# Change in tactics, what do you think?



## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

As I mentioned in some earlier posts, I am collaborating with the guy that lives around the corner from me this year to do a haunt that will be remembered for years and years. I'm pulling out all the stops this year to make it mess yourself scary. He has a 3 car garage and mine is a 2 car, so we are doing it at his house. I always like to use a doorman to regulate the number of people coming in at one time whereas he does not. His hant is usually trashed by the end of the night and mine was always fairly intact. He gave me creative control of the haunt so to speak, and is willing to roll with whatever I come up with that makes his house the place to be. Cool. I want to add a real door that the door man can close behind groups after they enter to add to that "oh sh___" feeling. Normally I just do a plastic sheet, so we'd get people that would stall at the entrance and back out. This year, once you are in, you're in. No backing out (save an emergency). Also, he lives on a corner lot next to the main drive into the neighborhood, so he gets tons of traffic. I'm going for a hillbilly/rural/country theme. Normally I make my haunt look foreboding from the outside, making people nervous to enter. This year my plan is to make it look like a cheesy walk through from the street (straw scarecrows with smily faces, some hay bales, jack-o-lanterns with non-threatening faces) to lure people in. Maybe even some plastic flamingos for that white trash look. As you head up the driveway, make the scarecrows more scary, eventually ending up as rotting corpses hanging from frames. Once you realize what you've gotten yourself into, it's too late. The door man ushers you into the first room (living room scene) and BANG, the door shuts and latches behind you. What do you all think about the "lure 'em in and trap 'em" tactic? Too me in sounds like something that would instantly make people panic, hence the small group policy. And me and my neighbor are both law enforcment, so if it sounds weird in that way, it's not...just trying to think of a new, fresh scare tactic. Any feedback would be great.


----------



## Zurgh (Dec 21, 2009)

Sound pretty cool... will it be a guided tour, and will you have more manpower?


----------



## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

The concept is neat but you will be relying on word of mouth from those who just went through. If I walked by a very cheesy looking display, I wouldn't even want to go in and would miss out on the fun. Go hillbilly cheesy but not too over the top to where no one wants to come in.


----------



## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I agree with spider, I wouldnt stop at some place that looked cheesy. I would start with normal scarecrows and such and then end with something a bit scarey. I remember seeing some pictures of a country style haunt in here that looked like an old abandon farm house and yard. During the day it looked just like that but when it was dark it became kinda scary.
As for the shut door to cause panic, well there is panic and then there is panic. Having an actor in the room would make a good safety factor just in case you have someone have a real problem. The actor can reinforce the "no way back" idea , but still be there just in case.


----------



## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Use a simple tool of your trade. Pull a gun on the TOTs and take their stash. That'll scare'em.


----------



## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

Good thoughts, didn't want to go too cheesy, more like some hillbilly decorated their house for Halloween cheesy. We should have plenty of actors, but the tour will not be guided per say, but there is an actor or a "security" person almost everywhere in my haunts. 

@Lunatic- I don't carry off duty! However working in the field and watching lots of crime TV shows does help me to come up with new scares. The good thing about my neighbor and I is the whole neighborhood knows what we do, so they know our houses are safe for their kids.


----------



## Troll Wizard (May 3, 2012)

I guess I would say that you want to be careful about making it look like parents with little kids can go through this. If your planning to scare the pants off everyone that goes through it, then you either need to warn people before they enter. You don't want to run into a situation where parents get in there with their kids and the they start freaking out in a bad way. That would be my concern with what you wanting to do. 

If your having any kind of signage outside then maybe you might list an age limit so parents won't be surprised. Then they could make the decision to go in or not. I would also make sure your neighbor has the right coverage on his homeowners insurance, just in case.


----------



## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

The liability is part of the reason I'm glad we aren't going it at my house!


----------



## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

As far as age limits, if I go with this idea, you'd be able to tell by the time you get to the entrance whether you'd want to go in or not. By that time you'd still have the chance to walk away. I was thinking of the "luring" tactic to shock the senses. Besides we rarely have young kids come in the haunts. It does happen, but it's rare. I'd say we don't see too many kids younger than 10 years. I have 3 kids that vary in age from 12 down to 4, so I wouldn't deliberately do something to screw with little kids and give them nightmares. My kids won't even go in my haunts, even after they watch me build them, see all the scares, and know where everything is!


----------



## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

I live in a uber rural, white trash area in va. So if you need ideas on atmosphere or scenery and such I would love to assist


----------



## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol: Hey Ryan, I think you have an AWESOME idea going. It has been my experience on Halloween that people are just looking for something to do and I don't think the "cheesy" decor will dissuade many people. On Halloween night people are looking for anything 'free' to do and plenty of candy and I am sure you will have a crowd...I think the whole concept is creative and fun! I love the idea of the decor gradually changing from cute and campy to dark and foreboding.....and then you slam the door on them! No escape, foolish mortals! Bawhahahahahahaha....
Love it!


----------

