Thread: Wall Illusion

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Originally Posted by evileyes

black plastic will not reflect alot of light(use it every year) it does reflect some. but with a black light you only get a few spots and they are small.. just make shure you have it pretty well stretched out and not wrinkled

-eric

I used black plastic last year to block off the light, making a long corridor. Although I had some good lighting (from my perspective), everyone kept saying how dark it was. What I didn't take into consideration was that not everyone's eyes were adjusted to the dark like mine were (I could see everything). My mother stood outside the entrance, and because she was exposed to the same ambient neighborhood lighting (street lights and such) that the trick-or-treaters were, even she couldn't really see much. I even stood right in front of guests, and they couldn't see me. Boy, were they scared! I even had a teenage girl go into a crying fit, trying to get out. Everyone had to restrain her and calm her down. The great thing about that was that she only freaked because of the decorations, not seeing me.

So, I'm using the guests' poor night vision to help with this effect. To help out, I'm gonna add a window . . .



that will flash lightning into their eyes (not too bright) . . .



I though about moving the pictures to one side, and adding a tall window to the other side, but that would have decreased my stalking area.

Another thing that isn't illustrated are cobwebs.

I also thought about having a runner go through the "room" to give it more of a home-like quality (rather than a gussied-up walkway). But, guests could trip over the carpet, which would be a liability. Instead, I'll use black electrical tape to create an inlay pattern, similar to this photo or this photo.

One thing I've been enjoying is making faux candles . . .



I bought two candle stands on sale at Walmart for $6-7 (originally $12). They were the last ones available. The candles are made of cardstock and hot glue, painted an off-white (more of a light cream color), and coated in a protective gloss varnish. A cardboard platform holds a battery-operated flicker tea light at the right height.

Just a thought, can you just spray the black plastic with the cheap cans of flat black paint? Your going to buy some for the fishing lines anyways. That way it keeps the cost down. Never tried it but, just a thought.

Growler

Just a thought.... my 2 cents..

For the walls, maybe use this stuff.. I use it on my screen door and you can see through it, its cheap and easy to alter. Also you can get bigger rolls if you need.

Easy Gardener 3 Ft. x 50 Ft. Weedblock® Landscape Fabric - 1042MJ at The Home Depot


This is what my front door looks like with a bit of neon spray paint and a black light. And I can still see people coming to the door.

I hadn't thought of that! Funny how the simplest solutions are right under your nose. Of course, I'd have to do a thin layer, and it'd be uneven. It'll be a relatively large space, so doing an even, uniform coat would be costly. Plus, I don't really know how well the paint will stick to the plastic. Anybody have experience with spray paint on plastic sheeting?

Another idea I'm considering is creating a curtain divider that I could hide behind, something that I could see through. The reason the area is large is because I want to stand 7-10 feet away, reducing the chances of being seen. If I create a fabric curtain, the area will not have to be so big, and it will hide any reflections from the majority of the plastic. I can then try out flat spray paint to help disguise any remaining plastic.

Now you've really got the wheels in my head turning!

For the second room (the area next to the garden), I think I'll just turn that into a large spider den.

I think that weed block fabric just might do the trick. Gas is expensive, so I have to consolidate my store trips into large, single day excursions.

LOL.

You guys kill me.

It is really great to see how many creative people there are out there.

Sam your idea is very original. Are you planning on the monster to touch them?

C.

A bit off topic but...

Kammo, I absolutely love your gate and smallish fence wall-topper (didn't know what else to call it. I can't tell from the photo, but is that actually an iron gate and fence or was it made for your haunt???

Thanks Shadow Man, yeah I got the gate at a garage sale and put it up for Halloween one year then liked it so much I left it. The arch was already there but didn't have a gate to start. The fence on the wall was bought from home depot for the same reason and again, just left it. they are iron and very sturdy. The gate opens when someone gets close to it then closes when they leave. People love it...

wow i have to say that looks pretty bad ass.