K.I.S.S.
And no not what you think. I have been producing Haunted Houses since 1979. But I started in junior high as a yard haunter. I have completed my annual tour of local haunts and have been amazed at how much money everyone has, except me.
So I come to you (those of you poor as a church mouse as I) with offers of simplicity and a reminder that big scares do not require big bucks.
1. A time old favorite is varying lengths of black fishing line hanging from above in a concentrated area of hall width by 4 to 8 feet.
2. Water guns do a real good number on victims. Best place to use one is in a scene where one actor is hacking another with a butcher knife or ax, have the spray in a line with the hacking.
3. Flashlight in the face, blind 'em then toy with 'em, gently LOL
4. Basic distraction, an actor, in plain view, sets in a chair. He looks harmless; with his up stagehand he is pulling a string, moving an object out of view, a chain or something, that is opposite him. The victims are pulled into the scene knowing where the scare is going to come from. But another actor is overtaking them from behind.
5. Lower things onto victims heads, stuffed animals are my favorite. No reason to make it elaborate, keep it dark and let them use their imagination as to what it is that is bouncing off their heads.
6. Variation to above, in a long hallway swing a stuffed animal into the face of the first victim, the effect is awesome.
7. The haunts entry ghoul can offer to shake the hands of victims as a show of support, his hand is fake, of course.
8. The ghoul behind the curtain is nothing new, so how about two new wrinkles? We nail a pair of shoes to the floor and have the curtain set in a way that barely exposes the tips, while the victims are busy checking out the curtain we scare them from behind. And for the very devious build a shelf 5 feet from the ground above the shoes, the victims check out the shoes, see nothing below, but are scared in the face from above.
9. A hall way of dummies, except one of them is not, no not looking like a dummy, he is above, working a string that makes one of the dummies appear to be alive, then the scare comes from above and behind.
10. The duck and scare from behind and above is tried and true. Have the victims duck under an object 5 feet from the ground. The actor hides in the opened side of the object.
Ten little low cost scares. Have a fantastic season and be safe.
Keep It Simple Stupid
JB Corn
Copyright 1999, All Rights Reserved
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