Thread: Best prop-building / effects book(s)?

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I have the book "How to Haunt Your House." A bit pricey at ~$35, but has gorgeous color photography.

I'm wondering what other books I should consider having in my "home haunt" library. I'm also interested, of course, in effects and illusions used in commercial haunts.

Anyone have the following and are they worth the price:

* Haunted House Halloween Handbook
* Halloween Propmaker's Handbook

What are some others I should consider?

I've seen some incredibly expensive books, such as Haunted Illusions, seemingly put out in small quantities in the magicians' trade. Don't mind spending $60 or so on a book, but it would have to be fairly comprehensive...

I just received 2 DVDs this past weekend and watched both back to back. Great information on how to build controllers from the component level, simple pneumatic props to complex ones, talking props with servos even how to make latex skin to pu over your creations. You even get a download PDF file so you have all DVD info to print out and all the schematics for the circuits. The DVDs are done so someone with zero knowledge can follow along and build the projects. Each DVD was 20 bucks plus shipping. There is a third DVD on how to set up scares adn create atmosphere. I have purchased several DVDs on prop building and this is the best by far for the price.

The web site is Halloween2go

I have both of the dc prop building handbooks and they have a wealth of information in them with step by step plans for building alot of thier props.

I don't have them yet, but they're on my list of things to buy soon...Terror Syndicate's five volume book and DVD collection. You can get individual volumes, just the books, or just the DVDs.

At $239 the entire collection taint cheap, but I've heard they're excellent and their haunt is pretty impressive as well.

Rich

Originally Posted by chuckb0004

I just received 2 DVDs this past weekend and watched both back to back. Great information on how to build controllers from the component level, simple pneumatic props to complex ones, talking props with servos even how to make latex skin to pu over your creations. You even get a download PDF file so you have all DVD info to print out and all the schematics for the circuits. The DVDs are done so someone with zero knowledge can follow along and build the projects. Each DVD was 20 bucks plus shipping. There is a third DVD on how to set up scares adn create atmosphere. I have purchased several DVDs on prop building and this is the best by far for the price.

The web site is Halloween2go

Thanks for this suggestion. From this post I found out how to make my own masks for skulls, then did alittle digging on the Halloween2go website to figure out information on where to get material to help with my mold casting and then learned the right way to make a hollow skull from my mold. And found 2 new sites where to get resin at what I feel are fairly good prices.

Halloween2go animatronic silicon skins
Polytek Resins
How to slush cast
http://alumilite.net/ProdDetail.cfm?Category=Casting Resins&Name=Alumilite Regular
http://alumilite.net/ProdDetail.cfm?Category=Casting Resins&Name=610 Foam

All this information from the simple mention of halloween2go and a few extra mins of my time. Thank you !!!

"How to Haunt Your House: Book 2" out sometime this year!

Thanks for the suggestions.

Halloween Propmaker's Handbook = Wish I had my money back....so outdated..very cheesy

Bump for later.

mainly effects and lighting