Thread: Haunted House help!

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I'm new here so im not sure if this is the right forum or if it has been done before. I am making a haunted house next year and need ideas (it will be in my backyard, so it might be more of a maze/haunted walk). I have some ideas like: I am going to be leather face with a chainsaw near the end, and my uncle is going to be Michael Meyers. I need ideas what else to put and what most people are afraid of, I want a pretty scary maze that might give little kids nightmares lol. Anyway, what should I make the sides out of (the boundaries that guide you and keep you in the path) and I have a fairly big backyard. Just throw some really creepy ideas at me and please be serious, I want a really good haunted house. And yes, it is free to get in so the budget may be a bit tight but Ill work things out. Thanks, and Happy Halloween!!!


EDIT: Oh, I'll need a name to!!! I also have a coffin that I hand made, I could use that.

Hey man,
Who will be your target audience? Adults? Kids? Depending on who, you should adjust the haunted maze as such. As far as designing the maze, think about what scares you personally, and then what other people are scared of, for example gore, tight spaces, loud noises, clowns, etc. Personally, movie monsters/villains don't scare me, because I can familiarize with them. The way I look at it, if you use original masks, or non commercial, it gives more of a scare since the audience has not seen something like that before. That's what I think, but the decision is totally up to you. As far as barriers/walls, if you are on a budget, you make a wooden frame, and cover it with either thick plastic sheeting, or landscaping fabric. A tutorial for that is found here.

http://youtu.be/oA0lF_wJPgo

Another thing I do to get ideas is go to local haunts, and see what they have done. Seeing these haunts will give you tons of ideas, or even look on youtube for examples like knotts scary farm or universal HHN. Also music helps complete the haunt, so choose it wisely, I wouldn't use familiar movie themes like Halloween, or something similar. I would use more atmospheric music to really set a creepy mood. Also make sure the people that are scaring, actually know how to scare, and even hold auditions if you have too. Anyways, I hope that helps. Feel free to ask any questions, good luck on your haunt!

I agree with the previous post. Movie monsters are not the way to go. First of all, a good costume in their likeness is waaaay to expensive. Better scares can be done with cheaper masks or appliances. Second, having all them in one haunt makes no sense. Myers is in Illinois, and leatherface is from Texas, why are they both in your yard? A while back was a post about theme. What your theme is doesn't matter nearly as much as you actually have a theme. Before you lay out a single drawing, take the time to write out a good backstory. It will really help you in the long run.