# Tips and tricks for awesome actors



## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

I've been working at a commercial haunt for five years now, but I'm still learning and collecting new ideas to scare and disturb people. What I'd love to hear are your best ideas as far as movements and subtleties to make your characters stand out and freak out. I'm more of a "creep" actor than a startle one. I'll post my own tips I've learned through the years later.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Here's a thread you might be interested in that discusses the topic:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=18200&highlight=acting+tips


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

thanks, I didn't see that one.


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## warlordstudios (Apr 2, 2014)

great topic , need more discussion !


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

Okay, sorry for the delay, and this won't be near as in depth as I planned at the moment, but here are some of my main tips.

First, generally the character you are playing is not human, at least not in the normal sense. Don't act like a normal human. Make sure you're not walking around the way you do every day while saying things you think might sound scary. Crouch. Limp. Walk crooked. Flail. Shake. Twitch. Contort (more on this later). Think of all the scary movies you've seen, especially the ones with characters who are freaky. They don't move like normal people. I personally get a lot of inspiration from the Bubble Headed nurses from the Silent Hill games/ movies. Watch the way they stand, the way they twitch. 




Second, you can terrify people with your face alone, either in makeup or a mask, though I prefer makup. A look of cold determination, insanity, dark glee, or hatred conveyed with the eyes disturbs most people. Couple that with a huge grin that doesn't belong or a jaw jutted sideways as far as it will comfortably go with the teeth exposed and you've got some nervous folks in front of you. Practice in front of a mirror. Again, watch movies and try to pick up on what the characters do that make them so unnerving. An example here is Heath Ledger's Joker. What he does with is eyes is amazing.

Third, people have a space bubble. They do not like their space bubble invaded. It makes them uncomfortable. That makes us more effective. Be careful with this one (flailers and survival mode punchers WILL sometimes hit you), and know the general recommendations of your own haunt for invading people's space, but I like to get very up close and personal. Don't just walk up to someone, though. It's most effective if they can't see you coming. I like to wait till they're distracted and then come right up in front of them in a crouch and wait for their head to turn back my way, then hop up into their line of vision. sometimes I crouch back down, move around them before it's registered that there was really a person there, and get them from the other side. Another great bubble invader is to take a dead run at someone, staring into their eyes the whole time. Most will get out of the way thinking you're a maniac. Make sure you have a buffer zone to stop in if they aren't moving, and be sure it's not muddy or you may slide into the. Again, be careful with this one. Big trouble can happen if you accidently hit someone.

Fourth, don't say boo. You know all those cool one-liners horror characters get in the movies? They aren't generally as effective on normal people. If your line isn't working, play around until you find something that fits your character and is effective. And remember, you're not a normal person. Don't just say your line, don't yell it, whisper it slowly or growl it or scream it maniacly. You have to have enthusiam and say it like you mean it. If your an angry character, you have to sound like you're going to murder someone. If you're a sad character, make them feel like comforting you. If you're a creepy character, say it in a way that will haunt them at night. Again, study movies and practice. I've found for myself that when I DO use lines, ones like "hello precious" "I like this one" etc. in the right voice are a lot more effective than something like "I'm gunna kill you" "Get out of here" and so on. But my favorite thing to do is just make inhuman sounds. The tooth fairy from "Darkness Falls" and the girl from "The Grudge" are two good examples. Those sounds are just WRONG! Also, they are easy enough to make if you know how. (I'll try to give general instructions later. It's hard to explain, but not hard to do)


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

Fifth, pick your target. If you get a few seconds to study the group before the scare, you can pick the best person to target. Generally, don't go for the guy who looks bored. I also avoid the one who is freaking out, at least at first. If you are unsure or just getting started, this can be the best target, but once you have scaring down, you can get a longer, more entertaining scare out of people who are looking around nervously, maybe with thier hands in their pockets or on their face, trying to keep it together. These people will often burst out with the most rediculous screams ever. As their not as obvious a target, it will be more entertaining for their group (maybe they haven't screamed yet the whole time) and maybe rile up the bored ones. Also, these people tend to be the jumpers, sprinters, fallers, etc. 
Sixth, people, when scared are like sheep. They like to be close together. If you can cut one out of the herd, you can make VERY effective scares, as well as entertaining their friends in the process, as they try desperately to get back to their group. It's also fun to follow the people who run around their boyfriends and keep popping up nearest them. Again, know your haunt's policies. Some try to keep folks from running, many want groups to consistantly stay together.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

To add to that list of things; Look at what your character/creature is supposed to be, what is it about that character that you think makes it creepy? Look at those things and practice them until you can perform or do those things second nature. For example, just looking dead and maybe somewhat decomposed may get a few people, but if you are a zombie chomping away on a human arm (a prop, hopefully) with the blood and viscera on your face and hands, people seeing that before you get to them will automatically assume that you are dangerous, the off kilter walk, foot dragging, drooping arm, etc, help carry the illusion. But as already noted, you can't let up on the character during the haunt. People standing around with their hands in their pockets, texting, or talking with their friends blows the whole illusion, and once it's lost, it's gone.


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

Another thing to remember, you want to scare people, not offend them. Offended people get angry and it's harder to scare an angry person, in adition to the fact that an offended person is far more likely to issue a complaint and probably won't be back. I've hear people say things like "Run Fatty" to patrons and frankly, it's cheap, rude, stupid, and not scary. Sometimes I'll pick on something folks are less likely to be offended by, like calling someone blondy, but calling a person with dwarfism a "cute little baby" or the like is NOT classy. In general, don't pick on something that cannot be instanly changed. (A good philosophy for life, too)


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

Can anyone else weigh in? I was hoping to get some new ideas.


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## kauldron (Oct 17, 2011)

You certainly have a lot of good tactics and suggestions for your haunt. One thing that I have seen at a very popular haunt in my area is misdirection. The scenes they put together are very clever. One that stands out involved the crowd outside, waiting for their ticket numbers to be called to get in line for the haunt. 
They created a funeral scene using actors in black hoods and robes to carry a coffin to a small cemetery area just off to one side of the waiting area. As the scene progressed, more people in the crowd had their attention on the cemetery. After a few minutes, different actors engaged the crowd from the other side of the haunt. These actors were dressed differently than the ones in the scene and they really got some good reactions from the crowd. A lot of good scares for sure. 
The folks that run this haunt really take a lot of time to come up with good ideas to keep everyone involved from the minute you buy your ticket until you are leaving. There is also a lot of photo bombing happening. I'm sure some of the pictures of groups of high school kids turn out priceless when the killer clown pops in behind them.


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## Howlinmadjack (Jul 20, 2009)

Expanding on the misdirection topic, one thing I have found that works really well for misdirection, is causing the subject to look away from their surroundings, is to put things either under foot, like nuts and bolts glued to the floor, or objects you have to walk around to be able to continue on, or sticky substances on say rails, that distracts you from your surroundings. At this point you can swoop in and get up close and personal, and scare the jeepers out of people! Misdirection works very well!!


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## shannibal (Aug 14, 2013)

No matter the role, I enjoy doing the "hidden in plain sight" startle scares. I am really good at being stark still and controlling my breathing/blinking.

Two years ago I was the cadaver on the creepy home-operating table and waited until people deemed me as a prop to then scare them by moving or talking. 

Last year I was a deranged trapeze clown in a circus haunt. When I saw the group coming near my area, I threw the trapeze out as movement to make them look up as they entered the room. Most people said "where is she?" and little did they know, I was right beside them standing against the wall and replied "here I am" in a whisper right beside them. Quite effective.

I also use the personal bubble when I can tell people don't like it. I know I don't like it being done on me!


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## screaminscott (Oct 13, 2006)

*noisemakers*

FYI, as a dog owner, I can testify that squeaky dog toys are extremely loud. So if your actor is looking for a good noisemaker to startle the victims, go through the pet stores.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Some great tips there! As someone who has trouble with the scare-acting portion of my haunt I'll be referring back to these for sure. Thanks!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

you can go online and buy just the squeaky part of a dog toy (they sell replacements) a lot cheaper.


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## Gallows_meat (Mar 14, 2014)

Shannibal: a trapeze clown? What an AWESOME idea. I bet that haunt is awesome. I also have done plain sight scares, mostly when they're sending groups through fast and I can't get to my regular spot quick enough. I've also been caught while moving and went into "animatronic mode"-- basically, repeat the same movements over and over in an over-exagerated robotic style. It scares the crap out of people when suddenly you jump out.


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## shannibal (Aug 14, 2013)

Gallows_meat said:


> Shannibal: a trapeze clown? What an AWESOME idea. I bet that haunt is awesome.


It was a pretty good haunt. The owner tries to change the theme a little each year. I actually made my costume myself and made my face prosthetics myself as well. Instead of the makeup looking like paint on my face, it looked as though i had cut into my skin for where the makeup was- kind of an "eternal clown" look. I got a lot of compliments on it.


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