# Actors?



## NytDreams (Sep 10, 2009)

It's been a long time since I've posted but this year I'm determined to be more active! We do have one major problem though and wanted to see if anyone had any ideas.

My family and I try to do a yard haunt every year, mostly just walk-through stuff with an actor here and there. Problem is, we've had significantly fewer actors every year until last year absolutely everyone bailed out and we only managed one last-minute actor besides ourselves (only three of us as it is). I had to cut the back yard out completely due to time and no actors, which disappointed some people who come to see us. We do buy pizza and pop for the actors but still have lost everyone even though they've said, each and every year (for those who did come to help), that they loved acting and scaring people and wanted to do it again. They'd leave for the night all excited and talking about next year.

How do you get actors you can trust to not only show up but to do as asked and not go overboard (as in touching, grabbing)? It seriously crimped last year and I'm not sure quite what to do this year with only three of us acting (and I'm pretty tired as I'm the main person putting everything up)? I can't do what I'd like with so few people. 

Any ideas would be appreciated. It has me kind of stumped. I'll work around no other actors if I have to, so any ideas how to scare people without actors would be appreciated as well.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

The main problem with working with volunteers is that they're volunteers. There's no way of being certain that they will be there when you need them, or follow instructions.

Glad to hear that you take care of them with food and pop - That's a great start. They'll be more apt to return if they feel like they are getting something out of the deal. Also, when you do establish one good actor, ask them if they have friends that might be interested in helping out. We had dozens of Jr high to Sr high school students that would come in groups of 2 to 5 and would help out when they could.

If anything, post an ad on Craigslist about what you're wanting to do. Does your haunt donate to a charity by chance? If so, that's a great way to get people to come help out with the cause.

Hope some of this is of some help - Good luck!

:jol:


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

To add to what's been said, there's a couple of things that need to be asked/answered first.
Is this just for a one night haunt/stand, or do you do your haunt over multiple nights or weekends?
What kind of demographic are you looking at for actors? As stated, volunteers are a blessing and curse, all in one package, so if your haunt is just a home haunt (rather than for a charity or organization), you have one less carrot you can dangle in front of them. You may find that offering zombie or monster classes, classes in prop construction, etc., well ahead of time will bring you numbers of actors, and a fair percentage of them will return after they've taken the classes. You may also find that having a cool T-shirt, hat, or hoodie that can only be earned by actually showing up and participating will help too. 
Talk to the local drama clubs at the community colleges and high schools. You may find not only actors but makeup artists, props and lighting, and sound people too.


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I've been lucky getting returning actors, but I do occasionally have a few that do not show. I try to get enough actors for the main scares than ask extra people to come just in case the main actors don't show. It was a good suggestion to try Craigslist and colleges. I have heard that some colleges give drama students extra credit for helping out haunts because they have to act in it. Also maybe ask local kids in your area. Good Luck!!!


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## NytDreams (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm pretty poor these days so getting stuff like hoodies/shirts/what-have-you is kind of out of my price range. Getting the pizza/pop has always been hard enough. It's taken years to get the props we do have, which we always get on sale, (and money gets tighter every year even at that) and have always run short of getting what we want/need for the yard. 

I have definitely thought of the charity angle and would seriously consider it for an animal rescue group or something here. My main concern in doing that is making sure that the yard is good enough to make people want to come up to see it and donate. Without being able to get plenty of actors, how does anyone get enough scares to make their haunt really worth the time for people to come see it and therefore be bothered to get a donation to bring? 

I'd like to be able to work from all angles; trying to get actors through perhaps Craigslist or the local college as well as considering having no actors save ourselves.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Well, I am speaking from a totally 'non-pro haunt' perspective....I just decorate my yard and I only have people come on Halloween night....and I depend all most totally on family. Lucky for me I have four sisters who bred prolifically and have plenty of nieces and nephews for me to beg, bribe and guilt into coming and helping me. Plus their friends come and help and after I get them the first year, we have so much fun that most of them just come back and volunteer to help. I find making it fun, and like a big party makes it so much more fun for all the people helping you. I do provide really good food, beverage and treat bags for all of my "volunteers". I have grown in the past few years from 130 trick or treaters to around 400...I could NEVER do it alone.....so without my volunteers my yard would be dismal and I would never pull it off. A word of advice? Keep it small enough so that you still enjoy it. Letting your haunt grow into a monster that consumes you can ruin it for you. Just remember to have fun yourself.....then Halloween will always be the most special day of the year for you.


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## ladysherry (Jan 25, 2012)

When I sit down to design my haunt each year I plan with no actors but have areas that an actor can slip in if someone wants too. My son goes to college in the fall so I will lose my 1 sure actor other then myself. If I get alot of actors then I am overly excited but if not I don't get upset because I set it up with no actors. I am a homehaunter with a walkthru and maze.


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## NytDreams (Sep 10, 2009)

What kind of things do you do to scare without actors? I'm not capable, at this point, of building moving props so I'm trying to get ideas of what others do to scare with their set-up sans actors.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

Another thing you can look into doing is establishing a layout which utilizes your actors in more than one place. Have a back walkway through your haunt so that your actors can get one scare, walk a short distance and scare the same group at another location.

This obviously isn't practical if you've got a large throughput, but for your average home haunt it should be pretty easy to pull off.

You can also do the old fashioned props a on a rope or other activated props to startle or distract your patrons while your actor scares them from the opposite side.

:jol:


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## Georgeb68 (Mar 26, 2013)

How about looking into the local high school actors..... Volunteer help is hard but it's always better to have more than less!


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

If you do this as a charity gig, you can probably ge the high school and/or college actors community service time for the help they give. At least in So. California, the kids are required to get so many hours as part of their yearly grades. Given the opportunity, I would think that most of the kids, if it is presented to them in this way, would jump at the chance to do hours in a haunt rather than: I don't know say, picking up garbage,cleaning up beaches, etc.
I'd hit the drama departments first, I'd also see about getting donations of supplies, materials, pizza, etc., from local businesses. Again, letting them know that this is a charity event and making a clean/clear list of what you need or want can help too.


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## badger (Jul 28, 2010)

The key to getting decent actors is to let them know that you're looking for them well in advance. I would put the word out in August. 

Also, do you let your actors help with the building process? I find that actors who help with the haunt tend to take ownership of their areas and therefore want to make sure that 'their' area is the best and scariest place in the haunt...


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

"Also, do you let your actors help with the building process? I find that actors who help with the haunt tend to take ownership of their areas and therefore want to make sure that 'their' area is the best and scariest place in the haunt..."
They also tend to show up for their acting gig because they want to see the reactions of the guests, and don't want someone else getting credit for their work.

I know Knott's Berry/Scary Farm, Universal, and others start their search for haunt members in May. Because of the large numbers of big pro haunts in Southern California, there is competition for good actors, makeup artists, etc.


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## Bobinhouston (Jul 28, 2013)

i use pneumatic triggers at two areas of the haunt, and two actors (the two of us that plan and build the whole thing) in other places. We use hidden passageways to scare groups more than once each, which makes experience better for guests and for you (be sure to have fun yourself). we always need more people and always get them at the last minute, sometimes people we barely know. makes my stomach sink when we do this as they can affect the whole deal. gonna plan ahead this year. Anyone really have luck w/ recruiting local drama students?


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