Thread: Do you incorporate scary shadows in your yard haunt?

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Curious if anyone tries to incorporate scary shadows in your yard haunt? Like do the kids see a shadow of Freddy Krueger lurking from the bushes and they know they have to get past him to get the candy? I like the idea of creating anticipation. I'm still weighing different ideas for a theme to go with this year and need to get my butt in gear.

Here's what prompted me to ask the question. I found a skeleton dinosaur model toy, not bought but considering, that I thought, when lit properly from the foreground and both the dino and lighting shielded from the TOTers view like behind our front sideyard fence, might be useful to create a large dino shadow against the house or backyard fence or special backdrop. Same could be done with other props like giant spiders or creepy monster character or villans I guess. I'm looking to give TOTers a sample of something dangerous or monsterous lurking in the haunt waiting for them to enter and entice them to take the time to go through a whole yard haunt instead of a quick hit for candy. I really don't want to create something for the whole yard and then have them dash off or not stop if you get where I'm coming from on this. I'd probably use the dino in a kind of lost world jungle theme, a la Indiana Jones. We have some tropical palm trees and plants so thinking to play off of the tropical theme in general.

Love to hear your thoughts on using the dinosaur in this way and any ideas you want to throw out on other things to incorporate. I think it's this theme or zombie town.

Seems like it could be effective. You have to see how it looks and judge. What I've come to realize is that tots are only there for a very short amount of time and many times detail is lost. That doesn't stop me from detailing. But there are things that I spend time planning and implementing and thinking it'll be a huge hit, only to have it fall flat or worse yet, unnoticed. Mostly a shadow couldn't be easier to do- it's just well directed light. But still, it needs to be done right and it's another light/fixture/wattage draw. So make sure the effort is worth it. From my notes last year, this year I will be less interested in props with specific 'talky' sound tracks. They are all but lost in an otherwise busy ambient sound track display. Anything added this year will be simpler, but more grand- more of an attention getter. To play on your idea a bit, my yard has many completely dark areas surrounding my display that I haven't inhabited yet. What I might do is put creepy props in spots with fade in/out lights so they appear and disappear- working with the darkness that way. If I can get this done with a decent prop count, it would look wild. Perhaps six zombies that randomly appear and dissapear in the dark shadows. A kind peppers I suppose, but a bit more wide spread and set back in the shadows. Good luck with your idea!

wish i could make it look like small little creepy shadow creatures scurrying through the tombstones
but i really wouldnt know how to pull that off

I've been toying with the idea of cutting a cemetery background for a shadow caster. With tombstones profiles of various sizes to give an illusion of more depth, back lit in the fog behind my actual cemetery, so that only the shadowy forms are seen. Mostly because I have about 10 sheets of 1" ply, that if not used relatively soon, are going to start rotting.

I worked for three years on a very large, time consuming real Work project and it impresses one out of maybe 30 people who see it.
I have always thought that an entire, fantastic haunted house could be accomplished via just shadows and controlled lighting
The creation of anticipation is really Very important to the overall effect, never to be forgotten about or ignored.
Anticipation is where it ALL begins.
Show them something odd, strange, boardering upon fantastic, let it simmer for a bit, then they begin to think and guess about what is going to happen next or be inside?
You don't know what any one person will be afraid of but they, their mind knows and the short list of fears comes up (protectively so) with that thing they dread the most and worry about it, because IT just Might be waiting for them there!
Whether it is or not, this is the true psychological climate when extreme memories happen. Strive to create it.

It's so hard for me to play with shadows. I live on a busy street, so I have heavy duty street lights ruin my fun. But this is a topic that is highly intriguing and should be used in haunts. We all know it's not what you do see that's scary, it's what you don't