# It Never Fails



## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

This is my first year haunting. And like everything else I design, the moment it's out in the open, I can see only mistakes and things to improve. My first 3 props went out yesterday. They certainly look a lot smaller and unimpressive in the middle of the yard than they did in the basement! Despite many hours of work and _crap-tons_ of analysis...

If any of you veterans have advice, I'd be grateful. There is at least one other prop to finish this year and even then, the display will look sparse. But I don't want to do a cemetery this year. Here's the yard:








or








The three props I've put out are all on that one island with the rock on it, about halfway from the street. From the street, Bitter Man looks like a beach ball on a stick...you have to be close to see the face, let alone details. My wife suggests that these props might be better for indoors than outdoors, but she would say that; she's not on board re: Halloween at all.

What's left to do is another tall scarecrow (not like Bitter Man; I haven't seen one like this); at least three mushroom men, 2 1/2' tall; and maybe at least one more JOL. The theme I guess is tainted nature. If I felt like there was still time, I considered making a 3-4 simple witchy-looking Druid-y figures, forming a ring around the 2nd scarecrow (it's pretty evil looking so far)...I have the material but time is so short...

Thanks in advance to the obvious: PumpkinRot, Spookyblue, Dave the Dead, and just about anyone who might be reading, actually.

2009 Haunt Props:
The Bitter Man
Pappy
Loma


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

big yards are a blessin and a curse arn't they ??? props are very cool!!!!wish I could help out good luck


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Amazing work!! I love the idea of tainted nature, you could run far with that theme for years, so original! What have you done for lighting? Some eerie lighting from below them would help to highlight them.
Please post photos of your yard all set up, I love what you've done so far! I did mushroom men as well, mine are probably cutesy by comparison.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Your comment about seeing the details reminds me of something that came up during set construction for a theater project I was involved with. The two people who worked on designing and painting the sets were experienced artists accustomed to working on small, for-display pieces. When I saw them using artist paintbrushes to put little details on the movable panels we were going to use, it became clear they had probably never done a stage set before (although the detail work was lovely up close). No one sitting in even the first row of seats was going to be able to see those details. The director just shook his head in despair.

I think most of us do tend to really sweat the details when working on props - they are, after all, a labor of love and we want them to look as gorgeously ghastly as possible - and forget that much of it really won't be readily apparent once the prop goes out in the yard. There are always a few people, of course, who will stop to take a close look, and that's gratifying, but most look from a distance. The point as it applies to a yard display is, if you want something to be visible to the casual viewer at 10 feet, exaggerate the details.

You have what appears to be a huge yard, which brings up another relevant theater technique. Scatter people all over a stage and the scene actually loses some impact. Put them in little groups, and suddenly the whole scene has more interest. For example, I've seen many a picture of people's graveyards on this site, and the ones that look the best to me are those in which the tombstones are clustered together closer than what you see in real graveyards. Last year we spread our tombstones and props all over the yard and it did look a bit thin (although realistic in terms of spacing). This year I want to try grouping stones and figures for a better visual effect. In a way, what I'm thinking is each grouping should tell or suggest a story. One example we did use last year was putting our ghoul hounds around Rotting Ralph's grave. One of the hounds had a severed hand in its mouth and, with Ralph reaching out from the grave, it was as if he were trying to recapture his lost body part. Kind of a little scene-with-a-story.

Anyway, I think you're on the right track already with grouping some of your props. If you have time to add more, that's always nice, but if not, you learn from what you did this year and add something for next year.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Thank you. Yes it's about a half acre. I will have to give a lot of thought to how I can exaggerate features next time.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I think we've all been there before, giving what we made the sour stink eye, and actually seeing what the prop IS versus what we wanted it to look like in our minds.
Roxy's advice is dead on. Just take comfort in knowing we share your pain!! LOL. 
I stand in my driveway & in the road to see what my stuff looks like from approach, as my lot is angled from the road as well. With such a big lot, what about making an area designated as your "performance space" and just try to make it bigger and/or better each year? It doesn't have to be a fenced in cemetary, but just a way to figure out how to get your "scene" set in a smaller way that satisfies you. 
If you can wrangle a hippity hop, you could whip off a bigger mache head in a 2 nights. There's all kinds of potential in that yard- skellies climbing in the trees, marching down the hill, a big creepy scarecrow, crawling vine creatures..lighting saves stuff from getting lost in a big yard.
Happy haunting!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

What kind of lighting will you be using. I added a couple of blue flood lighs last year to my setup and it made a world of difference. Also where will the ToTs be coming from. You'll want to position your props so they are seen clearly as the ToTs come to the door. Also I know you said you didn't want to do a graveyard, but with that much space you could have a graveyard (maybe closer to the street) separate from the tainted nature props. Don't sweat open space. After a couple years you be trying to figure where you have space left to fit your new props.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

That's the funny thing...we will likely not be home for Halloween.  So there'll be no lighting, no TOTs, and it'll all come down October 30, probably. But I'm still up late working on props like an idjit.

The open space isn't what bothers me; I like a lot of space in any kind of design. And the clustering sounds like great advice. The loss of subtlety when viewing from a distance is what bugs me most. But what I have in mind for future years would put TOTs on a path that would give a good view of each prop on their way to candy.

I went out tonight around midnight and lifted Bitter Man's head just a tad, by the light of the full moon. It tickled me to imagine what a neighbor might think if they saw me out at midnight fooling with the props in the dark.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

debbie5 said:


> I think we've all been there before, giving what we made the sour stink eye, and actually seeing what the prop IS versus what we wanted it to look like in our minds.....


ROFL...the sour stink eye. Eloquently stated.

I agree with the lighting comments. Throw some colored floods around...but don't sweat the open space. I'm sure it will be just fine. Branch out over the years to whatever you are comfortable with. I think we're all about four projects behind where we want to be.


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## kallen (Jun 23, 2008)

No TOT's....sigh, sound like my yard. We have a party every year just so someone see's what I put up. Like it's been stated above, don't sweat it. If this is the theme you want to stay with for a while just look at it now and see what could be done there next year. maby somthing added to the trees to fill in the big space , the nice part is you have LOTS of room to do a cool large prop......maby like a dragon.....lol


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

As someone else mentioned, play with the lighting. Check out the threads on LED spot lights (I'd go find them but I have to go teach in five minutes)--a spot on your pieces will help bring them out.

But, alas--the amazing details that you did are for you to enjoy--and anyone who gets to see them up close. When I'm working on stuff for my trail (I do a trail as a museum fundraiser) I have to keep reminding myself that people will be running past them, in the dark, and they're not going to admire the details.

But the people on this forum appreciate your work!


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## ScardyCat (Aug 3, 2009)

Don't get discouraged. It takes years to build up like some of the more advanced haunters on here do. This is my 15th year of hosting a party, about the 4th year for a haunted house and probably the first year I feel I actually have enough stuff to do it right. (though my family picks on me about my obsession). It takes time and MONEY. So keep at it. I know you will have a great haunt!


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Thanks ScardyCat! And everybody!


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