Haunt Theme 09?

[ShadyHallows]

Hey all,
I'm about ready to start work on the new website but have decided I need to figure out my haunt theme before I make it, I'd like to have the website and haunt similar so people have an idea of what kind of haunt this is. I love the general Halloween theme much like, hauntedoverload, but don't know if that's truly the most scary theme. I've ended up going with it every year but feel like it might be time to switch. What I have to work with: A pretty large backyard that in previous years has been a corn trail with scarecrows etc., a front yard which is a graveyard (plan on keeping that) and a 24x24 building which gets turned into a haunted house. I like the idea of a ghost theme or something of that sort. The ghost theme is appealing to me because I think a haunt is much scarier when it's based around something that actually could happen. Ideas? Suggestions? Thanks!

[Front Yard Fright]

That's always a tough question here on the forums. It all really depends on your personal taste and what you think will work best. Also, your budget, space, and what props you already have also have a lot to do with it.

So in short,
I have no freaking clue.
:D.
:p.

[slightlymad]

Tough one yes
Sounds like what you have is a haunted farm. Good back ground story is what ya need

[Beth]

EVERY year we struggle trying to come up with a theme. One year it was a circus, one year vampireish, one year movies, to me, that is the worst thing to try and come up with..... Good luck. Make sure and share when you come up with something so we can steal, er, borrow your idea.......:p

[remylass]

I think Halloween has a full moon this year. I am going with.... wait for it.... werewolves, I think. It will have to be a full re-invention of our yard because I don't have one thing that is werewolf related. I hope I can pull it all together.

As for an ongoing theme that would cover all the bases? I have no idea. That is a really tough one. Good luck, and let us know what you choose to do.

[Dixie]

I agree with you on so many points, Shady... what tends to scare me most is the paranormal, things that are just not RIGHT, and suspense, or anticipation.... I really try to stick with realism in our haunt as well, remembering back to when I was a kid, that fear of walking up to a real house that I thought was haunted.

Likewise, hubby and I spent most of February trying to come up with a theme that would be unique, yet not too "commercial" to be scary (even though non of our stuff is from commercial sources, rather - I mean the commercial stereotype of Halloween)....

I can't even begin to suggest themes for you, but I will tell you something that really helped us in choosing our theme was - can we incorporate the props we build this year into another completely different theme next year - so we arent storing what we make this year for a long time, waiting for this theme to come around again. If you can keep it generic enough with your props, you will have to spend less hard work and time customizing your props with every theme change.

[HauntDaddy]

Love the "generic" prop idea storage is always a problem

[The Rotten Pumpkin]

If I were you I'd do a ghost town in the building, or something like that.

[Valleyscare]

Well given that you're in a whole new location this year, I think between the name of your Haunt & the theme, I'd say a plantation theme would be cool. You could have a trail that leads up to the house with a horse barn (pallets and such with slaughtered animals/gore), maybe a cemetery part of it, cornfield, etc. Plus (like I mentioned), it fits with the name of your Haunt.

[Warrant2000]

You should consider what you plan on building or making. Will it be large structures? Many props? Animatronics? Live actors? The more original ideas you will do, the more building or buying props you'll need to do. Dream big as long as it's something you can accomplish.

I turned my large backyard into a Toxic Waste Zombie Catastrophe with 4 main areas; Control room, Giant Spider Tree, Zombie Run, Mad Scientist Lab. It all tied together with prisoners being held at a Toxic Waste Storage Facility.

http://hauntforum.com/picture.php?albumid=334&pictureid=4067

Not a complicated storyline, but easy enough for people to relate everything together. This year I'm doing much of the same with the same props, so not much to build from scratch.

http://hauntforum.com/picture.php?albumid=334&pictureid=6563