Thread: Entry way Decorations

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Need all of your help...generally we only have a huge party with about 80 people including the kids....well each year I hear...."This isnt scary"...well

this year....

I want the older kids to be a bit scared....so I have recruited the assistance of a couple of fun loving guys to dress up and scare them outside on their way in....but I am having them enter a different way into the house....through our CREEP ENTRANCE....aka our breezeway.

but I need help in making it scary....I have hung up the black plastic and the wall coverings and the cob webs on the ceiling....

when you enter you will see this.... a blucky hanging from the ceiling (Picture 1).

turning to the left you will see the coffin leaning against the wall in the corner (Picture 2).

It is only a space about 6 foot wide by 8 foot from entrance door to house door. Our house door is the one with the skeleton hanging on it...

Any ideas to scare their britches off....so I wont hear """""This isnt scary"""""" again?

Laurie

2 things come to mind to give you a suggestion. $5.00 air horn from w-mart over in the boating section.
Leaf blower with a $20.00 wireless remote from radio shack.

Turn the leaf blower on and at the same time sound that air horn! If that doesn't get them, tell me what will

I know what you mean about it not being scarey enough, I heard the exact same thing last yr so this yr Im determined to scare the pee out of em! lol
I agree with Lacey the air horn is a great scare, Im using it in my haunt. You could easily use it as a car horn with some 'head lights' and reving engine sounds, but just the air horn itself will make them jump. lol
Also, if you have acess to an air compressor a 'spitting' spider/lizard/snake can be made pretty easily. It scares the kids without terrifying them.

Common.....a little help here folks...thanks for the ideas above...any more????????

Show them a college tuition bill - that'll terrify 'em! O.k.m something more Halloween themed...could you have a giant monter head that shoots silly string at them? Funny and surprising at the same time!

We're doing a similar thing. I'm focusing more on lighting, or lack thereof, including a strobe in one place, different colored lights in others, and my actors.

I wish I knew the answer!! Like I poster earlier - my 55 kids at my party last weekend weren't scared at all!! I was so mad!! Just wait...

So, I too need ideas. Something dropping from the ceiling - like rubber snake as they go by would be good, if you can figure a way to rig it....the air horn is good...

I'm right there with ya - so I'm anxious to see what other ideas you get! LOL

I have to object to the air horn. Be careful with it. Those are loud enough to cause hearing damage, especially if it's used in an enclosed area and at close quarters to the ears. If you want a loud sound scare, I would suggest using a recorded sound and an amplifier, so you can calibrate the volume to be below 100dB. (I.e., turn the volume knob down to where it's safe. Use a Radio Shack sound meter to check it.)

With a recorded sound, you can also mix up a soundtrack to get them a little uneasy before springing the loud one on them.

One thing I can suggest for maximum creep factor is to avoid anything that is identifiably mass-produced. E.g., the light-up bat silhouette. It's cute, and thus a mood-lightener. Not that there is anything wrong with cute, imo, except it's not what you want right here.

The first step in scaring someone is to withdraw them from their comfort zone.

This varies person to person. But, in your case, sounds like this is a traditional party, do not do what you've done in the past. I don't know the details of your parties, so use your best judgement.

An example: Trick or Treating.

The first year we moved in. Blocking the path to the door and standing outside, kids wondering what to do, let along the creepy guy in the costume lurking around, was enough in itself to scare some. Because I had taken the simple element of TOT and tipped it on it's side, kids not expecting it were frightened.

Misdirect them, and have the scare come from behind, or the side. Coffin in the corner there, just begging for something to jump out of it. Lid opens slowly to reveal it's empty, and a zombie suddenly appears behind them instead. Etc. Scary because it's the unexpected.

Spider webs in the cieling, maybe even spiders moving up there, expecting something coming down on them? Blast compressed air on their feet.

Now that they don't know where you're going to scare from, go ahead and do the obvious as well. They're already set into fright mode by being removed from their comfort zone, due to being surprised a few times.

Same with the hayride. Misdirection and hitting them from where they don't expect is key. Build blinds everywhere, but not every one needs folks jumping out. Outside, fire makes for great distractions. Flame throwers, bonfires, etc. Get their attention focused somewhere, and have the real scares coming from somewhere else.

Great ideas...thanks so much for the input....the party we throw is for kids thru adults with games and all is very bright but decorated for the occasion...scaring is a much harder task and my hat goes off to all who do it every year whether it be on a large or small scale....

Laurie