We knew we were going to produce some events, we just need to decide on what type and how many we could effectively deliver.

The roof! the Roof The Roof is on Fire!

“it would ultimately max out our venue and push our team members to their limits”

  While we were very good at working with large crowds during Halloween we had no idea that hosting events on this scale would have so many unique challenges. Additional security, medical and event staff would be needed. Parking and traffic control would also need to be addressed. And the big question, could we transform a Haunted House into a large scale entertainment venue and back again? Having made the decision to proceed we needed to figure out what events to hold. What we did would ultimately max out our venue and push our team members to their limits.

Haunted House or Night Club

  We opted for a series of back to back events that would culminate with a all night After Hours Super bowl party. We had the stage, lighting and a very impressive sound system in place. So with a little planning we knocked down a few walls, widened a couple of exits, booked some great bands and the Top rated DJ’s in Dallas. Events would start two weeks prior to the big game, bands would play from 5pm till 11pm. Corporate parties were booked from 10pm till 4am. and the After Hours Super Bowl parties would run from 2am till 9am. We knew we could sleep in March. All in all it went off without a hitch. It was going to take more then a little snow to kill the Super bowl spirit in Texas.

we had one heck of a ride!

And while I am not sure if I would do it all again, I do know that we had one heck of a ride the year that the Super bowl came to town!

Basic equipment you need to get started

 

“Ray, when someone asks you if you‘re a god, you say YES!”

So how do you get started in the Ghost Hunting business? Where do you find the equipment? After all it’s not like you can run down to the nearest Wall-Mart, Costco or Sears store and grab what you need off the shelf. And even if you could what would you get? What do you even need for your first investigation into the unknown and sometimes dangerous overnight adventures? More importantly! Where do you find the Ghost? Don’t worry, you probably have most of the basic equipment in your house and what you don’t have is not as hard to acquire as you might think.

Ghost Hunting Equipment

 Some Basic equipment to get you started:

• Digital camera

• Flash light

• EMF Meter

• Voice recorder

• extra batteries

Don’t cross the streams

If you have a iPhone or Android you have most of the basic equipment already! Digital Camera, Voice Recorder and Flash light are found on must smart phones today. Of course you will want to pickup a EMF Detector or a K2-Meter. Amazon or eBay is a great place to get your first meter. Once you have your Ghost Hunting Kit put together you will want to find a local Paranormal team. Look on Facebook, find a group and join. Most teams have weekly investigations that range in price from free to $15 to $30 a person. All teams are not created equal. So find a Team that’s a good fit for you. The Paranormal Community is very open and eager to share with like minded individuals.

There is a wealth of information out there for you and large community of professionals and weekend enthusiast. Don’t be shy, jump in and enjoy! You can be Hunting Ghost and recording EVP’s this weekend. You may be surprised at what you uncover!

 When was the last time you received a text from a Automated Frankenstein?

Show control and effect automation

Now, newer and faster does not equate to better or scarier. Just because you can automate something doesn’t mean you should. The last thing I want is a guest that comes out and tells me “Hey, I really loved your automated special effects” In fact I want the technology to be transparent to our customers. If your attention is on the red laser beam, pressure mat or motion sensor, you are less likely to be startled by the carnage that we are about to unleash on you and your group. Another issue is mechanical malfunction! If you have a visible effect in your show it should work! So now our props communicate with our main control room. If there is a problem we are alerted in real time. Some of our Special Effects will even send a text to my phone if there is a problem. When was the last time you received a text from a guy in the Electric Chair?

 Choosing the right controller for the job

Show control and effect automation technology is advancing everyday. Properly used it can set the tempo and rhythm of a show. I don’t think it will ever replace a well trained live performer nor that it should. In fact we have adopted some rules or guidelines over the last several years when it comes to the use of automation. I won’t go into all of them here, In a nutshell it comes down to one simple philosophy: To provide a consistent and enhanced experience for our guest. Our guest come to the Boneyard to have fun and to enjoy the excitement that we have to offer with their friends. Computerized effects are a very small part of that experience.

If you have any questions regarding this post or would like to see more articles about Haunted House Tech in the future please leave a comment or contact us.

that kind of thing sticks with a kid

“Something like that will scare the crap out of you”

Wikipedia defines the Boogeyman as: “an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into compliant behavior. The monster has no specific appearance” Some countries call him the “Sack Man” and he carries children away at night in his old sack if there not good? Now why in the world would you tell your kids that story. As if being a kid isn’t tough enough.. now they have to stand watch every night for a nondescript guy with a sack? Hey! I am all for warning my kids about the dangers of this world, strangers, look both ways before crossing the street! I do draw the line at the sack man – after all.. a kid needs their sleep.

The Boogeyman’s gonna get you kids…

They call him the “Sack Man” and he carries children away at night in his old sack if there not good

Now there’s no doubt in my mind that the Boogeyman has played a very important roll in my life. after all I do operate a Haunted House. And if you feel that part of being a good parent, baby sitter or older sibling is to scare the living daylights out of your kids.. well more power to you. Who am I to judge.

So… What ever became of Mrs. Mullins?, one day she just stopped showing up to yell at us. Her house was boarded up for the longest time. As we grew older we called it the Haunted House on the corner. I never did learn what happened to her..

But I do have a theory….

One of my most vivid memories of Halloween as a kid was what we called the Haunted House record. Each year as the season changed to fall and the days on the calendar passed. My brother and I would dig thru the stack of albums next to the Curtis Mathis TV, turn the lights out and play Disney’s “Sounds of the Haunted House” And we would scare ourselves crazy! Keep in mind this was before video games and high speed internet – for us it was 100% pure Imagination. Last week we were working at the Boneyard upgrading some digital sound cards and I was asked how we make the sound effects that are used in the Boneyard? Almost immediately I flashed back to the artwork on the old “Haunted House” record,, The next question that came to mind… What ever became of the album…?

 Sounds from my childhood

After work that day I literally raced home and started digging through my old record collection.. no luck. I found Beatles, Chicago, The Eagles and a Peaches and Herb single. Hey! Don’t judge me… it was the 70′s. But the old Disney record was no where to be found.. After a very strange look from my wife.. she calmly suggested “Look on Amazon” So. I did, it was! and guess what UPS delivered yesterday. Ha… I couldn’t believe it.. AND then the cold realization set in… I didn’t have a turn table. — Back to the garage and as luck would have it…Buried in the far back corner.. A Pioneer with a good needle. cause one isn’t good with out the other. Hooked it up to my Amplifier, recorded it onto my laptop… Problem solved.

Pops and clicks of a old record

I had almost forgot what the hiss, clicks and pops sounded like from a vinyl LP”

would scare ourselves crazy

The full title of the album is “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House”. The album is no longer in production, however you can still find them online. here is the link to it on Amazom. The LP was released in 1964, there were several different album covers over the next few years with some great artwork. The original release had 20 tracks – Side one was narrated by Laura Olsher. Side 2 contained individual sound effects. Many of those old tracks My Brother and I listened to were the inspiration of the early scenes in the Boneyard. Some Disneyland history buffs claim the Haunted Mansion concept was created form the Paul Wenzel cover art of this album.

So …don’t be surprised this Halloween when you visit the Boneyard if you hear a few pops and clicks in the background  as you  wait to enter the Haunt. I feel a new project coming on.

Stay away from that black cat down the street!

But it’s Friday the 13th

Are you worried what your friends and coworkers may think of your superstitious ways? Don’t be now is the time to take action. And this is one of those rare instances where more is better. So get the garlic out of the fridge, rosemary from the spice rack and the wind chimes out of the closet! your going to need them today. Here are a few things we will need:

1. Horseshoes
2. Wind chimes
3. Wishbone
4. Cinnamon sticks
5. Rosemary wreath
6. Egg Shells
7. 9mil Sig “personal favorite“

It seems that in many parts of the world, even with all our diverse cultures and beliefs, the act of hanging a protective charm on our doors to bring luck or keep evil spirits out of our homes is widely practiced

Crushed Egg shells?

A Horseshoe on the door will repel witches from entering your houseand bring good luck to all who pass, it must be hung over your door, may either be nailed facing up or down. traced back to the 16th century English.

Wind chimes are guaranteed to scare bad spirits. “if you can get past the annoying sound” Indian wind bells and ceramic chimes from China, were used to protect homes. Japanese glass chimes will bring good luck!

Crushed Egg Shells need to be used sprinkle the powder for protection about the home where you feel evil spirits may be. Placed in a small pouch and carry it today for added protection.

Just to be Safe

So toss a little salt, burn a bit of sage and keep a sharp eye pealed for pennies on the ground.. You are now prepared to set forth today confidant that you are well protected.

as much as 8% of the population here in the US wont even leave their house on Friday the 13th! not even to go to work. A quick search on Google turns up 1,000′s of age old beliefs..

 Is Friday the 13th Unlucky?

Just a few of my favorites:

• 13 letters in your name is supposed to be evil “Charles Manson”
• Some airports don’t have a 13th gate
•  Most high-rise buildings don’t have a 13th floor
• A hangman’s noose has 13 loops and 13 steps up to the platform?
• Houston, we have a problem! Apollo 13
•  Tarot card #13 is the Death Card

On October 13, 1307, a Friday the 13th, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a coordinated early morning raid that captured several thousand of the legendary Knights Templar.

Not everyone fears this odd number, The Chinese and ancient Egyptians held the number in high regard. Some cultures use the lunar or female cycles of 28 days as a unit of measurement 28 x 13 = 364 days.

The Devils Dozen

Legend has it: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams

If you can’t beat um

We have rewired our electric panel at the Boneyard, #13 breaker turns on the house lights for the Haunt, we have exactly 13 exit doors down our main hallway and 13 tombstones in our graveyard scene. And lets not forget how many letters are in “Haunted Houses” Ha! Made you count…

Skeleton found in HOV lane

What the trooper originally believed was a passenger in the car turned out to be a full size skeleton dressed in a hooded sweatshirt! luckily for the skeleton he was wearing his seatbelt, assuming it was a boy skeleton.. hard to tell from the photo. Based on the troopers report the driver had no comment about his boney passenger and was issued traffic citations for speeding (82 mph) unsafe driving and of course the HOV violation.

What’s up with that cookie jar?

For me one question remains unanswered? after all of the media and news coverage this received not one single reported asked (at least in my opinion) the most important question! What’s in that cookie jar?

While I am not familiar with the area at all you have to ask the question! How much traffic can there be at 7 in the morning in Washington State that you would need to get one of your best Halloween props up that early in the morning? From the photo it appears that the skeleton was holding a bottle of water and a ceramic jar of Christmas cookies. The driver most definitely gets my vote for most creative use of a Skelton while speeding.

Are you gonna post that on Facebook?

Fast forward to 2011: We now depend on over 120 cameras to track performance! Gone are the inexpensive cameras and in their place are high resolution infrared, night vision and thermal imaging devices. We have addressed several concerns and issues as our system has expanded. The Big Brother effect, the fear that performers would act for the camera not the guests and how to review all of the footage.

On average we generate 1000 hours of video footage per night with 27 nights in the 2011 season toss in a few private events that is close to 30,000 hours of video just in October.

 take my Wife.. PLEASE!

As it turns out you love watching your friends jump and scream, It’s not uncommon to find your groups video on Facebook before you complete the adventure through the Haunted House “Some with wet pants” hey it happens! or a big tuff guy hiding behind his wife. So what about all of that footage and how do we find the good stuff? Good question. We have several methods of reviewing the “Game Films” as we call it. The most common is when a guest comes running out of the Haunt screaming with wet pants. We just mark the time and follow the action. We have push buttons inside the maze: a actor presses the button it enters the time and location to a log file. Of course we still like to get together after we close for the night and watch the highlight films.

HOW do we find the good stuff?

Reviewing the Game Films

Looking back I don’t know how we managed without the system. We have been able to retrieve lost cell phones, wallets and the occasional missing child or two. We use the system for training, character development and adjusting our scare tactics in real time. Video Stage Directors sit in the booth directing and adjusting our attack like offensive coordinators at a NFL game. At the end of the day it just confirms what we new all along.. Haunted Houses are fun for the whole family.

And we will!  ”See you” soon at the Boneyard. Bwahahahaa

If you only had 30 minutes a box of safety pins, rice and a rubber band… 

Everyday items used for special F/X

Teams consist of a model, assistant and make-up artist and are given identical kits that contain common everyday items that most people would not consider typical cosmetics. This years kit included: Safety pins, rubber bands, brown rice, pipe cleaners and dental floss. Along with a small amount of make-up a few basic brushes and a cup of water.. the rest is pure imagination and creativity. The contents of the kits are kept secret up until the very last moment. Scoring is as follows: Best use of items, originality and overall appearance with 5 points being awarded for each category. 

30 minutes of pure fear

Part cooking show and part wrestling match! 30 minutes are put on the clock and the games begin. As the teams begin to transform their models the audience starts to pick their favorites to win. While creativity and originality are key factors time management usually plays a huge factor in determining the winner. What started out a few years ago as a experiment has turned into a yearly event. Teams are chosen months in advance and contents of the kits are a closely guarded secret. Make-up wars are not only fun! they foster team spirit and create a very exciting atmosphere building up to the new year. more Make-up war photos