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Author: Brian Foreman

HAuNTcon 2014 and Making Your Haunted House Successful with Leonard Pickel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:23 — 73.3MB)

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hauntcon 2014HAuNTcon, The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention, will be held in Houston, TX on January 23-28 and has teamed up with the Halloween & Expo Show for 2014! That means more Haunted House Tours, an Interactive Trade Show for Haunters, a weekend full of Education to make your Haunted Attraction successful, an over-the-top Costume Ball, a Garage Sale full of cheap items for your next show, and a chance to meet new friends and connect with those you have haven’t seen in awhile.

We get Leonard Pickel (the HAuNTcon mastermind) on the mic to give you the inside scoop on what HAuNTcon has to offer for 2014 so you can plan your schedule before you get there. This year HAuNTcon has teamed up with the Halloween and Party Expo, the first and LARGEST international show for the Halloween, Party, and Costume Industries; which should bring in new customers and products to the Haunt Industry.

 

Check out this Current List of Education Sessions, Classes, and Demos at HAuNTcon 2014  (More Classes Will be Added!)

Topic Presenter
Taking the Fright out of Writing a Haunted Business Plan Joyce McLean
Fire Codes for Haunted Attractions Fire Marshall Todd Mitchel & Shannon Brinkley
Sponsorships and Partnership Programs Julie Dion
Media Buying How-to Julie Dion
Advertising Using Facebook Ads Steve Colberg
Paid vs Volunteer; Operating an Attraction with a Hybrid Staff Jim Bugos
7 Ways to Profit in the $7 Billion Dollar Halloween Industry Kimberly Stewart
How To Build A Creative Team Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Selling Sponsorships D’Ann Dagan
Critical Components of a Haunted Attraction Website Jeffrey Ward
Projected Ghost Effects Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Using Fog And Special Effects To Safely Affect Your Bottom Line Chris Markgraf
Burns, Flesh Wounds, & Frozen Props! The Art of Detailing Dead Bodies Maris Blanchard
Theming your Haunt!”: Using Psychology to Dramatize Your
Theme and “Traumatize” Your Patrons!		 Craig Caldwell
Advanced Haunted Attraction Floor Plan Design Leonard Pickel
How Realistic Detailing Can Make Or Break Your Set Chris & Jeff Davis
Prop Fabrication On A Budget Russ Foster
Secrets of Queue Line Entertainment! Matthew Martino
How to WIN on FaceOff! Panel Roy Wooley & RJ Haddy
Application of Latex Prosthetics with Emphasis on Airbrushing to Achieve Desired Effect Tom Devlin
The Art of Foam Carving Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Horror Face Painting at a Fast Pace! Nick Wolfe
How To Create Effective, Detailed Zombies Cheap and in a Pinch Dale Flink
Roy Wooley Demo Roy Wooley
Dingy, Disgusting Walls for Your Haunt Ettie Thompson
How To Properly And Effectively Light Your Attractions and Store Displays Quan Gan
RJ Haddy Demo RJ Haddy
Original Music For Your Haunted Attraction Chris Thomas
Prop in 3D! Simple carving techniques to make 3D
props for your haunt		 Laura Neeley
Makeup! Tips, Tricks,& Techniques! Hannah Moon

 

We also release the details for our January Giveaway where we will be giving away a one mask from Face Factory FX and one 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar from Hector Turner. You must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter to qualify to win.

 

Topics & Links we discuss in this episode:

 

Win One Of These Prizes! Submit Your Entry Before Jan.24th. You Must Be a Member of The Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter. Sign Up Here. (All new members will be automatically entered.)

A hand crafted Clown latex mask from Face Factory FX

face factory1

A 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar (with Haunt Photos from all over the world!)

Haunted Halloween Calendar

Sign Up Here (FREE) If You Are Not Currently a Haunter’s Toolbox Member.

How to Make a Prop Controller and Use Automation Software with Lee Alder

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:24 — 85.7MB)

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how to make a prop controllerHave you ever tried to make a prop controller for your Halloween props? Looking for free computer software to integrate with your existing prop controllers? Have you ever thought about tapping into the Christmas Community for advice on programming your mini lights or animatronics? Lee Alder meets us in the dungeon to walk us through some basic prop controller techniques, how to make your own animatronic triggers, and using computer software to operate all of your animated props…much from the Christmas community. Lee likes Christmas but is also a strong supporter of Halloween decorating and scaring the trick-or-treaters at his home each October.

Beware!! This podcast episode gets a bit technical and refers to Christmas many times but is stuffed full of helpful advice for those searching for a great starting place for building your own animatronic operating system. Us Halloweenies can learn much about lighting and automation from these Christmas guys. If you find yourself getting lost in the audio check out the links below for some visual aids and video to help you build your own.

Lee recommends using Vixen 2 as a free software program for automating your lights/props and lists various types of controllers to try. He even goes into detail on how to make a prop controller for just a few dollars. Vixen is software for do-it-yourself lighting automation displays. Most popular at Christmas, computer-controlled displays are becoming increasingly popular for other holidays (such as Halloween) as well. With a PC and some hardware, anyone can have a professional-looking lighting display synchronized to music.

So if you want to get into building your own prop controllers, playing with automation software, or want to start animating your lights and props then listen to this episode and check out the links below. This will help you get started…

Haunt Topics in this episode:

 

This video is just an example of what is possible with automation software. You can design a elaborate light display like this or use it to control props, lights, foggers, music, etc.

If you enjoyed this article join The Haunter’s Toolbox for FREE

Click Here

 

Halloween Memories with Darryl and Brian (and a few extra guests)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:58 — 39.8MB)

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Vintage HalloweenDo you remember when the Halloween Bug bit you? Do you have unforgettable memories of Halloween when you were growing up? What do you do now to celebrate the month of October?

We talk about our upbringings as children and young adults as the Halloween infection spread through our tingling unscathed virgin bodies. Halloween has a way of grabbing a hold of some people and not letting go. If you are still reading this post then you have probably been bitten by the Halloween Bug and can relate to this twisted obsession. You are not alone.

We also add a few audio clips from a few of our guests as they share their experiences along their journey as a Halloween Junkie. You will hear stories from Leonard Pickel (HAuNTcon), The Bloodshed Brothers (Field of Screams), Eric Lowther (Haunted Overload), Matthew Flagler (The Canadian Haunted Attraction Conference), & Chris Ainsworth (ScareFest).

Whether it’s the crowded neighborhoods on Halloween night, filling up pillow cases full of Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or scaring the little children that stroll innocently through the dark streets…we all have favorite memories from our Halloween past. The important thing is that we continue to reflect back into what excited us about this wonderful holiday and carry those thoughts into our future.

So…what are your favorite memories from Halloween? How did you know that you were infested with Halloween?

 

Haunt Topics for this Episode:

  • A NEW Contest for Haunters. ‘Hack a Christmas Prop Contest’ by Haunt Nation Mag (Deadline Jan.3)
  • The Home Haunt Contest (Contest Expired but check out these awesome Home Haunts!)
  • Thanks to Matthew Freyer for his awesome Haunt Graphic Skills! Find him here for your Haunted House Graphics.

 

Do You Have Halloween or Haunted House Products You Would Like to Promote on Our Show? We are Looking for Prizes to Give Away to Our Listeners.

Contact Us Today.

 

Transworld Buys the Midwest Haunters Convention (Interview with Kelly Collins & Jen Braverman)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:57 — 82.3MB)

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Midwest Haunters Convention TransworldThe Midwest Haunters Convention (MHC) has been purchased by TransWorld Trade Shows LLC, which also produces quality shows such as Halloween Extreme, The Halloween & Attractions Show, and The Legendary Haunt Tours. MHC has been operated by Kelly Collins, Neena Collins, Barry Schieferstein, & Kathy Schieferstein for the last 10 years and to sell the show has always been in their business plans from the birth of the convention.

The Midwest Haunters Convention is the largest Halloween show of its kind in the United States serving the haunted attraction industry professionals, scare actors, home haunters, and haunted house enthusiasts. The MHC is open to the public and features a tradeshow, education, chartered bus tours and entertainment. Unlike The Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show which is a trade show that mainly caterers to professional haunted attractions, theme parks, and Halloween stores.

We interview Kelly Collins first about why he felt it was time to sell The Midwest Haunters Convention and then we get the new owner, Jennifer Braverman, on to discuss her plans for the future of the convention. Push that little play button above to hear our audio interviews.

 

Here is what Kelly Collins had to say on Facebook:

 I appreciate all the support and kind comments about the sale of the Midwest Haunters Convention. I’ve also seen some negative comments about the change and I would like to try and address some of the concerns.When we started the show in 2004; we wrote a 10 year goal and business plan. When you think about it; 10 years is a long time and we gave up a lot of ourselves and energy pursuing our goals. Our show eventually grew to the point where we were faced with either hiring a registration company or leasing office space and hiring a full time staff.

We’ve been talking with Jen Braverman for several years about our plans for the show. She approached us after June and we reached an agreement. We were drained and ready for some rest and Jen was looking for a show that appealed to haunters. A convention designed for haunt owners, actors, makeup artists, decorators and home haunters. Her plans are to continue our show as its been operating for years.

There are no plans for big price increases; she wants to keep the show within the financial means of our supporters. The same goes for our exhibitors. She wants to continue with a cash and carry show that’s very affordable. The Columbus Convention Center space is about 100,000 sq feet and we’re only using about 60% of it. Jen has the ability to grow the trade show floor and offer more exhibiting opportunities.

Barry, Kathy, Neena and I will remain on as consultants for at least the next year of the show. Nothing else has been discussed after that, but I can tell you that we want our “Baby” to continue on and grow.

We’re confident that Jen and Transworld are heavily involved in the haunted attraction industry and they are here to better it. We wouldn’t have sold the show to them if we felt otherwise. They’ve recruited a number of leaders in the industry to assist them with their plans. I encourage everyone to give Jen a chance to demonstrate her commitment to haunters.

Thanks again everyone for your support and I hope you will join us at MHC 2014 at the Columbus Convention Center June 6th – 8th.

For information please check out our website at www.midwesthauntersconvention.com or contact Jennifer Braverman at [email protected] or me at [email protected]

-Kelly Collins (Midwest Haunters Convention)

 

 

The Topics we Talked About in This Episode:

 

How do you feel about Transworld taking the reins of The Midwest Haunters Convention?

Leave Us an Audio Comment and We’ll Mention You On Our HaunTopic Radio!

Haunted Attraction Reviews & How To Make Your Haunt Better with Onezumiverse

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:47 — 111.0MB)

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oniandharknellHaunted Attraction Reviews are often hard to believe or difficult to trust. After you listen to our interview with Oni Hartstein and James Harknell from Onezumiverse.com, you might just change your mind. James and Oni have been reviewing Haunted Attractions since 2008 and try to keep their opinion unbiased and more focused on the creativity of the event.

They definitely look for the scary ones but there is more to Haunted Attractions than just scary. With each Haunt they go through they reset their haunt radar and pay attention to different aspects of each one. Innovation, Back Stories, Set Design, Scare Acting, Queue Line Entertainment, and the Complete Experience are just a few things they focus on as they enter a Haunted House.

If you live on the East Coast and are looking for an honest review of your Haunted Attraction, then Oni and James want to hear from you!

Topics We Discuss in This Episode:

  • The different types of Haunted Attractions and how to experience each one.
  • How to make your Haunted House the best attraction that it can be.
  • Haunted Attractions that you need to visit that you may not know about.
  • How to scare a Haunted Attraction reviewer…and everyone else.

More about OneZumiVerse:

 The Winners of the October Giveaway from The Haunter’s Toolbox are:

  1. Dan Caulfield
  2. Vince Parsons
  3. Charlie McAllister