The Beginning of the End

Well Folks, it is finally here....the end of the Haunt Season.  So far, some of my memorable moments were...making someone wet themselves, making a few people cry, and of course the unexpected startle that literally gets people to crap their pants.   Yes, it's true, someone did that again this year.  I am quite proud of that accomplishment since I know that we truly scared them. 

 

It is a bittersweet moment for me.   I will be ending the season with a great crew and most of them will not be coming back to the Haunt since they will be off to college, work, etc.   I had a great time with Seth Carnifex, Charlotte, and our newest character...Oli Ver.   It was nice to see all of the Jail Cell inmates try to work out their characters this year and have fun doing it.

 

So, if you are reading this, then I want to let you know that you have only two days left to enjoy the ambiance of the Lewisburg Haunted Cave so get down there and see it. 

 

I would also like to take the time to thank a few people:  Seth, Charlotte, Oli Ver, Psycho Damian, Psycho Zack, and the rest of my inmates for making this a great season.   

 

Tech Test

All right, I am trying out some new tech so this is just a test.  I want to make sure that it works.  lol

Just a Gripe

One thing that really torques me off is when people abuse a good thing. The good thing that I am talking about is my make up kit. I have no problem at all in putting make up on people. I have no problem with showing them how to do it also. I do have a problem when someone gets in my make up kit and uses the good make up to black out, or white out their face. I also have a problem with people using up my blood. I use my blood in my act.....when everyone else uses it up, I don't have any. I work in a kind of dimly lit area so the blood I use shows up quite nicely, especially when I spit it up on the ceiling. Somehow, my entire bottle of blood is now gone. Looks like I won't have any for my act this weekend.
Now, I spend about an hour a week making blood for everyone. But most people prefer to use my blood that I bought for myself. THAT'S the THING....I bought it for myself, not everyone else.
So the next time that you have someone who is kind enough to spend time and help you look scarier than what you looked like when you showed up at the Haunt, RESPECT THEIR MAKE UP KIT. Or better yet, show up in costume or make up all ready. It can be kind of tough making up 40 individuals in less than half an hour.

Opening Weekend

On September 24th, 2010, we had our opening day. The weather was perfect and our anticipation was high for a very successful night. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law intervened and it was a total nightmare. Equipment breakdowns, props not working correctly, actors not on their game, yes, even I was feeling a bit off, and other workers not wanting to do what they were supposed to be doing.

Besides all of the hassle, we actually put on a good show according to our satisfied customers. And that is the bottom line. Satisfying the customers. They are the ones that will make your Haunt, or any other business for that matter, a success or failure. If you do not give them a quality product, they will go elsewhere.

By the next day of operation, we had a lot of the bugs worked out of the system. Uncooperative actors were sent up the hill, props were fixed, and overall it was a very satisfying night.

We may have had a bumpy start, but it looks as if this season will end up being our best yet. Happy Haunting.

Changes

Along with the many changes that we have incorporated in The Lewisburg Haunted Cave...I have undergone some changes of my own. Here is the new look for Jebenezzer Law. Let me know what you think.

Big Changes in Store for this Year

The 2010 Season is closing in on us pretty fast. The Crew and I have been busting our humps since November of last year working on making this the best Haunt for all of our fans. Here is the new operational dates and times:

September: 24-25

October: 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30

Gates to the Cave open at 7 PM and the last victims enter at midnight...

Ticket Prices:

Adults - $13.00

Children (age 10 and under) - $5.00

There have been many changes and additions to the Haunt this year so come on down and check us out.

Working with expanding foam

We haven't really done a lot of this, but the other day, we were using expanding foam on another project. Since it will usually go bad if you don't use it all up at the time you are using it, I took what was left and made some guts, a diseased tongue, and a small brain.

After it sufficiently hardened, I took some Kryon spray paint that I had left over and sprayed the guts and the tongue with a nice red base. The brain, I took cave dust, (limestone dust), and liberally sprinkled over the brain and let it sit while it was drying. After it had dried, I shook off the remaining dust and it looks kind of okay.

Now, what do I plan on doing with these? Well, for the guts, I can do multiple things. I can use them as a static prop in the Lab scene or just about anywhere else that we have body parts laying around, or I can get an old pair of jeans, and stuff them, put the gut pile on top and make it look like a severed torso. I just haven't figured out what I am going to do.

The diseased tongue, I would like to put into a jar filled with liquid and have it displayed, probably over in the Lab area. Likewise, with the brain. I still don't know if I am going to do more painting on the brain.

When I get pictures up, I will post them.

Music

Music is a very important part of any Haunt. It sets the mood, and can add a creepiness to almost any of your scenes.
Some of the better scene setting music that you can look into would be anything by Midnight Syndicate. Mostly instrumental, but some have singing or choruses that can be pretty creepy.
In the Jail Cell, I like to have a good heavy metal back beat to my scare. It actually helps to hide sounds that I don't want other people to hear, and can fill in the time between the customers.
The music that I have playing in the Jail area is a mix. Some of the groups that I have are: Anthrax, Mettalica, Thin Lizzy, Devil Driver, etc. I try to look for music which has a theme. Since I work the Jail Cell, I look for music that has themes that concern either being locked up, or center around torture and mayhem.
So if you are looking around for music, one of the best places to sample music is the internet. You can hear samples of many of the musicians that you are interested. If you like them, go out and buy a copy of their cd. The Indy circuit is another great place to check out.
If you know a band, you might be able to convince them to write music specifically for your Haunt.