Alternative Ways to Start a Haunt!
 Sarah Briggs

You lie in bed every night planning how you would do your dream commercial Haunted Attraction. The floor plan is done, all the sets designed and the scares are planned. Then the bubble bursts as you start to think about how you are going to pay for all this stuff. Realizing the huge sum of money you will need to pull off this extravaganza, chases all your dreams away. The price tags for all the cool props you were looking at in the Morris Costumes Catalog dance before your eyes. You roll over, sigh and think, “Well, maybe next year.”

This is the way that most of us feel about achieving our dream of owning and operating our own commercial Haunted Attraction and the fears we face concerning the large financial risk involved; Or even worse, pricing
ourselves out of the market by dreaming too big and researching too little.

Generally people talk about how they wish they could pull together the money to do a Haunt. The traditional way to start a business is to go to your local banker, show him your business plan, display a past history of owning a successful business and a sterling credit rating. The mere thought of going through this torturous process is enough to stop most people from following through (even if they have all the above which, of course, most of us do not). Well, toss the traditional financing plan out the window and get ready to start a realistic plan of action. A way to achieve your haunted dream in a totally unconventional way!

Motivation

Fearing that I would never get a chance to open my own commercial haunt (unless I won the lottery), I thought of nothing else night and day. I too thought in the traditional financing mode, but knew that there was no way I would be able to qualify for a huge loan from the bank. One day I watched a talk show about some people who had great ideas for a product or a business but did not follow through with their idea. Someone else had had the same idea, followed through with it and made it big! This ticked me off. I was someone who had a great idea for a commercial haunt, but someone else in this market was going to do one before I got going!

I live in a small city that has no other Haunted attractions for hundreds of miles around, and I was convinced that a
haunt would make money here if I could just get it off the ground! That was the day that I decided that I was going to find a non-traditional way to finance my dream and make it happen.

Doing My Homework

I grabbed a pen and a notebook and got started writing down a realistic list of basic things that I would have to have. I read all there was to read about sets, materials and construction techniques. Then I looked at my room designs, concept drawings, and priced the materials I would need. I had to pare down the number of rooms and reconsider alternative, more affordable materials. For example, the King's Treasure room went from 10' x 20' to
10' x 10' so that I did not have to make or purchase as many props. Finally, I came up with a figure I could work with that was easier to swallow.  I had been dreaming too big all along.

Next, I set out to look for an affordable old building to rent, which stopped me dead in my tracks! My small city
also happens to be the state capital. Any building that is empty is soon filled with offices and priced out of my small business budget. Drat! I was totally foiled at this point, or so I thought. I had promised to take my four-year-old daughter to the park that same day, and I always try to keep my word. She was swinging, and I was pouting. I could not believe that I could not find a rotten old building SOMEWHERE! I lifted my eyes from the dirt, and an idea flashed before me like a lightning bolt! I was looking at the enormous park pavilion that loomed over on the next hill. "Perfect," I said as I stumbled out of that infernal swing. My fevered brain raced with all the ideas that came to me! I could not wait to talk to my business partner and lay it all out for him! I had a p-l-a-n!

That night I pounced on my financial partner who is also my husband, and told him all the reasons why this would be an ideal building and a great location. He agreed, and in one sentence my dreams started coming true, "Go talk to the city and just see what they say," he calmly said before picking up the newspaper. I made an appointment with the Parks & Recreation Board for the following week, and, boy, did I start researching any angle that I thought would be important to my cause. I was building a case for the use of this building and the benefits it would bring the city so that even the Supreme Court would have trouble turning it down! I armed myself with handouts and a
professional looking folder with all the information I had gathered. I walked into the conference room with the air of total confidence. Well, it looked like I was very confident, but inside I was drowning in facts and fear! I laid out all my ideas and looked from one official to the other. I was astounded that they agreed with me! It took me a good minute or two to realize that I did not need to add any other facts or projected figures to make my case. From that day on I decided nothing was impossible. The three board members and I discussed the details of our agreement, and I had a hard time covering my elation. The deal we agreed to that day was the break I needed to get my dream of a commercial attraction off the ground! The haunt was on!

This is how I got my big financial break to do my commercial haunted house.

Now let me explain all the steps involved into making my pitch, making the deal and detecting what was important to the city officials. I hope this will give you some ideas for alternative ways to get your own haunt off the ground.

Why I Got Their Attention
The city officials were not interested in having a haunted house per se, but they were interested in what the haunted house could do for the city. I banked all my research on the city's bottom line, economic development and tourism. The city needed an idea of about how many visitors the haunted house would draw to our town, and they agreed that a seasonal family oriented event is always a good idea. Tourism is important to any city, no matter what the size! This event was looked at as possible dollars spent in our area by tourists and local residents, these being gasoline, meals, shopping and even hotels. It was important for me to try project how many possible visitors the Haunt would bring, how far they might travel and which areas the tourists might spend their tourist dollars.

First I sat down with a state map and made a list of all the areas that our city typically drew visitors from and made that my target area for advertising. I made note of the population and mileage. It was a pretty good bet that the rural target group would buy gas, food or stay and shop, since it would take them half an hour to an hour to drive to
Jefferson City. I contacted every Chamber of Commerce in that target area and asked if there were any charity or commercial Haunted Attractions scheduled in their areas and found out that there were few if any. This type of research made it easy to show that we could provide entertainment for a large but rural group that would drive to our area for just such an event. This was a large factor that sold the city on the idea of the commercial haunted house as being a good tourist draw. It also shows them that you are a serious business professional who will go the extra mile to prove that your idea will be good for your city and help you make your case, making the commercial haunted house as an annual event more attractive.

The Deal
The deal that the city and I worked out was for the use of the park pavilion. They would umbrella me under their insurance in return for ten percent of the gross ticket sales for a scholarship fund for needy children. Quite a bargain saving me the usual large start-up costs for a building, sprinklers, and insurance! The city would receive the economic development and tourism as well as the benefit of partial gate receipts. They get visitors to the area for a city-wide event, that they could count on to grow into a sizable attraction. The city and I both walked away with what we felt was a good deal.

Start Up Cash
This was the scariest part for me. I knew down deep that the haunt would at least break even or possibly make money if I watched every penny spent. I withdrew $2300.00 out of my retirement fund, for the start-up
capital. I placed that money in a separate account and left it there. I used my credit card for all purchases and used the cash to pay the credit card off. My credit card provided me with a great accounting service and product protection plan. When the bills came in, I paid them off! No huge loans to repay, no finance charges and no debt! I cannot stress enough how important it is that you make a budget and STICK TO IT! Keep your budget as low as possible and scale down your ideas instead of spending more money! It is so easy to spend more money than you could possibly make your first year if you do not stay within your budget. Blowing your budget could ruin all your hard work and leave you with debt instead of profit. If you choose to use your credit card, make sure that you can pay the full amount off when the bill comes, otherwise the debt will swallow part of next year's operating fund, and leave you without any additional funds for emergencies. I set my budget so low that I knew that no matter how good or bad the haunt did, I could pay off the total debt at the end of the season. By holding on tightly to the budget that I set, I was able to turn a profit in the first year, (more than can be said for many other haunts with much better funding) and now I not only have more money to re-invest in improvements for the following season, but also a boost from actual profit!

If you are serious about starting your haunted attraction, you do not have to take out huge loans or investment capital, or be faced with a large amount of debt to get started. Explore these and other types of non-traditional
arrangements to get your haunt off the ground. The idea is to start small and grow steadily without going into debt.

Working with your local city officials is just one nontraditional option of getting started that can save you big on start-up costs. There are others ways to get started out there if you just look hard enough. Cooperation from local city officials will make a real difference in costs and I have found their help to be invaluable. This type of agreement may not work in all areas of the country, but it will be worth your time, effort and research to check and see if it will. It sure gave me the start I probably would not have gotten otherwise, and I now have the chance to make slow, steady growth for years to come all debt free. So do your homework and get to it! You will be glad you did.
 

Sarah Briggs is now the owner of The Haunted Castle in Jefferson City, MO. She can be contacted at 573/634-2162 or via Email at Ghostwriter1@athome.com

Building a Guillotine
Steve Walker

Welcome to ‘Decapitation 101,’ also known as "How to Cut the Head Off Your Friends Without Killing Them". What we will be building today is a basic guillotine illusion. I cannot stress enough the importance of safety. This can be a dangerous piece of equipment if used improperly. The effect is that a live person can have their head placed in the stocks of the Guillotine, the blade dropped and although the blade is seen falling below the stocks, the neck is unharmed. The trick is to use two blades, one that falls from above and stops inside the hollow stocks before reaching the neck, which trips a second blade, (held in place with ball clamps) that drops out of the bottom of the stocks, below the victim’s neck. The blade is tied to a cleat on the prop, and dropped by letting go of the rope. To reset, pull the upper blade up and tie it off, then push the lower blade back up into the ball catches.

The construction of this prop is simple, but confusing to describe. Someone in the beginning stages of prop building can do this project, however, keep in mind that it will take time and patience to complete. Always wear safety glasses when using power tools. Do not wear loose clothing (it can get stuck in power tools), and most importantly use your head.

Materials

• 5 wood 2x4’s 8 feet long ($3.49 each)

• 2 Ball catches ($3.29 each)

• 2 Draw catches ($2.62)

• 1 box of dry wall screws 1 1/4 inch ($2.45)

• 1 box of course screws 2 1/2 inch ($4.00)

• 4 angle brackets 4 inches x 4 inches ($1.89 for package of two)

• 1 sheet of  3/8inch plywood ($9.50)

• 1 pulley, 2 inch ($3.37)

• 96 Flat head wood screws #6 x 3/4 inch ($4.68)

• 3 Dowel rods, 5/8inch square 36 inches long ($1.39 each)

• 3 Dowel rods, 3/4inch square 36 inches long ($1.89 each)

• 1 piece of 16 gauge steel sheet metal 10 inches x 18 inches ($9.28)

• 4 1/4 inch rope cleat ($1.98)

• 8 feet of Black nylon rope ($1.52)

• Two-part epoxy ($1.98)

Total cost: $79.04

Tools

• Circular Saw                                                   

• Screw Gun (Or Reversible Drill With A Screw Bit)           

• Router Table (With 3/4 Bit)

• Various Drill Bits

• Saber Saw (Metal And Wood Blades)

• Carpenter’s Square

• Wood Chisel

• Metal File

• Tape Measure

• Pencil

• Sharpie

• Triangle

• Compass (Pencil And String)

• ‘C’ Clamps, 3 Inch And 5 Inch

• Grinding Wheel

• 1/2 Inch Spade or Paddle bit

• 5 Inch Sanding Disk

• Dremel Tool With Several Cutting Wheels

• Sand Paper

First we will build the guide (channel) for the blades to ride in. Cut two 2x4s at 78 inches long each for the uprights. Run each piece through a router table using a ¾ inch bit (or a table saw with a 3/4 inch dado blade). This may take more than one pass. Sand the channels you routed out by using a short piece of the 3/4 inch square dowel rod and tape some sandpaper to the end. Now cut two 2x4s 16 inches each for the cross supports. Drill two holes in each end of both uprights. Use a bit about the size of the screws you are using. Attach the uprights flush to the crosspieces with the 2 1/2 inch screws to form a frame. (You will be taking the top cross piece back out later to put the blades in.)  Cut four pieces of 2x4, 11 inches each to act as feet for the uprights. Using the angle brackets, screw each of the feet to the uprights, flush against the end of the (foot) board, using 1 1/4 inch drywall screws. Cut two triangular braces from the 3/8 inch plywood, each measuring 18 inches on each leg and 25 inches across the long edge (hypotenuse) of the triangle. (When measuring you want to use the factory edge as much as possible.) The height of the triangle should be about 12 1/2 inches. Attach these pieces to the feet along the 25 inch side, using the 1 1/4 inch screws, centering them on the uprights. Make sure that you do not screw into the channel. These braces will help support everything and eliminate any sway.

Make supports for the stocks using the 3/4 inch square dowel rods. Cut the dowel to 4 pieces about 18 inches each. (The ones I bought were 36 inches so I just cut it in half.) Pre drill three holes for the 1 1/4 inch screws through each dowel, one at each end and one in the center. >From the bottom support, measure up 16 inches on each upright and mark it. Measure 7/16 inch from the edge of the channel and draw a line on each side of, and parallel to, the channel. Place in your cut dowel along the line and on the mark and drive a screw them into place.

Installing the ball catches is kind of tricky if you do not have much wood working experience. Ball catches are made up of two pieces; a spring loaded ball inside a cylinder, (this has a mounting plate perpendicular to the cylinder), and a plate with a dent in it for the ball to ‘catch’ in. Measuring up 7 1/2 inches from the bottom of the stock supports on each side, (23 1/2 inches from the bottom cross support), and make a mark in the center of the channel. Drill a hole in the uprights for the ball catches, using a 3/4 inch paddle bit, making sure that the drill is centered in the channel. The spring housing will fit but the mounting plate is larger than the cylinder. This is where it gets a bit tricky. The mounting plate on the ball catches that I bought were a bit wider than the channel so unless you can find smaller ones you will have to remove a little bit of the channel sides. Slide the ball catch into the drilled hole until it hits the face of the uprights. Trace the shape of the mounting plate onto the upright, and remove the catch. Using a chisel and a hammer, remove the wood until the mounting plate fits flush with the back face of the channel. Only take out a little bit at a time! The mounting plates for the catches must be flush with the channel so that they do not interfere with the blade runners. Once flush, secure the catches into the uprights.

The stocks are made up of pieces of the 3/4 inch dowel, sandwiched between two layers of 3/8 inch plywood. Start by cutting three pieces of plywood 13 inches x 16 inches and one 27 inches x 16 inches. The larger piece is the back bottom of the stocks and runs all the way down to the cross support. Locate the middle of one 16 inch edge on each piece, and with this point as the center, use a compass (a pencil and piece of string will do), to draw an 8 inch diameter arc. Cut out these half circles with the saber saw. Take back bottom stock (the larger one) and screw it to the 3/4 inch dowels.

The runners for both blades are made of the 1/2 inch square dowel rod. The rod must be sanded slightly to making a little extra room so the blade will slide easier. Using a grinding wheel, grind down the edges of the ball catch plates (the plate with a dent in it for the ball to ‘catch ‘), so that the plate fits on one side of the dowel and slides freely in the channel. For the bottom blade runners, cut two pieces of the sanded dowels 8 inches long. Place the catch plate on the end of your cut piece and mark it. Take the Dremel Tool and remove the wood from the mark to the end of the dowel. This recess is so that the ball catch plate is flush with the edge of the blade runner about 1/16 inch deep. Rest the plate where you cut and mark the screw holes. Pre drill these holes, making sure not to make them too big. Also grind out a small divot into the wood, so the back of the plate will set flat. Screw down the plate and file the edges. Flip both pieces over and grind off the excess screw length sticking out the back. Run the Dremel down the center of each piece, on the opposite side as the plate, and make a deep groove to accept the blade. For the top blade runners, cut two dowels 14  inches long. Make the same grove down the center of the dowel to accept the blade, as done for the bottom runners.

The Blades

Lay the metal out so that the 10 inch length is the height. Measure down 4 inches on one side, and 6 inches on the other and mark them. With a  ‘Sharpie’ draw a line between the two marks on one side to the single mark on the other. These pieces will be your blades. Using the Dremel, score the metal along the line. Be very careful! You will go through several of the cutting wheels so make sure you have extras. Once the score line is deep enough to bend the metal bend it back and forth until it snaps off. Grinding down the cut edges and then file them until smooth. When finished both blades should be 6 inches high on the one side, 4 inches on the other and long.

Test fit the runners to make sure they fall freely. Take the 8 inch runner pieces and slide them on the blade, so that the blade is flush with the end of the runner that has the catch plate. Do not permanently attach them now. If the blade does not fall free then you may have to shave off some of the blade. Make sure that the runners are parallel so that they do not stick when the blade drops. Take the top cross member off so that you can install the blade. This may make the gap between the uprights larger so when you drop the blade try to get them as close to normal as possible. Start the blade even with the top edge of the bottom stock and let it drop. If it does not drop smooth and fast take it back out and trim the metal. You may have to repeat these steps a couple of times. (Better to test now than after you have everything put together!)  The 14 inch runners have to be able to fall the whole way down from just below the upper cross support to the stop in the stocks without binding.                                                                              

Align one of the remaining stock pieces in place above the bottom stock which is in place. Position the blade in the channels and slide it up until it is about 2 inches above the neck hole. Trace the edge of the blade with the sharpie, making sure that the blade is below the top edge of the stocks. Place an 8 inch piece of 3/4 inch dowel along the drawn line. This piece is a stop for the blade. Using the 3 inch clamps hold the dowel on the line while you pre drill 3 holes through the plywood and into the dowel. Secure the dowel with screws and glue. Cut two more pieces of 3/4 inch dowel 3 inches long and attached these near the bottom edges of the upper stock on both sides of the neck hole. Screw these in the same way you did the centerpiece.  Align the front piece of the upper stock with the back piece of the upper stock and attach them to each other with screws into the 3/4 dowels. This piece should be free to slide up and down, to make room for the victim’s head.

Using a two-part epoxy glue your blades in place. You want your runners squared up on the blades so that they do not stick when they drop. After the glue dries reinstall the blades and do a test drop to see if the blades drop smooth. If they drop slow take them back out and sand some of the sides off the runners. Keep testing until they drop smoothly. Once you get the blades working, leave them in the groves and replace the upper cross member back in and tighten it up.

Install the pulley in the dead center of the upper cross support. Bend open the loop of the eye-hook with a pair of pliers, insert the pulley and bend the loop closed. Drill a 3/8 inch hole in the top middle of the blade. Run your rope through the hole and keep it together with a 3/8 inch rope clamp. String it through the pulley and the hole in the upright. Screw the rope cleat to the side of one up right and tie off the top blade. (Screw it off center to avoid the channel.)

Optional Bench

This design can be made for a kneeling victim, or a prone one. If you want your actor lying down on the job, now is the time to add a bench. Using 2x4’s nail a frame that is 42 inches long and 12 inches across. Cut a piece of plywood that fits squarely on the top and screw it to the frame. Measure down 4 inches from the top edge of the bottom stock on each side of the hole. Center the platform on that line, and screw through the plywood. Cut two legs at 21 1/4 inches and attach them to the frame using 3/8 inch plywood triangles 6 inches on each leg. With the bench attached to the guillotine, complete the assembly of the lower stocks. Use a 5 inch piece of 3/4 inch dowel to attach the lower front stock to the lower rear stock, flush to the top edge of the plywood, and secure it to the uprights. Attach the draw catches on each side of the neck hole, and make sure that they latch securely.

Optional Decorative Cap

The workings of the guillotine are completed at this point, but I felt the top looked too plain, so I added a decorative piece. Cut a design out of two pieces of 3/8 inch plywood and then clamp them to the top of the uprights using 5 inch clamps. Center a 12 inch piece of 2x4 between the plywood making sure that it is directly on top of the cross member. Screw the decorative pieces to the 2x4 and remove it from the uprights. Place another piece of 2x4, about the same size, between the pieces of plywood near the top and secure it with screws. Repeat this step with two upright 2x4’s 20 inches apart (wide enough to slide down over the guillotine uprights). Replace the decorative cap on the top of the uprights. 

You now have a fully functional magical illusion, sure to fool your friends and patrons alike! In the next issue, we will finish the guillotine by aging and detailing the piece. 

Steve Walker is a freelance artist and owner of Manic Illustrations, an The Necropolis, a Home Haunt in Indiana, PA . He can be reached at via Email at beezle@microserve.net or log on to http://manicillustrations.8m.com

Building A Victorian Facade On A Budget
George Colavecchio 

When I sat down in November to start the early design work on our haunt for 1999, I was determined to avoid the mistakes made during our first commercial haunt in 1998.  I also wanted to come up with something that would not only contain the usual props and scares, but was so imposing on its own that it would rattle the patrons right from the beginning.

 Two things were needed to make this a reality: a very tight storyline and a vividly realistic set.

 The storyline came fairly easily. It was Victorian-themed and very macabre in content. It was the physical haunt itself that posed a problem. How do you convince people that they are in the place you want them to be? Usually a facade is what they encounter before they enter a haunt. In our design, the primary facade, an abandoned Victorian Manor, is actually the rear wall of the second room. Patrons must first enter the haunt through a museum, followed by a stroll through a cemetery where they see the manor itself up ahead. It had to be convincing, and therefore, life-sized. This translated into a ‘prop’ that is twenty-two feet wide and ten feet high!

 Normally, my partners and I stick to areas of expertise that are comfortable for each of us. Brad Cain is a detail man and also has a gift for turning trash into haunting treasure. Jeremy Schroader is a talented sculptor and does truly astounding prop work. My part is overall design and implementation coupled with unique ways to save costs and still produce the desired end product. Together, we make a great team, and with the prop we were about to build, we really needed the teamwork.

 I started by sketching the facade and breaking the design into 4’ by 8’ sections so that it would be transportable later on. Next, thought had to be given to materials, the weight of the finished pieces and, of course, Fire and Building Code concerns. Once I had committed it to paper the three of us discussed it, made joint changes, and produced the facade in the following manner, and all for less than $200 in materials!

 MATERIAL LIST

•  24 - 2”x3”x8’ pine @ $1.89 ea.

•  6 - 4’x8’x2” Styrofoam @ $8.99 ea.

•  1 - Luan door slab @ $22.00

•  1 roll 4 mil clear plastic @$4.00

•  1 package screening spline @$4.00

•  6 - Lg. cans Water Putty @ $4.99 ea.

•  15 - cans assorted colors of spray paint @ $.99 ea.

•  4 - Liquid Nail @ $1.49 ea.

•  Liquid Lead and assorted glass stain @$20.00

•  (Screws, wood stain, hinges and door knocker on hand)

 TOTAL COST: $178.05

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The “Manor” façade was made up of seven panels. There are two 4’ x 8’ panels, each with a 2’ x 3’ window. Two more 4’ x 8’ panels that when put together will make up the door frame (we added two stained glass windows and a stained glass transom.) Finally there are three 2’ x 8’ panels that form an angled tower with a barred window in the center panel.

 When building the frames, supports had to be added to “frame out” the windows and door. Smaller windows, or transom openings needed no extra framing. We used 2’ x 3’ lumber for the frames, they are a bit less expensive than 2’ x 4’s.

 Once the frames were complete, it was time to cover them. We wanted stonework below the windows and clapboard siding above them. For the two large window panels, we first covered the lower half with 2” Styrofoam using Liquid Nails and 2 1/2” screws. We then “sculpted” individual “stones” by breaking 2” Styrofoam into the desired shape and rounding the edges (use your hands, it’s messy but effective).

 The stones were then glued to the panel and held in place with a 2 1/2” screw - pushed in like a thumbtack. We repeated the “masonry work” on each panel working around doors and windows. To achieve the clapboard effect, we used insulation board, it is the stuff with foil on one side, plastic on the other, and foam in the middle. We cut it with a razor knife into 4” strips and applied it just like real clapboard siding. Again, working around windows and doors in the design.

 Once the panels were assembled, we cut out holes for light fixtures, etc..... for future use.

 Because of the flammability of the foam material, we had to take steps to minimize any possible problems. In order to do this we applied a liberal coat of water putty to all exposed surfaces. This had a multiple effect: it smoothed out the surface causing it to be less foam-like, more paintable (untreated foam generally melts under spray paint), much harder, and it also sealed the foam. If you put flame to the walls, there is no smoke, no flame, and any melting is behind the water putty skin. This certainly is not adequate for permanent haunts, but works great for seasonal projects. Be sure to check with your Fire Marshall - ours was impressed.

 To get the look we wanted, we did our painting by spraying in layers. First, we applied a base coat of gray followed by black, brown, and green, in a dusting-like fashion for the stonework and brown accents on the siding. Lastly, we speckled the stonework by enlarging the hole on a can of black spray paint so that it sprayed like “Fleckstone.” With the panels basically finished at this point, we moved on to the door and windows.

 The door is a Luan door panel with trim molding and a grotesque doorknocker stained and aged to fit the motif.

 The windows presented the greatest financial problem. Originally, I wanted Plexiglas; however, the cost was just too much for our budget. So how do you make leaded windows, or stained glass windows cheaply? The solution is somewhat unique and a good example of what can be done with imagination and a small budget.

 My design called for large leaded windows in two of the panels. By placing screws on the back of the window frame to form the base for a pattern and stretching gray screening spline - yes, screening spline - in a diamond pattern, and then stapling 4 mil. clear plastic behind it, we created what I now refer to as my “two-dollar windows.” I then lightly spray painted the plastic from behind with orange paint and added a haze of gray. The end result is “leaded glass” windows that look real even in normal light.

 For the stained glass, I made frames of 1” x 2” pine and stretched and stapled the same clear 4 mil. plastic on them. I then used liquid lead to recreate the solder used in real stained glass.  Next, I used glass stain to color the "pieces of glass."  The finished effect is very realistic.  It’s not as sturdy as Plexiglas, but works just fine.

 Final touches included working porch lights, Spanish moss between the stonework, and rotting curtains in the windows.

 Once we move to the haunt site, we will add the roof panels that will be made of the same type of foam-board used for the “siding.” They will be coated and painted to resemble shingles. This step must wait because all possible site locations for 1999 have different ceiling heights. Therefore, this requires slight variations in the roof panel dimensions.

 Standing back and looking at our new “prop”, we realized that this one was even better than we had imagined it would be. Our biggest problem may be just finding folks with enough courage to go through that door in October!

 George Colavecchio is the Founder and Designer of “A Haunting Experience” and can be reached at: ahauntingx@aol.com or check out his web site at:  http://www.ahauntingexperience.com/

Frame Design

Richard Martin-Leep

The most interesting technical feature of the many Disney attractions is the ride’s ability to physically direct an audience’s attention in a desired direction. Using some type of vehicle to move the audience through the attraction allows the attraction designers to make use of sight lines and scene placement in relation to the physical viewing point of the audience.

 The ‘Doom Buggies’ in the Haunted Mansion are by no means subtle in the technique of physically directing audience attention. The design of the vehicles, vaguely resembling a wing-back chair one might find in a private library, prohibits the field of vision of the riders and blocks their peripherals so only that which is in front of the buggy can be seen. As the ride progresses the buggy rotates or turns on its track to physically point the riders at each scene in the angle at which the designers want the scene to be viewed. Just as important, the buggy turns the riders away from what the designers do not want the riders to view.

  Thus, the Doom Buggies create the same effect as the panning camera, filming a motion picture. Each scene is presented only from select angles and forced sight lines as if viewed through the camera lens. Also like movies, nothing outside of the frame of the camera is seen. In the buggy nothing except what is (framed) directly in front of the audience is seen.

 The principles used are those an artist uses in a painting or a cinematographer uses to frame a scene. Magicians are also notorious for controlling the angles from which their illusions are viewed. To the same extent as the aforementioned artists, a magician makes use of a framed design but allows for broader angles than a cinematographer. The magician counts on the audience being confined to their seats.

 Other dark rides are more subtle in the techniques of physically directing attention. The vehicles in which the audience sit in, are open meaning the rides have a 360° view. Although the audience can see all around, most will follow specific behaviors, which the designers are aware of: Most riders will focus forward in the direction the vehicle is moving. Riders seldom turn and look directly behind them (especially if someone is sitting behind them) nor will most turn their heads to extreme left or right. Looking straight up is also rare unless given a reason or cue to do so.

 Some vehicles and attractions like the Pirates Of The Caribbean and the Indian Jones ride (See issue # 13, Haunted Attraction Magazine), are designed to direct the riders attention to the sides, however, they also follow the rules mentioned. Occasionally vehicles are designed to physically seat the riders facing out the sides of the vehicle, again directing their attention in front of them. The Nautilus submarine ride at Disneyland not only seats the riders facing out the sides but makes use of individual portholes to frame (like a camera) what the viewer sees.

 At this point you are probably wondering what vehicles have to do with your walk-through attraction. There are two separate concepts being, albeit working hand in hand, that are described here. One is the physical placement of the viewers (participants) to the sets and action, relating to traffic flow. The second concept is the physical placement of the sets and action in relation to the viewing angle of the participants. This is called a framed design. Thinking of your participants as a sort of vehicle, a walk-through is not much different in the use of design principles and techniques than a ride-through.

 Much too often the track participants walk within each room on a direct path from one door to the next. In many designs that I have experienced, the shape of the room and the placement of the doors seem to make little difference. The path from entering the room to the exit remains a semi-straight path. This is a poor use of the space, in that the audience frames the exit, rather than the sets. One way to avoid this is to use the set pieces in the direct path, to force traffic flow to route around them. This is much the same as creating traffic patterns in ones home by placing furniture.

 The diagrams a.1. and a.2, show an overly simplified example of rerouting traffic flow by placement of set pieces. In this case the placement of a long dining table, changes the flow. Diagram a.2. is more desirable for many reasons. Two of the most obvious are; the participants must actively navigate around the room rather than walk through passively. Secondly, viewing the room from a variety of angles is more interesting than a relatively straight to the left view in a.1. Dramatic changes in the relationship between the participants and the scene (and even the environment) can be dramatically effected by the simple placement of set pieces altering the traffic flow of the participants.

A good example of the second technique, a framed design, is the Peppers Ghost illusion. This illusion requires strict viewing angles not only for the illusion to be seen but to hide the side stage being reflected. To do this effectively the viewer needs to be physically placed at the proper vantage point and the set must be designed to conceal the side stage from where the viewer stands.

At Castle Of Fear in Denver, Colorado one of the Peppers Ghosts under went a face lift for the 1999 season. The illusion was viewed as the spectators walked past, looking down a secondary hall (fig. b.1). The set up provided no reason for the participants to stop their progressive flow forward and unless they did so precisely at the vantage point the effect was lost.           

To give the illusion more impact the traffic flow was rerouted to physically place the viewers in front of the illusion. The scene was then designed to conceal the reflection stage when viewed from that angle. The ghost now appeared to be blocking the hall until the participants reached the corridor leading off to the side and out of danger.        

 Designing the scene from the viewing point when coming down the hall is a framed design. From that specific angle the elements of the design focus the viewers attention to the reflected ghost and away from any hint of the concealed reflection stage or seams from the glass pane. In a framed design the lights, power cords, sound speakers, even access doors can be concealed in the same fashion.

 After experiencing several rooms with actors jumping out from nowhere, participants start to enter each room on guard for the next “Boo.” As they submerge deeper into the environment with their eyes checking every way they can, it becomes increasingly harder to catch the group off guard. To overcome this desensitization a designer needs a few tricks to misdirect the participants' attention.

 Misdirection is one of the oldest gags around to distract the participant as to what is actually going on. Magicians and Fakirs have been using it since the beginning of recorded history. By using something like an animatronic figure, a Jacob’s ladder or perhaps a bubbling tank holding a brain, it becomes easier to surprise or frighten a patron from behind or above, because they are misdirected from the scare.

 This technique of focusing the participant’s attention on something other than what is about to scare them, or away from where the scare will come, is a valuable tool. Unlike traffic flow or a framed design, misdirection does not necessitate the physical placement of sets or the participants. Magicians rely heavily on misdirection and have developed it into an art form. Borrowing from them, here are the five basic principles of misdirection, (also known as audience cues), slightly altered in their wording for consideration in haunt situations;

 1.  The participants will look where the guide or other actors tell them to look.

2.  The participants will look where the guide or other actors look.

3.  The participants will look toward a noise or disruption etc. (audio cue).

4.  The participants will look toward a sudden movement, flash of light etc. (visual cue).

5.  The participants will look toward something in motion, or set in motion, and continue to track it until given a reason (another cue) to stop.

 The Haunt designer can use these cues to direct the attention of the audience as in framing, without the physical requirements. Use them in your next design and watch as they look at exactly what you want, when you want then to. It is extremely effective!

 The principles discussed here are used by a variety of artists in a variety of fields. The attraction designer can think of the attraction as a three dimensional painting or motion picture, in which the view is always controlled or framed. Composition, focus point, sight line, and other elements of the design are physically designated by the designer, so that the audience views the set from a vantage point designated by the careful plotting of the traffic flow through the attraction. This concept can also be used to direct the attention of the audience away from the scare for greater effect. The understanding of how the techniques of frame design, misdirection and traffic flow are valuable weapons for the Haunt designer’s arsenal.

 Richard Martin-Leep is an independent Hauntsultant ™ and has recently become one of the permanent staff at DiaboliCo in Denver, Colorado. He can be reached at 303-254-5824.

Pneumatic System Design

Jon Szpakowski

To many, the hiss of compressed air conjures up childhood memories of theme park rides and haunted houses. The soft yet startling sound can be just as effective as music at setting the mood of a haunt. The use of compressed air pneumatics in commercial Haunted Attractions is well established. These systems are a very powerful, yet inexpensive alternative to electro-mechanical devices such as linear actuators. It is so inexpensive in fact that these systems have found a niche in Home Haunting as well. If used properly compressed air is safe and reliable. However, the use of extreme pressures and undersized or homemade cylinders can create a very dangerous situation, one that can cause injury, death or at least an expensive lawsuit. With an understanding of a few basic concepts and a little algebra (I know, I know, when you subscribed they promised no math, but trust me this is easy) you can custom design and build safe reliable pneumatic cylinders. Basically, a pneumatic system consists of compressed air, forced into a chamber that pushes a piston and therefore a rod, which is then attached to something you want to move. The size of the piston, and the pressure needed to move it has been guesswork until now.

Instructions for building PVC cylinders can be found on various prop oriented web sites (or see issue #14 of Haunted Attraction Magazine), however, these ‘stock’ designs may not always meet your needs. There is often a need to design your own cylinders, which are just the right size for the job.  This customizing creates less wasted air so that your compressor runs less often.

When designing your own cylinders the first thing you need to consider is the amount of weight you need to lift. A larger diameter cylinder, or bore, will allow you to lift more weight with less pressure. To find out how much weight a cylinder can support use the following balance formula:

F = P x A

‘Balance’ is achieved when the force (F) in pounds, equals the pressure (P) in pounds per square inch, multiplied by the area of the piston head (A) in square inches.

 The piston head is a circle, and to calculate the area of a circle, multiply 3.14 (P) by the radius of the circle, squared. For example a 2 inch diameter piston head has a 1 inch radius and an area of 3.14 (3.14 x 1^2). Using the above calculation tells us that a 2 inch cylinder can support about 157 pounds with 50 PSI of compressed air (157 = 50 x 3.14). This ‘Balance Point’ is the amount of weight the cylinder can hold up at the specified pressure, however, since you want your props to pop out quickly in front of unsuspecting victim...err...patrons, we need to subtract 75% from this weight. That leaves a prop that must weight 39 pounds or less. If you need to lift more weight you can either increase the pressure (WARNING: exceeding 60 PSI is dangerous) or increase the area of the piston head (bore size). 

 If you already have the weight of the prop and want to find out what size cylinder will lift it at what pressure, we can turn this formula around to solve for the of the piston head area.

A = F / P

‘Balance’ is achieved here when the area of the piston head (A) in square inches equals the force (F) in pounds, divided by the pressure (P) in pounds per square inch.

 To lift a 22 pound prop, we increase this weight by 75% (remember we want it to pop out quickly), which gives us about 38.5 pounds. 50 PSI is a good, safe operating pressure so we will hold that as a constant. We can now plug in the numbers and solve the equation.

 A = 38.5 / 50

A = .77 square inches

 The radius of a circle is equal to the square root of, the area (A), divided by 3.14 ([insert symbol for pie]) and the diameter is twice the radius, (find a calculator to do the square root for you).  For a 22 pound prop pop up, diameter of the bore required is about 1 inch.  (However for a small prop such as this you may consider increasing the bore size in favor of lower (safer) operating pressures.)

The length of the cylinder (or throw), is determined by how far you want the prop to move. In some cases, like the Scare Factory corpselator, levers are used to increase the distance that the prop moves, without increasing the length or throw of the cylinder.

 When choosing the size of the air inlet for your cylinder, bigger is better. The greater the airflow into the cylinder, the faster the prop will move. Use an air inlet that is as close as possible to the inside dimension (ID) of the air hose. The standard inlet connection is a brass nipple threaded into the PVC pipe, and care must be taken when installing and sealing this connection. It is usually the weakest link in the system, and I have seen more than a few blow out of the PVC cylinders.

 When selecting an air compressor the volume of air it can supply (measured in cubic feet per minute) is the most important factor. Again, Bigger is better, but for most haunts a compressor that can provide 6.4 CFM @ 40 PSI should do the trick. The Home Haunter can do with 3.7 CFM @ 40 PSI unit. If the compressor has a relatively small tank, adding a portable air tank to the system will greatly increase the performance of your props, not to mention decrease the ware and tear on the compressor.

 Another piece of the puzzle is how the air pressure is applied to the cylinder. If the prop only has one cylinder movement or you do not mind all your props activating at once, then a simple hand operated valve inline between the compressor and the props will serve the purpose. If on the other hand, the prop has multiple movements or you wish to activate multiple props at separate times, you will need to invest in solenoid valves to control the action. Inexpensive solenoid valves can even be scavenged off of old appliances such as washing machines and dish washers. Most solenoid valves are operated by 120 VAC household current and are connected between the air line and the cylinder. Now you can operate your entire attraction from a bank switches in one location, or the props can also be automated to activate on their own by using electric eyes and/or motion sensors.

  In the last few years, pneumatics has drastically changed the direction of the Haunted Attraction industry, and Home Haunting as well. Using compressed air is relatively straight forward, and the concepts presented in this article will allow you to produce a very efficient system. Whether you are running one prop with one motion, or several props at once, these guidelines will provide you with excellent results. Do, however, remember that compressed air can be dangerous if used improperly. Use common sense when designing props, keep the air pressure below 60 PSI and thoroughly test each prop before they are used as a public display.

 Jon Szpakowski is the Technical Supervisor for "A Haunting On The Ridge" in Lockport, NY. He can be reached at JonS999@aol.com

Hanging Skeleton Cage II - Getting Medieval on your Skeleton
Brian Lorsung

In my first Hanging Skeleton Cage article, (See Issue #19), I described how to build a cage easily, quickly and cheaply out of dowels and wooden discs. For this article I will describe a more realistic cage, with a look and feel of a medieval dungeon. This cage is built from metal bars and will be very confining to the occupant, a Mr. Thrifty skeleton from Anatomical Chart Company. I could not find any pictures of cage of this type, so this cage is of my own design. Once again, the key to the project was finding the appropriate construction materials. Metal bar stock is too expensive, to be practical, for this cage, but after some searching, I came across the metal bars used for chain-link fence installation. A 46 inch piece cost only $1.17.

Materials List

• 1 Mr. Thrifty 32 inch skeleton from Anatomical Chart Company ($15.00)

• 10 chain-link fence tension bars 46 inch long ($11.70)

• 18 bolts with nuts #10-24 x .5 inch ($.96) (or Pop Rivets)

• 1 eye bolt #10-24 x 1 inch ($.39)

• 2 feet of heavy duty chain ($1.60)
  
  

Tool List

• Bench Vice

• Drill Press

• Dremel tool

• Fiberglass cutting disk (for Dremel)

• pop rivet tool (optional)

• hammer

• pliers

• hand drill

• hacksaw

 In this project you will be drilling, hammering, and cutting metal. It is important that you use proper eye protection during these activities. If you use a Dremel type tool or air powered cutoff tool to cut the bars, you will also need a mask to protect you from breathing in metal and fiberglass particles.

To make the lower ring, cut one bar  15.75 inches long and with a bench vise and some elbow grease bend it a into ring measuring 5.5 inches in diameter. To make the upper ring, cut one bar  23.5 inches long and as above, bend it a into ring measuring 8.5 inches in diameter. Drill a hole at the end of each of the 4 bars and then bolted the ends together. Drill 8 holes evenly spaced around each metal ring, using plenty of oil to keep the drill bit lubricated. The first 4 bars need a hole at the bottom end and a hole 25.5 inches up from the bottom. Using the skeleton as a guide, make three bends to the first bar, one directly above the upper hole to form around the skeleton's shoulder, a second bend in the opposite direction to form around the skeleton's neck, and the third bend in back the original direction for the skeleton's head (see picture). Once you are happy with the shape of the first bar, use it as a guide to bend the other 3 bars in the same way. Cut the first and third bars so that they end .5 inches past the centerline of the skeleton's skull, and the second and third bars 1inch shorter, ending .5 inches before the centerline of the skeleton's skull. Drill a hole at the centerline of the 2 longer bars, and at the end of the two shorter bars. With a 2 inch piece of bar drilled at each end and in the center attach the two shorter bars to each other with the bolts. Assemble the four bars to the two rings with the nuts and bolts leaving every other hole in the ring empty. (If you prefer, you can use pop rivets in the place of bolts. Leave the last bar bolted so that you can change out the skeleton.) You may have to make some adjustments to get everything to fit well. The eye bolt goes through the center line holes of the longer bars, and the center hole of the 2 inch piece holding the shorter bars. This is what the cage hangs from.

 The final four bars bend below the lower ring to form the cage's bottom, and go up only to the skeleton's shoulder. Place one of the last four bar in a vice with only 2 inches above the vice. Use a hammer to pound the bar over forming a 90 angle. Place the bar into the cage with the 2 inch bend at the bottom, and mark where the lower hole will be. Mark the hole location by drilling through the existing hole in the ring and into the bar you are marking, and then finished the hole on the drill press. Place the bar back into the cage and temporarily bolt the it in place. Now mark and drill the upper hole in the same way. This procedure will custom fit the bar to the cage. Make the first two bends to this bar in the same shape as the first 4 bars. The third bend is not needed because these last four bars do not continue to the top of the cage. Cut off the bar 2.5 inches above the upper hole. The detail on the top ends of these bars consists of cutting the end of the bar to a point and removing some material to create an arrowhead shape (see picture).  Use the first bar as a guide for the last three. The cage will stand on these last four bars, so make sure that they are at the same level.

 Now, drill a small hole into the top of the skeleton's skull directly above the nut which holds the skull onto the spine. Loosen the nut and wrap a piece of thin wire around the shaft, and tighten the nut. Thread the wire through the hole in the skull and put the skeleton into the cage. Position the skeleton so that the feet are flat on the bottom of the cage, and thread the wire up to the top of the cage, wrapping it around the eye bolt. With your victim in place assemble the last 4 bars. Using a pair of pliers, open the eye bolt and insert one end of the chain, and then close the eye bolt. Now your cage is ready to hang and detail.

 Although this cage took more effort to build than the original design, the extra time and effort was worth it to achieve the medieval look. The fence bars are the perfect size for the project and are easy to work with. It is still a relatively inexpensive project, costing about $30, including the skeleton, and best of all, this design could easily be scaled up to hold a life-sized skeleton.

 
Brian Lorsung, is a Network Administrator from Minneapolis who has been yard haunting for the last two years. You can contact him at blorsung@citi-link.com, or visit his web site at www.citilink.com/~blorsung/halloween/MHO.htm

 Color Theory

Jerry R Chavez

 Color communicates a great deal of information. The color scheme is a combination of hues, greys, shades, translucent tints and highlights. Because of the way the eye and brain work to interpret color information, colors next to each other will affect how they both look. Color information can portray emotion, movement, temperature, time of day, weather, etc. Colors depict stages of decay and age and there are groups of colors that are found under particular conditions. Light conditions such as twilight have a great deal of the ultra-violet spectrum, but not much of the normal spectrum, so the fluorescent pigments in flowers tend to look bright but colors from the middle of the spectrum will wash out to a dull gray.

Variables in Color

Hue distinguishes blue from red, or yellow from blue, etc.  A degree of black and/or white is called admixture. Adding black to orange will create the color brown. When color pigments are mixed together, the eye interprets it as one new color. Mixing yellow and blue pigments will appear green to the eye. The spectral colors can be arranged in a circular pattern, called a color wheel;  Each color having a relationship to each other and its opposites. Colors such as red and yellow are considered warm and the colors such as blue are considered cool. The wheel is not cut in half for warm and cool colors, two thirds of the wheel are warm colors. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. These three can be combined to create all the other colors on the wheel. The secondary colors are: orange, which is red and yellow mixed evenly; green, which is yellow and blue mixed evenly; and purple, which is red and blue mixed evenly. In between the secondary and primary colors are various shades of hue. Thus the wheel is divided into three groups with the primary colors of red, blue and yellow as the dividing lines. The three color groups are the orange, purple and green.

Admixture

When we talk about pigments of color, black is a combination of red, blue and yellow pigments that absorb all colors of light reflecting no color back to the eyes. Thus black is the absence of any visible color. Now it gets a little confusing, normal light comes in three colors, red, blue and green. When pigments reflect all three (red, green and blue) colors of light at the same time, the eye interprets the mix as the color white. When pigments reflect green and blue light together, the eye interprets the mix as yellow. Paint pigments subtract one or more of the colors from the combined color spectrum. Don’t let this confuse you when mixing paint pigments. In fact you could forget what I just told you about the light spectrum.  Just learn the information on mixing color pigments.

Adding black to a color is called greying and will make the color seem warmer, richer, slower, quieter, heavier, further away from the viewer when it is up close, and create the illusion of a more opaque hue. Adding white to a color is called "pastelling" and will make the color look faster, cooler, lighter, louder, more distant when it is set far from the viewer, and create the illusion of a more translucent hue. Adding both white and black to a color does not actually cancel each color out; instead it creates a muddy color that can become very busy.

Color Mixing

Pairs of colors that mix to black are sometimes called “complementaries.” This is usually a primary color and the opposite secondary color such as yellow and purple. Technically, if you were to mix the three primary color paints together evenly, you would produce black, but pure primary colors are almost impossible to buy. For example, a jar marked primary yellow will have some white mixed into it. Mixing this contaminated yellow with red and blue would result in a muddy gray color. When you are mixing secondary and primary colors try to think of the secondary colors as separate primary colors. For example, if you mixed a quart of blue with a quart of orange, you have actually mixed 1 pint of red, 1 pint of yellow and 2 pints of blue. So out of the 4 pints you have mixed 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 blue resulting in 3 pints of black, plus 1 pint of blue, the end product being 4 pints of very dark blue.

The primary colors are rarely used as they are. They are too striking and can become visually irritating.  Often, colors are visually controlled by adding a small amount of another color. Examples are Chinese red (red with a little yellow), blue-green (blue with a little yellow), and yellow-green (yellow with a little blue). This can make matching existing colors and creating specific colors quite difficult sometimes.

If you were trying to mix a yellow-green to paint leaves on a tree, you may mix a pint of yellow that has been contaminated with a drop of red into a pint of green. The single drop of red would combine with a drop of blue and a drop of yellow that is already in the green. This would result in 3 drops of black, which would be quite noticeable in the final quart of paint. This contamination problem can be difficult to deal with for props viewed by a close-up camera. Fortunately, your Haunted House will probably not subject your props to this kind of scrutiny, but you should always strive for the best results you can get each step of the way. Little imperfections here and there can add up to a ridiculously unconvincing prop if care is not taken.

Shade and Highlights

Depressions and protrusions will catch the light and reflect it differently. Depressions in a prop such as the space between the ribs on a corpse will appear darker and the protrusions such as the cheekbones will appear lighter. Sometimes the pigments on skin will cluster or be less dense due to the skin being stretched or bunched. The knuckles of the hand are darker when the hand is relaxed. The cheeks will appear lighter when whistling because the skin is pulled taut.

After the chosen color has been mixed, the paint should be divided into three parts. The majority will be the base paint and the two smaller portions will be the highlight and the shade. To make the shade, the base paint could simply be mixed with a small amount of black paint and the highlight mixed with a small amount of white. A better result would come from using the darker and lighter colors that were used to mix the paint. For example, if the base paint were orange, the shade would be mixed with the base orange plus red and a little black. The highlight would be mixed with the base orange plus yellow and a little white. Remember that props like a severed head should be painted in layered colors to create a translucent effect. Skin is not just a peach, brown, yellow or red color. Under the skin are colors of purple and green with more red in fleshy areas and white in bony areas. Paint the prop with hints of these colors, then cover with the appropriate skin color. But, use thinned paint so that the under-colors show through.

Contrasting and Harmonious Colors

Colors “contrast” when they lie directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Green and red, yellow and purple, orange and blue are contrasting colors.  Colors are in “Harmony” when they are from the same color group.  Green, yellow-green and yellow would be good for painting a reptile like monster mask. You could paint the folds and deep lines of the skin green, the scales yellow-green, and the horns or teeth yellow.  To highlight details, such as the lips and inside of the mouth and ears, a contrasting color could be used. If we look at the direct opposite of the chosen color scheme we find red-purple is the opposite contrasting color. Maybe this creates too harsh a contrast. Instead, you could pick a color that is not so directly in contrast with the chosen scheme, such as red or purple. Purple is a cooler color and is even less of a contrast then the warmer color of red. You might think that orange is even closer to the color scheme and would be less of a contrast to the yellow, but it will contrast sharply with the green and result in a clashing effect. This is a simplistic but effective way to keep a balance to your colors when designing a color scheme.

Jerry Chavez is the author of “The Haunted House Halloween Handbook,” and owner of Spooky F/X Productions. You can reach him via Email at Spookyfx@aol.com or visit his web page at http://members.aol.com/Spookyfx/index.html