# Pro Haunt Acting



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

I've seen this discussed before, but I just can't help bringing it up. I paid a lot to go to a Pro Haunt, and it was way actor-heavy, and consisted of a bunch of dudes screaming offensive comments right in my face. That's not scary. It's just irritating. There was one good, creepy moment in the whole place. 

It would have been better with half the actors, and some simple scares.

Just my opinion, which isn't worth much.

I know this isn't a place to attack (I read the sticky) so I will say the costumes and makeup were great.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

haha Hippo, I understand your plight. 

2 years ago, I went through the haunt I used to work for (helped build, design, and scare). Their actors weren't shouting obscenities, but rather were too timid and shy to get out there and get a scare. I even had one ask me how the line was and if there was a group behind me. Guess he wanted a smoke break.

I so wanted to turn around scream and back him into a corner and say there, that is how you scare someone. 

I like actor heavy haunts as an actor is better at scaring than a prop, but they have to be placed correctly, act the part, and know what to do and when to do it to be effective. 

I say try another haunt next year.


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## Georgeb68 (Mar 26, 2013)

I work at one and as I said earlier, It was scary the last few years but has become actor heavy in the front and very sparse thru the middle to actor heavy at the rear.....I walk people thru and tell a story to keep them focused on me......but I try to tell the owners and the actors to stop screaming in their faces, following them constantly ....it isn't scary....I have literally called in sick at least half he time......it's so frustrating when you see what happens year by year.....we used to have a giant guy 6'7 300 lb guy with a chainsaw ( once in the haunt ) and it was great.....now hey overuse it (3 different times) ......I'm no professional actor but I do know when I'm done I hear the comments......I really like doing the haunt as the person walking them through you get to see and hear and participate in the scare, but just don't want to do it this year......if anyone knows how I can tell the owners ( without hurting their feelings) as they are really good friends, please let me know?


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

I couldn't agree more Hippo!
Some haunted actors are just an annoying startle rather than scary.
You don't have to be loud and over act to be creepy or scary.


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## shannibal (Aug 14, 2013)

Unfortunately most teenagers who I've noticed working at haunts are just too excitable and end up screaming at people all night and being annoying instead of scary. I think people don't realize that it does take ACTING and not just screaming to be scary/creepy. Just my two cents =)


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

You've described the main reason I don't go to most haunted attractions. Scares should be fun, not annoying, and I have no interest in paying to be annoyed. You can get that for free plenty of places:jol:


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

You know the best haunted attractions I have gone to recently were at Cedar Point. the acting was terrible, as they are just college students hired for the weekend and they change positions every hour or so, but the sets and designs and how they worked you through the haunts are what I wanted to see anyway, and those were very cool.


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## Will Reid (Sep 2, 2013)

xx


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

It seemed like the people leaving would agree, in the parking lot we hung out just to listen to people leaving, what they liked and disliked, and the exiting crowd was pretty subdued. Mostly heard about disappointment after the online hype, but a few people liked the same creepy moment I did. What I didn't hear was laughter and screaming in the parking lot. (it was cold out).

I wonder what causes the actors in haunts to go that route? Where it's more attempted intimidation and humiliation than scares and fun?


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

I think they go that route, because it is a feeling of dominance over the group. They screamed once and a little girl fell down and got scared and they figure that is the only way to do it. 

I found my favorite scare was one of silence and unseen movement. When someone in the group notices the prop (you) is no longer there, they get antsy fast. When you crawl through a hallway, jacking your shoulders up like the gothica movie, people don't like it, especially when you come out in the center of the group and split them. I actually had a girl hurdle over me to get to her group after I backed her up 10 feet. That was my favorite scare room, mental patient crawling toward you, gothica style for the win. In your face, not so much, at your ankles and moving faster than they think you should, equaled creepy and lets get the heck away.


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Haunted Spider,

I wish there had been some, or any of that. The only times I've acted have been really easy spots, once as a Scarecrow that just hung out and pointed to a door and said in a dry voice "this waaaayyy" lol then nailed them with a boom stick after they got a couple yards away, and once when I jumped onto a cage enclosed wagon on a hayride. Neither required much acting, so I'm not in a position where I feel like I can say how it should be done. 

I would have loved some of what you describe. I let the other guy in our group go first, because he scares easy (I get him at work all the time, it's a hoot) and he never even squeeked at this place. Just looked confused.

Nah, what bothered me was the couple behind us were both larger, so every actor in every scene said "Hey, look at these two, we can carve them up and eat for a month" or some variation of weight related insult, and the couple ahead were both teens who got "Hey sweetheart/honey/baby after we kill your little boyfriend were gonna take REAL good care of you (leer) hur, hur, hur" while they shoved in between the girl and her dude.

And that was pretty much the whole thing, rinse and repeat. I mean, is it just me? Is that the accepted norm at the bigger places?


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

anyway, I've had my little rant, and I feel better.

Thanks, Hauntforum.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

Glad you feel better Hippo. Rants are good. 

As I said, I never got much into talking to the guests. a silent character was just better. I mean granted I yelled here and there and could pick the group I knew I could back into a corner, but insults were out in my room. If you offended someone, they were pissed for the rest of the haunt and it wouldn't have mattered if you put a real bullet past their head, they wouldn't have cared as they were just pissed off. 

Some of the best scares are making a group think you are helping them and then squashing their trust. The first year, I ran a door room, room with 20 doors on the walls and most just lead right back into the room or to a dead end. I let them "choose" the first door, which was the door left slightly open with me behind it. After scaring them miserably by lunging out right before they got to the handle, I would politely, hobble across the room to the door they needed to go through, when ended up right back to me. So many said thanks creepy guy, before cussing me out as I scared them again. No insults yelled, just good timing and knowing what got under most peoples armor. 

Now go build something that shoots fire Hippo


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## shannibal (Aug 14, 2013)

Hippofeet said:


> Nah, what bothered me was the couple behind us were both larger, so every actor in every scene said "Hey, look at these two, we can carve them up and eat for a month" or some variation of weight related insult, and the couple ahead were both teens who got "Hey sweetheart/honey/baby after we kill your little boyfriend were gonna take REAL good care of you (leer) hur, hur, hur" while they shoved in between the girl and her dude.
> 
> And that was pretty much the whole thing, rinse and repeat. I mean, is it just me? Is that the accepted norm at the bigger places?


I think interacting and pointing out characteristics of the guests is a neat way to connect and freak them out.....But yeah, when every room does that it gets verrrrrry annoying. With our haunt, the director/head honcho/owner tells you which roles are "screamer" roles and which ones are "character actors". Screamers will do a quick scare or loud noise. Character actors actually act and interact moreso with the guests. It generally works well so we have a good mix of things going on.


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