# Creepy Theme



## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

Hey there. This year for Halloween for decorating the house/yard, I think i am wanting to go along with a "creepy" feeling. I think I am going to pick up some dolls from garage sales and thrift stores, and "zombify" them and just make them look old and creepy. I am going to hang them from the gutters on the house. I don't really know what else would fir into the creepy category, so I am looking for any suggestions as to what I could do. What colour lighting should I use, how should i use my fog machines. Any other theme ideas are welcome as well. I normally just do a "general/generic" theme but want to do something different this year. 

Thanks!

Dustyn


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

I also go for the creepy/cool factor in my haunt. I love washes of blue light for the atmosphere, and then amber/orange for accenting props.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Definitely look into incorporating sound elements into your haunt. There are many sources of excellent Halloween/spooky music and sound effects available that can be used to enhance the mood and feel of a haunt.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

I love the idea with the dolls!

I also go for a creepy feel in my haunt. To me, "creepy" is anything unsettling, but without too much gore. I think using a lot of gore can take you more into the shock category, which is fine, but not quite in the creepy category. Taking something safe, conventional, even comforting, and twisting it around is a good way to creep people out. I think that's why scary kids are so effective in movies, etc. The dolls are certainly a great start! Maybe you could expand that idea with more creepy toys. Maybe a giant creepy jack-in-the-box, you can't go wrong with scary clown dolls. Maybe even add some ghost children. Ghosts are always creepy. You could even incorporate a story of a boarding school that was shut down long ago, now haunted by the children who resided there. Also, paying attention to details in the environment goes really far to creating the right atmosphere. It can make your visitors feel like they happened upon a little seaprate place, make them feel drawn into it (even if they're not allowed), it's a different experience than just looking at a display. In my opinion, Pumpkinrot is a genius in this art, he's not on hauntforum, but you can go to pumpkinrot.com to see what he does. Old and authentic-looking tombstones are classic and help create a creepy atmosphere. I think candles (real or otherwise) help too. Sorry, that's a mish-mash of random ideas, but it's what comes to mind when I think of creepy and dolls.

I use the same lighting scheme that eanderso13 suggested. Green light can be creepy too. For fog, I suggest buying or making a fog chiller to keep the fog low to the ground, I think it's a much creepier effect. Also, you can't go wrong with some creepy music and sound effects. I've heard lots of creepy music box-type music (I think Nox Arcana has some), that would go really well with the dolls. 

Just a few ideas. Have fun with your haunt this year, and be sure to post pictures!!


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## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

Thanks for the replies everyone. For the last couple years I have just used a couple of blue flood lights, but I think I'll get a couple of orange lights for higlighting as well. I think I am also going to buy a fog chiller/low lying machine. Does anyone know if the ones from Sprirt are good, if not where I can get a good one at an aliright price. And do you just add ice to the low lying machines or how do they work. I also like the idea of a music box type of music. Now i've got my creative juices going!

Thanks!


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

Don't bother with those low-lying foggers...get nice 1000W or more fogger and make a trash-can chiller. $7 plastic trash can and about 15 feet of metallic dryer vent hose. Put hose in can with an input going to one end and and an output to the other, fill the trash can with ice, pipe the fog in and you'll be amazed at what comes out the other hole!


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## gregn20147 (Jul 30, 2010)

Dolls amd Babies room is a good way to go.  There is a lot of good and spooky nursery music to use.


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## wanaquehaunts (Oct 2, 2009)

I agree with eanderso13. I bought one of those units from spirit. Work ok indoors, messy though. A hose and bag is attached to the unit to collect the moisture but still leaks out and there is only a small pocket to add ice. I made my ground fogger by purchasing a 1000w unit and attaching an irrigation hose to it (already has holes in it) spread behind my grave yard. The final effect is awesome. Make sure you cap off the other end so not to lose most of the smoke. Hope this helps. Home made is always better, just ask grandma.


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## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

So for that irrigation hose (which I think I have, the one with little holes along the hose?) do you just attach it to one end of the fogger, and thats all? how do you attach it to the end of the machine? it sounds easy and effective, I think I'll pick up a 1000W fog machine and go with the hose idea, or make a trash can chiller.

Dustyn


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## wanaquehaunts (Oct 2, 2009)

I think I used duct tape, plastic bottles and cardboard. Depending on the weather, one year I did not use ice and last year I did. Water bottles were frozen and stuffed inside, ice melts and becomes a hassle. I took the idea from youtube, search 2007 Fog Chiller/ Tube. Wind is not friendly to this prop, keep that in mind.


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

I've used the irrigation hose in the past. I've heard of people using it with no ice, but I wouldn't trust that here in Kansas where it can still be 80 degrees at night in October. Also, wetting the lawn around the output of the fog can help it linger longer.

The frozen water bottles is a good idea, but I've found that to work best with pre-chilled fog. With loose ice you get more surface area of the ice in contact with the fog so it tends to chill a bit better, in my experience.


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

I also agree that realism is a major key! When I started adding life-size tombstones and cemetery monuments to my setup (not store-bought stuff with skulls and RIP on it) not only was the reaction from visitors more satisfying, it just looked better and became more "believable".


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