# Beginner



## Hysteria17 (Jun 15, 2012)

I would like to get started in making animitronics and other technoligical things for my haunt but I have no clue where to even begin. Does anyone have any tips on what to look at to learn all the basics for someone who doesn't have clue-one on what they're doing? Thanks for any help!


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

One of the most effective is the flying crank ghost (FCG). Search this site and the Web for tons of tutorials on building them.
Another popular animatronic is the talking skull. They're pretty easy to build and don't cost an arm and a leg. Here's a good tutorial:
http://www.scary-terry.com/buckyservo/buckyservo.htm
There are several servo driver boards on the market to use with the talking skull; Cowlacious sells the commercial version of the Scary Terry board:
http://www.cowlacious.com/products/Scary-Terry-Audio-Servo-Driver-Board-%2d-ST400.html
Enjoy!


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

Like Otaku said, the FCG is the easiest to build. I'm a big fan of mechanical special effects (human driven), as well. I've built pop up Jack in the boxes using simple lever technology, Flying ghosts/creatures on pulley systems, and some smaller servo driven props. I have friends who do nothing but pneumatics, and while effective, they kind of get old after three or four rooms with nothing but hissing popups or sliding walls. You can find a lot of simple animatronics tutorials on www.hauntproject.com or http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/

Hope this helps, and good luck!


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

I am prone to agree. The FCG is a great stepping off point. Once you find out how easy a great prop is to build you will be hooked and looking for ever more projects.


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## Camile (Jul 3, 2006)

If you want a really, really basic beginner's project, oscillating fan motors are awesome. I had my son (who was 7 at the time...) adapt a fan motor with a back and forth motion into a skeleton torso that looks around in our graveyard. He used the base of the fan and put it inside the pelvic bone of the skeleton (maybe the one great use for a blucky..) and the fan potion was taken off and the spine and head put on top. It was a 2 afternoon project for him after school and was a great jumping off point for him to start understanding the way electricity and gears and motors work. The motor could be adapted for all kinds of different applications and situations. We just went as basic as we could but it has been a great start. He now want to animate *everything* in our haunt.. we'll work up to that.  Good luck and please keep us updated on what you learn and the projects that you do, oky doky?


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I agree with Otaku, one of the easiest (and most satisfying, once built) is the FCG. Pull up "the how" to but I suggest using 1x3 wood furring strips for the frame and "eye" bolts for the "pulleys". It is cheaper and just as good as those high tech aluminum jobs. Either way though, it is a really nice prop and is surprisingly easy to build. But beware, take that first step and you will become an prop-addict like most of us here.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

You definitely want to check out MonsterList (noted above). Just don't go overboard and try to build everything the first year. Pick 2 or 3 easy projects for your first year, and work your way up to "frantically obsessed and can't stop building stuff". Next to each project it gives you an estimate on how hard it is. Most of the tutorials are excellent. I totally agree though, you have to build a flying crank ghost. It is a must have for all haunts and an easy starting point. Good luck and have fun.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

My site has some links to learn some electronics and some other more advanced stuff when you are ready for it.


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## mrdonl (Sep 5, 2012)

Agreed. The references given above are great resources. Agreed again, do not go overboard the first time out.


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