# Posessed Bed?



## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

I garnered from a Freecycler the other day an antique Headboard, Footboard and Wooden Frame. When I saw the pics of it, I knew I had to have it. I hadn't planned on having a bedroom scene this year, but have quickly changed one room that wasn't really working in my mind into something MUCH more workable. However, I'm still in a quandry as to how I will make this bed be the "throw away" scare. Here are my thoughts. Picture this...

Patrons walk in and see a bedroom that has obviously suffered trauma. The walls all show claw marks and the furniture, as well. The sheer curtains have been ripped and the venecian blinds are bent and twisted. They see the lamp on the nightstand has been knocked over and right next to the nightstand is a bed with two little blond haired boys sitting on it. Each one is sitting on either end with one arm tied to either bedpost and their other free hand grasped together as if praying. They are bloody. Their clothes have been ripped and they are terrified. They plead with the patrons to leave. They continue that something evil...and hungry...is in the house. Just then, a figure begins to rise up from the bed pushing the sheets up as it moves. The boys begin to scream. This will of course startle some, but it's not the real scare. The real scare is when the lights suddenly go out and a strobe comes on. The opening that is marked "Emergency Exit" in this room is also the place where a 7' Werewolf enters the room. The little boys will continue to scream, and I'd venture to say that so will the patrons. Remember that this takes seconds to happen. The scene ends when the werewolf goes into the next room which is the direction the patrons have to go, as well. There is a curtain seperating these two rooms. The werewolf will continue to walk through the emergency exit in this next room so when the patrons are brave enough to enter and pass this second emergency exit, he will be able to get them again.

Now after all of that, my question is....

how should I create this bed? Here are the pictures of the head and foot boards:








Like I said, it has a wooden bed frame that has slats that go across the bottom to hold the very thick foam mattress that came with it. Should I remove the slats at the lower portion of the bed, cut a huge hole in the foam so that the creature can come up that way? Do you see any complications with that? Do you have a better idea on how to make it work?


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## Hellrazor (Jun 18, 2006)

Ok I got scared just reading that little story... Holy crap. I dont see any complications with the way the guy will come out of the bed. Sounds good... hey try throwing a girl in the middle of the bed with her head spinning and puking green stuff lol. 

Take a video, this sounds so totally creapy! Now Im wondering if you would rather make it adults on the bed, the kids clothes being torn and bloody is kinda offside in my mind - just throwing that out there to chew on.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Hellrazor said:


> Now Im wondering if you would rather make it adults on the bed, the kids clothes being torn and bloody is kinda offside in my mind - just throwing that out there to chew on.


Hellrazor,
It's a family that will be working this room - A mother, her two sons and grandpa. I had been looking for a place in the haunt where they could be together. I thought I would have to seperate one adult with one child, but this room is allowing them to all be together. The mother doesn't want to act so I figured she could be security since I'm gathering some people will try to back up and go the direction they just came from. The boys will be on the bed and the grandpa will be below the bed. 
We are open ten days and I doubt they will be able to be here for all of them. However, the room is flexible. Some nights, there can be a girl on the bed. It's all good!


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## Gothikim (Jun 30, 2006)

Great googly moogly! I LOVE it Empress--the creepy old bed AND the room idea.

The only thing I'd suggest is that someone be stationed near that room with a mop--someone's gonna pee their pants! 

Foam mattresses are pretty lightweight, compared to innersprings, so you could do a shaking/levitating bed effect (a la Exorcist) down the road also. 

I'm getting the creeps just thinking about all the scares that old bed could generate!


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Gothikim said:


> Foam mattresses are pretty lightweight, compared to innersprings, so you could do a shaking/levitating bed effect (a la Exorcist) down the road also.


Believe it or not, this foam mattress is pretty heavy as foam mattresses go. But, it would be a great idea for the person below to move the mattress just a tad before he/she begins to emerge.


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## Gloomy_Gus (Jul 11, 2006)

I love the concept. My only comment is that you are going to have the werewolf come from the emergency exit. You better hope that you don't have a real emergency because NOBODY is going to go through that door.


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## PeeWeePinson (Feb 23, 2006)

Will this be the GINORMOUS werewolf you have this year? If that is correct this scene is going to be great!!!


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Gloomy_Gus said:



> I love the concept. My only comment is that you are going to have the werewolf come from the emergency exit. You better hope that you don't have a real emergency because NOBODY is going to go through that door.


LOL! That's something we won't have to worry about. The way the emergency hallway is created, you have to turn to the right to exit the haunt. There's signs and arrows pointing that way once you clear the emergency door. However, there is also about six feet to the left for any staff to sit or hide if they desire. That's where the werewolf will be.


PeeWeePinson said:


> Will this be the GINORMOUS werewolf you have this year? If that is correct this scene is going to be great!!!


Yup! This is the GINORMOUS werewolf costume coming from Frightners Entertainment. It should be fun! :devil:


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## Ugly Joe (Jul 13, 2006)

For the bed...how about a sheet of plywood with a big hole in the center for Grandpa to crouch down in (or sit on a low stool)...

Leave plenty of loose bedclothes on the bed - perhaps a quick stich to keep them from falling apart as Grandpa stands up.

That's assuming Gramp's is under the bed...

_"Mom!! Grandpa's under the bed again!!"_
_"Try luring him out with a cookie..._


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I love it from a theatrical view! VERY creative!!! :-D

I would prob cut a large hole through the bed and have the actor hide beneath while the blanket is spread over it each time.

From an actor's view I see some challenges you may have to think about or may have already figured out:

It gets HOT in a costume like that. Is Gramps up for it?

Can gramps see/move well enough out of it to pull the bed sheet off of himself and climb out of the bed without stumbing?

_(Giggling as I write this. I can see gramps now: *rising* AAaargh!!!! AAaar..whaaa?...oh..ohhhhh..yaaaaa!!! *gramps gets tangled in the sheet, stumbles over the hole and falls out of the bed as a warewolf while the room busts out laughing* )_

Is the bed raised high enough for gramps to sit on a small stool and not have his head causing bumps in the blankie? Maybe this stool can double as a stepstool?

Is there a fan under the bed so he can get some ventilation and cool off? Enclosed spaces also get hot...combined with a large costume...

I think the room idea is great! Keeping a family together is awesome. With the right planning, this should be a fantastic video that I would love to see when you do it!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Looks great, and if I could afford $1000 I would get it and the lights! Let's see...I already have $1 set aside, just 999 more. LOL


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Oooops! Wrong thread. *hits head with hand* Some days I'm more confused than others. :-S


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## Hellrazor (Jun 18, 2006)

so tell us, what thread was that supposed to go to?


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Okay, time to do a little clearing up. I'm one of those people who does not give the whole explaination of thangs. So, here we go....

_"I would prob cut a large hole through the bed and have the actor hide beneath while the blanket is spread over it each time."_

Yup, we're gonna do that. We've decided that a piece of plywood would be better attached to a raised bed frame. Probably by L-brackets. Raising the bed gives the actor below more room.

_It gets HOT in a costume like that. Is Gramps up for it?_

Grandpa isn't going to be in a costume. All anyone is going to see of him is his figure outlined by the sheets that is surrounding him. So, he can wear his regular clothes. PLUS...we are an outside haunt. We have over 2,000 square feet of Haunted House built with plywood walls (no ceiling) followed by mega footage of Haunted Trail. So, there isn't much of a concern about Grandpa or any actor under the bed getting hot.

_Can gramps see/move well enough out of it to pull the bed sheet off of himself and climb out of the bed without stumbing? _

This is the way I invision the bed setup in my mind and I will try to convey that image to you here. Okay..
The bed will be raised up from the ground correct? Well there lies the problem of hiding the actor below the bed from the patrons. This will be done by plywood painted similar to the color of the bedframe attached all the way around..except, for one side - the side furthest away from the patrons. They will never see this side. It is this side that the actor will be able to enter and exit the bottom of the bed. 
It will be impossible for the actor to get tangled in the sheets as they, on top of the foam mattress will be stapled to the bottom of the plywood that's holding the mattress. Enough slack from the sheet will be left so that the actor can rise up slowly from the hole to show his body figure. However, the only problem I see with this is that when the actor goes back to his original position, the sheet will leave the imprint of the hole for the actors/security to constantly have to straighten. I can see two remedies for this. Either use spandex (expensive for the size we need) or put a comforter on top of the sheet to camoflauge. If anyone has any other suggestions, throw them in.

_Is the bed raised high enough for gramps to sit on a small stool and not have his head causing bumps in the blankie? Maybe this stool can double as a stepstool?_

To do that would make the bed waaaay to high and would scream to everyone that something is amiss. No, the actor under the bed will have the most comfortable place in the whole attraction. He's gonna be laying on a cushion on his back. Heck, he can have a pillow if he wants, too. This person will need good ABS to play this role. Oh and just in case you were wondering...Grandpa is in AWESOME shape! He'd probably put many of us to shame. :smoking:


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks for clearing that up! :-D

Since it is outside, is it possible to dig a hole beneath the bed? Then the bed can be flush w/the ground.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Sickie Ickie said:


> Thanks for clearing that up! :-D
> 
> Since it is outside, is it possible to dig a hole beneath the bed? Then the bed can be flush w/the ground.


I'm afraid not. The ground is too hard in that particular area. Even if the earth was soft, digging a hole large enough to accomodate a person would be WAY more labor intensive than simply raising the bed and attaching plywood around it. Raising the bed will be a cinche and no one will be the wiser. One of the things I love about Haunting is that people only see what we want them to see and their imaginations will do the rest. :devil:


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 25, 2004)

Another thread reminded me of this thread. There has been some changes on it, so I thought I would do an update.

First...

The two boys, mom and gramps have flown the coup.  They are no longer with us. However, this scene can be played by pretty much anyone, thank goodness. So, it will be just as scary.

Second...

The scene is pretty much finished. Furniture, paint, music, lighting and knick-knacks are pretty much all ready to go. I will post a picture of the scene in a bit.

Third....

We got the werewolf costume in! Thanks to Nightshade who donated the costume to us and Jeff from Frighteners getting it to us on time, we are now ready to go!

Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions. I think this room will be the one that sets everything else in motion.


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