# scare tactics in haunts



## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Okay- this goes hand in hand with my other post, asking about scare themes...I thought it would be nice to gather up info on scare tactics in haunts. I know I'd like to add some more, and think someone jumping out from behind a bush & yelling seems pretty Scare 101. Please add any suggestions or tactics here.


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## DarkWolf (Feb 14, 2011)

Instead of hiding behind a bush I have used the "hide in plain sight" ploy. The haunt I was working had scarecrows standing along the route stuffed with leaves. They were lumpy and kinda slumped and wore a rubber mask. I just imitated the slumped pose. When the cart rolled by I stood there in plain sight and would listen to folks dismiss me as just another prop. Once they were about half way passed they would focus their attention further down the trail. That's when you jump at them with arms wide and yell BOO! Sounds hokey but I got more scares like that than any other way!


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

Often times distractions help with the scare. Something that gets customers attenetion while the real scare is lurking in the other corner. Make something look predictable and throw the unpredictable in the way.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

One of my personal favorites is the "how did he get there" type scare. Two people of roughly the same size dressed identically. One outside the haunt, one inside. The one outside menaces the queue line, while the other is hidden in a scene. When the guests come in, they're thinking they've seen the last of the guy, then he gets them in a place he couldn't possibly make it to before they did. Usually works best if the inside man is in the first or second room, or the last. With the last, they get scared by him, but then see him still outside menacing waiting customers.


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## kevin242 (Sep 30, 2005)

I actually like the "hiding in plain site" technique dressed as a prop. Zombies are very effective if you can lay still until just the right moment, wait for a few people to pass than spook one with a sudden sitting up and moaning. We also have several "murder holes" where we hide and then enter a passing group, eventually someone will turn to you and thats a great time to "boo!". When a new group is coming down the street we all scream "FRESH MEAT!" in a gravelly voice to let them know we are waiting...  We instruct our haunters to never touch a patron, be touched or harrass anyone who is too scared, especially "littles". Running and pushing are way off limits as well for safety reasons.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

We don't do jump out scares in our yard for Halloween, but have found that subtle works fantastically. Spooky1 dresses in costume and will stand or sit quietly somewhere in the display or on the porch. I've seen him spook ToTs with a small movement that they just see out the corner of their eyes. He'll stand in the shadows where he's barely visible or change positions in the yard once a group of kids have gone by him. Last year he freaked a teenage girl out by simply stepping out from behind a tree. No jumps or "boos" needed

Our house has a center hallway that goes from the front door back to our kitchen. We hang a black cloth across the end of it where it meets the kitchen and set a stool there for me to sit on in costume while waiting for ToTs to reach the door. With all the lights off in the house and the porch light on, no one approaching the door can see me at all, although they are quite visible to me. I got a number of scares one year by simply walking slowly toward the door - white parts of the costume became visible first, then the rest as I got closer to the door. From outside, it was as if a spectral figure was slowly materializing. Very effective.

Only rule in our yard haunt is no deliberate scaring of small children or any child who is obviously terrified. Halloween should be fun, including the scares.


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## dtjurbs (Oct 1, 2011)

The tactic that works for me is just being subtle. Standing with a lean, walking with a strange limp, and then changing speeds as I get closer (kind of a zombie run if you will). In my haunt we also make use of distractions. We have a few laborate props that draw te attention of the guests. By the time they turn around, there is a creepy clown staring them down.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

I like mess-with-your-head scares. One of my favorites was done to us at Cedar Point's Terror Island this year. This is a pirate themed haunted trail on a heavily wooded island. My teenage daughter has a tendency to say, "oh dear, oh dear" repeatedly when she sees a scare, dark area, etc coming. One pirate, after scaring the bejeezits out of her and provoking a steady stream of "oh dears" out of her, disappeared into the bushes and snuck over to the next section of the trail. When we got there, he was hiding in the bushes whispering "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" mockingly and a bit like a mad man. He never did jump out at us, but he sure messed with her head. I thought it was brilliant,


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## lostskeleton (Aug 30, 2011)

Honestly when I worked in haunts in the past I find that less is more. I didn't scream or anything like that but would hide in plain sight and then just move. That type of stuff messes with peoples heads pretty bad. I found I got the most screams by just poping up around a corner and stoping infront of someone or just making them think I was going to scare them. Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the scare.

With that said, every night was different and people responded differently every night. So you just have to experiment with what is working that night and go with it.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

I also love when they simply follow along just inches behind you. Your instincts tell you if you run, you will be initiating a chase, so you just let them torment you for several feet, wanting to turn and look, but not sure if you should. Love it!


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