Originally, the Celtic pre-Christian fall celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-win) marked the passing of the harvest and the coming of winter (the 'dead' time). Followers thought this meant the spirits of their recently deceased relatives may try to visit or move back in, so they fashioned lanterns and wore masks to lead or frighten the spirits out of town so they could find their eternal rest somewhere else. The Roman influence of their fall celebration, Pomona, and later, the Christian influences changed Samhain into "All Saints" day. As time passed, the day before All Saints day became "All Hallowed Eve", then shortened and changed to "Hallows-Even", then finally, Halloween. The practices changed as well, from a religious event several thousand years ago to a children's event within the last century.
Just in the past 50 years, Halloween meant trick or treating, toilet paper tossing and egg throwing. Kids in colorful costumes roamed the streets looking for the best possible treats, and toilet paper hung from the trees like tinsel on a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, as the years passed, Halloween's association with mischief has led to the creation of many unfortunate myths. Now, concerned parents are closely watching their kids' activities, and in some communities, authorities are strictly enforcing curfews. The face of Halloween is constantly adapting to fit the culture and the times.
Currently, the Halloween season is now a two billion dollar industry, and America's second most popular holiday. With nearly half of retail sales going to costumes for adults, the makeup of Halloween fun seekers is changing still. And people are looking for places to have 'scary fun'. People today are more sophisticated than ever, and are no longer satisfied staying home Halloween night watching reruns of Halloween, or Friday the 13th on TV. They expect professional state of the art entertainment made especially for the Halloween season, in other words, they want to be scared! They want to leave the safety of their home, go to a controlled, safe environment, and see strange, unusual, bloody, disgusting, and scary things. They want to see real live vampires and graveyard ghouls. they want to come face to face with the living dead, be startled by killer clowns, and be chased by the chainsaw killer. Its our goal to give them what they want!
The Hacker House has been specially designed to give
our thrill seeking customers maximum frights in a creepy environment,
interaction with monsters, zombies and ghouls, a haunted atmosphere,
and waiting lines as short as possible. With our many years of
success, we feel there is nobody better qualified to bring quality
Halloween entertainment to our area.
So You Want To Work In A Haunted House
Its a lot different than you think it is. To the average customer,
a trip through the Hacker House may look like total chaos...
ghouls, monsters, and zombies all jumping out at them when they
least expect it. Flashing lights, fog and smoke, blaring sound,
and blood curdling screams... its an exciting, frightening, experience!
This is no accident. The Hacker House is a tightly choreographed show with each actor and actress doing their part, working together as a team, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle coming together to create a frightening picture.
Its not easy to do! It's physically demanding and mentally
exhausting. It requires focus, timing, concentration, self discipline,
commitment, and the ability to take direction. Although our customers
are having a blast, you may well be assigned to play the same
part night after night. Chances are that you'll be in the weird
costume, wearing special make-up, covered with some combination
of blood, slime, and oozing guts. Sound like fun? Hey, this is
show business!
Look at it this way, think of your favorite entertainer. Sinatra?
Rolling Stones? Pearl Jam? When you go to see them in concert,
you expect to see a great show. It doesn't matter to you if its
the first night or the last stop of a year long tour. You want
your favorite songs played with energy and excitement. It doesn't
matter if that band played the song a thousand time before, you
want it played the right way, right? And haunted house customers
feel the same way about their experience at the Hacker House.
They don't care if this is the 100th time you jumped out of from
behind the secret panel, or the 700th time you pulled the starter
on the chainsaw - they want and deserve a great show! That's
what they're here for and what they paid their money to see.
However, if you understand all this "show biz stuff" going in, if you have the qualities we just talked about, if you want to act, if you like Halloween and the horror genre, and most of all if you're young at heart and want to entertain and scare people... then you're in the right place!
You are officially 'on the clock' when the Hacker House opens. We plan to open every night at 8 PM. Refer to the calendar posted in the makeup area for exact times and dates because they might change. Everyone is expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before opening to put on makeup and to get into costume - and be ready to go at opening. A few positions will require that you arrive at least 45 minutes before opening. When you first arrive, sign in at the costume area. You will receive you Hacker House Staff badge.
After you've been checked in, you'll be given your costume and any props you will need for the night. Remain in the makeup/dressing area and put on any makeup and special effects you will need for the night. You are responsible for your costume and props we issue you. You will be required to sign for them at the beginning of each night, and we will sign off on them when you return them at the end of the night. Any props, costumes, and masks that don't come back, or come back damaged beyond what is considered reasonable wear and tear will be deducted from your compensation.
This is so we can do our final pre-opening check. We will not go running around trying to find you. If you are not in your spot as required, you will be replaced for the shift. We do our best to run a professional operation at all times. Making sure the scenes and scares are properly staffed is one of the basics, so please make sure you're where you are supposed to be on time.
Our cast leaders and deputies will be constantly patrolling the attraction. They work for us... not you. We have hired them to do a very specific job. They're responsible for keeping the attraction safe and running smoothly. The are not there to run errands for you. This includes getting food or drinks, calling home, or filling in for you if you need a break. Technical problems such as burned out lights or running low on supplies such as fog juice should be reported immediately. Any customer problems such as accidents, customers smoking, touching, damaging or stealing props, verbally or physically abusing you or another member of the staff should also be reported immediately.
We will prosecute anyone who intentionally hurts one of our staff. Sometimes people get really scared when you jump out at them and my (try to) hit you in self defense. You will have to decide whether or not the incident in question was an accident or was done on purpose to hurt you. You are required to not only stay in your spot, but also stay in character during the hours of operation. However, if a customer has acted inappropriately, there are several things you should do. If you decide that the incident in question was an accident, you are to break character and remind the customer that touching actors or props is not allowed. If you think the customer has purposefully (tried to) hurt you, you should leave your spot, walk with that customer, and point them out to management or security. We will know how to best handle things from there. It is important to use common sense. Stay a safe distance away from the person who hurt you. Keep them in sight but don't engage them in conversation about the incident. In a situation like this, it is important to keep your cool and stay alert. Pick out something, such as article of clothing or hair style, that will help you identify the customer in question.
The Hacker House runs continuously from opening through
closing. We are usually open only three hours a night. All positions
must be continuously staffed while we're open. Individual breaks
may be given at various times throughout the night on an as needed
basis. They will be handled by the cast leaders. At no time
will you leave your position simply because you have decided that
you need a break. If you feel that you need a break badly, ask
your cast leader to help you. He or she will arrange a replacement
for you. Breaks will be short, from five to ten minutes only.
Just enough time to go to the bathroom and grab a quick snack
and/or drink. You are required to be back in place, in costume,
ready to go at the end of the break time. We will not go and
look for you. When at break, use the designated break area to
'slip out of character'. You are responsible for bringing your
own refreshments. When leaving your position to go on break,
you should always stay in character (and get scares along the
way if possible) until you reach the break area. You will only
get one short break a night...Maybe.. so hit the bathroom BEFORE
you get into position!
Attendance
If you are going to be late, or if you are not coming in on
a particular night, you are expected to call ahead, at least two
hours, and let us know so we can find someone to cover your scene.
Although this is a fairly unusual job, the same common sense
rules that apply to any other job apply here as well, so remember
to call in (the earlier, the better!) if you are going to be late
or cannot come at all.
Staying In Character
Staying in character is an important part of the job. People
come here not only to be scared, but to be entertained. One of
the things we do for our customers is to help them 'suspend their
belief' in reality. We want them to think that anything is possible
at the Hacker House. One of the easiest ways of doing
this is to always remain in character. Think about it. When
was the last time you saw a vampire smoking a cigarette or a ghoul
eating a tuna sandwich? When customers sees that sort of thing,
it takes away from the whole experience. We may not be as big
as DisneyWorld, but that doesn't mean we can't be as professional
as Disney. This means not only staying in character between groups,
but staying in character and getting scares on your way to the
bathroom or break area. Staying in character is one way to ensure
that our customers area having a frighteningly enjoyable time!
When you arrive, immediately go to the costume/makeup area
and sign in for your assignment. Remain out of sight from our
customers until you're ready to scare the willies out of them.
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed in or around the attraction for these important
reasons:
We maintain a smoking area behind the building outside of the break area. It is your responsibility to keep the area clean. DO NOT discard cigarette butts on the ground. Use the ash can. Not only is this unsightly, but it can create a fire hazard. This area can only be used when out of costume, before or after the show.
Any cast member found smoking outside of these conditions will be terminated immediately. Any customer found smoking inside the attraction must be asked to extinguish the cigarette immediately, and the customer must be reported to your cast leader or security as soon as possible. Obviously this is an issue we take very seriously - and so should you!
Please consider this point carefully. Remember, our customers want to believe we are real. Let's do everything we can to help them believe we are!
It should be obvious that there is no room for substance abuse at the Hacker House. This is a family attraction where you are constantly interacting with the public. In order to do this successfully, you need a clear head and your wits about you. Evidence of substance abuse will result in immediate termination. Lets face it, this is a pretty unusual job. You're working in an environment full of interesting, cool and unusual things trying your best to scare people half to death. If you think you need drugs or alcohol to work here, you probably have bigger problems than you know... or we care to deal with.
On a busy night, you might use the same prop or accessory over a hundred times. As a result, props sometimes need preventative maintenance or replacement. Things like coffin lids becoming loose or fog machines not working can sometimes be fixed in between groups. Immediately inform your cast leader of anything - including the small stuff - that isn't working as soon as possible. We will work to remedy the situation as quickly as quickly as we can. At sign out time, please tell your cast leader of anything that isn't working properly. This gives us time to repair or replace broken props before we open the next night so you can do the best possible job scaring the 'yell' out of people!
This is a haunted Halloween attraction. We provide the entertainment
for people who are looking for Halloween fun. We are all expected
to work on Halloween and Halloween weekend. Going to a party
or to a Rocky Horror picture show is not an excuse. If you can't
make the commitment, don't work here! Besides, you'll never find
Halloween party that's as much fun as being here - especially
on Halloween week!
Improvisation
We have written skits for your scenes and characters that we believe
will work. We have arranged several practice sessions to be sure
we're working together to give our customers the best scares we
possibly can. Do not change the script because you want to.
We have been scaring people for a very long time now, and we have
a pretty good idea what works and what doesn't. We will decide
whether or not a scare is working and take appropriate action.
However, we are not perfect! If you think a scare is not working, let us know. We will check it out immediately and if necessary change things around until they do work. Nothing is written in stone. The Hacker House is a living, breathing thing with a life of its own. Things are always changing - but that's our responsibility.
If you have an idea for a skit, or a change you think will make your room scene better, tell us, we would love to hear it! The time to tell us is at the end of the night, or come in early the following day and we will discuss the idea then. Generally speaking, one hour before opening is not a good time to want to talk about a new concept because there is so much to do before opening for the night. Remember, never take it upon yourself to just change your room scene. Your idea might be great one, but we need to carefully consider any changes made.
Scaring people all night can take its toll on you. After hours of jumping out at people, screaming and trying to scare them, your energy level tends to drop. Its ok to bring snacks for a quick pick me up, or drinks to keep you going - as long as you follow a few common sense guidelines. All food and drink must be kept completely out of sight from the customers. Bring only 'passive foods'. No customer is going to smell a can of Pepsi, but a thermos of hazelnut blend coffee will act as a major distraction for customers going through the show. NEVER let customers see you eating or drinking anything (well, other than blood or body parts). Remember, you're monsters, and monsters don't eat or drink. In order to maximize the scares customers experience, we take all five senses into account. Just because a scene looks good, doesn't mean the scare can't be ruined by a customer seeing, smelling, or hearing something they were not meant to experience. Never forget, the scare comes first. Don't miss a scare because you've got a turkey sandwich in your mouth. Like we said, use common sense!
Because we have no idea when the last group of customers is coming through and exiting the attraction, it is important that you stay in your spot until you are officially relieved by your cast leader. We have placed several garbage cans throughout the attraction, and we will come around with a garbage bag so you can clean up any mess you might have made during the night. You are responsible for cleaning up your own garbage at the end of the night. Do not leave any food or drink overnight as bugs and vermin are attracted to it.
Once you are released for the night, return your costume and props and check out for the night. All costumes and props are inspected, and we sign off indicating they have been returned in good condition. Please tell us if you costume or prop needs washing or repair. Remember, you are responsible for props issued to you.
You will only be released for the night after the last customer has left the attraction. A customer who is being followed out by cast members who are laughing, talking, taking off the masks or costumes, is not having the good time they paid for.
We worked hard putting the Hacker House together. We
have spent months designing the sets, scares, and the maze itself.
We have spent thousands of dollars on the props and displays
you see in each room individual room. For that reason, you will
expected to adhere to the following policy: Do not touch props,
displays and set dressings. Every scene has been designed to
produce a specific reaction from our customers. The props, what
they are, where they are, and how they are situated has all been
thought out and you should not take it upon yourself to change
things. Any prop you need to enhance your skit will be issued
to you at the beginning of the night. if you think a particular
prop or piece will have a greater impact in a different area,
all you have to do is ask us and we will consider your suggestion
on the spot!
Sexual Harassment and Abuse
There are a number of things to consider here and they are
all important, so do your best to act appropriately at all times.
First, you and not to make advances to your fellow workers. You
are here to work, not socialize. If someone is making unwanted
advances towards you, is physically or verbally abusive, or whose
behavior is offensive, tell your cast leader or another supervisor.
We will make sure the situation is resolved quickly.
But that is just the beginning. These days it seems that almost any physical contact can be considered sexual in nature so our hard and fast rule is:
But it doesn't stop there. You have to be just as careful about what you say because the spoken word can also be considered a form of sexual harassment. Be careful what you say. What you might consider clever or cute may be considered offensive or abusive by someone else. That's one more reason why we have gone to such great lengths designing each room, scene, and scare.
With the exception of helping terrorized children and dealing with inappropriate customers, the only other time you can break character is during a medical emergency. During a medical emergency, your first and only response is to contact your cast leader or security. They are in radio contact with the office and appropriate action will be taken. Medical emergencies are best left to medical professionals, so unless you are one, you run the risk of doing more harm than good by trying to help. Contact your cast leader and return to your position. The area needs to be clear so EMTs can get in and if you're not in your position you're in the way. You can do the most good by not being in the way.
In case of a fire, your only responsibility is to exit the building. There are emergency exits throughout the event. You should familiarize yourself with these emergency exits. If, as you are exiting the building you should come across other people, you may instruct them tot follow you to a safe exit. This is not the same as waiting around looking for people to take out with you. Your only response should be to leave the attraction. DO NOT YELL "FIRE". Once you are out of the building, do NOT go back for ANY reason. It is the job of professional fire fighters to put out fires and save lives - not yours. By returning to a burning building you run the risk of serious injury or worse - so please, DON'T DO IT. When exiting the building, do directly to the emergency cast member area located at the light post in the overflow parking lot. Once there, we can be sure that no one is still in the building, and we will be out of the way of emergency personnel.
Shirts, pants, socks, and shoes. Besides helping you to hide throughout the attraction, wearing black helps you fulfill customers expectations. One of the reasons they come to a haunted attraction is to see the strange and unusual. A Tommy Hilfinger sweatshirt and Reebok shoes may be fine casual wear but its far from 'strange and unusual'. Dressing appropriately helps give our customers value for their dollar which is very important because they are in the show for such a short time.
This is what its all about! This is why our customers come
here. This is why we are here.
"We Love To Hear You Scream!" is our motto.
At the Hacker House, we use these basic types of scares:
Although it sounds simple, there's lots more to it than meets the eye. As with so many things in life, timing is everything. I can't tell you how many good scare opportunities have been missed simple because an actor jumped out too early or too late. Pay close attention to when you are jumping out to get your scare.
Get close. Make sure you are close enough to the group to get an effective scare. It doesn't do any good to jump out at them from far away. That's a stalking scare, and its completely different. Watch your timing. Wait for the right instant when your 'victims' are least expecting your scare - when they're looking in another direction, talking to someone else in the group, or watching something going on in the scene. We place lots of distractions to help you get the best possible scare from your 'victims'. Watch the group and work on your timing to deliver the best possible scare and get the best possible screams! If your timing is good and conditions are right, sometimes you will be able to scare the same group twice - for double the screams.
But watch your distance. The startle scare works best when you actually violate the customer's 'personal space'. On the other hand, you are more likely to get punched when you're that close. So don't stick around after the scare for many reasons. First of which is to avoid being punched! (Hint: Don't lead with your face.) Also, by getting back into position quickly, you have a good chance to get someone else in the group. And, nothing ruins a perfectly executed startle scare like a lost monster hanging around looking at the rest of the group once the scare is accomplished. If you have jumped out from behind something, get back down and wait for the next group. If you are coming out of something (like a closet or basket) either return to your hiding place or walk away from the group. In either case, don't just stand there looking at the group. If you do, they will expect you to do something else, and when you don't deliver, they will be disappointed.
Don't jump out too fast. Although you startle scare must happen quickly in order to get maximum results, it can be done too fast missing the opportunity for a great scare. The brain/nervous system needs to perceive a threat in order to react - thus getting the scare. If you jump out too quickly and then disappear, the nervous system won't have anything to "hang on to" or to perceive as a threat - and, the scare is missed.
Be forceful. Nobody reacts to the meek and mild in a startle scare. Put all you can into every scare. Even though its the 100th time for you tonight, its still the first time for them!
Don't scare just the front of the group. It is vitally important to concentrate on scaring both the middle and end of the group.
The most brave of the group are at the front, the second most brave at the back, and the easiest to scare are always in the middle. Scaring for the middle will shock those at the front when the victims in the middle react to the scare, and those at the end will be entertained by the reaction of the middle victims. Sometimes you will be able to deliver a scare to the middle and end of the group if the situation is right. Watch the group as they approach and 'read' how they are moving through the room. If they're in a tight bunch, go for the middle. If they're loosely space out, try for the middle-front, then if end people missed it, get them a second or two later.
Don't yell "GET OUT". People don't want to get out. They paid good money to get in! They want to enjoy every minute they're in our show - and so do we! Nothing ruins a good haunted house like room after room of untrained actors yelling 'get out'.! We don't want to abuse our customers... just scare the willies out of them! Be creative and work 'inside' your character, but if you cannot think of anything to say except 'rrraaagh', just ask, we can help with phrases!
his is a sure-fire scare that's easy to do, but takes a little practice and self-discipline to really make it work. With this type of scare, its important not to get too close to the customers. Many people tend to get 'uncomfortable' when they see a monster coming at them from far away. The closer the monster gets, the more frightened they get. Simple, but its important to maintain some distance for it to work. Here's why. You know how you feel funny when a stranger stands too close to you? That's because they have invaded your personal space. What happens when the psycho killer invades your personal space? Again, you feel uncomfortable. But what if he invades your space and doesn't try to kill you? He loses his credibility as a killer, and loses his ability to scare you. But, by keeping some distance, the customer can always believe that maybe the killer is not really a cast member, and something just might go terribly wrong.
Occasionally, we may use the gross-out in addition to the other main scare styles. The gross-out is useful to play with the audience. The gross-out has two variations: the first uses disgusting squishy objects (usually dripping with blood) such as entrails, organs, or body parts which are pushed out at the customers forcing them to retreat for safety. The other is the blood squirt. This is where 'blood' is squirted onto the customers. Not really - we only use clean water. There is no red coloring that will not leave a stain, so we show customers lots of dripping blood, use red lights to accent the color, then squirt clean water on them. Their imagination does the rest. Watch out when using the blood squirt. Sometimes customers will tour the show wearing expensive clothes made of delicate or easily stained materials such as silk or suede. Even water may cause a slight staining, so DO NOT squirt them. There will be others to get!
There is a world of difference between someone who is having a good time being scared, and someone that is actually being traumatized. Many times parents will, against our advice, bring a young child into the show who has no business being there. A child who is being traumatized by the haunted house experience could develop fears that will stay with that child for a lifetime.
That is NOT what we're about. We are about scary fun - with the emphasis on fun. You may witness a customer who is screaming, paralyzed with fear, far beyond what anyone may consider having a 'good time'. If you encounter this situation, break character immediately, then contact your cast leader. He or she will lead the customer, along with their parents (or other group members) out of the show and to a much calmer environment where the customer can recover. We will determine how or when the customers may continue through the show. This is one of the few times that you are allowed to break character, but its well worth it.