# Claustrophobia Effect and other questions



## churchpunk74463 (Jul 19, 2009)

I assist operating and managing two haunts each year. One for a volunteer fire department that I am a member of and the other at an abandon high school to raise money for the community. 

This year I am dedicating more time and effort to the high school haunt. I am wanting to include a claustrophobia effect; however, I do not have the funds to purchase the effect. Has anybody built this and can you provide me with some instructions, please?

Also part of our haunt will include moving walls. I need some suggestions on how I could make these. We will be using panels constructed by us. The effect we are wanting to achieve is having a wall there one second then as the guests turn and try to get out and they come back it would be gone. 

I appreciate any help in advance.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Another thread about claustrophobia walls was created a few months ago. It may help.
http://hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=25902


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## churchpunk74463 (Jul 19, 2009)

Yes, I searched and seen that thread; however it doesnt answer the questions I have.


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

I have a couple of ideas to create a claustrophobia effect:

1) The easiest and cheapest would be to create a hallway the gradually gets narrower as you go

2) Put one section of walls on casters with live people behind the walls. Using pulleys and cable, you could make it so that when the actors push on one section of wall and it rolls toward your patrons, the opposing wall section (my way of pulleys and cable) would be pulled inward. The downside of this is that it could take up a little space in your haunt. 

3) An effect I always thought was cool was the "falling wall". I had a prototype of a cable and pulley version of this rigged up in my garage before Halloween last year, but time constraints prevented me from being able to actually use it. The way I had it set up was a pulley on the ceiling with a cable ran through it. One end attached to the section of wall (mine was an 8' section) and the other end would have been held by someone behind the wall. Have the wall leaning forward just a little so that when the cable is released, it falls forward toward your patrons. Of course you have to have some kind of stop is it doesn't fall all the way forward. I used a piece of chain secured to the falling wall and the other end screwed into my actual garage wall. Make the chain as long as you need to make it stop where you want it to. I used a 2x4 secured to the floor and hinged the wall at the bottom with some heavy duty gate hinges. This effect creates a good startle scare too.

As far as the moving wall goes, that can be pretty easy. Just build the wall that you want to "disappear" like a pocket door so it can slide open or shut.

On a side note, you may want to look into using INFRASOUND in your claustrophobia section. That it a certain frequency, I think 18.5 hz or something, that is below the human range of hearing that, in theory, creates feelings of dead, panic, clautrophobia, the feeling of being watched, etc. in humans. It has to be a steady, constant tone, so you would need some large, powerfull subwoofers to make it effective. Hope this was helpful


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I was in a haunt where the room was basically a square box, but the walls & ceiling angled down towards the only available exit, which was a regular door with a door knob...but the door was tiny- and adult could barely get thru. And the door was locked, so they made you stand there and wait & get claustrophobic. I remember it well, cuz I was very pregnant at the time, and hunching over was uncomfortable & I was pissed off..LOL.


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## churchpunk74463 (Jul 19, 2009)

Ryan, that was very helpful gave me quite a few great ideas to work with. It just gets frustrating because I am told what they want to see and I have to make it happen. Thanks a bunch.


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## CoolDJTV (Jun 28, 2011)

*Pneumatics for the disappearing walls!*

This is when it is closed








This is when it is open








you could also use an actor to push it open and close!

Stuff you need!

BooBox or Pico Boo
Pneumatic setup (Large Bore 2-3 1/2) (large stroke depending on application)
Ply wood
2X4's
Paint
Trigger/Switch
Break Beam Trigger
Actor
Compressor

Enjoy!:laugheton:


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## CoolDJTV (Jun 28, 2011)

Pictures don't seam to be working I will try to repost it!


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## CoolDJTV (Jun 28, 2011)

*Pneumatic's*

This is when it is closed
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n615/CoolDJTV/ClosingwallExtended.png
This is when it is open
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n615/CoolDJTV/Closingwall-1.png
you could also use an actor to push it open and close!

Stuff you need!

BooBox or Pico Boo
Pneumatic setup (Large Bore 2-3 1/2) (large stroke depending on application)
Ply wood
2X4's
Paint
Trigger/Switch
Break Beam Trigger
Actor
Compressor

Enjoy!:laugheton:


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## CoolDJTV (Jun 28, 2011)

Sorry about all the posts! I couldn't get the photos to work!

















you could also use an actor to push it open and close! (If you wanted)

Stuff you need!

BooBox or Pico Boo
Pneumatic setup (Large Bore 2-3 1/2) (large stroke depending on application)
Ply wood
2X4's
Paint
Trigger/Switch
Break Beam Trigger
Actor
Compressor

Enjoy!:laugheton:


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## churchpunk74463 (Jul 19, 2009)

That is a great idea, i just dont understand how you would get the wall to be movable without some type of track or wheels


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

churchpunk74463 said:


> Ryan, that was very helpful gave me quite a few great ideas to work with. It just gets frustrating because I am told what they want to see and I have to make it happen. Thanks a bunch.


I know what you mean. You have to be reasonable though. If you bet the desired effect out of what you deside to do, that's all that matters, right? If you spend $20.00 and get the same end result as if you spend $200.00, that sounds like success to me. Just remeber, all of your effects and scares are going to be more effective in the dark and you HAVE TO build up the anticipation before the scare. That's what has always worked for me


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