Thread: Beginner ideas

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Hello everyone! Halloween is over and all I can do is think about what I want to do "haunt my house" next year! Next year will be my first attempt and I was hoping to list what I have bought on clearance so far and pick your brains ...mmm brains...for information.

I bought this fog machine Low Lying Fog Machine in Decorations Lights & Fog Machines

This strobe Strobe 360 Blue in Decorations Lights & Fog Machines

And this webcaster Webcaster Gun - Decorations & Props

Those were my big purchases and I got my hands on some skulls, netting, a bloody door cloth. Thats about it but I was thinking of grabbing some flood lights and I heard that Home Depot and Lowes even have then with stakes to hold the flood lights? I am 100% challenged at building things and setting up electronics but I'm willing to learn.

I was thinking of placing the fog machine under my porch and having the fog come out from the steps. My porch is a raised porch with about 3 feet of clear space under it.

Any other ideas? And besides tombstones do you guys and gals have any ideas for a good starter prop for someone who is pretty ignorant on the whole thing? I'd love to find a workshop or something that could help me improve building or electronics skills.

Thanks for reading my ramblings!

Hi Innerseek

I don't make many of my own props but I wanted to help.

I have two links for other threads discussing props for beginners. I have read both threads and they are filled with great info.

I hope this helps.


Intro prop for a novice? - HauntForum.com

Time to get my feet wet..

Ok...Firstly, Welcome to your new addiction/obsession.

Abandon Hope all ye who enter the gates of the propmakers realm....there is no returning to the life you once knew on the outside.

Seriously...This stuff is addictive. very addictive....But it's fantastic fun!!

When I'm asked what, in my opinion, is the best prop for the novice prop maker to start with I always recommend groundbreakers.

They're cheap, require virtually no technical ability to build and invariably look effective. They need not be anatomically accurate and a group of them, effectively lit, really sets off any graveyard scene.

Groundbreakers also allow you to learn and become aquainted with a range of skills and techniques that will prove useful as you progress to building larger and more complicated props.
Basic framework making, corpsing techniques and papier mache work can all be experimented with and you will find that your own styles will develop over time.
Later on, you may wish to progress to grave grabbers or tombstone peepers, which utilise similar techniques but are a little more mechanically involved.

There are many great threads and how-to's on the forum that will give you a good insight into making your first groundbreaker. Just have a browse around!!

If you need any more help or advice, just drop a message on my profile page.

Best of luck!

I'm also "challanged" at building props. What I would reccomend which is easy and cheap is pvc bodies. Once you have made a couple of those, you can make your own animatronic, a semi-cheap and easy but awesome idea, is to make your own animatronic. You would make another pvc body, but, instead of putting a mask on it, you can put a talking head, hear are a few...

- Skeleton head
- Shaking head
- Tree head

Those are my ideas.

Good luck,
the halloweenie

my first prop which was VERY easy was this jail. i thing it cost me like 10-20 bucks. easy to build mount your strobe somewere in there and build something like what halloweenie said.





-BYH

First, Wow I love you guys LOL! Great responses right off the bat.

Baron- I may take you up on the PM at some point and thanks!

Propmistress and Halloweenie thanks to both for the links, I'll be checking those out tomorrow.

BYH- I love the jail, thanks for the pics and encouragement.

It's nice to know I'm not alone as I start this building stuff!

Anyone have any comments on the fog machine under the stairs? I know that isn't exactly a prop question but I hated to start two separate threads. I'd like to get some pics of the layout of my home one day and post them here to see if any of you wonderfully talented people look at them and see some nice areas to add "haunts" to.

hi innerseek, the ideas mentioned are great, but also wanted to tell you that on this forum there is a prop building group you can be part of, the wonderful folks on here volunteer and give step by steps on making some props, this yer was the first for it, we are on a small break til after the first of the year, and a new groulp will start, but the ones from last year are still posted for every one. Just check out the tutorial section, got to the top sticky section under prop building group and check it out. and while you are there, also look at all the great tutorials,. there is something for every one from beginners on up!! good luck! like Baron said, once you are hooked, theres no going back!!

Originally Posted by bethene

hi innerseek, the ideas mentioned are great, but also wanted to tell you that on this forum there is a prop building group you can be part of, the wonderful folks on here volunteer and give step by steps on making some props, this yer was the first for it, we are on a small break til after the first of the year, and a new groulp will start, but the ones from last year are still posted for every one. Just check out the tutorial section, got to the top sticky section under prop building group and check it out. and while you are there, also look at all the great tutorials,. there is something for every one from beginners on up!! good luck! like Baron said, once you are hooked, theres no going back!!

Thanks so much! I'll do that right away.

oh the fog on the stairs. well thats a good idea it would look cool. but if someone trips and they could easyly sue you. i dont mean to start of u on a bad foot but its the truth there are some "yahoos" out there i think the fog would look better a graveyard gives it that little extra spook to it.

-BYH

Originally Posted by BackYardHaunter

oh the fog on the stairs. well thats a good idea it would look cool. but if someone trips and they could easyly sue you. i dont mean to start of u on a bad foot but its the truth there are some "yahoos" out there i think the fog would look better a graveyard gives it that little extra spook to it.

-BYH

Yea LOL I can understand what you mean. I'm actually thinking of placing the fogger under the stairs and have th fog nozel pointing at the stairs. My porch is a raised porch and is about 3 feet off the ground, you can crawl around under the whole thing pretty easily.