Thread: Wholy Crap... from small time to the BIG SHOW !!!

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Well I must say that it has been so much fun being a part of this forum.

Great ideas and connections for the DIYer in all of us. Like so many on this forum, My front yard has really been a major attraction in our neighborhood, but for us...word never really traveled much farther.

This year Our school system was talked into turning over the original High School in our town ( Now abandoned ) to an educational foundation in need of a major Fundraiser.

You can see where this is all going. Someone mentioned our name and I got roped into this project... ( Deep into it )

We are now scrambling to get "Haunted High" on line and are using all of my displays within the haunt.

I may just be posting in a mad panic here and there over the next month for ideas and advice. Wish us luck.

Thanks HFers

Bart

Good luck! I hope that everything goes well and the fundraiser is a great success.

What are some of your ideas for a haunted highschool? Would love to hear your thoughts.

There is just something really creepy about an abandoned high school.

Originally Posted by Giles

Good luck! I hope that everything goes well and the fundraiser is a great success.

What are some of your ideas for a haunted highschool? Would love to hear your thoughts.

There is just something really creepy about an abandoned high school.

Above all we're sticking to these 2 rules:
1) it maintains a Haunted School theme i.e :
* Zombies are students, staff and faculty.
* Our electric Chair guy is actually a student staying after school in School Detention.
* The typical Canibal / Butcher Shop is actually our School Cafeteria.
* We get to utilize a large old Auditorium with Great Open space overhead, so plenty of opportuniities for FCGs
against the walls and possibly projection spectors on the ceiling and walls. who knows.
* etc......

2) It can't be lame or cutsie. Our first year out has to be done right or we'll never get the crouds back.

That is going to be intense.

Good luck with the haunt.

It sounds like its going to be great.

good luck.

Does sound like a lot of work. A lot of fun fun work.

Great ideas!

The only thing that would worry me in an old school is actually the amount of space. With wide open spaces, it is hard to get that uneasy, closed-in feeling that works so well in walkthrough haunts. Not trying to be a downer, but it is really easy to get stuck with a big area and try and put too much into it. Remember sometimes that less is better. I can picture an abandoned Prom in the auditorium, ala Carrie or Prom Night. Something really creepy about sad, old party decorations. :-)

I think as long as you stick to your rules, you'll do great! Keep us updated. I know I would love some pics of before and after, and I'm sure others would also enjoy them.

Yes, keep us updated!
With progress pics if possible

I know to some of us, high school really was a nightmare!!

Wow Bart, congrats on the recognition. Guess it's put the petal to the metal time for you. I'm hoping that this organization has the volunteers who can really come through and help you make this a huge success. Be a good delegator. Love the idea of Haunted High BTW. Stay in touch when you can and see if someone can be a historian of sorts and take pics along the way. A video at the end would be cool for everyone to have and great for promoting the event next year if there is one planned. I know that in the rush to get things done that is something that gets left in the dust many times. We'll be here to cheer you on. Rah-rah-sis-boom-bah-BOO! (oops, hope that's not too cutsie, but cheerleaders can be a scary bunch, keep that in mind).

BTW I liked the suggestion of filling a large space (auditorium or gym with normal kind of decorations for a prom from the past), the music for it could be flashback and played eerily so you immediately knew this isn't your time or place but from some time long ago. If you get someone to work on music to be played, let them also work on pulling together any PA announcements if the school has a system in place that is still working. The flashback time could be helped along with signage from Class of 19-- and old altered B&W photos promoting events at the school from then. In fact I'd suggest taking lots of crate paper streamers and such and setting them out in a sunny place where they could start fading now. Same with any posters you want to hang on the hallway and class room walls so you can achieve that aged look. Dead carnations for guy prom goers and dead nosegays (think that's what they were called) for the girl zombies. See if some local flower shop can save flowers like this that they would be tossing out and let them decay so you'll have them when the time comes to add the final touches to the zombie props and prom tables. A nice mention of the flower shop in the sponsors list for the event should get you cooperation I would think. Of course funeral homes might be the next best choice for dead flowers.

If the school is meant to look abandoned for years, maybe collecting dead fall leaves now could be useful in spreading them in some of the entrance hallways. I wonder if that fake spray snow might not also be useful in changing the look of mirrors giving it some texture that could be colorized for a dirty brown aged dust look.

Here's a link to some props that Improvements Catalog is carrying that might spur some ideas. Last year I think they had different dancing ghouls but they seem to be sticking with the theme.

Would that make us Cheerleaders or Fearleaders? HAHA

I'm sure all of us would be happy to have our brains picked for ideas. I think we are all very good at encouraging. :-)