Start planning now!

Most pro haunters are already thinking of shows that will be built for the year 2000 and beyond. It is never too early to start planning! The quality of the show, no matter the size, is directly proportional to the amount of advanced planning. Planning allows you to work at a reasonable pace, avoid last minute frustrations and finish on time with all of the effects in place. Just a couple of hours a month of early planning is enough to make a huge difference. Pace yourself, and you won't get caught short in September!

Develop a layout.

Like the Cheshire Cat said in Alice in Wonderland, "When you have no destination in mind, any road will do". The 'plan' documents your thoughts and ambitions and defines the goal for the successful completion of the show. A 'schedule' keeps you on track, lets you know what really needs to get done now, and what can wait another day or week. The first priority is to know what the finished show will look like. Create a floor plan or layout for your potential haunt. It doesn't have to be fancy, but this will define what spaces you will have to work with. You can fill in the details as you go along, but the floor plan gives you an idea of what sets, rooms, or props you need to build or buy, how many actors you will need, and just how big a show you are producing. The floor plan will also give you an idea of how big of a budget you will need to make the show a reality, and how much assistance you will need.

Develop a schedule.

Regardless of whether you are building a haunt or a skyscraper, you need a plan and a schedule. Now that you have a layout and an idea for a budget, you need to create the path to get there, and a schedule can do just that. A schedule gives you an idea of what needs to be done and when. A schedule can be as simple as a list, or as complex as a spreadsheet project plan on a computer. Putting together a schedule is really very simple, there are many ways to do them, just pick what works for you. After all, you are the one that will have to use it! The most important thing is that you have a schedule and follow it.
Your most important planning tools are, pencils, eraser and paper. List the things you want to do in your show. Simple, short phrases are more than enough for now (post flyers, new coffin room design, sell T-shirts, build the walls and so on). List as many things as you can imagine, including construction, installation, set dressing, marketing, staffing, everything that makes up the complexities of your haunt. Do not worry about order or priority, you can do that later. First, you want to capture as complete a list as possible to help you get an idea of the big picture. Once you have the list, go back through it again and add details to each of the items. The details are each of the actions that need to be done to accomplish the main items.

Now set priorities. Take the details under each main item and decide which of them needs to be done first. Again, a schedule simply lists the tasks and details needed to get the job done on time. For example, we need a new coffin for the haunt. We will need to purchase the materials, build the props and test them before building the room. I like to use numbers and letters to define priorities so, for example, my schedule might look like:

1A) draw out the design of the room and props

1B) buy wood and nails for the coffins

1C) build the coffins

1D) place the bodies in the coffins, and so on.

Another item on the list could be: 2A) design flyers, 2B) print flyers, a third task is: 3A) design T-shirts, 3B) print T-shirts, and so on, until each of the main items and their tasks have been assigned an identifier number.

Now take the list and decide which of the main items needs to be done first.

Look for main items (the number 1's, number 2's) that depend on each other, and arrange them so that each item follows each other in proper order on the list. Then assign completion or due dates to each item. Be sure to consider ordering and delivery times in your priorities, as well as the labor required to complete each task in the given time frame. Remember that the dependent items can only be completed after the previous item is done. Once you have dates assigned, arrange the list in date order.

Now you have a working schedule! You know how much time, how much money and how much effort you need to complete your show. This schedule is not set in stone. Adjustments will have to be made in the schedule to allow for changes and missed deadlines along the way. It is, however, important to stick to the time line of the schedule. Getting behind will cause the same panic we are trying to avoid. A schedule will let you know if you are running out of time before it is too late to pick up the pace and complete the project on schedule...

For Halloween 1998, I wanted a professional looking prop, without the professional price. I opted for an animation that would be lifelike, yet could be constructed on a home-haunter's budget. I came up with the idea of an electric chair. I had seen them done professionally, such as the one manufactured by Distortions Unlimited, but everyone had seen those and they do not have the violent movement that they once did. By building my own, I now have a one of a kind prop. My version has the victim thrashing up and down; accompanied by a strobe, a red light, and a SCREAM!

List of Materials

(2) 2x4x60" pine

(2) 2x4x34" pine

(2) 2x4x18" pine

(2) 2x4x19" pine

(1) 2x4x27" pine

(2) 2x4x24" pine

(1) 1/2 inch, 4x8 sheet of plywood

(1) box of 10d nails

(1) box of 3" deck screws

(1) box of 1 1/4 inch drywall screws

(1) 3 inch x 1/4 inch lag bolt

(1) 3 inch x 1/4 inch hardened bolt

(4) washers and (4) nuts for the hardened bolt

(1) 4' piece of 1/2 inch EMT (Conduit used for electrical wiring)

(1) electric drill (one you will not need until November)

(1) 2' piece of washing machine hose

(1) clamp-on work-light lampshade (metal)

(1) roll of aluminum plumbing strap

(1) quart of paint of chosen color, I used patio gray from Krylon

(1) jailbird costume or other costume

(1) plastic skull

(2) latex hands for dummy

(1) power strip

(1) heavy duty outdoor power cord

(2) 2x2x8' pine

(22) small screw in eye hooks

(1) strobe light (preferably not a mini strobe)

Construction

The chair itself is built using 2x4's, plywood, and various hardware. Start out by assembling the two side frames of the chair. Each of these frames will consist of 4 pieces of 2x4, and are built as mirror images of each other. The 60" 2x4 will make up the back leg and the chair back. The 34" 2x4 will make up the front leg and support for the arm of the chair. The 18" 2x4 will provide the support for the seat, and laps over the front and back leg 2x4's. The 19" 2x4 becomes the arm rest, and must be notched 1.5"x3.5" to accept the 2x4 chair back...