# Fake news reports for building a backstory



## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

I've been having fun making up some fake news reports to build a backstory for the haunt this year.

I've had a backstory for the entire haunt for several years now but nothing written down, just in my head. It does help though with controlling prop purchases and tying the haunt together as a whole rather than random, separate scenes. This year I'm featuring a new vampire character and thought to do up a bit of a viral marketing campaign to introduce him.

I used a PowerPoint template I downloaded to create the newspaper clipping and wrote the copy myself. The photo is an actual skeleton discovered in Poland earlier this year that showed signs of a ritual vampire burial. I only photoshopped in the fangs. I then followed up with another fake missing person report. I posted both to Facebook.

It's been fun watching the reaction. Several people have asked whether they are real or not or others have disputed them by doing research online to try and come up with more info! I'll continue the story with more missing people reports as the vampire takes more victims and will finally reveal him in a blurred security cam type still.

The vampire mask I got is a silicone mask from RealFlesh Masks and is VERY realistic even close up. I still have to weather, distress and bloody up the shirt however I can't wait to unleash him this Halloween!!


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

Way cool. Did you stage the picture with the guys in the pit? Two giant thumbs up for creativity. Now the hardest part is your haunt has to live up to the hype.  I could never put that kind of pressure on myself. I salute your braveness.


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## Screaming Demons (Jul 12, 2009)

That is a really cool idea, and great execution. Just a suggestion: most newspapers I've seen use a serif font, typically Times New Roman.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

ATLfun: No, the picture of the woman and excavation I just found online.

Screaming Demond: Thanks for the tip. I missed that detail when I did it. If I do another newspaper I'll fix that.

Here's the latest posting to continue to expand on the storyline&#8230;

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MODERN MUMMY MYSTIFIES POLICE!

Police were called to a abandoned rural farmhouse this week when a dead body was discovered within the decrepit shell of a building by local youths.

Although police and other authorities refused to comment one of the youths described the corpse as being very similar to an accent Egyptian mummy. "It was all dry and shrivelled up. Sort of like all the blood and stuff had been sucked right out of him. Just like the mummies we saw at the museum last month on a school trip. You know what I mean? This guy though was wearing regular clothes, not no egypt type threads. Weird, eh?" said Todd Jones.

Vagrants are know to frequent this location, situated as it is on an out of the way section of the Blackstone Estate, but no missing person reports have been filed since the disappearance of archaeology student Virginia Natara some weeks back who has still not been found.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^Nice picture!


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## nimblemonkey (Aug 21, 2011)

Nice idea and well executed- but the proofreader in me has to point out a correction to the spelling of the word "ancient" before Egyptian mummy... at least I think that is what you meant. And, where did you get that great shirt???


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

D'oh! Yes "ancient" is what it should have been. Thanks. I do indeed need a proof-reader!

I ordered the renaissance/pirate/vampire type shirt from a craftsperson on the etsy website. Great quality. Pity I'm going to trash it with lots of stains, dirt and blood!  Here's the link&#8230; https://www.etsy.com/transaction/213110966


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

So I realized I never followed up with the backstory I was creating leading up to last year's haunt. I posted on social media another fake news story, this one in the style of a Police bulletin warning the public of a dangerous offender on the loose. Here it is...

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MASKED KILLER STALKING OUR STREETS?

In another puzzling and disturbing development in the series of recent unsolved murders, a number of cel phone images have been released by the police in the hopes of identifying the elusive suspect. The cel phone was discovered at the crime scene of the most recent victim. Her name is being withheld pending notification of her next of kin however sources say she was known to police and involved in the sex trade.

The images taken from her phone are dark and somewhat blurred however they show the suspected killer, taken at close range by the victim, in what can only be assumed to be an elaborate disguise or mask. Warning: the images are disturbing as it shows the killer covered in the victims' blood. In fact it appears he was drinking it in some sort of bizarre ritual or fetish making his apprehension all the more urgent.

Police are hoping that a member of the public with information or knowledge of this individual will come forward and bring him to justice. The also urge anyone who sees the suspect to call police immediately and not to approach him as he is considered extremely dangerous.




























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All of this was build up to introducing my new vampire character which went over really well. I don't know if any of my visitors or trick r' treaters had seen any of it but it was fun to do and helped build my anticipation of the big reveal. Here are some photos of me in costume from Halloween night! I'm looking forward to playing him again this year in a new and improved costume.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^He looks fabulous, dahling!


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