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Virtual Haunt FX
by Jon W. Hyers
For the last few years, “Virtual Reality” (VR) has been the buzzword for the entertainment industry. These high-dollar special effects using viewers and mainframe computers are out of reach of most Haunter’s budgets. However, there is a way to use the concept of VR to create effects for a Haunted Attraction that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. Using televisions (TV), and video recorders (VCR) the average Haunter can create the “image” of an expensive special effect, virtual view, expensive prop, impossible character or bizarre substance in situations where the actual effect would be difficult, dangerous or impossible to create. With virtual Haunt effects, you can create the spectacular look of being inside a house that is on fire or something as simple as water dripping on a rotted wall, both realistically and at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Virtual effects also provide a certain level of hands-off automation, and can help in situations where you are short on actors, or in a place an actor cannot go. The use of these effects can be quite impressive and the possibilities are limitless.
As a consultant working for the Strong Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, I developed this technique out of pure necessity. I had been creating special effects for the non-profit Haunted House since 1993, and in 1997 we had an especially low budget to work with in creating the Haunt. I decided to edit together old video footage and film some new footage with my camcorder for special effects. The idea was to hide the television monitor within the props and in the rooms to create Haunted effects from played-back video. That year we did a virtual storm outside of a window, virtual electrical sparks in Frankenstein’s lab, fire in a fake fireplace, and bizarre light coming from a fortune teller’s crystal ball. The response from the customers to these bargain effects was incredible. They especially loved the storm and the virtual 2-foot long electrical discharge in the lab.
I have always felt that a house is just not haunted unless there is a storm outside. You can physically create a storm with strobes, scenery and water running down the window, but what a mess. Here is how to do it the virtual way.
The Storm
I categorize the storm effect as an “out-the-window” type view, or a virtual view made to look like you can see something through the window. A storm is a typical out-the-window view, but the same equipment could be used for many other exterior views such as an alien planet, a shadow outside the window, or a destroyed city.
Place a ladder below the window you wish to have the effect seen in. It could be a window in a real house for a séance, or the prop window in a theatrical flat of a Haunted House. Place a board on top of the ladder with the other end resting on the window ledge to provide a sturdy base for holding the monitor. Be sure that everything is balanced and that the entire structure is able to support the weight. Tighten all nuts on the ladder, and secure the board to the ladder. For a more permanent installation, a shelf can be built like those designed to hold a window air-conditioner. With the monitor in place, run the cable from the TV to a VCR.
It is best to get a monitor that is at least as wide as the window. If your window is taller or wider than the TV, you can disguise this fact by lowering the blinds or positioning the curtains down to the top of the television cabinet. The aim here is to make sure that only the TV screen is visible through the window.
Now all you need is good video footage of a storm. Watch the weather channel for a rainy night and rent or borrow a camcorder if you do not own one. Film the storm from a distance, either on a porch or from inside a building. Use a 3-hour tape so that your storm will not have to replay as often. A video recorder with a “repeat” setting is a good investment, but a manual one will work as well. Just make sure you remember to rewind the tape about half way through the night.
For a Haunted House, the “out-the-window” type view is much easier to do because you are building the walls and have control of the dimensions. In this case you will want to buy the TV monitor first and build the window to fit the screen. Be sure to build a realistic looking window (or buy a real window) and set it into the wall. The window pictured here was made with 2x4s, a plywood casing, and actual window trim molding. By setting the monitor back from the window opening, a semi-panoramic or 3-D illusion created. The further back you place the TV from the window the better the effect, but the larger the TV will need to be in order to avoid seeing the TV cabinet. The only thing you want guests to see through the window is the TV screen, not the case and not the room behind the TV. The casing in the photo example is about 8 inches deep.
On the back stage side of the set wall, build a sturdy shelf on which to place the TV. Use sturdy materials to build the shelf, and place the monitor in the proper position. It is a good idea to strap the TV down to the shelf. Remember, this is a Haunted House, and rowdy people will be bumping into this wall. You do not want to buy a new TV every night.
The Lab Et All
I used the same type of shelf for the Frankenstein’s Lab. In this case there was no window frame. Instead, the TV sat on a shelf high up on a wall. Stacking all sorts of medical looking props around the room, we built two electrode-looking pieces up on both sides of the monitor. The video I shot had an electrical arc sparking across the screen and in the darkened room, the bolts looked real.
The fireplace was similar. We built a mantel with a hearth opening, and in the back of the opening we placed the monitor with video footage of a fire burning. Fake logs in front of the TV and a fireplace screen completed the illusion.
The fortuneteller’s crystal ball was done with the TV laying face up under the table. A hole was cut in the tabletop just big enough for a projector leans to fit in the hole. A white translucent lamp globe just big enough to cover the lens was placed over the hole in the table, and a feedback loop was played through the monitor.
Affordable Virtual Reality for the Haunted House industry is a few years off, but you can put the same concept of VR to work in your Attraction today. With a small investment in video equipment and some creativity, you can bring realism and high-dollar looking special effects to your haunt with great results. The use of virtual haunt effects can be quite spectacular and is limited only by your imagination.
Jon W. Hyers is a video and music producer for Outrageous Media in ST. Paul, MN. He can be reached at (651) 704-0545, or via Email at unh0ly1@hotmail.com Check out his web site at www.outrageous-media.com
An Inside Look At An Outdoor Attraction
by Tony Wohlgemuth
Where you live in this great country can have a significant impact on what comes to mind when you hear about a Haunted Attraction. If you are in downtown Dallas, TX you may picture a large warehouse or trucking terminal. If you live in the mid west, you may envision a huge mega-haunt walk-though. If you live in North Carolina, however, (Kersey Valley in particular), you may think of a long trail winding through densely wooded areas and leading to some old tobacco barns.
I started the Kersey Valley Spookywoods in High Point, NC, in 1983 on a 50-acre section of woods and an overgrown Christmas tree farm. The old farmhouse, several tobacco barns and various sheds had a wonderfully haunted look and feel, and are still providing an outstanding backdrop today. I used what came naturally with these surroundings and turned the farm into a family oriented, traditional event that brings thousands of people to my neck of the woods year after year during the month of October. Being outdoors allows us to use themes that match the natural surroundings. It is much easier to come up with new scene ideas when I am looking at an old barn with a well house nearby than to start with an empty warehouse.
Our staff consists of many talented people. Tim Martin, a plumber by trade, can take a truckload of steel and turn it into a spinning black tunnel that can take you to your knees. Joe Frazier, our in house artist, handles all of our promotional material. Steve Lee and Torin Whittaker can turn 2x4’s and plywood into anything we can dream up. Irene Wohlgemuth with over 15 years of teaching gourmet-cooking classes keeps our hungry staff happy late at night. My wife Donna Wohlgemuth is a sponsor magnet when it comes to getting what we need. It takes the combined efforts of over 100 people to make our show come to life each October.
Setting The Mood
As you ride down a dark and unfamiliar trail towards a strange glowing light flickering in the distance along side an abandoned graveyard on our Tram Train. The tombstones are leaning here and there, lit in a blue moonlight haze. The Tram Train rides ever so slowly by the long wrought iron fence surrounding the cemetery. You notice a Zombie crawling towards the Tram. With the sounds of wolves howling in the distance and the crash of thunder all around you, nerves are beginning to get thin and your stomach curls up in knots. Your group is getting closer to the light as you clutch one another ever so tightly. Then, a sudden scream from one of the girls in the group causes the rest of you scream in terror. A pale and rotten Zombie is breathing down her neck as he aimlessly stumbled onto the tram and the already frightened group of thrill seekers.
This is an example of creating an atmosphere in which the customers scare and startle each other, and all an actor has to do is to be seen. Creating an atmosphere to fit the scene is my prime objective. Then all the actor has to do to deliver the scare is jump out into sight, and then back into the shadows. The woods are an excellent stage for such scenes since hiding is easy with all the trees and under-brush. Being an outdoor attraction, our show has some great advantages. One of them is found in the naturally spooky environment of the trees, setting a stage that you would not be able to duplicate indoors. The code inspections required with most indoor haunts do not apply outdoors. This does not mean you should not be concerned about safety, it just means that outdoor events are a bit less strictly regulated. An operator of a Haunted Attraction must always put safety at the very top of his agenda, no matter what the location. The greatest disadvantage of an outdoor show is obviously rain. To help prevent your actors from bailing on you when it rains, provide a temporary shelter near each scene. We have used a dark green 6 x 10-ft. tarp, supported by wires strung between trees for shelter from the elements.
To keep the groups following the intended path, we use natural materials found in the woods. Piles of brush left over from cutting the trail, fallen logs and natural brush all work well. In our graveyard area we separated the patrons with a fence made from 1x4s and 1 inch PVC pipe.
Graveyard Fence
Two horizontal 1x4s spaced 3 feet apart, drilled every 8 inches on center to accept 1 inch PVC pipe, cut at a 45-degree angle to give them sharp pointed appearance. Alternating the height of the rods and painting the fence with black spray paint created wrought iron fence that fooled everyone. The fence ran about 60 feet down the front of the graveyard and cost under $300.00 dollars to build.
We visited the oldest cemetery in the area to make some sketches of tombstones. We cut the tombstones out of a 4x8 sheet of ¼ plywood using a jigsaw. We painted them with light gray exterior latex. Then, we added some detail to the tombstones while the paint is still wet using a brush with some black latex and tapped around the edges to add the three dimensional effect. This is the method we used for the gravestones that were at the back of the graveyard. For the ones closer to the public’s eye, I purchased the form filled foam kind. Remember to place the tombstones as if they have been there for many years. Make them lean to one side as if the earth had given away under their weight.
Lighting the area from some 25 feet over the scene with a light blue gel creates a moon light effect. You can use a bowl light found at Home Depot to save money. I found color gels from a local theater supply to vary the color of the lights. Remember that shadows are your friends, so try to create and use them to your advantage.
Sound is very important to the entire attraction. When was the last time you watched an action movie with the sound turned off? Try it sometime; you may be surprised how much it takes away from the experience. I was able to get a local rental company to sponsor my show. We took advantage of their 400-watt sound system with two 15-inch sub woofers in each speaker box at each corner of the cemetery. We have found that any type of thunderstorm sound effect works well. We covered each speaker box with camo netting and tried to hide them without blocking the sound. The actors that worked in the cemetery were dressed in old suits and wore pale white makeup on their faces. I found the local Goodwill store to be the best place to purchase this type clothing. We ripped holes in the clothes and rubbed them in the dirt to give them that “buried alive” look. We placed an actor inside the fence. Instructed him to crawl on the ground and pull himself towards the group of visitors so as to call their attention. Then had several zombies come from behind, out of the dark side of the trail and stagger into the group of visitors.
I have an open field area that the customers have to cross to get to the main woods. In the field, we have discovered that an impaling scene works well. To impale someone is to use a tall spike about 15 feet tall and inserted inside a body in the middle of the back, piercing all the way through the body and out the chest cavity. We used bamboo stalks as spikes and made dummies out of chicken wire covered with clothes. I placed a bag over the head of each dummy so as to hide the face. Also use a dim light to hide the fact that it is not really some poor guy who met his fate on the stake. This scene has a very memorable effect, indeed.
We started out with guided groups until the throughput became a problem. After fifteen years of using guided tours we had to change our format simply due to customer complaints of having to wait in some cases over 3 hours in line. We have learned with the help from IAHA members that using unguided tours is the only way to improve this problem. Before we changed our format we were open from 7:30pm until past 2:00am and averaged 125 customers per hour. Now we are open from 8:00pm until 12:00am and average over 500 customers per hour. Our staff is not completely exhausted at the end of the night and our customer complaints have turned into comments of appreciation. This concept may not be the best for the customers overall experience with the decrease in interaction of a narrated tour, but the advantages far overshadow the alternative.
I owe a huge thanks to the IAHA members in our first meeting in Dallas, Texas during IAAPA that showed me how to increase my throughput. I learned more at this first meeting than I have in the past 15 years of haunting alone. I recommend joining today, my $50.00 membership fee paid for itself the first night we opened with this newfound knowledge gained from the association. To add to the throughput we have designed and built trams that carry 40 people per tram pulled by tractors to the haunted cornfield part of the entertainment. We split our show into two separate attractions after reaching our maximum throughput. Leonard Pickel from Hauntrepreneurs® International gave me the advice that has allowed us to increase ticket price by offering two attractions. By adding our second attraction to the Haunted Hayride we now have a higher combo ticket price and a single attraction at our normal price. We have found that 90% of our customers purchased the more expensive ticket.
Just because my show is outdoors does not mean I do not use the maze design other indoor haunts use. In our attraction known as Harvest of Horrors we have built a 10,000 square foot maze inside our overgrown Christmas Tree grove using 4x8 sheets of plywood. The maze makes for a continued flow of visitors. This type of design significantly increases the throughput rate. The layout is a one-way path that many call a switch back design. We have run electrical power along with air lines underground to supply every corner of the maze. Even outdoors we can use all the great toys that indoor haunts can, for example air cannons and air powered body slingers, even our custom 20 foot long Spinning Black Tunnel.
Tony Wohlgemuth is owner of Kersey Valley Spookywoods and Maize Adventure in High Point, NC, he can be reached at 336-431-1700 or via Email at tony@pc-products.com More information about Kersey Valley Spookywoods can be found at www.spookywoods.com
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