Thread: lighting issues

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okay, I posted this question a couple of days ago on request for tutorials but I haven't gotten any response and I'm really starting to stress about this. Here goes...this will be my first year doing a haunt in my garage and I'm needing guidance on how to do the lighting so nobody sees what's coming up next. Do I partition every scene off from the others so tots can't see until they're right in front of it or what? HELP! The voices are getting too loud!

I always break my scenes up into sections. If money is an issue, use black plastic in the paint section of walmart. Very inexpensive and easy to use in a number of ways. Will contain light to that one area.

There are several ways I can think of. One is lighting...as they step into one area, the light for that area comes on. etc.

The other and probably easier is to create curtains between the areas. As they are in one area, all they really see is some light coming from the next...It makes it scarier this way as they don't know whats next. There are several ways you can do a curtain. You could hang black plastic and cut long slits in it so that they can walk through, or you can overlap two curtains so that they have to push one or both sides open to go through. Note, if you use curtains, make sure it's obvious that is the way they need to go (signs?).

One last way, is to make each area at an angle to the next. For example say you have a witch and cauldron, have the way to the next area behind and a turn to the right or left. That way they can only see one area at a time. I think this one would be more difficult in a garage as you won't have the space you'd need.

I'd go with the curtains

It's funny you asked about this. That is the exact challenge I have with my haunt being moved into the garage. This is a rough sketch just to give you an idea of how I'm planning to solve my dilemma:



In my sketch, I forget to show that there will be shroud that they pass through before reaching the next section. Now, bear in mind, I haven't put this in practice yet.

To make this work, I will find the studs in my garage ceiling and screw 2 X 4's into it. Now that I have a weight-bearing system, I will hang fabric from it and that will make my 'walls' and other needed things to hang from it.

About the fabric: After finding the cheapest fabric I could find ($2 a yard) that was still expensive and very thin so I opted for professional landscape (weed-blocker) fabric for $1.50 a yard and it's thicker than the fabric I was looking at. I didn't want to use the black plastic sheeting because it's too shiny.

Hopefully my plan will work. Muh ha ha haaaaaa....

Wow, thanks to everyone for their great suggestions. Terra, your diagram is great. I'm stealing it!!! Except I have a side door so I'm planning on that being my exit and opening into my "cemetary". My next problem will be the studs. Everytime I bring one home my husband gets jealous. (ba-da-dum)

strobes are great at blinding

LOL! You are very welcome.