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Tag: home haunters association

The Best Home Haunt of 2011 Is…..

The results are in!! All you Haunters out there that have been waiting for the winners of the Home Haunter’s Association Contest; the Top Three Home Haunts have been announced. If you haven’t heard of this contest, then I suggest you go over to the Home Haunter’s Association Website and enter next year. Here are the Top Three Home Haunt Videos:

1ST PLACE-THORNHILL WOODS HAUNTED HOUSE:

Chris Ainsworth

1 Krisbury Avenue, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

The Thornhill Woods Haunted House is a good old fashion cemetery theme front yard haunt that’s packed with elaborate monsters, animatronics, tombstones, lighting and sound effects. It’s totally free of charge, but we ask everyone to donate to The Sick Kids Hospital www.sickkids.ca Here are some of the property features: Property is surrounded by stone columns with built in speakers, post lights and a (150′) wrought iron fence. Two large stone gargoyles on top of the columns as you approach the front entrance. Surround sound system with creepy music and thunder being played continuously. The property is lit up by more then 30 pot lights and other lighting accessories. Spooky porch lighting. Climbing zombies and other creatures breaking out of the ground surrounded by over 20 detailed tomb stones. Garage area is a Laboratory with a (8’foot) Animatronics Frankenstein that shakes violently as he is shocked to life. 8′ foot Creature that was born in the laboratory. Cannibal’s Meat Shop refrigerated cooler stuffed with body parts for sale. Crawling (8′ foot) Vampire on porch roof.

 

2ND PLACE- DARKWING MANOR:

Creators: Tim and Tina Reuwsaat at 

4192 Coleman Creek Road   Medford, Oregon 97501

Darkwing Manor’s story tells of the Baron and Baroness Reuwsaat, descended from a noble family of vampyres, who fled persecution in Wallachia several centuries ago. They settled at Darkwing and opened the Manor as a haven for Nosferatu and other Creatures of the Night. At Halloween, when the veil between the world of the living and the dead becomes very thin, visitors may encounter these restless souls. Patrons enter the Gothic-inspired 100-year-old home and tour the 19th century mourning and funerary collection, including coffins, mourning attire, woven hair art, gravestone rubbings, and other Memento Mori. In the back parlour they witness an authentic “laying out’ scene and hear the story of the tragic ghost who haunts the house. After escaping the family’s sinister chapel, guests enter the haunted grounds where a variety of horrors awaits them including the two haunted horse-drawn hearses in the Dismal Hollow Cemetery.

Darkwing Manor celebrated its 8th year in the Rogue Valley this season. For the first time ever, we were open three nights and had a total visitation of 3,131 people. We operate the haunt in our private two-acre yard and Victorian home, located in the farming country outside of Medford. We do not charge admission but encourage donations for a different charity every year. With seven domestic violence homicides in Jackson County this year, we chose Community Works as our charity of choice. Community Works operates the Dunn House Women’s Shelter and sponsors domestic violence offender and prevention programs. This year we raised $9,330 for them, over twice as much as we gave last year. Our crew is 100% volunteer and this year we broke a record with over 100 people helping to put on the show. Our haunt scenes expand every year and it seems more people are required, not only to act but also for the support roles that go into putting on a smooth-running, well-lit, and safe show.


 

3RD PLACE: HAUNT 31

Toby Wrolson

340 S. Annandale Dr. Lake in the Hills, IL 60156

Haunt 31 is one of the fastest growing and most elaborate private haunted yard
haunts in or around Illinois. In its thirteenth year of operation, we have over
thirty pneumatic and animated props, many static displays, special effects, ambiance music, live actors, and more. Several thousand guests visit us each year. Best viewed after dark- Haunt 31 must not be missed! Be sure to experience the interactive electric chair ride. This haunt includes extensive displays covering the front yard, entire side yard, and garage with much attention to detail. Animation operates nightly weather permitting. Actors on many weekend nights. This is a residential haunted display. That said, this year we added a ton of new props, new static zombies, a witch in a shanty, and a banging coffin held by 4-skeletons.  We have built the prop controls on every prop and upgraded to efx-tek prop-1 controllers waterproof boxes, and new
laser sensors.  We had 1041 trick-or-treaters, and over 8,700 visitors for the
season.

Crazy doesn’t describe it!


Congrats to the Top 20 Home Haunts of 2011!!

Broadview Bloodbath
Dark Shadows Haunt
Darkwing Manor & Morguetorium Museum
Falkirk Fearscape
Gargalese Gates of Terror
Happy Valley Cemetery and Grimm Manor
Haunt 31
Haunt on Williams
McKamey Manor
Pandemic Cemetery
Scare Hollow Haunted Yard
Scarriage Town
Sleepless Souls
Sleepy Hollow
Souls of the Forsaken
The Hideous Horror on Howe
Thornhill Woods Haunted House
The Wicked West Ghost Town
Village Mire
Willow Manor

 

Who Is Your Favorite? Leave a Comment Below…

Dan Krein: Creator of Souls Of The Forsaken

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When I first saw Dan Krein’s video of Souls of the Forsaken I had to replay it several times just to catch all the detail he had put into his Home Haunt! His haunt ranked among the few who made it to the top of the Home Haunter’s Association for Top Home Haunts of 2010. You can feel his passion for Halloween just by reading this interview. And passion is what really keep us going into the next year anyway, right? I know that is what keeps me typing, podcasting, blogging, and haunting. Passion is contagious and I’m starting to feel a bit like attending a trade show or something. I can relate to Dan and plan on grabbing a beer with him at TransWorld this year. If this interview with Dan doesn’t spark a bit of passion in you then pull the dagger out of your heart, close down your Haunt, and go watch a Justin Bieber video.

Congrats on making the Top 15 at the Home Haunter’s Association!

It was an honor to be listed in the Top 15 Home Haunts for the HHA contest. There are many great home haunts out there and to be considered as a finalist was such an honor. I hope that this will bring more attention to my haunt and get my haunt noticed by the professionals. My plan is to open my own professional haunt in the very near future. I feel that I am ready and can’t wait to go pro. It’s my dream.

How did you get started in Home Haunting?

I started small with a few Halloween props in the front yard. My wife had purchased some gory items on Ebay and we displayed them in the front yard and garage. She found out about Transworld while looking up Halloween related stuff on the internet. She asked the supplier of our first props, Jeremy from Creepy Collections (who was just starting out his business), to help us get into the show . He did and so in 2007 we attended our first Transworld in Chicago. This was “the moment” when all things changed. I entered the show and all hell broke loose. I was reborn as a Home Haunter!!!!!

How many years have you been converting your home into a Halloween playground?

2011 will be my 6th year as a home haunter. Over the past 2 years I consider myself to be an extreme home haunter. The difference I believe is in the addition of my backyard walk through haunted house. So not only do I display and have an attraction in my front yard and garage. But I also have a fully constructed 7 room haunted house with actors consuming my entire backyard.

What are the good/evil sides of Home Haunting?

The Pros: seeing all the visitors that come out each year and enjoying themselves. Having a great community function that all can attend. I love to hear screams and laughs from everyone. I know when that is happening that all the blood sweat and tears I put into the haunt is well worth it.  I love the positive feed back that the visitors tell me. I can hear them talking about the haunt as they are getting back into their cars and you know they enjoyed themselves. Each year there are hundreds of repeaters- this is awesome. Last year I joined “Haunts Against Hunger” and raised over $5,000 worth of food for my local food pantery. The other pro is that I am doing what I really, and I mean really love! This is my passion and I believe that I finally have found my calling.

The cons that arise start with not being able to spend a lot of time with my family while getting the haunt ready each year. Everyone is involved with the haunt when October rolls around but otherwise I don’t see enough of them with the haunt and a full-time job.  I hate having to take it all down. I have no real place to store it. And have not been able to park in my garage in years, eat in my dining room, or finish my basement due to all the props. A lot of things around the house get put on the back burner due to time and funds that are not available.   It takes 2 months to put up the haunt and a month to take it down. I really spend 365 days a year planning, designing, constructing then building the haunt.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgJP6eZpea0&w=480&h=390]

Do you build or buy most of your props?

Most of the props are purchased while attending the Transwold show. I do make my own props now and am learning all the time and expanding my collection. I design the layout , decorate and highly detail the haunt each year. My favorite vendors are Ghost Ride Prod, Unit 70, Creepy Collections, and Distortions. There are so many others but too many to list. I love them all.

What is one Halloween memory that motivated you and led you here?

My vivid memory comes from Brookfield JC’s haunted house. I look back upon it as a terrifying experience for a young boy. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Chainsaws have a particular place in my heart…

Word of encouragement for those aspiring Haunters out there?

Always enjoy doing it.  Always try to surpass your own expectations. Challenge yourself to make it better each year. And always try to help out a fellow Home Haunter..

Contact Dan Krein:

Website: http://www.soulsoftheforsaken.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SoulsOfTheForsaken

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18383019@N04

Email: [email protected]


Steve Reeves: The Man Behind Steve’s Haunted Yard

I have never met Steve in person but I feel that I have known him my entire haunting journey. His YouTube channel is one of the first places that I checked out when entering this dark realm of horror and creativity. He has produced over 100 videos and keeps them informative and entertaining! He is the creator of Steve’s Haunted Yard (aka The Forgotten Cemetery) and 3rd place winner at the Home Haunter’s Association for Best Home Haunt in 2010. Whether you want to learn how to build a drop panel or see one of his kids being zapped by an electric chair prop (not real of course), go check out his channel and leave a comment, share it with a fellow haunter, or ask to be his friend. He’s that type of guy! He just got back from a visit with The Bloodshed Brothers but you’ll have to wait until next time to hear about them. That post will be coming soon. So subscribe to my spam-free posts which you’ll receive each time I write something new.

But you’re not here to read about them or me, your here to learn more about Steve Reeves and what makes him tick! So here is my interview with Steve.

What keeps you motivated for doing your Haunt every year?

I’m crazy and geek-ed out for building props. It’s as simple as that. My local haunt group TXFX also keeps me going along with the forums and of course the Garage Of Evil and Hauntcast.

What do you do when you’re not Haunting? Work/hobbies?

I am a full-time Soldier with the Texas Army National Guard. I am the Marketing Manager for the state Recruiting and Retention Command. The job is very demanding but very fun. As for hobbies well Youtube has really taken over as something I really enjoy doing. I have a Youtube channel called Yardhaunter5. I do not do a daily vlog but I would if I had the time. It is really fun and it seems to be growing in the haunt community. There are a few haunters that do a daily vlog. The Bloodshedbrothers and HalloweenHellmouth do a daily and recently Dionicia from Noble Manor has started a vlog. Hauntoween is another haunter that does a vlog at least once a week. If you are looking for prop building ideas Youtube has become a really good source.

How does your family participate in your Halloween obsession?

My wife lets me do it. I’m happy with that much. She could really give me a hard time but she lets me have my fun with my obsession “Thanks honey”. The wife does like to dress up in costume…oh yeah….. My daughters enjoy it and now that my oldest has more friends they helped in the haunt last year. She had about 5 friends as scare actors for 2010. My two little ones ask all the time “Dad, is it Halloween yet?” Just yesterday we went to Michaels to get some sculpting tools and clay and my middle one said “Is this the scary store Dad? Can we go to the scary store?” My kids are awesome!

How much time do you spend preparing/designing/constructing?

I plan all year-long. I put everything in my little haunt book. As I think of ideas I write them down. I don’t build anything until around January but once I get started I can’t stop. Last year was the biggest build year for me so far. This year I will be focused on reworking current props and adding more details. I have pretty much ran out of room for any new big props. Just like most haunters out there I am never done. I am pretty much building something up until opening night.

How many volunteers do you need to run your haunt?

For it to be really good about 10 would be great! But I have never had that many. I had a total of 13 last year but not all on the same night. I need to be more persistent this year on getting volunteers. I had business cards made this year to pass out so I hope that will help.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtrrmFzHsbQ]

What does winning the HHA 3rd place spot mean to you?

You know, I still can’t even believe I won! It is very unbelievable to me. I really owe it to the whole haunt community for sharing all their ideas with me. Everything I make was inspired by another haunter out there. I guess thanks to everyone and it also means there is room to make it better. And I am sure going to have fun trying.

One useful home haunting tip?

Garage sales are the best place to find props. Use your imagination and try to see how you can use something and make it into a prop. And I know you said only one tip but lighting is probably the very most important aspect along with sound.

One detail most people do not know about you?

I love Brussels sprouts with bacon

Words of wisdom for the aspiring home haunter?

Go to make and takes and get involved on the forums and subscribe to Hauntcast LOL! Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Email me YOUR questions to ask Steve and I’ll set up another interview with your questions. [email protected]

Thanks Steve for taking the time to answer a few questions. We’ll set up another interview soon! Congrats on your haunting success!

 

No excuses for not finding Steve:

Website:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/YARDHAUNTER5

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/yardhaunter5

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1227283772

Garage of Evil: http://www.garageofevilnetwork.com/group/deadtexans