# Road's End 2009



## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Here are some shots of our Road's End Haunt for 2009. This year was, by far, our best ever. Seemslike we get bigger every year. We had between 400-500 people go through the haunt and the line was steady from start to finish.

It was a perfect night except for a slight power issue, but once we got that solved everything ran smoothly. The only problem was, I didn't get to take very many pics. Most of them are of the cemetery but very few of the haunt itself (and we had a lot going on inside!) My SIL shot some video and I hope to get that edited and posted soon.

Thanks for looking!


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

And a few more...
































And one of my MIL because she was a trooper and handed out candy in the cold the entire night.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Those are great Mark! Having seen a lot of the stuff in the daylight, the night pics really showcase your props. I'm in awe of your graveyard. Looks like the real thing and your prop collection is fantastic.
I can tell the other members here that lewlew's haunt is a winner. He has so much going on and puts a lot of sweat into setting it all up. No wonder it gets bigger each year!
Looking forward to the video.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Very nice, lewlew! And I'm happy to see even the little cauldron creep was doing his part, stirring up something for your guests


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Nice Lewlew. Hey, my name is Mark too. Glad to meet you.

Do you have a how to on those stones? I would like to get into making bigger ones next year.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Oh wow, it looks great lewlew.... I adore the corn, always creeps me out every time, and i particularly like the lighting too - we use that same combo and i just love it.... the tombstones look great, everything just really came together well! Can't wait to see the video!


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

jdubbya said:


> Those are great Mark! Having seen a lot of the stuff in the daylight, the night pics really showcase your props. I'm in awe of your graveyard. Looks like the real thing and your prop collection is fantastic.
> I can tell the other members here that lewlew's haunt is a winner. He has so much going on and puts a lot of sweat into setting it all up. No wonder it gets bigger each year!


Thanks Jerry! It really is a lot of work but oh so fun the night of. I'm just trying to keep up with the Jones' as it were. If we keep pushing each other no telling what kind of haunts we'll have.



RoxyBlue said:


> Very nice, lewlew! And I'm happy to see even the little cauldron creep was doing his part, stirring up something for your guests


He was a hit for the folks waiting in the witches' room to enter the rest of the haunt. I didn't get the fog working for him though (next year).



DeathTouch said:


> Nice Lewlew. Hey, my name is Mark too. Glad to meet you.
> Do you have a how to on those stones? I would like to get into making bigger ones next year.


You know, I think I knew that but it never dawned on me. No real how-to on the stones (I'm horrible with stuff like that) but I will say that a hand saw drug down the edge of the stones a few times puts that nice crumbling stone effect on it. That and a wash of watered down black latex paint dabbed on with a paper towel to finish them off.



Dixie said:


> Oh wow, it looks great lewlew.... I adore the corn, always creeps me out every time, and i particularly like the lighting too - we use that same combo and i just love it.... the tombstones look great, everything just really came together well! Can't wait to see the video!


Thanks! You should have seen the corn maze with a strobe light going through it. MEGA-creepy and completely disorienting.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Looks good, Lewlew. Glad to see you got the family involved. Looking forward to seeing your video.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Looks great. I love the red lighting and corn maze.


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## Ghoul Friday (Oct 6, 2007)

The red background light looks great in the cemetery, especially contrasted with the shadows.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

Great job. I like the bridge/path with the corn stalks on each side. For some reason I find that creepy, like someone could just reach through and grab ya.


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Very nice pics, love your little stirring guy. All looks good!


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## dynoflyer (Oct 8, 2006)

Great haunt, Lewlew! The corn maze looks like scary fun!


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

Great haunt!!


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Wow! Great set-up. I love the cemetery and the shot through the corn. Really dramatic lighting.


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## Lady Nyxie (Aug 30, 2006)

Great job. My favorite is the potions area and the shot with the skellie stirring his potion... too cute.


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

HalloweenZombie said:


> Great job. I like the bridge/path with the corn stalks on each side. For some reason I find that creepy, like someone could just reach through and grab ya.


That's exactly what we did!! The bridge rocks back and forth and our corn zombies would reach through. Patrons trying to keep their balance couldn't help but get up close and personal with them.

Thanks everyone for the great comments. We had a blast! I still haven't gotten the raw footage from my sis-in-law, so I have no idea what she captured.


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## Bethene (Jan 19, 2008)

very nice, love the cemetery andlighting, and I have to agree with others, the corn bridge looks very creepy!!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

It all looks great! If I were a kid, you would have to drag me over that bridge! That shot of it is great, you can really sense the anticipation. I also adore the graveyard, the lighting is superb.


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

*Road's End Cemetery 2009 Video!*

Well, for Christmas this year my niece gave me the raw footage they took of
my 2009 cemetery and walk-through haunt. I put a video of the cemetery
together and am working on the daytime and nighttime videos of the walk
through.

I wasn't able to get any night video of the cemetery but there are a few pics.
Thanks for watching!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Favorite part - the blucky toasting marshmallows while his friend strums the guitar

Man, you have a lot of tombstones. I really like the layout with the crookedy fence and cornstalks - gives it that "sadly neglected by the surviving heirs" look.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Very well done, the corn stalks as background is excellent, most people forget backgrounds. All the animated props are great. I love the look of the fcg. The grabber is excellent as well. I would however spread the pop up skull around and not have them in one spot. I know that can be a power issue. All in all a job well done, wish I could see it in person.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

I have the pleasure of living not too far from Mark and have seen the display in person. The display is awesome and is as close to a real cemetery as I've seen. The amount of work he puts into his set-up makes me look like a slacker. Great video Mark! Can't wait to see the walk through segment. Dang, I wish it was October again!


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Looks great. I like the cornstalks too.


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## Tyler (Jul 17, 2008)

This haunt is awesome, I love your entryway into the cemetery, looks so old and nasty. Also love the skeletons at the campfire!!


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Your yard looks great. All the animated props have great movement and I agree, the cornstalks as the background really do add to the overall atmosphere.


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Thank you all for the nice comments. It's great to hear from such talented folks.

Bonedancer - There was a great debate between the missus and I over whether the head poppers should be together or separate. She won.

jdubbya - Jerry, you are too kind. Thanks for all the feedback and especially for Mr. Silas Finch. As you can see, he played a prominent role. You all keep raising the bar.

Roxy - the bluckies around the campfire are originally WormyT's idea. I just expanded it a little. We sure got a lot of comments on them. I'd like to incorporate them into a photo op next year some how.

We also REALLY liked the cornstalks in front this year. Next year a farmer friend of mine has some ungodly tall corn he plants (9-10 feet!) that should hide the house even better and provide a good backdrop.

Thanks again all!


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Nice work lewlew!.....Cornstalks really add a great look.


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## Slightly_Strange (Aug 21, 2009)

Oooo, thats really cool. O.O


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I love how you have the corn stalks in red on the night shot. It really draws your attention to the props and the back round. The sign is so cool also. You definitely have an eye for cemetery's and I think you did an excellent job creating one.


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## The Archivist (May 31, 2009)

I like the groundbreaker at time index 3:11 and 3:24. Very cool. Does the skellie in the swing move on its own or does it have a motor?


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Thanks everyone!

Joiseygal- Thanks! I reworked the signposts this year to make it an entrance to the cemetery. Last year it was a swinging sign on a single post but I like this better.

T.A. - The blucky on the swing moves on it's own. We usually have some wind so the swinging makes a nice effect. I have to admit that the groundbreaker is a store bought from Spirit a few years back.


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

The red on cornstalks looks perfect!I love the whole thing the cornstalks-the tombstones look perfect-the fence looks perfect-the skelly's-and I like the head popers all in one spot it's different.Great job.


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## Lauriebeast (Feb 27, 2007)

I love the whole look of your cemetery, all worn down and neglected. It really takes some skill to sucessfully pull that off and you've certainly done it. Your props and tombstones look great too....well done!


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## ScreamingScarecrow (Oct 1, 2008)

Great Job! I loved the cornstalk bridge!


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Looking great! That is a real wood fence, isn't it? Is it much of a storage issue? Wish I could do something that good in foam. Your whole haunt looks fantastic.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

wow very nice. I love the skellies at the campfire!


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

scareme said:


> Looking great! That is a real wood fence, isn't it? Is it much of a storage issue? Wish I could do something that good in foam. Your whole haunt looks fantastic.


Thank you! The fence IS real wood. I got it from Curby's on my way to work one day. They had cut it into 2-3 foot lengths. I patched it back together into 12 8-foot panels. It's stored out behind my woodshed with a tarp over it. I don't do too much to protect it, it seems to look better the older it gets. (I wish I could say the same).


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

WOW ... sorry I missed this thread ... but now I'm glad I found it! GREAT job on the display!


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

IMU said:


> WOW ... sorry I missed this thread ... but now I'm glad I found it! GREAT job on the display!


Yeah metoo. What a great yard and so many great props!:zombie:


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

Man, I wish I could get ahold of some dried corn stalks. I wonder if Wifeypoo would let me plant some in the back yard...

Awesome haunt! It's great to have a line of tot's waiting to get in!


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Warrant2000 said:


> Man, I wish I could get ahold of some dried corn stalks. I wonder if Wifeypoo would let me plant some in the back yard...
> 
> Awesome haunt! It's great to have a line of tot's waiting to get in!


I use about 4 truckloads! Better make a big garden!

Here is the whole video for our haunt including the nightime and daytime walk-throughs. I wish the quality were better. (Maybe if I ship it to ZF it'll make the disc.)


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