Not much Halloween '14 progress yet - mostly still putting away '13 and getting things organized. We haven't even finalized our themes for the '14 haunt yet - something we usually have finalized well before now.
But... I have been working on a couple new numbers for the Light-o-Rama music and light show this year.
The first new song (I just completed tonight) is a lovely little ditty by Alice Cooper titled "This House is Haunted". Gotta love it.
It's 3 and a half minutes long with some very good creepy sequences, as well as a nice intense sequence in the middle. I've been working on it off and on for about 2 months now - so I'm excited to finally finish it!
The sequence came out very nicely if I do say so myself - I hope it's a hit with our visitors.
I have one more new song (which I'm not going to announce yet) that I'm working on for the show this year; a more upbeat number that will have the zombies tapping their stubs.
We're also making plans to attend the Midwest Haunters convention this year - our first time up there. They just announced the preliminary details for their pre-haunt tours - which sounds like a blast!
Happy Haunting!
-Creepy Chris
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
It's beginning to look a lot like... #Halloween!
It's been an exhausting couple of months but things are finally starting to look very Halloween-y.
The mine shaft is creepy and dark, the toxic dump has all but its final toxic touches done, the graveyard is taking shape, the decontamination tunnel sprouted this past weekend, the hospital area has taken shape and awaits its first blood, the giant web out front is CRAWLING with spiders, and the morgue is already lined up with bodies. We even revamped several old favorite animated props - look for the "well to hell" in its new reincarnation! What else could you ask for? Oh and did we mention we'll have quite a few more scareactors than we've had before!
We'll be putting some signs out along the local streets this week and I plan to paint a new hours-of-operation sign for the front fence this week. As a reminder (the show schedule is up on our web page at http://www.creepynights.org/2013_show_schedule.html ) but tour nights are the weekend before Halloween (Friday 10/25 and Saturday 10/26) plus Halloween night (10/31); 7-10 pm each night. Feel free to park in front of the house - we'll have some cones and reflectors guiding you).
We got listed in quite a few directories this year so we anticipate a crowd. We also may be getting a visit from the Virginia Lottery folks who have promised to stop by one evening with some giveaways!
A shot of the toxic dump area:
Scaredy Cat has been busy detailing; a few previews of the areas as they come along. First the Field Hospital:
Next the morgue:
More updates when I get a chance to get some more photos! We'll definitely get some shots after we spray the entire hospital area with blood and add the toxic "goo" to the toxic dump area.... ;-)
The mine shaft is creepy and dark, the toxic dump has all but its final toxic touches done, the graveyard is taking shape, the decontamination tunnel sprouted this past weekend, the hospital area has taken shape and awaits its first blood, the giant web out front is CRAWLING with spiders, and the morgue is already lined up with bodies. We even revamped several old favorite animated props - look for the "well to hell" in its new reincarnation! What else could you ask for? Oh and did we mention we'll have quite a few more scareactors than we've had before!
We'll be putting some signs out along the local streets this week and I plan to paint a new hours-of-operation sign for the front fence this week. As a reminder (the show schedule is up on our web page at http://www.creepynights.org/2013_show_schedule.html ) but tour nights are the weekend before Halloween (Friday 10/25 and Saturday 10/26) plus Halloween night (10/31); 7-10 pm each night. Feel free to park in front of the house - we'll have some cones and reflectors guiding you).
We got listed in quite a few directories this year so we anticipate a crowd. We also may be getting a visit from the Virginia Lottery folks who have promised to stop by one evening with some giveaways!
A shot of the toxic dump area:
Scaredy Cat has been busy detailing; a few previews of the areas as they come along. First the Field Hospital:
More updates when I get a chance to get some more photos! We'll definitely get some shots after we spray the entire hospital area with blood and add the toxic "goo" to the toxic dump area.... ;-)
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Light Show Premier 2013
We made it. The Halloween music and light show went online on schedule tonight - October 1st, 2013!
The massive spider web that covers most of the front yard is rockin' and rollin' - even the cocooned victims are singing along. If you pass by, roll down your windows or just tune your car radio to FM 91.1 to listen in on the tunes - each of which was custom synchronized to the 16-channel light show.
The show comes on at 5PM nightly and shuts off at 9:30pm weeknights and 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights. The light show will run through October 31st - then it's gone! Below is a short video I took while we were testing it - just a fast cycling of all the lights:
Also thanks in large part to help from Will Bentley (and Gabriel) this past weekend we finished the mine shaft structure assembly and wiring - including the thunder and lightning system that RATTLES the entire back yard! It's a massive 20'x20' enclosure full of surprises; and with luck we'll get most of the detailing done this coming weekend.
The toxic area is also coming along nicely... We have several more large items to move in there, but here's a preview of how it's starting to look:
Stay tuned... some VERY COOL news to be announced soon!
The massive spider web that covers most of the front yard is rockin' and rollin' - even the cocooned victims are singing along. If you pass by, roll down your windows or just tune your car radio to FM 91.1 to listen in on the tunes - each of which was custom synchronized to the 16-channel light show.
The show comes on at 5PM nightly and shuts off at 9:30pm weeknights and 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights. The light show will run through October 31st - then it's gone! Below is a short video I took while we were testing it - just a fast cycling of all the lights:
Also thanks in large part to help from Will Bentley (and Gabriel) this past weekend we finished the mine shaft structure assembly and wiring - including the thunder and lightning system that RATTLES the entire back yard! It's a massive 20'x20' enclosure full of surprises; and with luck we'll get most of the detailing done this coming weekend.
The toxic area is also coming along nicely... We have several more large items to move in there, but here's a preview of how it's starting to look:
Stay tuned... some VERY COOL news to be announced soon!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Halloween shopping...
So we didn't find much worth buying at the National Haunters Convention, but I did catch a sale on costumes that was posted on Facebook a couple weeks ago!
For the most part the cheapo costumes you can buy in stores or online aren't usable out-of-the-box in a serious haunt, but with some touch-ups - or for use on a prop - they do nicely.
Even the cheap costumes these days seem to sell for $40-$60 though, so the clearance sale announced on Facebook caught my eye - most costumes were $10!
Not being interested in superhero costumes, the few they had that fit with our haunt theme weren't available in many sizes - or were sold out before I could place my order - but I still managed to pick a few that we'll be able to use; 4 costumes and a small accessory all for a grand total of $50! I'll take it!
This year we have 4 areas we're "shopping" for;
For the most part the cheapo costumes you can buy in stores or online aren't usable out-of-the-box in a serious haunt, but with some touch-ups - or for use on a prop - they do nicely.
Even the cheap costumes these days seem to sell for $40-$60 though, so the clearance sale announced on Facebook caught my eye - most costumes were $10!
Not being interested in superhero costumes, the few they had that fit with our haunt theme weren't available in many sizes - or were sold out before I could place my order - but I still managed to pick a few that we'll be able to use; 4 costumes and a small accessory all for a grand total of $50! I'll take it!
This year we have 4 areas we're "shopping" for;
- The "Hospital" (in the carport); featuring lots of blood (a new thing for us), the mad doc and some zombie-fied patients
- The "Morgue" (on the front porch)
- The "Toxic Area" (out back) where new zombies are created and old ones come to feed...
- The "Mine Shaft" (out back) which we started last year but which doubles in size this year - and will add space for 2-3 actors
So of the costumes I picked up; the doc and the zombie doc will be utilized in the hospital; the hazmat guy will find a spot (probably on a prop) in the Toxic area; and the scarecrow guy - well I thought it was just kind of cool and figure we'll dress up a prop in the woods in that outfit.
Up next; building on the morgue tables and a Hollywood-Haunters style ankle tickler...
Up next; building on the morgue tables and a Hollywood-Haunters style ankle tickler...
Sunday, May 12, 2013
National Haunters Convention 2012
The pre-show haunt tour Friday night to Shocktoberfest was amazing - and not just because of the open bar and good food
The Unknown did some really cool 3D video effects synchronized to pneumatic and other special effects in the haunt. The Prison was a trek through a custom built facility; starting from the main entrance, through the registration areas, into the cell blocks, then finally escaping through the sewer system (a maze of 4 foot diameter corrugated steel pipes you had to crawl through in complete darkness!).
Back at the convention itself attendance was up from last year, but there weren't very many quality vendors. We arrived with a page-long shopping list for our haunt, but only managed to find a handful of items worth buying. We also usually hold off on most of our shopping until Sunday afternoon when many vendors traditionally marked things down to their lowest prices before everyone leaves. No such bargains this year though; almost no one was running discounts.
The course schedule was sparse this year; sadly none we were interested in attending.
We did get two cans of "Great Stuff" (one per attendee) for registering - we'll make good use of those:
There was one vendor there with masks we really liked - "Lot 27"; unique, very creepy, well done, and reasonably priced. We bought one of their masks on the spot as we were walking by on Saturday - then came back on Sunday and picked up another one:
Catherine (aka "Scaredy Cat") did finally take the plunge and picked up some creepy contact lenses; a purple-ish reptile/cat eye looking set that I'm sure will freak out our victims this year! With I could locate the vendor's name - she was very helpful and friendly- and had been at NHC before. When I find their name I'll post it in the comments...
Finally, since (for the first time ever) we've decided to "gore things up" this year, we picked up some blood! A gallon of special effects blood (dries "wet" looking) and a bottle of edible (?) blood that our actors can let drip out of their mouths:
I think it's gonna be a good '13 for haunting.
Some more pics from the show:
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Getting the DROP on the TOTs
Made some good progress over the weekend!
Most of the wall panels are attached to the PVC pipe frame... AND I built and installed (my first) drop panel window in one of the walls!
Overall I'm quite happy and impressed with the PVC frame; it's proving to be quite sturdy and easy to work with - and knowing it will never rust or warp is a big plus. Here's one side with most of the walls attached (all bolted for easy assembly/disassembly):
Of course, since I'm assembling all this in my basement - as soon as I get it all put together I need to take it apart so I can get it outside into the back yard where it will be setup.
I made the drop panel out of 2x3 on 3 sides with a 2x4 at the top. The actual panel is a piece of 3/4" plywood - the 1/4" panels I'm using for the walls just wouldn't hold up - nor would it be heavy enough to crash down with any kind of satisfying (and shocking) THUD. I used a couple 1x2s inside the 2x3s to form the guide that holds the drop panel in place against the wall - giving it just enough room for the panel to move freely up and down. A simple bolt lock allows me to secure the panel in its "up" position, and a handle on the back of the panel will make it easy for our actors to lift it into position after a good scare. I also painted all the inside edges and corners black. Here's a picture of the panel assembled before I mounted it:
The panel itself measures 20" wide by 18" tall - and allowing for the panel to completely drop below the opening I made the overall frame 20" wide by 36" tall. One of the considerations in picking the size was that it had to be large enough for an actor to stick his/her head through - or at least a couple arms. Also, since next year I plan on flipping the drop panel to the OTHER side of the wall (where the WHITE side is on the outside when we use the passage in a haunted house next year) I needed to make the opening a fairly standard size - hoping that I can find an appropriate sized picture frame to cover the other side next year.
Finally, here's the hole I cut in the panel. I cut the hole 1" smaller in each direction than the actual panel (so the hole was 17" x 19") to allow for a little overlap - which of course helps hold the panel inside the wall.
And here are some shots of the panel mechanism from the inside after I screwed it to the wall;
And from the outside (still need to paint/age the drop panel):
Boo!!!
Most of the wall panels are attached to the PVC pipe frame... AND I built and installed (my first) drop panel window in one of the walls!
Overall I'm quite happy and impressed with the PVC frame; it's proving to be quite sturdy and easy to work with - and knowing it will never rust or warp is a big plus. Here's one side with most of the walls attached (all bolted for easy assembly/disassembly):
Of course, since I'm assembling all this in my basement - as soon as I get it all put together I need to take it apart so I can get it outside into the back yard where it will be setup.
I made the drop panel out of 2x3 on 3 sides with a 2x4 at the top. The actual panel is a piece of 3/4" plywood - the 1/4" panels I'm using for the walls just wouldn't hold up - nor would it be heavy enough to crash down with any kind of satisfying (and shocking) THUD. I used a couple 1x2s inside the 2x3s to form the guide that holds the drop panel in place against the wall - giving it just enough room for the panel to move freely up and down. A simple bolt lock allows me to secure the panel in its "up" position, and a handle on the back of the panel will make it easy for our actors to lift it into position after a good scare. I also painted all the inside edges and corners black. Here's a picture of the panel assembled before I mounted it:
The panel itself measures 20" wide by 18" tall - and allowing for the panel to completely drop below the opening I made the overall frame 20" wide by 36" tall. One of the considerations in picking the size was that it had to be large enough for an actor to stick his/her head through - or at least a couple arms. Also, since next year I plan on flipping the drop panel to the OTHER side of the wall (where the WHITE side is on the outside when we use the passage in a haunted house next year) I needed to make the opening a fairly standard size - hoping that I can find an appropriate sized picture frame to cover the other side next year.
Finally, here's the hole I cut in the panel. I cut the hole 1" smaller in each direction than the actual panel (so the hole was 17" x 19") to allow for a little overlap - which of course helps hold the panel inside the wall.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A little tweak here...
I must be in the groove...
Stopped by HD (Haunter's Depot?) on the way home and picked up the last two 2" PVC Tees that I needed to complete the secret passageway frame.
Came home and fitted the Tees, measured and cut the last couple pieces of pipe to fill out the frame, fitted it together and screwed everything together.
Took a stack of my washers outside and painted them; black on one side (so I can use them on the blackened-wood sides of the passageway) and white on the other side (so I can use them next year on the other side when the passageway becomes a hallway in a house!).
I still need to pick up two more 4x8 sheets of the 1/4" plywood for the last two pieces of the wall; that will wait till the weekend when I can take the truck over to HD.
Last thing I need to do with the passageway is to cut out the drop panels (one at face height which will hide behind a painting next year) and one from about waist level to the ground - which will simply have a cloth covering and double as an entrance to the passageway for our actors. Next year the lower entrance will be hidden by a fireplace.
Stopped by HD (Haunter's Depot?) on the way home and picked up the last two 2" PVC Tees that I needed to complete the secret passageway frame.
Came home and fitted the Tees, measured and cut the last couple pieces of pipe to fill out the frame, fitted it together and screwed everything together.
Took a stack of my washers outside and painted them; black on one side (so I can use them on the blackened-wood sides of the passageway) and white on the other side (so I can use them next year on the other side when the passageway becomes a hallway in a house!).
I still need to pick up two more 4x8 sheets of the 1/4" plywood for the last two pieces of the wall; that will wait till the weekend when I can take the truck over to HD.
Last thing I need to do with the passageway is to cut out the drop panels (one at face height which will hide behind a painting next year) and one from about waist level to the ground - which will simply have a cloth covering and double as an entrance to the passageway for our actors. Next year the lower entrance will be hidden by a fireplace.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Welcome!
Welcome!
Our new blog is where you can come to keep up with updates to our haunt - Creepy Nights on Calamo.
The full haunt site is www.creepynights.org - where you can view the haunt history, photo and videos of past haunts, how-to sections, and sections on the various projects we've created in the past or are working on now. You won't typically see items in our haunt that you've seen in a store somewhere; everything we put out is either created from scratch (including electronic controls and pneumatic devices) or started with something store-bought which got turned into something much different!
Typically we operate a computer controlled (Light-o-Rama) Halloween light show in our front yard that runs nightly throughout the month of October. The show currently contains about a dozen custom choreographed songs synchronized to the light effects. In addition we do a haunted yard walk-thru that runs around the entire property.
We'll be updating this page as we work on the haunt or as we encounter or work on something Halloween related.
We also try to attend at least one Halloween related trade show each year; usually it's the National Haunters Convention in PA, but we've also visited HauntCon and the Virginia Haunters. This year we're heading to the National Haunters Convention again and are looking forward to an exciting and fun time there - and already have a shopping list of accessories and prop components we'll be shopping for.
If you're in the area (we're in Springfield Virginia) we're always looking for volunteer actors or traffic guides - as well as local haunters that might be interested in make 'n take or similar get togethers.
hauntmaster@creepynights.org
-Creepy Chris
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