# bottomless pit depth



## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

This is probably a stupid question but how deep does the pit have to be for the illusion to work?
I'd like to make one that is upright like you're looking out a window.


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## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

Depth of the pit doesn't really matter as it is the reflection of the mirrors that gives the effect. However, it does require an internal light which will be reflected ad infinitum. So if the pit is 24" deep and the light is placed in the middle (12"), the reflected lights will appear to be 24" apart, if the pit is 12'' and the light placed in the middle they will appear to be 12" and so on. I saw one somewhere on the web that was horizontal and could be viewed on either end, they called it the Dragon's Lair.


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I would love to do this effect, but have a narrow pit with a bridge that walks over it. I would think it would look cool looking down into the pit. I'm not sure if this would work because I was thinking the bridge would show up in the mirrors?


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

Put a mirror on the bottom of the bridge facing into the pit


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

Just a thought. Never actually seen one done.


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

My idea was to make a window looking out in to endless space using the bottomless pit technique.

I like the bridge idea!


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I like the window idea also. I never really got the whole bottomless pit concept, but than again I never really looked at someones how to. I don't know how you would angle the mirror? Sickntwisted do you have a good how to video?


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## bradbaum (Jul 26, 2008)

Here are some links to pictures on a short bottomless pit that I found very interesting:

http://hauntspace.com/gallery/view/id_26922/field_time/title_Pit-Design-Exploded-Isometric-View/

http://hauntspace.com/gallery/view/id_26923/field_time/title_Pit-Main-Elements/

http://hauntspace.com/gallery/view/...tle_Pit-Scene-2nd-half-dark-side-flash-photo/

http://hauntspace.com/gallery/view/id_23337/field_time/title_Pit-Gag-off-flash-photo/

http://hauntspace.com/gallery/view/id_23338/field_time/title_Pit-Gag-on-existing-light/


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## Dark Carver (Mar 30, 2010)

I think the longer you make the pit the less it deteriorates. Like if it's bigger it'll probably look better because it won't fade to black as fast. Kind of like looking between a mirror and cabinet mirror in a bathroom.


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

I'm gonna try to combine these two projects together.

http://howtohauntyourhouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=69

http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/halloween/csolsen/pit2007.html

I'll glue and paint on stars/planets (think foam balls you made solar systems out of) on the last acrylic panel so they pop out at you, so there's no 'dead' space at the center of the illusion. Like in the skeleton pit. Does that make sense?


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## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

sickNtwisted said:


> I'm gonna try to combine these two projects together.
> 
> http://howtohauntyourhouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=69
> 
> ...


i couldn't bring up the how to haunt link but I have seen the other and have thought of doing the same thing. I like that idea of the stars on the panel. Maybe instead of one light to illuminate the inside, you could use a bunch of led's, sort of star-like.


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

I'm thinking of using UV paint to paint a galaxy and light it with a blacklight.

http://photomural.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/d75-2.jpg?w=480&h=376


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

The photo from How to Haunt Your House is in the Halloween 2008 album, it's the first photo. The album is located in From the Crypt section.

http://howtohauntyourhouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=62


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## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

That would look very cool, can't wait to see the finished pit!


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

Yes Sickntwisted I'm looking forward to seeing the results of this project.


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

Thanks everyone!
I don't think I'll be able to do anymore work on it until after Christmas. These last two months have been a crash course in Murphy's Law. One thing after the other.
No wonder the holidays always leave me with the taste of cordite in my mouth LOL


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

I used a zombie mask and sculpted a hand to go in the bottom of my pit similar to http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/halloween/csolsen/pit2007.html idea but the pit was completely different.

I used a rubbermaid garbage can with a mask/hand in the bottom. A piece of lexan with 2 way mirror went over that. Cable ties attached rope lights to the sides of the garbage can (from the lexan up) and then mylar with velcro strips through that was layered on top of the lights and was covered with great stuff. Brown paint was sponged on the high points of the great stuff. A second piece of lexan with 2 way mirror film went on top and I made a big great stuff covered "entrance" to the pit to hide the narrow garbage can sides. It looked amazing when you looked down into it but I tried to lay it on an angle inside my fence and the street lights reflected on it and wrecked the entire effect. There was no where in my display I could get the full effect. 

Short of an enclosure to block all light where you can look down into it, I am not sure how to resolve this so please be cognizant of lighting you can't control where you use it. I didn't want to have it outside the fence where people could touch it and wreck the prop either.

Even with the lights hurting the effect, people loved it so it will be popular.

I also had a strobe attached to a thunder/lightning machine lighting the guy inside and synched to Vincent Price laughing.

Painting the galaxy in there would be SO cool, please post pictures of that if you do it!


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

Ok, I found a better way to create my outerspace illusion as used in the infinity corridor. Mount tiny fiber optics on a mirrored wall behind the glass surface they are facing. Same technique used in the bottomless pit except the lights are mounted directly on to the back mirror panel and because it doesn't need to be deep it will be easier to store. Kind of like a double paned window.
I wonder if I could use the suspended firefly lighting? Hmmmmm.


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

That is very cool! So you have fiber optics mounted on a mirror, a glass in front of that and then another mirror on top facing in? How deep is it? 

What are the vertical lines from 28-35 seconds?

It looks great, I wouldn't have thought of that! Nice job!


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

There's only two pieces just like with a bottomless pit. The fiber optics would be mounted directly to the back piece of plexiglass and both pieces of plexiglass would have one way mirror film on. That way you get double the points of light.

The vertical lines are where the glass panes join. It's a large corridor.
I'm glad I stumbled on to that video!


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## scaretastic (Feb 6, 2011)

this is neat, might have to try to do one this year.. with the bridge, going over a hole to hell


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## The Evil Queen (May 8, 2010)

*Endless Tunnel*

2010 we tried our hand at making an endless tunnel. We read and then mixed and matched the DIY and How To's of other haunters who have made bottomless pits. This is what we came up with. Unable to find a two-way mirror we went with the less expensive version of car film over plexiglas for the front panel and a regular mirror for the back. Ghoul Daddy built an elevated box that fitted the dimensions of our mirror and plexi, these are rough measurements: approximately 3' wide x 4 tall' and about 4' long/deep, used junk 2x4 for framing and lined with 1/2" plywood, then covered the inside completely with brown paper and drawings. The box was raised about 3' off the ground, which allowed for an actor to grab peoples ankles and legs as they stepped up to look in. A single bulb was used to light the box/hall and it was filled with bones, Egyptian vases, snakes, and creepy cloth; as was the front. The overall effect was great at night and the scare from under was amazing!


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