My 1st Annual Haunt!

** Click the "Halloween 09" link in the top menu **

Well, I'd call the whole thing a smashing success!!!
...and that's ENTIRELY thanks to all the wonderful folks on this fine forum! You people have given me the best halloween I've ever had, along with great anticipation for the years ahead.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

For any of you who are unaware, we live near the end of a dead-end street in a small town. the folks on our street are really great, but they seem to have halloween-humbug...all of them, except maybe 2 or 3 houses either aren't home, or turn out their lights and don't participate. As a result, (so I'm told) it's typical to only get a few kids trick-or-treating. We got approx. 30 (mainly thanks to my wife telling everybody she saw as she took our 5-yr-old around trick-or-treating), so I'd call that a great 1st year...especially considering the painfully meager budget I was on!
Close to the end of the evening, we had cars pulling up, letting kids out to come to our place, and then leaving again...in most cases, the parents were also getting out for a look-see. How cool is THAT??!!

I'm sure we'll have more visitors next year, as everyone who did come by seemed to be really impressed...AND SCARED!!! The amount of shrieking and screaming we had was extremely gratifying. I heard "COOL!" and "HOLY SH*T!" and "AWESOME!" and "...IS THAT GONNA GET ME??" all evening long.
I had a blast!!!
...and Vincent (the 7-foot monster-puppet FGC I built) was the hit of the show. He scared the crap out of kids, teenagers and adults alike...most of them shrieked 2 or 3 times as he 1st raised his arms in a threatening manner, then went "chasing" after them. It was GREAT!

Anyway, as we all know, digital cameras are crappy in low-light...darkness is even worse. So some of the pics are taken during daylight, some with main lights on, and some in the actual night-time set-up. The pics which are very dark, I have over-brightened just to try and show what's there to be seen.
There's also a video, but again, it's VERY dark and grainy...but it does have sound, so you'll at least get an idea of the atmosphere (I mixed my own REALLY psychotic sound loop!).

If you want to see the video, you can download it in a zip file here:
1st haunt Video
It's around 16mb.

So for my 1st year building props and hosting a haunt, I think it went very well. I can't wait till next year!!!
I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed terrifying the neighborhood.

DAMN, that was FUN!!!

P.S. I forgot to mention...the skull in my tulle-ghost is one I carved myself. I glued a bunch of layers of styrofoam together and got to work. I think it turned out not too bad for a 1st attempt at sculpting (if you can call it that).

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"I have a secret...........I see stupid people....and they don't know they're stupid..."

Congrats on a great haunt the pics look great

Happy screams!! Love to hear the excitment in your words..its what makes it all worth while!! I have the same problem you do with the camera so the hubby and I are talking about spending the money on a realy good one for next year ..its a shame we do all this and then the pics just dont do it justice.. congrats on your first year !! You did a realy good job

Great job! Vincent was very terrifying.

Was the black stand with the design on it where you handed out the candy?

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I wear Halloween socks all year long

No, the candy was in a small coffin I made that lights up with a dull glow inside. it was positioned between the ghost and the reaper....just barely outside Vincent's reach. So I stayed perfectly still until they went for the candy, and then Vincent got em!
MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!

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"I have a secret...........I see stupid people....and they don't know they're stupid..."

Geesh, you mean you dont really live under a slimy rock???!! What a disappointment! I feel mislead
Great looking display and your enthousiasm comes POURING out your post lol
Can't wait to see what you make when you aren't so wet behind the ears
Oh and I really loved that windows vista tombstone

MsM

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"A true friend stabs you in the front."
- Oscar Wilde

Congrats IC_DP!! And I would say that a head count of 30+ is a screaming success to be sure!!! Now the word is out! I bet it doubles next year! I think "The Dead End" is a PERFECT name for your new haunt too!! Congrats on a wonderful time and way to keep the Halloween Forum Spirit 365 days a year! BOO!

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Let's Boo It Again in 2010! "In the Library - with the Candlestick. . ."

great pics!!! really like it!!!

Thanks one and all...your kind words mean a lot to me.
I'm very pleased that you all approve so far.

and HallowSusieBoo, that's a great idea: "The Dead End"....I love it!

I was just talking with my dad about some of my ideas for next year. I think when the big night rolls around again, I'll greet each visitor at the end of my laneway with a roll of toilet paper. When they ask "what's that for?", I'll say..."Ooooooh, YOU'll find out..."
Actually, my dad is missing a finger from an accident many years ago....we're planning on using that to our advantage next year. LMAO!

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"I have a secret...........I see stupid people....and they don't know they're stupid..."