[ShadyHallows]

This year I want to make my haunt a little more themed around some sort of story to create anticipation and a very scary haunt throughout. We will be charging $2 per customer so I'm looking to scare the pants off them. I want to theme it around somthing like "an old abandoned farm that a little girl lived at, she drowned in the lake there which is now this lots property. She still haunts the grounds today." Somthing kind of like that. One more thing is I have always used movie characters for the haunt but if I do this I dono what to do with all those masks and stuff. A little help would be appreciated here.

 

[Sickie Ickie]

If you don't care about using the masks in their original state again, spray paint them and ten paint them in a different way.

 

[Front Yard Fright]

well you could make a "house" outside like i did last year. you could just make the facade or you could actually have people walk through the door. then you can have diffrent rooms like a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen... ect. althought it would probably be hard to pull off if you are out in the woods.
and as for the masks... i personally hate it when haunted houses use movie monsters... it makes me think that they can't come up with anything scarier so they just throw jason in the corner room.
also, for the whole back story, i would sugguest maybe making a short video to show the patrons as the wait in line so they know what's going on. or you could have a gate keeper character tell the story as they wait in line or as they walk through the beging of the haunt.
hope this helps =\

 

[Sickie Ickie]

Hey, Frontyard-
What movie is your avatar from?

 

[ShadyHallows]

Ok there will be a trail that leads into the "house" (my pool shed, 24x24) For the house I will do the whole outside so it looks as if it was built out or bricks. Whats a good idea for the inside or like what to make the walls out of?

 

[BobC]

Shady, Does your property have a lake? if not I would totally ditch the storyline in your first post. If you go with that story people are going to want to see the lake she died in. I see this theme a lot for some reason and reminds me of the movie the ring to much only difference the well over a lake. Do you have any other story lines you are considering? Later :jol:

 

[Vlad]

There are several ways of getting your story theme out to the patrons. The most common is to expose them to it through the use of video, signs, or actors in the waiting line. You can also use the short range FM radio transmitters that were being dicussed in the group buy section and elsewhere. That way people will hear the story before getting out of their cars, and saving time in line. Also, the attention span of people waiting in line is very short. Keep it short and simple.

But first and foremost, and I really need to hear you say that you're reading this and understand it, ......................
If you're charging admission, you will have voided your home owners insurance, and need to take out a seperate special use policy to cover any troubles. You are also required to submit the proper tax forms to the IRS. Also, you will be subject to fire and building code inspections. That means fire sprinklers, fire exits, fire retardent materials used throughout. Building sections such as walls up to code, proper width aisles, emergency exits clearly lit, electrical wiring done to code etc.. I don't mean to be rude here, but I don't think you're at the stage of the game where you can do all of that. I know that I'm not.

 

[Dr Morbius]

I don't mean to be rude here, but I don't think you're at the stage of the game where you can do all of that. I know that I'm not.

I am! Oh wait. No I'm not.

 

[Front Yard Fright]

if you're walls are going to be exposed the the elements i would consider 2x4s and plywood. i use osb because it's cheaper and lighter... but since you'res will most likely get their share of rain i would sugguest plywood. and the 2x4s because you will probably have to anchor the crap out of the walls so they dont flop over on top of one another!

when we built our facade of the house we built it as a square or cube so that it was as strong as we could make it. then we just put 2x4s all over the thing to to insure that it wasn't going to fall apart once the wind picked up.

also, you probably won't need to inclose the whole thing with plywood... we only had 2 of our sides showing so we were able to just use camo tarps to cover the back of the house. it worked great.

 

[Front Yard Fright]

Hey, Frontyard-
What movie is your avatar from?

it's not from a movie... it's one of my props i have... her name is finger food because she looks like she bit off her own fingers... it's so cute!

 

[Sickie Ickie]

frontyard, see the new thread "Finger Food" under props and prop building. I want to ask you some questions about it, but I don't want to hijack this thread.

 

[ShadyHallows]

Wow, Vlad I didn't know I had to go through all of that! If it was free would I have to go through all that stuff?

 

[Vlad]

Shady, if it's a free haunt, then chances are that the powers that be will leave you alone. Although I have read instances where home haunts got so large (as in the use of huge circus type tents) that the authorities stepped in anyway. They do have the right to inspect and shut down any haunt whether it's free or not. The main consideration for you, is that by charging admission, you will have no protection under your current homeowners insurance. You need to talk this all over with your folks before you decide on what your plans are.

 

[Frighteners Entertainment]

We were inspected this yr as well (still free). With the complications of parking issues from the local police dept. really made a mess of things. This is another reason for not doing it anymore. If we were to charge or even donations they may have tried to make us get a permit this yr.

 

[slightlymad]

free charge for profit or donation. the powers that be are actually charged with the responsibilty of inspecting any and all properties that involve the general public. Believe it or not most of them are not out to hurt (eventhough it seems that way) but to help you. Hopefully next year our haunt will be a partial walk threw and in a new town so I will be calling them first. This usually eliminates any hard feelings that come from just popping up. These folks can be freinds and help spread the word. Not to mention the inspection report really helps if something does happen. To give you an idea I carry 500,000 G/L for my side work carpentry landscaping and snowplowing which cost me around 500.00 for the year.

 

[ShadyHallows]

Well my parents have alreayd oked the haunted house idea so I have their permission. I just need to figure out how I will do all that other stuff.