[jetskijigsaw84]

I'm the type I develop a particular creating mode by putting on some music or a movie in the background. I use Rob Zombie, Amanda Palmer, The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Marilyn Manson, Shivaree, and Korn (just to name a few musicians) to get me in the prop building mood and to have something to kind of feed on as I build. Movies, the older the better, love me some "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", "The Bad Seed", "Night of the Living Dead", anything with Boris Karloff or Vincent Price (you get the idea). . . Just some of what I feed off of for inspirations. So, I got to wondering, what drives/inspires you in your building?

 

[Icepick]

Me personally, I'm the ADD type. Just random thoughts that I try to write down before changing my mind. Look at something and try to imagine what's else it could be. When I build, it's usually no less than three props being worked on at one time. My garage is an obstacle course of 2x4's and PVC pipe from June till November. I'm actually just starting to keep each prop and not repurpose it to something new or different. I'm sure I will run out of space quickly doing this, so figure keep the same theme for a few years at a time, then scavenge for a new theme.

 

[DoctorGrim]

To meet chicks

 

[Icepick]

There's my ADD tendencies. As for what drives and inspires my props, I dabble in projection mapping with music, so whatever I'm working on for the "show" part of my Halloween night, determines what props are made.

 

[xxScorpion64xx]

Actually, this site, before joining, I wasn't too polished of a haunter but now I just go through the different threads and find great inspirations. I've definitely learned a lot from Halloween Forum.

 

[65ragtop]

Anything that plays on primal human fears. I'm not into the blood and gore or startle props, I want them to have nightmares for the next week. And the following year the crowds have doubled...

PS -The Wife is omnipresent to save the little TOT's. I'm after the teens.

 

[oaklawn Crematory]

To meet chicks

We have an Amish farm near us....The chickens are always really fresh.

 

[jetskijigsaw84]

@ Icepic, actually the random idea flow, is pretty similar to how my brain works. . . For some reason those random ideas just don't seem to flow as well if I'm thinking directly on what I'm working with. . . Only conclusion I can come up with there is my brain is a bizarre being. Lol

@ DoctorGrim, One methodology I haven't tried. . . Might be more fun than the bar scene. Lol

@65ragtop, Gotta admit, I dig you style, the psychological horror if far more effective an effect. (I'd send my regards to the wife, but being as she's omnipresent, that seems a bit redundant. . . Lol)

@ xxScorpion64xx, I am actually learning a lot from this site as well, and continue to pick up new ideas to run with. . . so this site is another unnamed source for inspiration.

 

[jetskijigsaw84]

@oaklawn Crematory, Lmbo. . . organic, free-range, and not bad for pan-frying to boot I'm willing to bet

 

[oaklawn Crematory]

@oaklawn Crematory, Lmbo. . . organic, free-range, and not bad for pan-frying to boot I'm willing to bet

I reckon they're ain't nothin finer than fricasseein' a nice plump hen.

 

[jetskijigsaw84]

I reckon they're ain't nothin finer than fricasseein' a nice plump hen.

It's true. . . so very true. . . 'pecially here in Ol' Kentuck'. . . Love me some fricaseed hens.

 

[ActionJax]

I'm pretty sure most of us have a very similar way of getting inspired. I use several things myself. First and foremost, this forum and the people on it are a CONSTANT source or inspiration. Love these guys!

But some things that I like to do personally...

01 - I have on my computer a HUGE photo gallery of prop ideas that I've found all over the internet. If I stumble upon something that I really like, I usually snag copy of it for my gallery. Then when I'm looking for ideas, I just spend some time looking there.

02 - I've taken to making lists. Prop ideas that I'm going to create this year. Hardware I'm going to need to purchase.

03 - Sit down and draw up some of my ideas. After all this is a creative outlet most of us. So I draw. May not be the best art work, but it helps me get the ideas out of my head and onto some paper. And it lets me show my wife (who's not that into my obsession LOL) what I have planned. It actually gets her more interested in what I'm doing.

04 - The actual prop building. This is the part I think you're most interested in. I will put on either a Hauntcast podcast. (Hear that Chris? or I'm a HUGE fan of Midnight Syndicate, so I put on some of their music in the background. Nice and creepy for setting the mood.

And off to building my props I will go.

 

[DoctorGrim]

We have an Amish farm near us....The chickens are always really fresh.

Not really into that, but I'll keep it in mind.

But there are other inspirations. Often its seeing a commercial prop and a desire to see if I can do better (doing better is a rarity).
I don't think I draw much from TV or Movies other than Jason, Freddy etc.
I wish I had the creativity to make a new, original prop.

 

[Deadview]

Halloween Forum has inspired me to build a better cemetery. The ideas that I have come across on this site has shown me the way to be a more professional haunter than I was before.

 

[Otaku]

I get inspiration from lots of places - my dark imagination, the Halloween forums, checking out other haunters work. When I stumbled onto Pumpkinrot's site several years ago, I realized where I wanted to take my yard haunt. I think his work has probably had the greatest influence on my haunting efforts.

 

[Defenestrator]

This is an interesting question, and I suppose that the answer(s) may be based on the way the question is interpreted.

The way I'm interpreting the question, I suppose that for me it is really more of a flow; it probably goes something like this:

I want to create something that the kids will enjoy seeing/experiencing -> I look for themes/ideas that will make for an interesting atmosphere that also appeal to me -> think of props that will be fun and/or interesting to build -> look for influential real world examples, or inspirational props created by other haunters -> tinker, putter, build until satisfied.

Personally, I don't generally use movies, music, or other 'motivation' to get the juices flowing. I think that simply having been influenced so thoroughly by the Disney atmosphere as a young person (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.), and now individual haunts as an adult, is enough to keep me reaching for that next level.

Maybe one day I'll get there.....

 

[Terra]

For me, I need to focus so I always pick the theme for the haunt and then decide what's needed in it. One year I needed something that would hint to passer-byers that the cemetery is just the invitation to the haunt that will be in the garage on the side of the house on Halloween. Thought that a monster lurking in the graveyard would be the best way to do it. Start ideating what creature would fit the theme that year. Once the type of creature is decided... off to Google images to see what versions are out there. Save the pictures that appeal to me into one folder. Then, start taking bits of one and another - adding my own ideas and pretty soon - WALLA! The build plan forms

 

[matrixmom]

In the past couple of years I have asked my sons what they wanted so they would be more involved. Thus, last year my middle son picked- nuclear fallout. Google images, save them onto pinterest, see which ones are doable from my "limited" capabilities (no major power tools - just me and my dremel ).
This year, my oldest picked Pirates. Start collecting stuff, and see if anything needs mod or painting. Sometimes, some of HF members haunts have given me ideas for future haunts too. There have been some really original ideas right here on the forum.

 

[Scatterbrains]

I get a lot of my ideas here, on youtube and the internet in general. So much so, that I don't look in the Halloween prop thread after the 4th of July so I don't get more ideas. I then tweek those ideas to make them mine.

 

[discozombie]

I always carry a sketchbook, plus I have several others around one in my car one at work one on my work bench. I will write down or sketch whatever pops into my head some of its is nonsense which later I look at and question my sanity other times I suspect I could take on Stephen Hawking.