Reposted from Rotting Flesh Radio | Go to Original Post

by: RFR Casket Crew Hatter 99

Haunt Season is Drawing Near

For some of us, IT’S HERE. For others (like myself), there are a couple of weeks or so to go until our haunts open. Whatever the case, the witching season is near…Here in Ohio there is a cool nip in the air, cornstalks reaching toward the stars, and Halloween superstores popping up everywhere. This week down the rabbit hole let’s discuss the importance of experimentation, while our neonatal Halloween season is still gooey and awaiting its newborn spank.

Hat ON.

Technically I only began my haunting career one year ago, so almost everything that I’m doing is still experimental for me. I expect that many veteran haunters with open minds are likewise constantly involved in similar experimentations. For a newbie haunter like me, though, I learn a thousand new things every night. From scaring methods to makeup techniques to dealing with difficult members of the public, there are multiple opportunities every night for experimentation. Thankfully, I’ve found that most haunts encourage their employees to experiment. Any good haunter will know if a particular technique is working in soliciting scares; likewise, any good haunter will want to experiment with a different technique if things aren’t going so well. Of course we all have our boundaries and are responsible for keeping within those boundaries, but it’s not like we’re assembling computer chips…There is no mathematical science in this gig. What works for one group might not work for the next, and one reason that haunt owners hire actors instead of buying animatronics is that we are capable of adapting to various situations. Is one hiding-place not creating a satisfactory number of scares?

Plant Monster from Evilusions

Try somewhere else. Do groups keep bumping into each other at a certain point in the Haunt? Maybe they need to be sped up or slowed down somewhere through some creative acting. Devise a theory. Develop a plan. Test your hypothesis. EXPERIMENT. We’re not going to get 100% scares every time. If you’re a good haunter, you’ll know it, and you’ll get enough good scares to make up for the duds. We all know that some members of the public refuse to have fun and get scared in a haunt, and in those cases we can’t do anything about that, but in other cases it might be a genuine rift in the haunt itself that you, as an intelligent, problem-solving, living human upright thing can solve through experimenting.

Hat OFF.