Thread: Going professional....

Tweet

First of all, I am not. But if I won the lottery tommorow, it is something high on the list to do. I am sure many of you would have this on your list as well. So on that note, lets hear your ideas about it. If there is people here that have gone this route or done more research on it, would also love to hear your thoughts.


Here is my dream. I would rent out the old Circuit City building. Assuming that it was already rated for retail, one would imagine that it would be close to the required city safety codes. (im sure someone will make me eat those words). Also this building is right on the main drag of town so it would be very visible to the public. location location location... as they say.

The haunt itself would be constructed using the plywood method found on here to build walls through out the building. The entire haunt would be built like a large mansion, phasing into different rooms. I would also want to build up a facade on the front, pending city code.

I would also love to do a transition haunt. Where from 5pm to 7pm the haunt would be rated for families. There would be a limit of actors at this time and the ones around would be instructed to keep the level of scare low. Some of the animatronics will be turned off, it might be brighter in the rooms, and some of the areas of the haunt (the gorier areas) would be shut off. The rate for family time tickets would be less to compensate the limited access. We would also promote discounts for people who buy family passes and then return for full access.

Off the top of the head startup costs would be $50,000 to $200,000 . If I could start tommorow, I would spend the rest of the year in planning phase. Researching building codes, attending seminars, stocking materials on sale prices, etc... In the month of Halloween I would travel around the state (possibly outside the state) hitting up various professional haunts to inspire new ideas and learn what to avoid. Knowing what sells after Halloween I would spend those early minutes / hours buying up props for my planned haunt. Potentially spending $10,000 or more at this point.

Once that is all in play I would then rent out my building and spend the rest of the following year constructing the haunt / promoting it with plan to open that October. I really have no idea what kind of revenue could be pulled in, but the plan would be that if I could cover 70% of the costs the first year with ticket sales that following years would have less investment and could hopefully push for profit in year 2 or 3.


So thats my dream plan. Tell us yours!

hee hee ... You so crazy --- me likee idea!

I say attend the Professional Haunters convention next time you get a chance. Get the inside skinny on the trials and tribulations of operating a professional haunt. I bet you could get a few Forum Fans to join you!

And when you win the lottery - let me know! I'm in!

Originally Posted by Bubbels

I would also love to do a transition haunt. Where from 5pm to 7pm the haunt would be rated for families. There would be a limit of actors at this time and the ones around would be instructed to keep the level of scare low. Some of the animatronics will be turned off, it might be brighter in the rooms, and some of the areas of the haunt (the gorier areas) would be shut off. We would also promote discounts for people who buy family passes and then return for full access.

This is a great idea bubbels!

I am under the impression that outside of Disney there is not much kid orientated haunts to be had. Its kind of a bummer as I am sure there is plenty of haunt enthusiasts out there who are parents and sometimes short on a baby sitter. Would be interested to hear if their is an industry reasoning behind this, as im sure im not the first to think of it. Glad you liked the idea!

I would l.o.v.e to attend the professional haunters convention! If nothing else, I would get to see some cool props and ideas that I've never seen before. I love your idea and I would share that same dream if I hit the jackpot lol.

I wish I could build a proffesional haunt. My dream haunt would be called "HELL". The idea of it is to have a 100 sqft shack in a big field with a winding road to it. The purposse of that shack is that is where people wait. Once it is your turn, you enter an elevator, there is an orientation video and the elevator starts to decend (it is actually just shacking to give the illusion). the floor numbers quickly descend, after it hits -99, the number sign hits "HELL". During that whole time, the elevator only descended one floor. The whole haunt would be underground.

That's my dream,
the halloweenie

this show is full of info that you need to go pro. its in March

http://haashow.com/wp-content/themes...ges/header.jpg

You've obviously done more research than me, Bubbles. Very cool ideas!

Since I'm very interested in pursuing my professional career as a paleontologist in a museum, I would freakin' LOVE to put together a haunted museum event. I've been to a couple, and while they have their charms, there is either too little of anything aside from turning off a few lights and having one or two actors in very obvious areas or it is pretty much a full-out Haunt with so many potential hazards to the museum's collections that I was practically sweating for them (plus that one had at least a couple visits from the fire dept. that night ).

I love the challenge, and a haunted museum would probably be my ultimate challenge. It is a matter of making sure the museum, its collections, its employees and its patrons are safe, while creating an event worth visiting.

I have many ideas in my head, but the one that seems most practical to me right now would involve setting the scene in the museum itself (while allowing visitors to also look around some of the exhibits), with a general path that they are allowed to wander through at their leisure as the scenes start to turn more and more dark with little elements of the exhibits turning into something terrifying. Upon transition to a full haunt, guests (hopefully) unknowingly enter a maze outside where all hell breaks loose. I love haunts that present loose stories that build to a deafening roar, and I think that the gradual scene-setting along the guest's path would be useful in that respect.

There are so many precautions to take, and it would probably take more creativity than just I could muster to make it both a great haunt as well as a safe one (but that's why one works with a team, after all). I am convinced it could be done as both extremes have been achieved, but I'm pretty sure it would take many years of research, visiting haunting conventions, talking to current and past creators of museum haunts, and cash (which is something almost any museum would have great difficulty coming up with itself so therein lies my "If I actually played the lottery and then amazingly won any sizable sum...").

It has been a dream I've had since I first went to my first museum haunt when I was 7 or 8 and realized so much more could be done. You don't want to know how many sketches of characters and illusions I've made over the years, the early ones being enjoyably laughable.

And that's why I should be institutionalized...

well you do have a point with people bring in STROLLERS into to haunted house! but heres what i would do.

First rent out the old comp USA i thing or some store in this plaza. it is right next to the mall with all the kids going to haunted houses now a days. i would go for a VERY detailed haunt. with ply wood walls ect. an i would have to by a warehouse some where i can have a storge and workshop for staff and marketing ect. then i would rent it in mid may. but i would be buildin props and walls from the day after halloween in my warehouse. but for theme idk yet. i think i might have some time before starting lol

this is a great thread! nice work!

-BYH

Building in the warehouse.. I like that idea, probably save on cost. Unless you can flat out buy a commercial building and commit to being there for X years. But that has its downsides, like the need for expansion.