# Haunt help/actors



## steveshauntedyard (Nov 16, 2008)

How does everyone get help with there haunt?

Do you have family, friends, co-workers to help or just kids from the neighborhood?

How do you get them committed? 

What is offered like pizzza and beer after you shut down? Do you buy them a gift or something?

Should you have a meeting before hand to discuss rules and to set ares of responsability? If so how early or just do it on Halloween day early and have a pre-party to the after party thing?


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I find it very easy to get my help together. I look in the mirror and say get together! Then me, myself and I get to work. And I always give my best helper, that would be myself, a fine gift after everything is taken down. I might try to induce myself to work harder with the offer of pizza though. It might work. After all, I happen to know that all my help loves pizza.

That meeting beforehand may be problematic. I am already known as a bit of a kook in my neighborhood (ever since I was caught building a casket in my garage). If I am seen speaking animatedly with my "help", I may find myself extrememly committed.


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## steveshauntedyard (Nov 16, 2008)

jaege said:


> I find it very easy to get my help together. I look in the mirror and say get together! Then me, myself and I get to work. And I always give my best helper, that would be myself, a fine gift after everything is taken down. I might try to induce myself to work harder with the offer of pizza though. It might work. After all, I happen to know that all my help loves pizza.
> 
> That meeting beforehand may be problematic. I am already known as a bit of a kook in my neighborhood (ever since I was caught building a casket in my garage). If I am seen speaking animatedly with my "help", I may find myself extrememly committed.


That's exactly how I do it now. My haunt has grown beyond me running it by my insanity alone. I really need help this year or I may really go insane.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

We have 6-7 helpers, mostly older kids 15-17 who just love to scare! One of the boys is in our scout troop and has been coming over for the past 5-6 years. He loves it and I always save a good scare role for him. We start in the afternoon with pizza/wings/pop. After eating, we go outside and do a walk through of all the scare zones and assign people spots. We usually don't have any problems here and they all know that each spot has the potential to be a good scare. We go over basic rules; no touching, foul language, etc.. also no going after very young kids but teens and adults are fair game. After TOT hours, we have a little after glow with snacks, etc.. We thank them, give them kudos for a job well done and tell them they are welcome back next year. I almost have a waiting list of helpers but I can normally find spots for everyone as it is a walkthrough. It's a kick for me to watch them in action and see how much fun they still have!


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

steveshauntedyard said:


> That's exactly how I do it now. My haunt has grown beyond me running it by my insanity alone. I really need help this year or I may really go insane.


Man I feel your pain, for the last 5 years I've put the word out that I need some help, but thus-far, No assistance has come forth. Family and friends??? Not interested. I'm out in late september setting things up almost every night. I just can't expand the haunt around to the back of my yard without assistance, so I can have a true "walkaround". One of the things I thought about doing was passing out small postcards on halloween night. Mostly to direct peoiple to a website that I'm hoping to finally have in place, but also to promote the desire for assitance.

We'll see how it goes.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

If you figure out how to do this, share the knowledge. We are starting to hit a wall with our haunt as well. 

Our problem is control. Dixie and I put so much work, tears, and emotion into everything, that it is hard to let go and listen to the input of other people. Who wants to volunteer for someone who never listens to your ideas?

Hmmm....maybe we need to work on letting go a little? 

Naw...we'll just keep killing ourselves every year. Who want's to live forever anyway?


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

Luckily, my best friend lives right next door, and he's as much a Halloween nut as I am. Plus, he is a great sculptor. Normally, we split the work. I figure out the basic mechanics, he does the sculpt. Since we've decided after last year's fiasco to not have any actors this year, we're building more prop mechanisms and pneumatics. The only problem now is learning how to control them. Our wives, on the other hand, refuse to help, but still want a candy shack built so they can have fun giving out candy.


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

Mine is usually a mix of all of the above. Mainly teenagers from the neighborhood and my kids


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

If you have a local newspaper you can also try putting an ad in there, or maybe have them write an article about your haunt. Mention that you are looking for volunteers. We always supply our actors with dinner and plenty of sodas and water. I have the water hidden someplace in the room that they will be in so that they can access it without having to run inside for a drink and messing up the line waiting to get in. We also supply costumes for those that need it. Since last year was the last doing the yard (at least, I think it was), some of the younger neighborhood kids came by and told us that their parents said they could volunteer when they were 12, but since we weren't going to be doing it then, they got permission from their parents to volunteer. It messed us up by having to find a place to put them, but since our theme was a tribute to horror movies, I ran to the store, bought a bunch of corn stalks and rebar, staked them up in the yard and made that the scene from Children of the Corn!
It was COLD on Mischief Night and Halloween, and the wind was brutal. Those little kids stayed in the area where I put them, did a great job and never complained about freezing. They were just happy to be a part of it. Maybe if you have any neighborhood kids, you could get them involved helping setting up some stuff first, maybe let them help paint a tombstone or two. I always have some tombstones cut out, just in case they come by and want to help paint or something. Getting them involved and making it fun for them keeps them coming back. True, some of the stuff that they do isn't exactly the way I would have done it. But when they spread spiderwebs into one big bunch, I can always go out after they leave and redo some of it. The tombstones they make I put right out in the front of my yard...away from the rest of my "good" ones, but they come by, show their family and friends that these are the ones they made, they get excited about it and that's all that matters. Then I let them take them home so they can put them in their yard (and I don't have to use them...hehehe). It's all about being flexible and giving up a little control, at least while the kids are there. Anything they do can be undone once they leave. Just an idea...so far it's worked really well for us.


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

My husband and I do all the work up until the day of. On Halloween, we usually have 1 or 2 friends over that handle giving out candy. I usually stroll around the displays and answer questions. We don't use live actors. I try for a bit more of just a dark/gothic feel. 

I would love to have more help leading up to the day, but it is hard to explain to people exactly what to do. Sometimes it is just easier to do it yourself.


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

remylass said:


> I would love to have more help leading up to the day, but it is hard to explain to people exactly what to do. Sometimes it is just easier to do it yourself.


Exactly! I prefer to do all the setting up by myself. As far as help goes on the actual night, I guess I'm just kind of lucky. People start asking me around beginning of Oct if they can help that night. I usually have 5-7 helpers and that is enough for now. We do all get together the day before and decide who is going to do what and go over a few ground rules like no touching, no swearing, etc. I do provide pop/soda, beer & pizza for all of the helpers which they do appreciate.


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## Darkmaster (May 9, 2009)

We usually end up with enough help. It's always never wracking to not know how much help you will get, but somehow it turns out well. My son and daughter usually do the recruiting from their friends. We have our haunt open 3 Saturdays in October, some of the help may work all 3 or they might only do 1 or 2. 

It usually works out.


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## grantbrott (Feb 22, 2010)

Ive gotten help from the local college theater group on several occasions, had an actor come help and a stagecraft guy help do walls and scene design


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## Deadlands (Jun 13, 2011)

Actors aren't the problem. I just want to know where everyone vanishes to when it's time to break it all down!


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## Scarypumpkinpie (Feb 1, 2012)

I could not find any volunteer help last year. As October drew closer, I had to run an ad on Craigslist & pay people before I got any results. Teenagers are unpredictable, even if you pay them. Maybe not all of them, but most of the ones I have dealt with were. One guy told me he pays his help a percentage of the profits at the end of their haunt. They have to show up for every night to get their money at the end. He said it works out pretty good, and a lot of them weed themselves out after the first night or two then you are left with the ones that are committed to doing it. If he has to hire new ones mid season, he pays them the same rate, subtracting the first two weeks or whatever. It just seems to me that no one will work for free or for food around here anyway. They expect some sort of money for working, and I guess I can understand that.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Try contacting your local high school and college drama departments, you might be surprised at the help you can get. If it's a fundraiser for a charity, they, the kids, can usually get community service hours, something most educational systems are requiring now, and if you have new skills to teach them (makeup, props, lighting, etc.) you will have an eager team to work with. Again, if it's for a charity, you might talk to your local scout troops (boy and girl) about possible help.
The offer of pizza, burgers, and pop won't hurt either. Having shirts and an honorarium as a carrot will only help.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Most high schools have Honor Society students. R.O.T.C. and Key Club (service club). Kids WANT to volunteer to do stuff as it looks good on college applications (better if u have a charity haunt). They would at least be more relaible & less likely to screw around.


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## Scarypumpkinpie (Feb 1, 2012)

Yes, if it is for charity the high schools are a great way to get help!


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