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Subject: Helpful Tips for beginner HORROR indie haunts.
Content: I know some of you guys are complete pros at this. But I have met some people who didn't know what to do that well with certain haunts. So, I'm going to post this here for you. I already have it posted on another site for anyone who is interested in it. So far, I have 5/5 stars for it. And just so you know, I'm not trying to tell you how to do things with this either. Just some hints and tips for those who go all Horror for their indie haunts ... And this kind of haunt isn't for kids. But here you go. - I think the best haunted houses are the ones that do not clutter it with simple things like witches, ghosts, and so forth. I think, the best scares come from gore, psychopaths, serial killers, zombies (realistic, not black and white make up and moping around). I never use witches, ghosts, Frankenstein, vampires, etc. I use the real deal scares. Not something from a child's fairy tale. You also need good actors. People do not fear someone who is reading from a horribly written script. - I never play the clique music in my haunted houses. The witches laughing, gates slamming, cats and dogs... No! I have my own haunted house soundtracks. Either stuff I have edited from horror movie soundtracks, or random sounds added to fast pace heavy music. Not just random sounds, but terrifying screaming, zombies, chains rattling and so forth. Even voice clips from top rated horror movies, like Pinhead, Freddy, and so forth. In example: Resident Evil theme with sound clips and sound effects added to it. - I always make my haunted houses feel like a labyrinth (a maze). This way the group stays confused on where they are in the dark hallways. They feel even more terrified when they are in complete darkness in the twisted hallways. Of course they will run into a few low hanging spider webs or hear terrifying sounds from up ahead. - I always start MONTHS early on designs and room scenes. Either building the props or drawing up designs and ideas. This way, when the time comes, I will know what exactly I will need to get and how many people will need to be in that room. - Some people may want to use tons of props in their haunted houses and just one or two people... Who are you trying to scare? Of course props are great for a haunted house, but you NEED people to be there as well. You want it to feel realistic, you need them. - I always name my haunted houses. So far, I have Slasherville and Blood Asylum. Haunted House just seems too dull and boring. So give it a real feeling. A name that will let them know its terrifying and not one of those boring haunts. - Always make sure you advertise well. Posters sometimes just do not cut it. Advertise in posters, flyers on cars, and the newspaper. Even make huge cardboard paper signs to put up around your town, but make sure you put them out weeks before the haunted house. Not the night before. This way, people who usually have plans, will know the haunted house is going on and put it in their planner. If you put it up the night before, the people could be busy. Yeah, most likely other haunted houses around will tare your posters down. (happened to me) . . . But guess who had the most people? Because I put fresh posters back up and it was in the newspaper every day. If possible contact local radio stations and have them to announce it for you. This will help you out a lot. - I always make warning signs for people with medical conditions (these go up at the haunted house). Like if they take seizures because of flashing lights, if they have a weak heart, faint at the sight of blood, panic attacks, etc... This is so you don't get sued! I had one lady who didn't listen to the warnings and she came on through. Third room in, I hear people screaming for the lights to turn on. I run around to the room, and she's taking a panic attack. Yeah, she was OK. She ripped down a few things by freaking out. But, I was more worried about her. After everything was repaired, I checked on her, she was more worried about me getting mad at her than anything. Come to her surprise, I was more worried about her than my haunted house and I wasn't at all mad at her. She even wanted to meet the people inside to apologize to them. Of course no one had hard feelings against her. She even gave me a good review for my haunted house. Some people would have gotten all upset because of their haunted house getting turned upside down in one room... What's the use to get upset? You should NEVER be more worried about your props than the people who PAY to see your creations. Don't be a prick. - Of course I ask people who work with me to show me how well they can act. If they need help, I will help them. And I never try to embarrass anyone either. It's not American Idol, and it's not a contest. - Depending on how long the people have worked with me, they will get to do more extreme parts. This way the new guys don't get hurt. "New" as in they have never done anything like this before. And yeah, I have a few friends who always work with me on this. I see them as my haunted house police. They know the rules by heart. No, they aren't the prick cops either that try to act all powerful. They just make sure that everything is running smoothly and that no one gets hurt. If I'm busy, they can help with problems. But, with big problems, they always come to me. They are helpers to make it clear. And NO I don't give the people who have worked with me before special treatment. Everyone who works with me are treated equally. - If you decide to host a haunted house, set a date, a time, and make sure you have a good area for a haunted house. Some fire departments will allow you to host a haunted house. Some won't. I suggest you have your own place. If not, check around your town. You will also want to set a certain price for people coming to your haunted house. But if you have a small haunted house, like 6 rooms or less, you will not get 10 bucks outta people for it. So don't dream of it. A normal amount in this area (Where I live) is usually around $3 per person. But this is for small (6-10 room) indie haunted houses. You will also want to sale tickets. Because some people will try to say they have paid but they haven't. Or if you set up a stand near the door, that will work as well. Up to you though. - You always want to set the entrance and exit a distance apart. You don't want the people exiting to run over the people waiting in line. And you always need to put up a small gate or even a rope so people don't clutter in a group around the door. This will cause confusion if they do so. Make sure they stay in a single line. When they enter, tell them to stay close to each other. This way, no one gets lost in the dark. - You also want to set a number for the amount of people you want to go through in a group. LARGE groups never work. The people in the back of the group ALWAYS miss what's going on when they get into the room. So set the number around 5 or 6 per group. And you always want to make sure you have a way for the handicapped to see what you can create. A ramp if you have to go up or down stairs. - I always use guides in my haunted house. People who fit the haunted house. Not someone dressed as a silly witch or a pumpkin. The guide is so no one gets lost or stranded. I mentioned earlier that I always make my haunted house like a labyrinth. Last thing you want are people getting lost and stranded in the haunted house. The guide never talks nor anything. They just lead the group. No this does NOT effect the scare the group will feel. The guide to them is just another person with them. If the guide talks the entire time, yeah, it will kill the scare. The guide must stay quiet and just lead. But you may want to warn your guide that they will be getting ran over, squeezed, or even pulled by the group. I played a guide before, and I was sore by the end of the night but it was great. You get to see the faces of the group and the reactions. And just a tip, you can use or lose. The last room in my haunted house, the guide disappears... They can see the exit, but the guide is missing. YES they will run towards the exit... When the crazed maniac with a chainsaw comes out behind them. - NEVER have someone inside the haunted house fallow the group all the way through. Some people will say this is a good idea. NO its not. The guide is there. That's all the need. They don't need a zombie moping behind them. This is called showing up. Showing up as in taking the scare away from others in the haunted house. Lose that idea if you use it. Because it's just plain stupid. ( I listed this because one of the new guys at my haunted house thought of the idea. Never used it. And never will.) - I never make my haunted house into a storyline. This is a waste of time and people get bored very easily. Just let the people go through without hearing a long storyline that puts them to sleep. The rooms tell the story. Even if they are all mixed up and random. No need for the guide to explain everything! "And this is where the victims were killed" OHHHH! How terrifying... As if the guests couldn't see that from all the blood on the floors and walls along with the hacked up bodies laying around. THANK YOU FOR TELLING US CAPTAIN OBVIOUS! Once again, DO NOT have a storyline in your haunted houses. Unless you are doing just a boring tour with no scares, no props, nothing... - Do NOT make the haunted house have really cheesy sci fi scenes. HORROR HORROR HORROR... Sci Fi is not HORROR. Sci Fi is Frankenstein, aliens, and so forth. But if you want something like that, make it HORROR. People didn't pay to see an alien landing zone or a little gray man. - Witches, Dracula, Frankenstein, the really lame werewolf *Wolfman*, aliens, Grim Reaper, the creature from the black puddle, etc... This is NOT horror. This is just really lame attempts at scaring. Be original. You want a werewolf, make it look like the werewolves from Ginger Snaps or Cursed *with more horror added*. Don't put some guy in your haunted house running around with a fish mask on. That is LAME and so stupid. Grim Reaper lost it's fear long ago. If you want him, make him as gory as possible. Don't make him wear a long black hooded robe, and be pointing. You want clowns, make them scary. Someone in cheap blue, red, and white make-up isn't scary... I think you get my point. Now, for the rules I have in my haunted house. This doesn't mean you have to use them or anything. Just some helpful hints and tips. -Do not go outside in costume, or take any of the props, masks, or costumes outside with you. -Do not bring your friends into the haunted house to talk with them nor any other matter, unless its an emergency. -Do not leave your area. I do not like having to tell you to get ready in front of a group nor do I like having the embarrassment of passing through the room you are in, while you are out of costume or out of place. -If you have a problem with a person, come to me. Don't take the matter into your own hands. Doing so, you will be dismissed from the haunted house with no questions asked. -If you smoke, you can go into an area where you are allowed to smoke. No need to get out of costume either. Smoke breaks will be taken at a given time. No other time. -Do not use cursing nor anything else that is insulting to others. -If you have a medical problem, please make it aware. We will find a place for you that will not harm you. -If you can not make it a certain night, make it aware. It is very important you are at the haunted house. If you know you can not make it a night, let me know 24 hours ahead of time. Do NOT wait til it's time to open and call saying you can't make it. If you are here for school credits, I will not give you the credits for the night you are not at the haunted house. -Once you choose or are given an area and character to play, you can NOT and will NOT switch places with another person. You must stay as the character you picked or was given. -Do not leave your area nor scream through the haunted house to find out if anyone is waiting at the entrance. You will be told by ME if no one is waiting to come through. You will not be allowed to wonder outside of the haunted house to wait on guests. -Bathroom breaks will be given every hour for a total of 5 - 10 minutes. (Unless you have a medical problem or its an emergency) Times will vary to the amount of groups waiting. Please be aware of that. -Do not tell anyone what is inside the haunted house. The haunted house is to scare people. Telling others will make them aware of what is to come. Surprise is everything. -If there is an accident in the haunted house, make it aware right away. - It is a must for you to be at the haunted house 1 hour ahead of time. This is so we have everything ready to go when the time to open is here. People who have been given a special character that requires extreme make-up will be given a time to show up earlier. -Do NOT remove your make up until closing time. I do NOT enjoy knowing that all of my work went to waste. But if the make up is effecting you medically, then by all means, remove it. But I have never had any problems from anyone dealing with the make up they were wearing. -Please respect others. Do NOT try to show up others in the room with you. I try to make everything equal. So please, don't get all high school drama. That never works anyway. You just turn the room into a silly room with bad acting. -These rules were made for everyone. Not just certain people. If you break the rules. You will be dismissed. -Respect everyone. I hope you enjoyed this or maybe it even helped out some of you.