This year, I'm doing a movie-theater themed haunt. I was chugging along quite nicely with my snack bar/employee build before I hit a budgeting hiccup, but that has left me with time to really start planning out how I'm doing certain effects.

The big question mark is creating the illusion of a working movie screen. At most this year, I'll be able to add one video projector to the haunt. The rest would have to be faked.

The best idea I can come up with is this. I'll be painting a few iconic scenes from black and white horror films on a pretty large scale (I'm thinking at least 5' wide screens as I have the space to handle them), probably using acrylics and canvas I'll stretch myself. I then need to shelter the screen with an overhang and side walls to darken the screen area even when the ToTs start coming around 2PM (happens every year, regardless of when Halloween falls). I would run a strobe light either from the ground below or rigged to the shelter above to flash light onto the still image, hopefully creating the illusion of a moving picture.

Here's a rough sketch just to give you a better idea what I mean by the structure:



The ToTs will be able to walk by and see the screen through an opening in the front of the structure. There will be a facade of movie theater seats and various iconic characters watching the film between the front wall and the screen. It's just a really simple build with wood.

While I think this will wind up working out all right, I'm wondering if anyone else has an idea of how to work this without a video projector. I've given thought to maybe using a still image protector run on a flicker circuit or some blacklight options, but I'm open to ideas.

I won't get to start working on the screens until mid-August if the builds go mostly as planned. Any help would be appreciated.