advantage of this if you tell them "Hey, I've got the space, the basic theme, and this amount of cash..." Tell them to match the cash you have, and handle the house for the season. At the end of the season, divide the profit with them. That way, you still have Directorial control over the entire event, each arena will have twice the money to use, you have less actual construction work to do, and local charities will benefit from your graciousness. Sounds like good resume material to me!!!

Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re:

I need some ideas

PLEASE!
Date: 09 Feb 1997 Time: 02:10:53
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!

Thirty rooms?!?

And you need help for only six more?

It would be hard for us to guess which themes you haven't touched on so please post again with the concepts for your last rooms and perhaps we can help you develop them.

My hope is that all of your other rooms are fully developed. My advice, in general, is to have fewer rooms, and that each room stands on its own merit as far as theme. Either it's own theme or to reinforce the theme of the event. It should not be just 'another room' to walk through.

Rather than building a giant event and have it come off as large but 'run of the mill' try building smaller events that demonstrate your skills: construction, sculpture, illusions, theater, and most important, your management skills. Try to come up with innovative way to make your haunted house benefit the community and local businesses through special promotions, giveaways, etc.

That is the way to attract investors and contributors for next years show. Build slowly and steadily. Businesses and your patrons alike will appreciate consistant growth rather than a large empty arena filled with underdeveloped rooms.

The first haunted event I ever worked on had only six rooms, but many visitors hit the floor by the second or third room and crawled the rest of the way through.

Happy Haunting! "Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: THE BEGINER IN THE GARAGE....

Date: 01 Feb 1997 Time: 23:33:08
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!

Try to expand the space by building a scene in the front yard. Then, perhaps, a waferboard maze in the driveway in front of the garage.

Try to work in a nice 'display' and a good act in the garage.

Even though it's a small attraction, peaple will be satisfied if you give them a beginning, a middle and an end. For instance, delevop some theme, then start it off, or tease them in the yard. The maze and your display would be the 'meat' of the show. Your act would be the 'gravy' or payoff at the end. Could you route them through to the backyard perhaps with more displays?

Many of us started off in our garages. It's good experinece building 'something' from 'nothing'. It will help you later on when you graduate to an arena style house somewhere. Get some friends together and pool your resources. Having a good 'crew' you can depend on is very important. You can weed them out now.

Good luck. Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: make up or mask?

Date: 31 Jan 1997 Time: 10:56:36
Comments
Greeting from ScaryHouse Studio!!!

We use basic grease paint to pale the face and darken the eyesockets. We compliment this with ratty, zombified clothing. Everyone starts off looking like your basic bloody zombie. Then 'characters' are created using simple costume elements, props, wigs, and sometimes, partial masks.

I decided to go this route for various reasons:

Without masks actors can really 'act' I've seen rooms run in a pinch by people wearing street cloths, so what you really need is good actors, not good masks.

Masks are hot and sweaty. It's dissapointing to go thru a house and peaple are walking around with masks propped up on top of thier heads gulping pop between each act.

Masks block vision and hearing as well as muffling vocalizations. It's hard to scare people jumping out and going "Mmmuummpphh!!!"

On the other hand we don't use alot of extensive make-up either. I know alot of film effect wannabes will be upset, but leave the sculpting for the displays, not the faces. With simple grease paint, a bloody zombie can change into a maniac doctor by simple putting on a bloody lab coat and a stethoscope. This way actors can change character every few hours, or go on break, and they won't get bored screaming the same lines for six hours.

I'm not saying masks and make-up are useless, but think of why you are using them. You could be wasting a lot of make-up man hours who's artistic talents may be put to better use. By getting out of the mindset of spending money on masks and special make-ups, and concentrating on getting the most out of your actors, you can get more effective scares for less money. Isn't that what we all want anyway?

This is my opinion and it has worked for us.

"Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

Re:

make up or mask

?

Date: 02 Feb 1997 Time: 00:19:43
Comments
SCARYFXMAN (Rob) said: Good points, about masks,etc.. But i have to dissagree with your opinion on make up. I'm the Chief Make Up Artist at Kevin McCurdys Haunted Mansion in Wappinger Falls NY. As long as the make up artist knows the actor and their part , make up should enhance their performance not hinder it. and well shifting parts and giving breaks does become a problem in special cases. thanks for the advice over on HA and HAPPY HAUNTINGS--Rob

My answer was: Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!

Thanks for reading the Voice of the Industry. I'm trying to respond to questions there because it seems like it may become quite a good resource for tossing ideas around if we begin to post in it enough.

I have to say, I agree with you totally if you are dealing with special make-up for a particular effect. Especialy if the audience has the opportunity to linger and really see some good work. However, many people get caught up thinking that the room will only work a certain way. Remember films like 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Not a lot of million dollar effects but one of the scariest. We all know the result of a film with alot of cool effects but with no story. The same is true of a haunted attraction. Great make-up in an undeveloped scene becomes nothing more than a hunk of latex on a kid. My assumption in answering the question that way was the person may be just starting up a first or second year attraction, and may not have all the resources available that we might have. That should not hinder thier ability to put on a good show.

Thanks for writing, good luck this year, and I'll see you at the convention.

Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: Your opinion -Funds for HH (Dark World)

Date: 16 Mar 1997 Time: 11:45:11
When it comes to issuing funds for construction or props, you must see the big picture. If you purchase special props, because they might be useful, but do not have a room or scene to use them in, what do you buy? I believe step one is important before spending funds at all. Plan and design the room first. Layout how the scare in the room works first. What type of props do you need to fill this room, sometimes less is more. Then see if you can build or easily and cheaply aquire the props. Then if the room needs something special figure your spending accordingly.
Designing is not all floorplans, it also take cost evaluation and phase contsruction. Plan over a few years. That's how you make PROFIT.
Hope this helps and answers the question at hand.
Kevin Dulle Chief Designer Dark World

Re:

Your opinion

Date: 15 Mar 1997 Time: 01:52:17
my best advice to you is save$$$$$save$$$$$ you can build extremely good props and effects at a fraction of the cost of spending alot of cash ihave found ways to create figures at at a 10th what a manaquin would cost. once you have established you self as a designer and a showman then start spending some cash.dont get me wrong some things you must buy but only if you cant create it first.youll be suprised at what creatures lurk dowm home depot shelves.save any eggcrate foam and 1x2s you can find this stuff work great for sculpting new beasties never be cheap but be thrifty theres usualy an effective way out of going broke in asituation like this i hope this helps you out some the creep keeper at nightmare studios dallas

(SHS) Repost- Re: How do I start my own haunted house?

Date: 02 Mar 1997 Time: 02:12:34
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
'How do' asks:
I set up a haunted scene every Halloween, I am very interested in setting up a potable or stationary Haunted House. I live in Western Canada and find that the information here is very limited. Is there anyone who has suggestion with a idea of how I can get my idea from paper to reality.
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
It's really hard to tell people what they need to do to create a haunted attraction. Everyone is different, thier attractions are different, and the audience is different. First of all, I'll tell you what I'm up to so you know where I'm coming from... For the past 15 years I1ve been creating horror art, and producing special effects and illusions for local theater, bands, performance artists, and many local haunted houses. Now, I'm directing my own haunted house. This will be my first year 'at the helm' so to speak, so in many ways I am in the same position you are. All I know of directing a haunted house I learned producing other events, and from observing other haunters mistakes. I will try to avoid them myself and help you steer clear as well. You must do research. Find out what lumber, fabric, paint, and foam costs. Find out what other haunted houses made last year. Find out what they made in the first year. Who ran them? Who was on staff? How effective were they? Who will work for you? Find out what problems other houses faced? Try to solve them ahead of time. You must brainstorm. Get together with friends. Ask them what they want to see, whats missing in the other local haunted houses. Try to take the usual haunted house rooms and add new ideas to make them your own. Pretend that nothing is out of bounds at first, any effect is possible. Write everything down and keep every scribble and drawing!!! After brainstorming for several sessions, you and your friends will try to pare down your ideas for rooms. Sometimes a room with poor development will have one good idea in it none of you will want to lose. Try to implement that idea or effect in a different room to make that room better. Try to get down to 15 well developed room ideas. Now comes the hard part, go over each room now and figure out how to pull it off. What garbage, old lumber, old clothes, other material can you come up with? Try to think of alternative materials in every situation. Wood becomes painted cardboard. Metal becomes painted foam. An evening gown becomes a nightgown. Also, think of what absolutely needs to be seen to give the impression you are looking for in each room. Remember any item you can't create or scavenge will cost you money. This is the heart of the haunted house and it will demonstrate your creative skills. You and your friends will chop your list down to about 9 or 10 well developed, feasable rooms. As the event draws near problems will arise and you will eventually have 5 or 6 stunning rooms your first year. Make an expense and return summary and a project schedule. Your Producer will use these to know how much money is needed and when. You must assemble your staff and crew. Your friends will do fine if they love haunting as much as you do and they each have talents you can use. If you think of your production like a film, You will easily be able to divide up all the tasks between the members of your staff. You will need a Director, (You!)to provide overall guidance to the event and keep your staff and crew focused, a Producer, to generate interest within the community, and find money, a Casting Agent, to handle volunteers, schedules, etc., an Office Manager, to handle phone calls, paperwork etc., an Accountant, to handle the books and so on. Of course this all depends on the size of the house running. A Volunteers Coordinator and an Office Manager may be the same person. In every case however, each person should know exactly what they are responsable for. You may feel you want to do all this work yourself, but the most important thing you can do is 'delegate' because there is no way you can do all the jobs that need to be done and do each one well. Let your electrician friend do the electrical work, your builder friend do the construction work, let your artistic friends do the sculpting, etc. Tell them what task you need completed, what the basic variables are, when it needs to be completed, and let them have at it. Check back only to make sure they are on schedule, or better yet have someone else do that. If the assignment is completed incorrectly it is your fault, you as the director, did not give enough directions or did not pick competent staff. Pick someone different next year for that job. Always thank people for thier efforts. Each of your staff will be a team leader over a crew of volunteers. Your staff needs to be in contact with your office manager and your volunteers coordinator to make sure they have the help and when they need it. Unloading trucks, building sets etc. all spring and summer long. You must put a project plan together. This details what your intetions are, how you plan to execute the event, the end product of all your research and brainstorming. This is what you will use to solicit funds, sell advertising, and promote the event. It is an important set of documents. If you are unable to put one together yourself , hire a professional. This all sounds absolutely awful, but this process will prepare you to have complete control, focus and confidence during the hectic times during the event. You will be in charge of thousand of dollars of other peoples money. They must know you are prepared to handle it expertly. If you prepare well, you will have a blast doing it. It gets easier year after year. You build a portfolio that tells business owners they can trust you with thier money. You upgrade your props, add rooms, you have a larger and larger crowd, and you make more and more money to start earlier for next year.
Well, I hope this helps. Happy Haunting!!!
"Scary" Dan Gildea ScaryHouse Studio Box 15377 Rockford IL 61132 scaryhouse@aol.com

(SHS) Re: More or That's enough

Date: 02 Mar 1997 Time: 01:23:41
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
'More or' asks:
My question.....how far do you go in detail for your attrction!! We love detail although we use a lot of cash!! what do you guys believe in this field!!
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
It all depends. I would expect a third or fourth year event to have better sculpture than a first year event. Better does not always mean more, though, sometimes very simple things can be very effective. As far as set design, a household scene need only have beige paint on the walls, a piece of living room art over the sofa, and some magazines on the end table to be convincing. It really depends on how much light you allow in the scene and how long you allow your audience to linger and gather details. In every case you will want to show off the things that look the best with brighter light, especially white light, and hide things that look the least convincing in semi darkness or colored light.
'More or' asks:
Also i was wondering.....what percentage of your budget should you put towards advertising!! Thanks
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
That all depends on where you live. I am lucky enough to live in an area where the 'Halloween groupies' are very well connected. They provide us with excellent word of mouth advertising. Check out what other successful haunts are doing in your area, copy thier strategy, and do it better. If your connected with a non-profit organization, you may get radio and tv ads cheap or free. I have seen that getting radio personalities at your opening is a very good way to begin your event. The radio station will always want a lot of people to show up when thier DJ's do a remote broadcast, they usually sell this service to businesses doing promotions, so they will saturate the airwaves to let people know where the DJ's are going to be to make thier 'product' look good. Try to get business involved in your event. If they have an interest in your event they will advertise, each in thier own way, for you.
For printing, try to get a 'realistic' estimate of the possible crowd you would expect and pass out twice as many flyers.
I would begin letting kids know about your event right when school starts by sending cast/crew volunteer cards into the schools, (theater and art departments first) to get kids to sign up or 'audition' early. This is good for four reasons:
You get kids that are truely interested in haunting because instead of just showing up opening night just for something to do, they had to actually fill out a form early and show up for a 'casting call'.
You can contact parents to put them at ease and let them know what you are all about, where thier kids will be during October evenings, and make sure the kids can fufill the schedule requirements.
If you need help earlier in the fall, unloading a truckful of lumber for example, you have the names of all your eager young haunters to call upon.
And, best of all, you start your word of mouth advertising in August.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

Re: (SHS) Re:

More or That's enough

Date: 02 Mar 1997 Time: 03:08:18
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
'You had' asks:
You had better check your insurance policy coverage very carefully before using "kids" in your haunt.Most haunt insurance policies will only cover adult volunteers (age 18 and over).
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
Since your patrons are most likely to be teen-agers, having a plan that covers all age groups is prudent. Most haunts in this area are fund raisers that have local high school kids volunteering to work rooms. Most haunts in this area have insurance to cover them.
It would be a good idea to present your project proposal to your insurance agent in person and go over every point in the proposal to be sure he knows exactly what plan will suit your needs. Go to a reputable agency that has experinece in insuring dark attractions.
Having a full coverage plan makes the best business sense.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

(SHS) Re: I have been lurking...

Date: 02 Mar 1997 Time: 04:20:36
Comments
Greetings from ScaryHouse Studio!!!
Bruce asks:
I have been lurking in the shadows of the H-l mail list and VOI chat, trying to learn more about HH preparation & presentation. You started this in your garage, & developed or evolved into Scary House Studio?
ScaryHouse Studio answers: I answer many of your questions in my post to V.O.I. called:
(SHS) Repost- Re: How do I start my own haunted house?
ScaryHouse Studio is my graphic arts and production company. I have been involved with local theater since high school. I have a great interest in film as well, especially horror films. In college I met up with others who were interested in film effects, many self taught from text books and self expirementation. We, as a group, got involved in some local fund raisers. Because our stuff was of a slightly higher caliber then most other haunts (community fund raisers with little kids in masks with flashlights.) I began to realize we were sort of a rare resource. Our group gathered more and more interested parties, slowly advancing our collective skills and we would work on several haunts each year, for no money unfortunatly. There are about ten of us in this network, who are interested in haunting, others are musicians, artists, recording engineers, businessmen, etc. They are all resources I have who are willing to work together on unusual projects. I have the coolest friends on the planet. I eventually branched off into music and sound recording at several studios here, and I always kept busy doing graphic arts, what I trained for in college. I gained experinece producing concerts and performance art events, making connections with local businesses all the way along. Last year I began putting a haunted project plan together to present to businesses and non-profits. Now I have several avenues of funding for the project, each with its own list of demands to be met in order to fufill my commitments. I'll soon decide exactly who's money I'll be using and continue with the project.
The most likely prospect is a friend who is a restaurantuer who is willing to get a bank loan to fund the project. All I have to do is pay him back the loan plus his banking costs at the end of November and allow him to exclusivly handle all the food vending during the event. I will retain all the construction material and props, 10% of the gross will go to my team leaders, and the rest will go to a local charity.
Bruce asks:
I appreciate your imput & would like to know more about the group. How long have you been part of the list? According to the archives, it goes back two years. Since I'm new at this,, I can only guess that there are several professionals involved, and seem to offer their imput for free, but there are home pages that say they charge a fee for their services. Can you clear up my confusion? The last thing I would want to do is offend someone because of my extreme ignorance. Thanks for your help. Bruce tbmiller@aisnet.net
ScaryHouse Studio answers:
I started up in V.O.I. in January, and I just got on H-L a few weeks ago. I consult for free to fund raising haunts in my area. Others charge. In the list and web forum a few 'pros' answer to generate and keep interest up in haunting. Ther are about three that routinely answer in V.O.I. The H-L has a few more. The H-L is a little more diverse in it's scope, all things Halloweenish. The V.O.I. is primarily for haunters. I'm not nearly a big dog like Joe Jensen of 'Hades'. Hades is a giant event close to Chicago. I belive, if I'm not mistaken, they sponsor the Haunted America web pages.
You won't offend me by asking questions my friend, that is how we all learn from each other. Feel free to ask any other questions in V.O.I. You'll get several answers to help you out. I'll post this so others can see what you've asked and I've answered. It may save me some time if anyone else was wondering the same things you were.
Happy Haunting!!! "Scary" Dan Gildea, ScaryHouse Studio, Box 15377, Rockford IL 61132, scaryhouse@aol.com

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Headaches

Date: 04 Apr 1997
Time: 23:02:26
Theres a lot of headaches in every business... does anyone else have headaches with other crew members and actors with in your attraction? Such as disagreements, people who want to take over the whole show...what do you do in this matter?

Re:

Headaches

Date: 05 Apr 1997
Time: 02:53:13
fire them, get new. problems don't go away, they just come up with new angles to torment you. what worked for me was give them 1/2 their pay weekly and the rest as a completion bonus for following the rules. once they are invested in the show they don't seem to screw up. we paid 4 an hour and 4 completion bonus. great crew, superior results. tx horror house

Re:

Headaches

Date: 04 Apr 1997
Time: 23:10:28
yes many businesses have problems and headaches....although you cant have friction in a team!! You cant have it base ball, football,on a film set....or any group effort!! So you cant have it in your crew!! Why you ask, simply because it will reflect on your work big time!! Work it out....have a group meeting... talk do what ever it takes....if you want to be the best boo for the buck..fighting with in a crew is a bad start!! Good Luck...Creep Ambassador

Re: Room Info

Date: 04 Apr 1997
Time: 07:27:03
Hi Thanks for responding, specifically I was interested in ideas for "MAZES" "A SPIDER BARN" and "OVERHEAD VIEWS" All are for a hay ride. The Maze would be outside and probably in a ski lift corrall where the patrons would get off the wagon and go through a maze to get on the lift which would take them to the top of the hill where they would then reboard a wagon which takes them down the trails. "OVERHEAD VIEWS" would be ideas for scenes etc on the ground that the patrons would look down on during their ride, up also if you have any other ideas on how to use this lift that would be helpful. "SPIDERBARN" would be ideas on how to decorate a fairly good size barn the wagon passes through and encounters spiders etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated and thanks again for responding.

Re: consession (Dark World)

Date: 02 Apr 1997
Time: 19:04:44
When planning a consession area, the most profitable location is usually right before or after the ticket booth while people wait in line. Having a photo op or a shop after the attraction is fine, but usually most mask, jewelry and what nots are best for the mall shops. Specialize in stock that reflects your attraction, such as t-shirts, hats and in areas that are outside, umbrellas.
Designing selling areas and traffic flows help the profit, but don't shove it down their throats. Make it look good and work like the grocery stores. Cheaper things at the exit, snacks and food at the front and a long the side a shop.
Dark World Entertainment Group stop on by and see us.
http://home.earthlink.net/~darkworld/

Re:

consession

Date: 29 Mar 1997
Time: 21:49:47
Make sure the exit path takes the customers by all the merchandise, photo op and snacks. Don't let them get out easy, and if possible include a little entertainment, say, with the photo op.jbc

Re:

consession

Date: 31 Mar 1997
Time: 00:07:08
Comments
has anyone make money selling the masks???
hhhhhhhmmmm....sure...as long as you have a display that attracts....although i would get together with a local halloween shop!! Creep Ambassador

Re: lowest priced prop stores

Date: 01 Apr 1997
Time: 18:32:12
Comments
I buy all my stuff from Visions of Evil. They are the absolute lowest of anyone and can get you anything. They have also been really good at telling me what is junk and a waste of money. I got the electric chair from them new for only $4500 which is alot less than anyone. Their address is 408 Hickory Glade Dr, Antioch TN 37013. send a couple a bucks cash and they will send a catalog to you.

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good simple advertising

Date: 14 Apr 1997
Time: 04:36:50
Comments
Here is an idea that I gave to Joe Jensen at the haunted convention.take one of your full sized fliers and on the back list the names #s and directions to all the haunted houses in your area.Most people haunted house (hop)so when they exit yours hand them a flier.This not only is a good gesture to the public which ,they will remember you for but when they get to the other haunted houses they will have this list in hand with a full sized flier of your house on its front.Others in line will see this and ask where they got it,automatically you will have your target audience find out about your haunted house and they will most likely show up...D.Harvest //just thought this idea should be shared with the rest of you too,even though its a simple one you will discover that it works...

Re: Room Ideas Best and Worst

Date: 12 Apr 1997
Time: 14:43:45
Comments
Our pendulum room, a lovely young lady stretched out on an "X" shaped table with a tall lurking creature watching as the pendulum blade swings back and forth across the girls stomach, the scare from above and behind. jbc

Re: Help... License to use copyrighted music

Date: 11 Apr 1997
Time: 13:17:22
Comments
Contact ASCAP, BMI, and/or SESAC. All three have Webpages. http://www.ascap.com/ascap.html
http://bmi.com/index.html http://sesac.com/

Re:

Help...

Date: 11 Apr 1997
Time: 13:32:50
Comments
ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Performers) will issue an "amusement park license" so you're able to play ASCAP-cataloged music such as Dead Man's Party. The license is very inexpensive, especially when you consider ASCAP has been very aggressive in locating violators. If caught, you can be fined up to $200,000 per day. It's better to be safe than sorry. You can reach ASCAP at (800) 492-7227. Hope this helps!
Michael M. Cruz eureka1@earthlink.net

Re: Automated Haunted House?

Date: 10 Apr 1997
Time: 15:05:48
Comments
I beleive the automated haunts have a place. They provide great safe entertainment for children under the age of 5 or 6. When designing an attraction for families this style haunt will work well. Other than that, one does not have to hear the hiss of air and they do provide good if not comical distractions for an actor to work off of and nail the customers to the wall. jbc

Re:

Automated Haunted House

?

Date: 16 Apr 1997
Time: 15:56:49
Comments
I will not argue that the technology is there, because it is. And then some. Chuckie Cheese and Show Biz (one in the
same now) have taught us much. Pirates of the Carabeian is a good example. BUT, the problem is not the show, nor its
timing, the problem is "Where is the Customer Looking When the SCARE is Initiated"? Even with pressure switches,
IR/Motion sensors the auto effect is, at best, entertainment value. Yes you will scare some, but an actor/operator will
learn/know the best placement of customer for maximum effect. You may wish to marry your animatronics with scare
activation by an operator monitoring many locations via TV cameras, the animatronics would provide the show, the
tech/operator would initiate the scare at the correct time. jbcorn@altinet.net

Re: enough intersest and enough people

Date: 09 Apr 1997
Time: 22:45:05
Comments
Hey buddy, your all over this page! Well, if you do your research & demographics you can find out the population of your target audience in a given area. For instance: once we did an attraction in a town that had'nt had one there in years, but we found that it had a very high population. Great! - except that half of those people were retired & NOT in our target audience. As a result our local advertising methods did not do so well. If you advertise on say....MTV, SciFi Channel, etc. through your local cable station you will surely hit the folks that will pay to see your place! In short: Do your
homework, Blast them with the corresponding advertising & you can't lose! (this is assuming your show is good, I do) hope this helps!

Re: Ghost Projector or Halograms???

Date: 08 Apr 1997
Time: 16:03:11
Comments
Purchase a small B&W TV and a video projector lens assembly. The projector lens can be bought
thru electronic surplus catalogues or a local surplus dealer. Marry the projection lens to the TV and
project a video taped or live ghost image onto clear plexi(at 45 degrees), sharks tooth scrim or
opaque plexi head on. Add color with floral wrap or gel in front of the projection lens. Adjust the TV
brightness and contrast controls for best image. jbc

Re:

Ghost Projector or Halograms?

??

Date: 08 Apr 1997
Time: 16:12:34
Comments
Another way to project ghosts is with an opaque projector used by artists to enlarge drawings and of course a slide or film projector. jbc

Re: Security

Date: 16 Apr 1997
Time: 03:47:32
Comments
Rowdy groups are identified before they enter the attraction. A manager asks them to have fun, but behave. Once they are in the attraction they are monitored by internal security. The first scene in my attraction has an extra actor, that doubles as security. If in his opnion they are still rowdy he follows them till they exit, on one occasion we added an additional security member to the front of a group. Management, security and select actors are equipped with Radio Shack Audiotronic headsets. These headsets use the ear piece to hear and as a microphone, their is no mic arm reaching out in front of your face. If a customer hits one of my actors for no reason he/she is escorted out immediately. It is possible for a customer to accidently hit an actor during a scare and we try to play that down. Also, on busy nights it is a must to have a uniformed officer in front, all customers pass by him going in and leaving. And last but not least, we have a sign at the entrance "For Your Safety And The Safety Of Others You Are Being Video Taped". It works wonders.
jbcorn@altinet.net

Re: Animatronics

Date: 16 Apr 1997
Time: 14:23:16
Comments
He He, Actually I have a book on the subject, but the easiest way to build an air ram is: have an air compressor 3.5 to 5 hp; an electronic valve operating at your selective operational voltage (all my effects use a 12vac power system); the air ram, a door closer(drill out the adjustment screw in the end and install a brass fitting for 1/4" hose) or bicycle tire pump, instead of air comming out of a pump you put air in and the handle extends. The circuit may be manually triggered or triggered by an electronic sensor or floor pressur switch. The trigger opens the valve the air flows into the air ram, the arm extends and moves the object. You can also operate without and electronic valve and use an air nozzle (Home Depot, Campbell Hausfield) this would of course be manual, the operator would press the release and the effect would engage. The one draw back is no air release after firing the effect. A small hole would have to be punched in the air hose between the effect and the air nozzle, some air would leak out when the effect fired, but enough would make it to the effect. Also, determining the air pressure to be used, the higher the air pressure the quicker the effect. I use three different air pressures off my compressor 20psi, 40psi and 100psi. This is done with regulators. jbcorn@altinet.net

Re: Getting numbers

Date: 20 Apr 1997
Time: 00:57:57
Comments
Find someone that has done a haunted house in your area in the last 3 years...use this number as a
base to which you could estimate your projected attendance. Do a local demographic survey...Are you
close to a college or a major city...What age group are you gearing your house to...find out the
percentage of that age group in the outlying areas..you can find this info from your city or county clerks
office.. whichever the case..and this information is free!!! All of this can be done by you in the course of
one day...I hope this helps..
Greg
Nightmare F/X inc.

Advertising direct to the public

Date: 17 Apr 1997
Time: 21:48:56
Comments
We came up with a pretty cool idea..for this years promotion plan!! We have bought many HIGHLY detailed costumes..and riders..!! Whats a rider you ask...its an illusion and a coustume in one...such as a reaper riding a creature!! Basically it's a spooktacular attraction getter!! We want to go through our town and streets in these costumes as a parade almost...although is it allowed!! If so ...how did it work for yourself!! ThanX Creep Ambassador

Re:

Advertising direct to the public

Date: 18 Apr 1997
Time: 21:23:56
Comments
Saw the riders at the show this year. I imagine they would make a pretty good promo item. As far as I know there are two companies making them this year: Stagecraft, Inc 3950 Spring Grove Ave Cincinnati, OH 45223 (513) 541-7150 (513) 541-7159-fax and Distortions (who's address I don't
have with me.) Stagecraft wanted around $550.00 and Distortions was somewhere around $1000.00 (But it looked GREAT!) Hope this helps. David Stewart White Clay Hauntings dehaunt@aol.com http://member.aol.com/david251/david.htm

Re:

Advertising direct to the public

Date: 29 Apr 1997
Time: 03:30:52
Comments
Here is something I have been doing that is working well: simple, but almost everyone goes for it...coffee shops, comic book stores, video stores, where ever kids go..offer THE MANAGER free tickets to it in exchange for them posting a flyer...almost 100% have been very happy to do it for me.. We have also been using a coffin, with a prop in it at
fleamarkets in the summer to early advertise the upcoming event..we sell t shirts and various horror items, but the main idea is to spam the hell out of the event..banners, flyers,
signs.. we even play "Monster music"..never fails to draw a crowd and pads out pockets for other expenses.

year long haunt

Date: 23 Apr 1997
Time: 14:22:56
Comments
Would folks please post a listing of Year long attractions throughout the counntry? I am gearing up for research and for summer fun! Mishka Dudash, The Ring of Steel, Ann Arbor MI mishdash@umich.edu

Re:

year long haunt

Date: 23 Apr 1997
Time: 17:46:45
Comments
Mayhem Manor is now open in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Nightmare Mansion is
open in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Of course, there is Terror on Church Street in Orlando, Florida. There is also that maniac Jim Warfield with Raven's Grin Inn in Mt. Carroll, Illinios. Happy Haunting!!
Isn't that Jim *Christine* at Ravin's Grin Inn?
Farmer Fridays haunted house in Coloma MI 1-800-spooked, near Benton Harbor right off 94

Reviews

Nightmares..The haunted house

Haunted PostMortem
Subject: Gatlinburg,Tn From: Oct..17 Actors: Totally scary TicketFolk: Rather OK Security: Rather scary Effects: Totally great Scares: Totally scary Patrons: Terrified InShort: The very best Date: 30 Oct 1996 Time: 15:42:15
Comments
The best Haunted house I have been to in a while...The staff was extremely helpful and friendly...The special effects were Hollywood quality..and the scares were TERRIFING..The cool thing about

this house is it is open all year long...365 days a year..

If you like in your face scares from beginning to end..This is the place for you...The tour I was in (I went through six times)three people passed out and one person peed on themselves. If you get a chance...CHECK THIS HOUSE OUT!!!!!!!!

Re:

hades

Haunted PostMortem
Subject: From: Actors: No comment TicketFolk: No comment Security: No comment Effects: No comment Scares: No comment Patrons: No comment InShort: Date: 11 Nov 1996 Time: 01:18:19
Comments
Not to get in a shouting match here. I totally agree with you every night should have something to offer. And I make no excuses for my house. It it fail to stir you I am sorry and in deed I will do everything in my power to try to make it better. I have been trying to do that for years. The problem with your comments is I can't be sure you were even to my house. (Not to say you are lying but to make a point about constuctive criticism which I would like). It would help me if you gave specifics. What house you were in? ( We had two) What time of night (If you were the last group you may have missed the show and we would do right by you) We had 23 display and experiences per house did they all disappoint you? Did all 90 actors miss you? Did the Scalfolding that took you up 34 feet and then ran you down to the depth fail to entertain? Did the $30,000 dollars of computerize lighting rental ( cyberlights, dmx strobes, etc) not catch your eyes? Did the scenerios that we had rehearsed with the actors not involved you? I could go on and on but that is not the point. The point is that constructive criticism needs specifics and then I can do something about it. You sound like a person that could provide such and I would welcome it. But from the sound of your observation - something went wrong on your visit and I would like to \ fix it. We have out-polling surveys and our ratings were the weakest that saturday but nothing like your talking about so I would like to discover what went wrong.
E-mail me at Nightscape@worldnet.att.net
Thankyou
Joe Jensen Hades Haunted House
P.S. Next year should be great. Very strong concept. Building on th the foundation of this year.

Kevin McCurdys Haunted Mansion

(19thyr.) Haunted PostMortem
Subject: Wappinger Falls NY,Bowdoin Park From: mid OCT 9pm Actors: Totally scary TicketFolk: Totally great Security: Totally scary Effects: Totally great Scares: Rather scary Patrons: Terrified InShort: New York States Best Date: 02 Feb 1997 Time: 23:35:39
Comments
For 20 years McCurdy and company have been the top HAUNTREPENUERS in New York State (located at Bowdoin Park,Scheaf RD Wappinger Falls NY-Late SEPTEMBER to 1st weekend inNOV.)914-297-BATT. They are all very dedicated Volunteers that never stop scaring. This place has something for the whole family-stage shows and terrorvision(tm.)for the people on the que line, a drive in movie screen for horror flicks, The 60min venture through the HAUNTED MANSION(tm.)(themed differently each Year), then there is the 40min. walk through the woods at night on the FRIGHTRAIL and FRIGHTRAIL ADVENTURE(tm.)-weather Permiting, occasionally a being will emerge from the Bowels of the house andveture into the crowds of Patrons(some of which travel from as far away as CO and CA each year)Durring the summer at the same location there is the SCI-FI DRIVE IN(tm.)-July-call for reservations, the drive in fills quickly! Happy Haunting-SCARYFXMAN@aol.com