[Bryan_Tolley]

I was wondering, how do you all feel about live action stunt work in haunted houses and hayrides? Personally I think they add a whole new scare level to the attraction if used properly. Just curious how other haunters feel about it.

 

[kakugori]

Depends on what kind of haunt, and what kind of stunts. I can see stunts being too far over the top into cheezy and mood-ruining for a serious/scary teen and adult oriented setup, but over the top sometimes works for the young'uns.

A stunt used for a scare can be amazing. I got to go to the Hex House in Tulsa a couple years ago, and they had a young guy basically zip-lining along a wall right next to you - you'd feel this "whoosh!" out of nowhere.

But such things are always a risk to the person performing the stunt and I sure as bleep don't wanna be the one responsible for the crazy stunt idea that gets somebody hurt.

 

[Blarghity]

Bad idea. No matter how simple or safe a stunt may seem, performing them repeatedly and rapidly only escalates the risk of injury or worse as the night goes one. Eventually, human error or equipment failure will occur. And we know something will go wrong eventually; over the last decade there have been several deaths by accidental hanging at charity and pro haunts around the country.

Case in point, kakugori's mention of using a live person on a zipline at Hex House in Tulsa. What's the point? The stunt person wasn't interacting with the guests any more than a swooping body prop would. The end result is nothing more than escalating an equipment failure from a minor disappointment along a portion of the haunt to risking serious injury to a staff member.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

There was an old local haunt that incorporated a lot of that kind of stuff. Folks bungie jumping off the roof as you exit was quite the shocker, for instance. It caught up to them eventually. Only takes one accident...

Safety first.

 

[ReaperRick]

This is a great question! As a former stuntman (in my college days) I agree with Kakugori, it would depend on the stunt, the person doing the stunt and the level of danger and safety. There are inherent risks in every haunt. Like the crazy guy chasing people around with a fake chainsaw, that's a risk. someone tripping over a cable or wire, that's a risk. Any "theatrical" show has risks. Who enjoys Disneyworld when Tinker bell flies over or the Indiana Jones stunt show? I do. I do have one suggestion, make sure the person performing the stunt is a professional and properly trained.

 

[Bryan_Tolley]

This is a great question! As a former stuntman (in my college days) I agree with Kakugori, it would depend on the stunt, the person doing the stunt and the level of danger and safety. There are inherent risks in every haunt. Like the crazy guy chasing people around with a fake chainsaw, that's a risk. someone tripping over a cable or wire, that's a risk. Any "theatrical" show has risks. Who enjoys Disneyworld when Tinker bell flies over or the Indiana Jones stunt show? I do. I do have one suggestion, make sure the person performing the stunt is a professional and properly trained.

Totally agree.