Haunt Tips Archives - Page 2 of 15 - ScaryVisions: We build your Haunted House

HaunTopic Radio 2017: New things, happenings, and projects for HaunTopic

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:41 — 15.3MB)

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Expect great things for HaunTopic Radio in 2017! Behind-the-scare interviews with professionals in the Haunted Attraction Industry, helpful advice to grow your Haunt from other Haunters, and a brand new website focused on those who want to start & grow their haunted attraction business.

Man!! What a crazy Haunt Season! How was your October??

I had planned to release more podcast episodes in September and October but the Dead Factory grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go. What started as a few small additions to our Haunt grew into over another 1,000 square feet of spiders and cemetery. We built more wall panels, added an effective spider area, and turned our small cemetery scene into a small indoor corn maze. Now the Dead Factory is over 7,000 square feet!

What originally started out as an idea quickly grew into a huge addition to our 20 minute walk-through. But we will have more episodes on that coming soon. As well as stories and highlights from our co-host Darryl Plunkie’s adventures up there in Canada. Stay tuned for those podcast episodes coming soon.

What’s NEW for HaunTopic Radio in 2017?

Audio Episodes focused on starting and growing your Haunt: Whether you’re a Pro Level Attraction searching for new ideas to take your Haunt to the next level or a Home Haunt that would love to be a bigger Haunted Attraction one day; you’ll find some nuggets of wisdom inside our podcasts.

A NEW website focused on Starting and Growing a Haunted Attraction: I started HauntersToolbox.com last year and realized building this vision in my head was going to take a lot longer than I thought. This vision will be complete in 2017! This website will include a free membership for you if you want access to our Haunt Video Library and include a free Haunter Dashboard. This website will also have a paid membership feature that will grant you instant access to all of our Haunt Video Training Seminars, Live Training Seminars, and discounts on Haunt supplies and events. (Coming Soon)

Our current haunt training videos at $25 will not be for sale after the HauntersToolbox.com is live. They will be packaged into the new paid membership options. (Current customers will still have access.)

An update to our email newsletter: Well…it’s a bit more than just a newsletter. Once you sign up for our free newsletter, you get some of our favorite articles and podcasts from HaunTopic that we have hand selected for you. You also get all of the new podcast episodes we release. We will also be adding newer articles, more helpful resources, and revamping most of our material. We are trying to add the most value to you- the Haunter that wants to instant results and guidance along the way. Email me at any time by replying to any of these emails. I will respond. You can subscribe for free here.

We are looking forward to helping you be the best Haunter that you can be. And we thank you for sticking with us through the years and being a loyal listener to over 100 podcast episodes of HaunTopic Radio! You rock!!

3 Christmas Tracks from Midnight Syndicate in this podcast!

Leonard Pickel: Chicago Frights, HAuNTcon, and Improving Your Haunted Attraction

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:09 — 42.2MB)

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Leonard Pickel, considered by many as the ‘Godfather of the Haunt Industry’, fills this one hour interview with behind-the-scenes information about his Haunted Attraction Conventions and a few ways to make your Haunted House successful just by tweaking a few things that many Haunters are doing wrong.

Chicago Frights

Chicago Frights is a great opportunity for haunters to pick up last second training, ideas and products before the Halloween season kicks in. Chicago Frights includes networking opportunities such as a huge costume party Saturday night, top-notch educational seminars, hands-on workshops and training sessions focusing on the operational needs of haunters, like set dressing, lighting, makeup and actor training. Plus, a dealer and vendor room to buy or sell those fright products before October.

Chicago Frights takes place July 29th to July 31st at the Georgios Quality Inn and Suites Convention Center in Orland Park, Illinois.

HAuNTcon 2017

HAuNTcon 2017 will be held at the Sheraton Music City Hotel and Conference Center in Nashville Tennessee January 28- 30. The 2 day pre-show haunt tour will kick off Wednesday the 25th (Haunts to be announced).

The three Spotlight tours for HAuNTcon 20127 include Haunted Hell Nashville on Thursday night January 26th, Nashville Nightmare Saturday January 28th and Slaughterhouse January 29th.

Education and trade show Friday January 27 through Sunday January 29th, with the all day advanced education on Monday January 30th. As always, all seminars are included in the price of the conference and there are over 50 hours of creative, business, demo and workshop sessions to choose from over the 3 days of haunter education. (Workshops require a materials fee and there is an up charge for the Monday all day advanced sessions.

Haunted Attraction Design Tips from Leonard Pickel:

Design your rooms with your actors in mind. What is the scare?
Design from the Inside Out. What is the function of the room?
Shorten the patron’s sight line to keep them guessing.
When using a back story, stay with the time period and design around that story.
Attend Haunt Shows to network and share design ideas.

Click here to listen to this audio episode with Leonard.

Haunt Weekly & Top 10 Haunted Attraction Podcasts for Haunters

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17:21 — 70.8MB)

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We are going to start moving all podcasts to HaunTopic.com. Read the entire article there.

There are quite a few unique Haunted Attraction Podcasts and Audio Shows out there on the internet today, each with their own style and value. Haunt Weekly is one of those shows. Jonathan Bailey & Crystal Ramey produce one audio show each week that covers one specific topic within the haunt industry. They dig deep into subjects such as Scare Actor Training, Haunted Attraction Safety, and Industry News. Plus new podcast topics each week. It gets me excited to see what topic their coming up with next! We also cover other Haunted Attraction Podcasts you may not know about.

Inside the West Coast Haunters Convention & Nightmare Factory with Ed Roberts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:47 — 44.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple

The West Coast Haunters Convention | Portland,Oregon | April 29 to May 1 | Doubletree Hilton

The West Coast Haunters Convention is the longest running convention for Home Haunters, Professional Haunters, and Halloween Fanatics on the West Coast. Located in Portland, Oregon at the Lloyd Center inside the Hilton Doubletree Hotel. The dates for 2016 are April 29th through May 1st. The WCHC is at year seven and Ed Roberts doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we get Ed Roberts on the Haunt Line to chat about the new things for the West Coast Haunters Convention in 2016, the projects going on at the Nightmare Factory, and how escape rooms are changing the haunted attraction industry.

We also announce our partnership with the Haunted Attraction Network and how you can listen to other podcasts related to the haunt industry with a different point of view.

Skip forward to the end of the podcast to listen to Scene 5 of The Night Keep: Heretica plus hear a few tunes from The Night Keep through the episode. The back story to this music is getting pretty scary. Make sure to go back and listen to the past 4 podcasts to start at the beginning.

Bottom Line: If you’re a Haunter and live close to Oregon, or have means to get there, the West Coast Haunters Convention is definitely a place to stay for a few days. Take advantage of the haunt education, nighttime activity, trade show floor, and everything else the WCHC has to offer.

And shoot Ed with a few foam darts for us when you see him. Please??

Testimonials:

WCHC is one of our funnest shows. It’s more laid back than other shows and has more of a family atmosphere with home haunters as well as pro haunters. Ed Roberts and his crew are great! They have a nice setup for vendors and take good care if them. Plus it benefits the School for the Deaf. My only suggestion would be to make it a two day show instead of three. And Portland is beautiful …and no sales tax! (Why can’t other states do this?) ~Patrick Voss (VFXCreates.com)

Haunted House Scare Acting Ideas with Brian and Darryl

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:36 — 58.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple

Scare acting in a Haunted House is a lot different than acting in a play or on television.

You have to be flexible in all areas of the haunt, work in challenging environments, and be up close to the spectators. Scare actors are one of the most valuable assets to your Haunted Attraction business. In this podcast episode of HaunTopic Radio, we discuss our adventures this past haunt season and share some scare acting ideas that you can use next season.

We also talk about Scare Acting Techniques, Switching Up Your Haunted Attraction for Next Year, and Managing Throughput & Your Queue Line.

And your co-host Darryl Plunkie is going to HAuNTcon!! Make sure to say Hello if you see him!!

Midnight Syndicate stops by this podcast and drops off some new Creepy Christmas tunes from their new CD Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering. We play their tracks Christmas Overture, Up On a Rooftop, and Into the Stillness.

We wish you Happy Holidays and may you seek comfort in those around you..and in this audio podcast. 🙂