Brian Foreman, Author at ScaryVisions: We build your Haunted House

Marketing & Building Fearfest Haunted House with Owner Greg Allen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:48 — 105.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple

As a seasoned Haunt Owner or a first time Haunt Manager, you know that it is difficult to increase attendance each season and also save money on marketing. What if there was a way to do both at the same time?

Greg Allen, owner of Fearfest Haunted House in Columbia-MO, meets us in the dungeon for some secret tips and tactics to get more with your marketing dollar. He also shares the struggles he went through those first years as a new Haunt Owner. After 11 years of managing Fearfest, he is still fine tuning his skills but has learned a lot from experimentation and some failures along the way.

You also get a behind-the-scenes audio exclusive as I recorded a LIVE WALK THROUGH while we went through the Forbidden Haunted House within Fearfest.

Yes…me, my wife, and my 16 year old son get startled and the girls in front of us screamed a lot! Make sure you listen to this episode to hear us scream.

Here are a few things you will discover in this episode of HaunTopic Radio:

How Greg saved $65,000 in marketing and still increased his attendance
A simple way to train your scare actors and keep them coming back
How to build permanent structures without spending lots of cash
How one mistake cost Greg $1,000s of dollars and hurt his attendance
Using side shows to entertain your guests as they wait in line

We also play some Scary Christmas Tunes from Sam Haynes. He is also giving away 5 Digital Downloads of his CD “Spine Chillers”!! You must be a member of HaunTopic Radio to enter. You can subscribe here for free.

HaunTopic Links in the show:

Win 1 of 5 Digital Audio Downloads from Sam Haynes! You must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter (it’s free.) Subscribe Here

Creating ‘Wasted: A Stoner Zombie Comedy’ with Steve Kasan

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:10 — 52.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we discuss the making of ‘Wasted’ with Steve Kasan, actor and producer, and the journey the crew has been on as they try to make this TV Show a reality.

Ideas to concept. Acting while working a day job. Film competitions. Producing on a budget. Marketing a Zombie comedy to the masses. And how to survive it all!

Steve also gives you some tips on How To Produce Your Own Horror Movie, His Favorite Zombie Movies, & How To Mix Horror with Comedy.

The world is a big waste according to four friends who spend most of their time discussing zombies while getting drunk and high. When the dead actually do rise they must use their limited knowledge and skills to survive.

Wasted breaks the rules of prime-time comedy with edgy multicultural characters and situations that poke fun at race, religion, taboo topics, and the zombie genre itself. This show will present how they deal with the world before and during the zombie outbreak, often resorting to the past in order to face the future. ~Comedy Coup

Wasted placed in the TOP 55 in the Canadian Comedy Coup competition for the CBC (a television network in Canada). But the team isn’t going to stop there. They are still moving forward and gaining traction along the way. And you can help!

If you enjoy Zombies, horror comedies, or just want to support them in their path of survival….Click on these links below to help them out by spreading the word to your friends.

Haunt Topic Links:

Like ‘Wasted’ on Facebook

Follow ‘Wasted’ on Twitter

Managing a Haunted Attraction with Mario Garit from Haunted House Makers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:36 — 90.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple

Last year we sent our West Coast representative Mario Garit out to Haunted Hollywood Sports (Bellflower, California) to interview some of their staff, navigate through their highly-detailed Haunted Attractions, and check out the zombie paintball zones they call Kill Houses.

A few months later they made him Haunt Manager.

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we talk to Mario about his opportunity to work with an amazing staff of Haunters and how to handle all the moving parts of managing a multi-attraction scare event. We also announce the winners of the Gore-Galore digital giveaway and play a short track from the Halloween Music Galore download library.

Mario Garit, from Haunted House Makers, has worked with many Haunted Attractions over the years. As well as created props and acted for movies such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and X Files. His well-rounded experience gives him the insight needed to add value to any Scare Attraction. While managing a Haunt is one of his favorite things to do; his passion for creating animatronics and props is high on his list.

This was Mario’s first experience working with a Haunted Attraction that uses live action paintball mixed with a haunted theme. Hollywood Sports is one of the largest paintball venues around which then transforms into Haunted Hollywood Sports through the Haunting Season. Over 23 acres of amusement becomes 23 acres of TERROR!

When you shoot zombies here, you are up close and personal. Kill Houses are walk-through attractions where the undead are hiding and you get to unload your paintball weapon as you navigate your way through mazes of darkness. The only downside….you want to do it over and over again. RELOAD!

Haunt Topic Links from this episode:

Haunted House Makers

Haunted Hollywood Sports

Buy Gore-Galore Music (played in this episode)

Email Mario

The Winners of the Gore-Galore Giveaway Music Soundtracks are

J. Gonzales

Jimmy Castro

If you want a chance to win next time….Sign Up For FREE Here.

Happy Halloween!! (One from the crypt & 4 other past shows to listen to.)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:47 — 72.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

We want to wish you a Happy Halloween and want to THANK YOU for being such great friends of HaunTopic Radio!

We didn’t get around to making another episode but we included some links to a few of our favorites.

We will release the winners of the Gore-Galore Giveaway in our next NEW podcast.

5 Past Podcasts to play tonight:

Happy Halloween (Last year’s..a bunch of Halloween Music)

Haunted House Tips

10 Horror & Haunt Soundtracks

Interview with Eric Lowther from Haunted Overload

Creepy Sounds from Prelude to a Nightmare

Hope you have a Scary Good Weekend!!

Brian Foreman, Darryl Plunkie, & Friends.

How To Make Foam Weapons (plus 13 Halloween/Haunt Songs to Die For)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:48 — 84.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple

How To Make a Foam Weapon — Prop Design by MadCity Haunt

Happy Halloween!!

It’s really Halloween all year long…isn’t it?

If you’re anything like me, you are always planning & thinking about the next October before the current October ends.

Well…after you grab your pen & paper to jot down these awesome tips from MadCity Haunt on How To Make Foam Weapons; we want you to RELAX to these creepy and eerie soundtracks from some great Halloween/Haunt/Horror Musicians (with a few surprises thrown in.)

No interview this episode. Just an awesome way to make that Sledge Hammer in the pics included in this article and a new way to make any foam weapon. Plus a bunch of twisted tunes to keep you motivated the rest of the month.

You like surprises right??

mad city prop — Prop Construction by MadCity Haunt

Here is a list of the some of the dark musicians you will hear in this episode:

Gore Galore
Midnight Syndicate
Prelude to a Nightmare
Mystary
Sam Haynes
The Night Keep
Throne of Anguish
Verse 13

Thanks again to Mad City Haunt for his detailed tutorial on Making Your Own Foam Weapon! I also throw a tip in there on How To Keep Your Foam Tombstones in Your Yard. Plus, Gore Galore is giving away 2 Soundtracks of their creepy sound effects digital downloads!

Win a Special Effects Download from Gore Galore!!

Become a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox to Qualify. It’s FREE. Sign Up Here.