# Revamping The Graveyard



## ShadyHallows (Jun 14, 2006)

Well, some big additions are going to be in the haunt this year, trying to add to the all around scare factor. My first project is going to be completely re-vamping the graveyard. I'm getting rid of 90% of the tombstones, as they are old and made of wood. Some new lighting would be good also, already purchased 2 lightning machines (one for each side of the graveyard). I need some pointers of what really makes a graveyard good, because as of now what I have in stone is keeping the fence and gates which look fairly good, a small haunt advertisement outside the gates, and some lightning machines. Now I'm a little caught up in the lighting part, I don't know if 1 color is best, or multiple colors. Same with the lightning machines. My idea for the lightning machines is to have white lights in the trees which will flash to a lightning soundtrack incorporated with the graveyard track. Is white best for the lightning/thunder or are multiple colors the way to go? Now as far as tombstones, well they can go multiple ways I'm planning on making them 3-4 ft so it feels a little more overwhelming once you're in the cemetery, the bigger than life idea came from the cemetery at valleyscare which was quite freaky in my opinion. Well enough of my rambling, your thoughts/suggestions?


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I can only suggest that you hook up your lightning machines and try it with white light and colors to see if you like the effect.
Other than that...it sounds like you are going in the right direction.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

Personally, I like the white lightning with colored accent and scene lighting. One of the things that I will be adding this year for the creep factor is spanish moss. I saw it on someone's site, can't remember the name and lost all my favorites. Any way, it can be bought on ebay for cheap and looks great hanging from the fence and everywhere else. 
P.S. the reason I say ebay is that they sell fresh moss, not the dried moss like you would find at Michaels.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

BudMan,
The Dollar Tree in my town has Spanish Moss for $1 per bag. Do you have those there?


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

First, I suggest that you hook up strobe lights to your lighting machines and have them all set at different rates... to add to the differences you see in lightning.

Second, for lighting I suggest you use blue spot lights up in trees pointed down... It adds to the graveyard a TON. Especially if you have branches that move in front of the light so it casts shadows over your cemetery.
I see so many yards with their lighting on the ground... You can see the lights, you need to use many lights because objects block the light from lighting the whole yard, and it's just a mess!
Last year I messed around with my idea of putting the lights up off the ground... It worked fantastic! The lights casted an eerie glow over the whole cemetery and it just looks so much butter and more realistic.

Third, as far as stones go. I suggest you make a few high quality stones and have them up front, and then have some "cheaper" ones in the back for filler. That way, you don't spend a ton of time on making awesome stones... That people wont see. I found this works out great.
And as far as painting them... I suggest using flat gray paint mixed with sand... It works great! I made some pillars for this years haunt and that's how I painted them and they turned out great. They look like poured concrete and have a realistic texture to them. After you have them painted completely gray. Get yourself some ketchup bottles from your dollar store and fill them with a few different shades of black and white paint mixed with watter. Then squirt the stones randomly to give them an aged look... If you put to much on, just get a hose and rinse off the unwanted paint.. Do layers when doing this.. It adds a ton!

Hope some of this makes your job easier!
.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

(bud..
be careful on that fresh moss it has all kinds of critters and things that irratate skin in it
I think theres a thread on it somewhere)

Shady I like the blue look also in graveyards but it would be up to you experiment with dif colors


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Lilly said:


> (bud..
> be careful on that fresh moss it has all kinds of critters and things that irratate skin in it
> I think theres a thread on it somewhere)


Chiggers live in Spanish Moss even more than in the grass; it's like the two evolved together. If you're buying it fresh it had better be thoroughly fumigated or you're in for a world of Hellish discomfort.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

Revenant said:


> Chiggers live in Spanish Moss even more than in the grass; it's like the two evolved together. If you're buying it fresh it had better be thoroughly fumigated or you're in for a world of Hellish discomfort.


Lilly and Rev, thanks for the advice, I did not know that. Now I'll have to figure this out, we don't have spanish moss up here that I know of. It just looked sooo cool hanging off the cemetery fence on that website that I can't remember the name of. Maybe someone here can help with that, They build a full castle facade in front of the garage and have two rows of monster mud "reapers" going up the drive, and I believe a few had some sort of tv screen as a face. It was an awesome display, great cemetery etc. I also think that the owner is a member here.


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## sharpobject (May 7, 2008)

FYF - I like the idea of the light shining from above. I bought a box of about a dozen flood light bulbs at an estate sale - different colors - blue, green red, yellow for $5, but am not sure how or what to hook them up to. I saw at Wal Mart they have a clamp unit with a plug and socket for the flood light - is that OK to use? or is there something out there better for this particular use?


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Check the label for any info on size of bulb (watts). I'm guessing, but those bulbs you got are most likely 75wt or maybe 150wt bulbs. Heat given off by the bulbs can be an issue so keep that in mind when you locate them. The Walmart unites you spoke of should have wire size (16-2) that should handle 75wts. But I would suggest that you look for something heavier (14-3, with ground wire) and rated for outdoor use.


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

ShadyHallows said:


> I'm getting rid of 90% of the tombstones, as they are old and made of wood.


If I may make a sugestion on this point... I'm not sure how much space you havem but if you have the room, keep the old stones, but move them to the back of the haunt to use them as background filler. If you have the room to accomodate them, it can add more depth and make your cemetery look more expansive. 

If you don't have the room, just sent them to me. i'll use them as filler. LOL! 

For your new stones, I know folks have had some luck adding some spanish moss to them and otherwise weathering the stones to help give them that dreary, run-down look.

And a fellow haunter recently enlightened me in terms of sound in the haunt. Decentrailize it. He had speakers in various locations so you were immersed in the hauntscape. His owl sounds were 20 feet up in a trees, wolf howling off 100 feet into the woods. Other stuff just scattered around. The idea is not to have one thing coming from one source. This is the direction I'm going in now thanks to his insight.

As for lighting, I suggest using a few different colors as one color tends to look a bit flat. layering of colors and such can really add to the ambience. Where's the lighting tutorial I saw a while back? It illustrated this beautifully. HERE IT IS!

http://skullandbone.com/tutorial_01.htm


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

that sounds like the davis graveyard.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

UUUREKA!!!!!!!! That's it, The Davis Graveyard! Fantastic Display. I actually spoke via email with them about the Spanish Moss and was told to get it from ebay, but nothing was ever mentioned about chiggers. I'll have to research this some more now.


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## ShadyHallows (Jun 14, 2006)

Picked up some stryofoam today so thats another step. I'm anxious to start making some new stones, but I'm not sure how plain or elaborate to make them along with what to throw on them. Do you suggest names or sayings? I really think names are a little more creepy and I want it kind of creepy not so much.... for trick or treating but for anticipation to the haunt. Thanks so much everyone the input so far has helped a ton.


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## kerryike (Oct 5, 2006)

As far as the lightening effect, I love my TLF effect from Hauntmaster Products. It's realistic in that the lightening is timed to occur before the thunder. I use it with a 500 watt photo flood bulb and it flashes a huge area.

I have had trouble planning my lighting in other areas in the past. What I would think might look good at night would actually be too dark after nightfall. I've seen lots of haunt photos on here by the talented members that are really awesome. Lighting seems to really set the atmosphere that I'm determined to do better at this year. 

From my previous shortcommings, I've come to the conclusion: I like the different colors for different areas or sections of the haunt. I will be upping the quantity of colored lighting for this year.


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## ShadyHallows (Jun 14, 2006)

First stone is finished 








The only thing I might do a little differently next time is some bigger lettering.


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

As to the Spanish Moss,
I'm quite sure the stuff on ebay is fresh off the tree! So it is more than likely filled with critters. Besides chiggers there can be spiders, scorpions and caterpillars. And we have a caterpillar down here that the fuzzies each individually cause a sting. Feels like a wad of a thousand needles were held to fire and then touched to your skin. Hydrocort cream helps but it is better not to experience this little lovely!

You can ask the ebay person if the moss has been fumigated. You can also ask them to do it, but if it doesn't smell like it has been when you get it, then just do it yourself. 

If it is not in a plastic bag already, dump it into a garbage bag and spray it liberally with bug killer and then tie the bag shut and leave it sit. You can also microwave it but that makes a terrible smell and you have to handle it putting it into the micro bits at a time. 

Just whatever you do, do it outside and wear gloves until you know what you are dealing with. It really isn't that bad of stuff, I yank it out of the trees and bushes around our house bare handed all the time, unless it is a really huge clump. 
Funny, I never had moss in my trees until I brought some home to put in the graveyard, hmmmmm. No, seriously, I do think I infested my yard, which is a shame, but the stuff comes and goes depending on the weather and we had a very mild winter so it is everywhere.


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## Brckee1 (Feb 21, 2007)

I use plastic spanish moss from Oak Island Productions. Not exactly like the real thing but it really looks good and you can use it year after year.
http://www.oakislandproductions.com/products.php?pid=36

As for tombstones, it all depends on what you like for your haunt. I like a more realistic look and am slowly making a stone hear and there as I have the time.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Shady I got a bunch of moss from big lots I believe cheap ...a buck a bag 
seen here in this pic on the head the hands and on the table.. you can hot glue it to your tombstones
http://www.hauntforum.com/picture.php?albumid=36&pictureid=355

brckee- really nice tombstones


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## Brckee1 (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks Lilly,

I agree that the bags of dried moss from craftstores or biglots is the ticket for tombstones. I also hot glue it on.
The plastic stuff from Oak Island hangs long and is very durable. It is great for hanging on trees, fences, railings and other areas where you want this style of decor. I use it on the roof of my haunt facade.









and here are more tombstones. This was for a cemetery set for a Highschool theater production. You can see some moss on the tombstones in the back.


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## Verno77 (Apr 6, 2008)

You didn’t talk about fog, but if you are planning on using fog machines, make sure to make a chiller for it as well. It makes the fog thinker and float closer to the ground.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

unless you want the fog from hades effect, then place the tube in the mound and smoke pours forth like a volcano.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

How many tubes do you think you can hook up to one fogger ?


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