Day31 Haunt

And the 2010 build begins

2010-08-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Pulled the tarps off the stacks of haunt walls and found that despite my best efforts some water still got onto the walls and was retained there presumable since the last time it rained which was weeks and weeks ago. There is some rot on the wood frames and the weight of the water damaged some of the walls. I went to quite a bit of care to weather proof those stacks, so it was a bit of a disappointment, but the fact that I started the build early this year means there will be plenty of time for repair and patching.

Day31 haunt Tees

2010-07-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

As of today the Day31 haunt 2010 T-shirts are in our posession. Looking forward to providing all my hard working volunteers with this cool freebie

Hmmm....what to wear?

2010-07-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

...how about a Day31 shirt? Got the final proof on shirt designs for this year's Day31 volunteers. All volunteers will get a shirt this year. I will also be holding a raffle for volunteers who will all earn 1 raffle ticket for each hour they work for the haunt. The more hours worked, the better the chances of winning prizes.

The Beast Stirs

2010-06-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Working on updates to the website this month. Only 5 months left until Halloween weekend- an eternity to you, but the beginning of the race against time for myself and other professional and home haunters.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

For the last several years we have charged an admission price of 3 pieces of trick or treat candy or 1 full sized candy bar in order to enter our haunt. We are usually pretty loose with that, as it was designed to prevent kids from entering the haunted house over and over and getting rowdy as they usually do once they know where all the scares are. Many of you probably wonder what becomes of all that candy. Well, our volunteers take quite a bit of it, but I am usually left with between 5-10 lbs of it to sort through and roll around in after Halloween. Sorting through all that sugary loot has become a post-Halloween tradition I look forward to. I particulary enjoy those few odd ball treats that fall outside the category of usual and mundane. While there was nothing this year that topped the chicken flavored crackers I found in last year's pot, there were a few noteworthy contendors.

Mystery Morsels. These are treats that are virtually unidentifiable. As pictured above, they certainly do appear to be candy, but it's anyone's guess as to what flavors might lurk beneath those clear, plastic wrappers.

Ok, so the admission sign reads 3 pieces of Trick or Treat candy or 1 full sized candy bar. I guess someone opening up a pack of skittles and dropping at least 3 unwrapped pieces into the bucket technically satisfies the requirement, but talk about cheap! Sheesh....

I guess someone didn't like these...

Gummy Goodness!

I'm not one to ever buy into all the media hype about the dangers of Trick or Treat candy. In fact, there have only ever been a few confirmed cases of such tampering ever in the history of mankind, but 2 unsealed cookies in a ziploc bag? C'mon...that's just asking for trouble.

A granola bar? That's almost as bad as getting fresh fruit or a Bible pamphlet. No wonder they unloaded this to gain admission.

Other assorted peculiarities.

Lost & Found

2009-11-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

Each year I trudge through the corridors of Day31 on the morning after, and inevitably I find a treasure trove of personal effects and costume accessories that have been scared right off our patrons from the night before. Some people question our policy of not allowing hand held costume accessories into our haunt. Having to delay our line in order to walk back through with a flashlight to find these items when they are dropped is one of several reasons we do not allow them. Anyway, only one of the remaining unclaimed items falls into the hand held category. I feel sorry for whatever little bee had to navigate the rest of its night without its antennae. These items need to be reunited with their rightful owners. If you are the owner of one of these lost items, please email me so we can arrange pickup. RedRaven@Day31.net

Tear Down Day 2

2009-11-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

Spent much of the day taking down the last of the props and the remaining electrical cords and air hoses. If I can get the South facing side taken down tomorrow there is a chance I can get the mountain of crap out of my driveway by quitting time. Managed to remove the ceiling from the South side before calling it quits tonight. It's a slow go removing all the staples so as not to damage the material. It will save a few hundred dollars if I can reuse the tarps next year.

Made several updates to the website tonight. Staff page is updated, and check out the awesome pics on the Photo Gallery page. I especially like the hidden camera behind the drop wall. Thanks to Julianne for having that great idea.

RIP 2009

2009-11-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

We took Day31 to new heights this year! Nearly 600 visitors total visited the Day31 haunt in 2009. What an amazing year. I have been comsumed by the tear down, but I have lots of great pictures to share just as soon as I get the front of the property de-halloweened. I have not had a chance to review the video yet, but I will also put together a 2009 video once the dust settles. Thanks so much to all our volunteers and actors who are the heart and soul of this haunt. We had some new additions to our staff this year, and their talents and enthusiasm blew me away. I can't thank them enough for giving us their time, and I look forward to having them back next year. We will update the STAFF page on the website soon as well.

Check back soon!

Chicken Run Night

2009-10-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

We had about 50-75 visitors for our Chicken Run tonight. I was concerned there would not be enough going on in the haunt to keep anyone interested, but in spite of the PG rating, we still had a few criers this year. Next year I will likely chicken up the Chicken Run even more, turning down most of the sound, turning up the lighting and doing away with the corpsed skeletons. Still a vast majority of our feedback was very positive, and most of our visitors went through multiple times. We hid candy throughout the haunt for the kids to find, and there were no major technical issues. We did experience a few minor ones: sound related.

Tomorrow I need to get up early as Day31 will be lending several props to Ysabel Barnett Elementary for their annual Harvest Festival haunted house. I have very fond and inspiring memories of the haunted houses my schools would do when I was a kid, and I have often wondered over the years why schools seemed to stop doing them. It's good to see them getting into the "spirit".

My day will be spent transitioning Day31 from a Chicken Run to the full blown frightmare it will be Halloween night. Watch out this year....you will be scared!

Friday night I will be visiting two or three other local area haunted attractions. Scroll down on this blog for info on those haunts if you care to join me.

Wind Damage

2009-10-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is an aerial photo of the Day31 haunt after last nights pummeling wind storm.
Just kidding (Photo courtesy of google images). While I didn't sleep well last night with all the racket that was going on as the wind administered its beating, first assessments indicate the haunt held up rather well in spite of our little late October mini-hurricane. Nothing a few staples can't fix anyway.
I'm listening to the CD I just finished burning for the Chicken Run tomorrow night. Thanks to the BloodShed Brothers, Zach and Jeromy, for emailing me a bunch of cool Halloween cutesy tunes. I have an extensive collection of scary sounds, but toned-down-Halloween is something I haven't done for a while.
Need to get the pet cemtery up today and finish the rest of the hanging room partitions. Also need to paint the railings in the back and do some more detail work throughout with the webber. Details, details....

2 Days Left Before the Show

2009-10-27T03:04:00.001-07:00

Had an opportunity to get dressed up a little early over the weekend. Too bad I don't remember most of the night....I hear I enjoyed it. I definitely did not enjoy the day after.
Spent much of today working on the mechanical and wiring for the Serpent Spitter. I can't wait to show her to you. Perhaps there will be pictures tomorrow. Have a few more cosmetic details to finish for the Chicken Run, along with producing the sound tracks for that night as well.

3 Days until the Chicken Run

2009-10-26T15:03:00.001-07:00

Spent yesterday evening working on the build for the automated snake scare. It's a from scratch build that involves both water and electricity. Mixing those two things can be as dangerous as mixing.......errrr, well, rum and coke. Just have a few cosmetic touchups to make to the Haunt before the Chicken Run Thursday night, but need to finish 2 more props before the grand fright fest on October 31st. I anticipate some BIG crowds this year.

The Haunt Masters (John and Vince) from Pepper Tree Manor in Wildomar dropped by for a visit last night. It's always good to hang out with someone else that understands the obsession. I will be visiting their haunted trail on Friday, October 30th. You are all welcome to join me! Couple of really cool dudes that sound like they have some exciting things going on over there and lots of props both static and animated mixed with live actors. http://www.myspace.com/peppertreemanorhaunt

Day 17 & 18

2009-10-22T09:55:00.001-07:00

Working on props and other assorted dressing and gingerbread. Structure is 99% complete, the remaining 1% will be complete once the props are finished. Mantle lunger is done. Coming to the realization based on prop layout that I will need many, many, many more air hoses to keep the noisy compressors a reasonable distance away from the haunt but still power the props. More $$$$$$$$$!

Lake Esinore Haunted Stadium Event

2009-10-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to visit the Field of Screams at the Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore on Monday night. I'm going to throw out a couple disclaimers before writing up a review on this attraction: 1. I was in a sour mood after having just watched the Chargers blow what may very well be the most critical game they will play this season, and 2. I'm going to be a little more critical of this event being that it is a commercial gig and for profit. We chose this night to go because it was touted as "Haunter's Night", an event specifically designed to lure other haunt owners and enthusiasts to their event with discounted tickets of $10 regularly $15. I was accompanied by the Haunt Masters from Darkwolf Manor and The Final Resting Place (aka The Bloodshed Brothers).

THE GOOD: I'm an enthusiast. I love any effort that anyone puts into Halloween, particulary haunted houses and full scale events. This was a great venue. Diamond Stadium lends itself quite nicely to a multiple haunt event, and doing a night just for haunters? Thumbs up. Several of the actors were key to making this memorable for me. Specifically, I was impressed by the red faced clown with the smoker's voice who followed us around and was adept at maintaining a disquieting monologue about absolutely nothing. There were also 2 girls who were working the exit of the carnival-gone-wrong event who spoke with accents and over enunciated the last words in their sentences. These girls were creepy, and they worked together very nicely slithering their way down the corridor like serpents. Both the haunts were well constructed and solid with quality contruction. The kiss of death when I walk through a commercial haunted house is black plastic. I expect to see walls and barriers made of black plastic in home haunts and church fundraiser Halloween events, but if I see the stuff in commercial haunts, I want my money back. Aside from 1 short section of tunnel in the Carnival of Fear, black palstic was not to be seen. The Chop Shop Slaughterhouse is billed as the main event, and it did not disappoint. Plenty of props and attention to detail, and it is packed with actors who are animated and loud.

THE BAD: Who turned out the lights? When I drove up to the stadium at 8:30 p.m. it looked closed. There was nothing as you approached to indicate there was anything going on there. Even the first parking lot I pulled into was dark, and I would have missed the turn had I not known the stadium from previous visits. This is billed as a 3 haunt event, but it is in reality a 2 haunt event with a section of walkway connecting the 2 haunts that they are calling the 3rd event (Blood Storm Alley). I instantly had a problem with that, because there was virtually nothing going on in that area except for a booth selling pretty lazer light gizmos and a few character actors. As you approach the Chop Shop there are a few more characters lurking in corners and making noises and knocking over pallets, but it fell way short of being anything I would have paid to experience. The Carnival had too few props, little attention to detail and too few quality actors to divert our attention from those shortcomings. As you enter the corridor is divided by red and white vinyl tarp that you push out of your way to enter chamber after chamber seemingly forever. My arm actually got tired doing it. Your senses are blasted by music and every manner of lighting effect. The lights actually started to make me dizzy after a while. I found myself more nauseated and irritated than scared, but I admit I am a haunted house traditionalist and the scary carnival/fun house/clown thing has never been my bag. Some of the actors were a little overzealous about getting ahead of us and exposed a hidden door that sort of took me out of the moment. Was also unimpressed by the fog machine that was just sitting out on the floor exposed close to the exit.

THE UGLY: Me. In the mirror.

Overall I was entertained by this event, but it is an $8-$10 event at most. It falls well short of its usual $15 price tag. This is a 2 event haunted attraction, not a 3 event haunt as billed. Had I paid full price, I would not have been pleased. Blood Storm Alley certainly has the potential to be billed as a 3rd haunt, but it needs more icon characters to set it apart from the rest of the event and give it its own identity. Chop Shop was lots of fun, but Carnival of Fears needs more attention to detail and less lighting designed to give us headaches.

Wiring Nightmares and Field of Screams

2009-10-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Little bit o' work mixed with a little bit o' fun today. Will pick up work on celings for the East and South sides, and finish the concealment wall for the Thunder Hall lighting. This afternoon I will visit the Bloodshed Brothers for a pre-tour of their haunted attraction 'The Final Resting Place' also right here in Temecula. They did an awesome job on their haunt last year, so I am definitely looking forward to checking out what they are up to and hopefully learning a little something from it. http://www.thebloodshedbrothers.com/ This evening I will meet back up with the Bloodshed Brothers and the Hauntmasters of Darkwolf Manor http://www.darkwolfHaunt.com/ (Murrieta, CA) and PepperTree Manor http://www.myspace.com/peppertreemanorhaunt (Wildomar, CA) for a visit to the Field of Screams attraction at the Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore, CA. http://www.hauntedstadium.com/

Was up late last night working on the electronics for some of the automated props. Had a terrible time working out some of the wiring (Pictured Above), but I managed to get everything together for the Mantle Lunger, and all tests have yielded positive results thus far. Will move on to the guts for the Serpent Spitter which will be the most complicated of the automated scares this year. Will be working with a new type of prop controller and combining a pneumatic with a water squirting mechanism. I suppose it will be somewhat of a minor miracle if I don't electrocute the hell out of myself.

Here's some foreshadowing for you.....my father in law is lending me a 30 gallon air compressor. Be afraid.

Day 16

2009-10-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

Finished the handrails in the back. They need paint and some dressing, but they are basically done. Ran into some concealment issues with the lights that give the lightning effect in Thunder Hall, but managed to overcome them with an impromptu wall build. Would like to say I accomplished more than I did today, but it is what it is. Ran some audio tests and my receiver is acting up. It likes to cut out, but it stopped doing so and works fine if I place it on its side. /boggle! It was a $50 Craig's List buy a couple years ago. Looking to the same source to pick up another one at a reasonable price.

Made an end of night trip to Lowe's just after 8 only to discover they close at 8 p.m. on Sunday. Here in Temecula, otherwise known as Pleasantville, the town is in bed when the sun goes down. Sometimes I forget.

Day 15

2009-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Late start today- the going to bed at 2 a.m. and waking up at 8 a.m. thing was starting to catch up to me. Got the ceiling done in the mantle room and started working on the pneumatic mantle jumper. Got the prop controller wired to the motion sensor, but realized I am missing a diode for the selenoid valve, so a trip to Radio Shack is in the cards for tomorrow. Will also pick up some 12v power supplies and probably pay 3x what they are worth since it IS Radio Shack and they are the only game in town. The ceiling in the mantle room turned out to be significantly more difficult than I had anticipated. The grandfather clock in the room is about 6 inches too tall for the cealing height, so it required a special mod that took several hours to work out and build.

Uncle Homer the grave digger made his way out of the rafters and into the cemetery, but it is bugging me to no end that the flicker bulb in his lantern keeps going out. If I pull it out and shake it a bit it will work again.....briefly. Those flicker bulbs are both expensive and unreliable. I have very little patience or appreciation for having to waste precious time flicking at lightbulbs to get them to work. So many bigger fish to fry.

Did not get to the back handrails today as I had hoped. Will definitely start on that as well as the concealment wall for the big scare tomorrow. I'm sure if it isn't raining it will be 110 degrees out. /sigh

Day 12, 13 and 14

2009-10-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

Marathon days morning to night. Sore, aching and tired, and still falling behind schedule. Rest and relaxation are luxuries of all the sane people in the world who don't do haunted houses. Structure is 95% complete. Wired sound all around yesterday and got most of the wires run for the lights. Spent extra time and effort to make sure non of the extension cords come into contact with the haunted house structure....safety, safety, safety. Started on ceilings.
On today's agenda is continuing with the ceilings, starting the rear outdoor handrails, and if everything goes super smooth and I somehow end up ahead I can start on some of the pneumatic builds.
Good amount of interest in volunteering this year. It's my hope that every possible scare be manned this year. The haunt has yet to ever see its full potential in this regard. Believe me when I say it has the potential to be MUCH scarier than it was last year or in year's past.

Day 11

2009-10-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

Friday night lights.

Got the cemetery and lights up today. Storage was not kind to some of the tombstones, so not all of them went out. Some will require repair, and a few may be beyond repair. Made great progress with the structure in front of the house today. Might have 2 - 3 days of work left on structure before completion, and then I can begin the task of making whatever mods will be necessary to work the props and decor into the rooms. I was very happy with the progress today.

New Addition to the Family

2009-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

We found him at a local orphanage, and he seemed like he would fit right in with our family. Welcome little Levi to our home. Looks like he wants to be picked up and cuddled? Any volunteers?
On the board for today are the cemetery and lights. That should please all the people I'm told are making frequent drive bys with their children who are looking forward to what has become an early October tradition. Look for it all to be out by this evening. I will also work on finishing and dressing the structure in the front of the house.

Day 10

2009-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Finished out the dressing of the remaining wall frames for the front of the house. Have another half dozen or so to build and dress for the driveway. Several neighbors dropped by to say hello and take a look at the progress. Got another volunteer or two for Halloween night, which is awesome! The more volunteers, the better the haunt. Still have lots of room for more.

Painted the front facade with the brown paint I picked up at habitat for humanity. It's actually a pretty nice color...maybe a little too nice for a haunted house. I will have to find a way to distress the facade some to give it a more antique appearance. The paint will keep light from showing through and protect the frames from weather damage.

I have made LOTS of changes to the walls and layout this year. I will need to re-number all the walls and redraw the plans I work off for re-assembly next year.

Day 8 & 9

2009-10-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the front of the house. The biggest changes will be to the front of the haunt this year. The open area of the walk through will be enclosed to give the haunted house an improved continuous feel. Nevermind the fact that there will be grass under your feet in certain hallways. I would just cement over it, but there are limitations to even my insanity.

I roasted in the heat yesterday finishing another 6 walls, and now I see there is drizzle in the weather forcast over the weekend. I will be rushing to the store today to buy tarps to keep much of my hard work from getting soaked. Lame.
Overall it was a very productive day for Day31. I predict another 3-4 days of labor for structure, and then I can begin work on the animations, dressing and other assorted "fun" stuff. I ran out of light and mojo before I could get the tomb stones out, but I did manage to get the fence up before I had to knock off.

The neighborhood was crawling with realestate agents showing all these burned out looking abandoned houses in the area. Isn't having your very own neighborhood haunted house and graveyard a spectacular home selling magnet for a couple weeks out of the year? Shows a great sense of "spirit" and community. I hope they see it that way.

Box of Monster Guts

2009-09-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

A fresh package arrived from Monster Guts prop building supply. Mostly miscellaneous air fittings that will be critical to the operation of the new pneumatic scares this year. Also got a new pressure mat to trigger the scares. Racing against the calendar to realize the complete vision this year. Next 2 days will be spent on final touchup of East, North and South sides. Have a dozen or so new walls to build for the front. Cemetery will probably not go out on October first this year like it has in year's past. It will interfer too much with the construction of the new corridor of darkness.

Chicken Run

2009-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 29th is the Day of the Chicken on the haunter's zodiac. Too many children came out of last year's haunt in tears, so we're putting on this fear free walk through one night only for small children accompanied by their parent. Come in costume and take pictures if you like. http://www.day31.net/ChickenRun.html

Day 6 & 7

2009-09-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Day 6 was spent erecting walls on the South side of the haunt. Got most of it up, but was delayed by some of the mods needed for this year's changes.

Day 7 was mostly about the mods. Made another trip to Lowe's and brought home another load of 2x3's. Built some hidden doors on several of the walls to allow easy access to various areas of the haunt during the build and by staff during operation. Made some changes to the coffin table to make it more solid. Still needs to be lowered a good foot or so. My next build day should see the completion of the North, East and South sides minus the outdoor portion on the East side this year. From there we can move on to props, paint and walls for the front side.

Day 5

2009-09-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Another scorching day. If time wasn't short I would have plopped down infront of the air conditioner and sat this one out, but the calendar indicates I don't have that luxury. Finsished 2 more walls for the East side today and got them dressed out with wall paper and paint. Not happy with the amount of progress considering I was on it from dawn 'til dusk, but the heat was sipping at my mojo all day long. The goal is to have the North, East and South sides complete by mid October- props and all- and I still think it's an achievable goal. There's another heat wave incoming next week...just in time for my next set of days off, which is when I work on the haunt. Gotta love living in the desert. Where are you Fall?

Day 4

2009-09-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

No pictures for the 4th day of the build. Finished the North side of the haunt...just need to buy the material for the ceiling, build the mantle room prop and run the wiring and air hoses. Started the East side and began the framing of the 2nd room. A popular scare from last season is getting an interesting new venue and some new flair. UPS showed up with my new Bucky skeleton. That makes 5 Buckies total. They say the measure of a haunt's legitamacy is directly proportional to the number of Bucky skeletons that can be found within it. I don't know about that, but I'm trying to add a couple Buckies per year.

Lots of framing and painting yet to do, and I haven't even started on the new props yet. People think it's nuts to start the build in September, but I'm actually concerned I may not have started early enough to realize the whole plan. Will keep hammering away and hope for as few problems as possible.

Day 3

2009-09-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

The end of Day 3 saw the near completion of the 1st main room...minus a ceiling. Trust me- it's scarier looking in the dark. The next project is painting the reverse sides of the Thunder Hall wall panels for protection against deterioration and to keep light from showing through in the wrong places, and touching up the Fireplace room's walls with some distressing. They look way too new and shiny.

Day 2 Pics

2009-09-07T09:24:00.001-07:00

With the help of my trusty haunt apprentice sidekick, all ends well with the build on Day 2. The reVAMPing of the rooms in order to make them open and interactive is requiring total rebuilds of some existing walls. I hate building walls- it's tough work and it's boring. Put a new wheel on the fireplace so now it rolls easier. In total got 6 walls up, but the goal was really to get the right measurements so I could build the new walls to fill in the gaps. 4 more to build today, and if there's time I'll finish the rest of the 40 foot hall (thunder hall).

Day 1 Pictures- ORBS

2009-09-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, a photo taken on my property shows what is clearly an orb in the center of the picture. Orbs are commonly thought to be the physical manifestation of spirit energy. Although it has been more than a year since there as been a reported sighting of the girl in blue, the orb appeared on the same side of the property that all past sightings of her occurred. Read the full story about the girl in blue on the AboutDay31 page at http://www.day31.net/AboutDay31.html

Wait, it gets weirder. Look at the next picture and count the orbs. Although only 1 truly stands out, I count what may be as many as 12 additional fainter orbs. Police suspect that the number of bodies dumped or buried in our area could total more than a dozen, although only 7 were actually found. The ultimate Halloween treat would be to have the girl in blue make one of her rare appearances in the Day31 Haunt!

Day 1

2009-09-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of the 2009 build was scorching hot, but there isn't time to wait for cooler temps. I need certain sections up early to make the changes I have planned. I anticipated while pulling down the stacks of walls I might encounter a critter or two- those frames have been sitting outside for nearly a year. Of course I was thinking more along the lines of bugs and spiders. The biggest Day31 scare this year was definitely lifting up a wall frame and discovering a opossum staring up at me from a foot away. It didn't really look viscious like the one in the picture. Actually, it sort of looked cute and cuddly, but it didn't have any interest in sticking around to be my pal. I hope it finds a nice new place to chill at least through October.

Atkins diet about to make a comeback?

2009-08-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Aug 18th 2009 By Michael Rundle

In more bad news for the living today, scientists have determined that humanity would almost certainly perish in the (probably still unlikely) event of a zombie outbreak.Using probability to demonstrate what us "Walking Dead" fans have known for years, a team in Canada has shown that a zombie-like infection -- one that quickly killed its victims and then returned them to life in order to feast on the living -- would spell almost certain doom for us all. Among the issues faced by humanity would be the exponential increase in new zombies created after each human dies, and the sudden shutdown of vital services and resources.The University of Ottawa researchers who worked on the study assumed that the zombies were the classic, slow-moving type seen in the original George A. Romero films, and not the heretical and far-more-deadly ultra-fast zombies as seen in films like "28 Days Later." Even so, their analysis revealed that any attempt to cure or capture the Shuffling Horde would only put off the inevitable. All the more reason to lay back and submit to hot zombie babes.

(So, scientific studies prove what we already knew all along. Now if we can only take this team of geniuses and get them started on the cure to cancer!)

Hauntworld Magazine

2009-08-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

A new edition of Hauntworld Magazine hit my mailbox yesterday. It's such a tremendous resource for both the commercial and home haunter. Truly informative articles, eye tickling photography and information that is both useful and practical. I love when a new issue shows up!

http://www.hauntworld.com/haunted_houses.cfm

Halloween Hits Local Retail

2009-08-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard that Halloween is the largest retail holidays second only to Christmas.

Alas, it is not so....

People like myself notwithstanding, your spending on Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter and Father's Day still beat it out overall. I have read, however, Halloween is 2nd in terms of overall retail sales in decorative merchandise. There is a way you can help Halloween rise some notches on the list, you know. Start buying expensive Halloween presents for your friends and family!

There are plenty of places to start. Check out Big Lots. B.L. is usually the first retailer to usher in the Halloween holiday. Michael's Craft Store and Costco are a couple others. The annual Spirit store has lifted its banner and is visable from the Winchester exit off I-15. It is only the beginning. Target and Wal Mart are dragging their asses, but they are sure to carve out their piece of the Halloween season pie eventually.

To Haunt or not to Haunt? WHEN is the question.

2009-08-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the haunt is definitely on this year. I've already made several investments in new props, and all the parts and components for my "big" new scare this year are either sitting in boxes here in my office or are on order from various suppliers. Kiss the new car goodbye this year, baby, I've got a haunted house to build!

So, as stated, the haunt is on the launch pad and ready for lift off. The question I'm faced with this year is when to press the trigger? Last year was the first year I experimented with opening the haunt before Halloween night. We had a handful of early birds walk through the night before for a lights and sounds only event we called the "chicken run". It was meant to give the smaller tots an opportunity to walk through the haunt without any of the impact scares going off on them. I didn't advertise it heavily, so the turnout was pretty small, but I felt the idea was worthwhile, and it helped soothe some of the guilt I was feeling over the smaller children getting left behind as the haunt was evolving into something more teen+ appropriate.

This year Halloween is on a Saturday night (rubbing hands together in anticipation), and this presents the possibility of running a 3 day event. I would like to do a "chicken run" on Thursday, October 29. This would once again be a lights and sounds only event meant to let the tykes and big-scaredy-adults get a taste of the haunted house without anything jumping at them or shocking them. That would leave Friday and Saturday for the main event: 2 solid nights of screeching, nail biting, pants crapping haunted house. (Really, I'm jumping up and down right now flapping my hands up and down with excitement, and I'm still skilled enough to type while doing so!)

The obstacles:

1. We have never had enough volunteers even running one night. Not ever, not once, not even close. Although I add a couple each year, I have never even gotten to the point that I had even half of what I think we could have used. Being safety paranoid means filling key crowd control and lookout positions first, but key actor positions go unfilled each year. I admit that I have not really put a lot of effort into recruiting people, but I do know if you get 30 to swear they'll be there 10 will show up.

2. This is not a commercial venue; this is a residential neighborhood. Would the neighbors tolerate 3 nights of this??? This is clearly a tolerant neigborhood. Seriously, we have a house on the cul de sac with a bunch of teens who when they aren't partying and shouting all night seem to run an industrial metal shop in the driveway. The welding and grinding goes on all day, and I've never seen anyone call the law yet. Yet.

Craigs List Find

2009-07-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

For any of you curious neighbors who are wondering why there is a giant fireplace sitting in my driveway, thank Craigs List. I purchased the fireplace and a grandfather clock from a nice couple in Wildomar this week. The items look to be retired stage props, and I think they will fit in beautifully in this year's haunt. They will need a bit of repair and touchup, but almost everything about the look and feel of them seems premade for a haunted mansion.

These items were MUCH larger than I thought they would be based on their pictures. I barely got them in my truck. Like almost everything else I build or buy for Halloween, I shove the storage issue into the back of my mind with the attitude that "where there's a will there's a way". As stated previously these items are big and will take up a good chunk of space in the garage. Halloween is going to eventually force me out of my current and ridiculously small home or into a commercial venue, an idea I have been researching seriously the last couple years.

What's pink and made of foam that I can't get my hands on?

2009-06-02T11:38:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not referring to a set of fake breasts....although it would definitely qualify.

Seeking Owens Corning foamular insulation boards to do some facade and tombstone work. I know they are extremely difficult to find in the Southern California market because they are weather rated for cold climates. Anyone know where they can be found locally? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller???

The Itch

2009-05-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Every year, usually at tear down, I flirt with the notion (never seriously) of giving up this eccentric Halloween hobby. Maybe I could buy myself a dirt bike or a quad like the rest of the dudes in the neighborhood- stand out in the driveway in the toasty summer evenings with a beer in one fist, endlessly revving the engine as my neighbors are trying to watch television. (Why the hell do they do that, anyway?) I could buy myself one of those oversized, 11 mile to the gallon (highway) trucks with a lift high enough to make myself a threat to migrating birds just to get my dirtbike, quad, and beer out to the desert on holiday weekends. There I could rev my engine with hundreds of other like minded dudes all revving theirs, twangy country music playing in the background and the smell of beer hanging thick on the air like the smoke on a bar scene.
Naw, I don't think so.
Clean up was tougher this year than it had been in years past. I ran out of juice towards the end. All my mojo evaporated into the ridiculously long lasting summer heat that settles over the Temecula Valley and sticks there like a leech. The walls were heavier, the props bigger and more unruly. The stacks of decor and building materials loomed before me like mountains. The extension cords went on seemingly for miles.
Not only is cleanup a first rate bitch, but it's sort of depressing too, like having some turd at the beach come along and stomp on the sand castle you spent half the day building. I got my walls stacked (three piles of them this year) and everything else made its way into the garage into something resembling ambiguously themed piles. Over time those piles morphed into one big indistingishable pile, and that's how it was until just a few weeks ago when I finally mustered the motivation to get it all back into the rafters where it rests during the "off" season.
I thought, not for the first time nor for the last, about how over-the-top I had gone once again to bring my vision to life, and how miserably I had failed to bring even a portion of it into existence at that. And still I marveled at how well it had all come off, and how no one had gotten hurt. We scared the shit out of lots of people, and it had been damn fun doing it. The feedback was great from those who took the time and had the inclination to give it, and even though I had overspent my budget and shed gallons of sweat putting it all together, the payoff had been huge. In the currency of the home haunter, the payoff comes in the form of screams. My wallet was full, metaphorically speaking.
Each year I swear off my weird hobby as I'm busting my arse breaking it down. The gravity of the expense (physically and monetarily) snaps down on you, and in that instant you never want to see it again. But when the heat of summer returns bringing on its heels the inevitable return of the Fall season, the haunting "itch" returns with it. You start surfing the net to see what the professionals are innovating in the world of prop building, you revisit all the haunter's message forums trolling for great ideas and in so doing allow yourself the luxury of not believing your hobby is all that insane afterall by reconnecting with other haunters around the country. You start to have dreams at night about where to run your queue line this year and how to improve your throughput without compromising the quality of the experience or the safety of the event. All the while that knot of expectation begins building in the pit of your stomach, and the crash after the high is completely forgotten as you begin to scheme how you will outdo last year's efforts.
It's Summer time and on the horizon I can smell October. The count down to Day31 has begun, and the "itch" is back....

The light at the end of the tunnel

2008-11-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

I remember back to the good old days when it only took me 1 day to reclaim the front of my house from the monster that is Halloween. This time around at the end of the 2nd full day, I am almost done de-halloweening my front yard, but there is still work to be done. Human beings having short memories can be a beautful thing, because if I remembered what a miserable task the tear down is a year from now, this would be the last haunted house I would do....ever! Finding a home for all this stuff is the real challenge. I have wall panels stacked up on the side of the house, soon to be 2 stacks deep and as high as the fence line. I don't dare stack them higher out of respect for the neighbors who I'm sure don't want to have to see pieces of haunted house all year long. Buying storage would seem the logical solution, but I can't bring myself to give up $1200+ per year for rented storage space when I can still make this side yard thing work.
On November 1st I had the pleasure of visiting two other local haunted houses- The French Valley Haunt in Winchester and Night Terrors here in Temecula. What I really loved about the French Valley haunt was its simplicity and low impact read on the fright meter which would have made it very child appropriate. The owners of the haunt were also very friendly and enthusiastic about their haunt, which they have been doing for 7 years. It appeared to be a true neighborhood affair, with neighbors visiting around a driveway camp fire and scores of kids mingling out front waiting to run to their places as soon as fresh victims drove up. I do hope the kid who ran face first into the closed garage door is ok, although I am still breaking into fits of laughter 2 days later each and every time I recall it.
Night Terrors relied heavily upon the use of very talented actors, which made the haunt very intense in places and memorable to say the least. I am always very impressed by a haunt actors ability to remain in character despite whatever the actions/reactions of the haunt patrons may be. This is the single most important attribute of a good haunt actor, and to be able to find them in the form of volunteers is truly a score. So, I have to give high marks to the ghostly woman who went nose to nose with me in a staring faceoff that seemed to last 5 minutes, although I'm sure it was less. Although I'm hard pressed to call the experience frightening, it did make me at least wish I'd popped a breath mint before entering her passageway, for her sake at least. Highlights included a butcher's room, and some very benign looking children who sit at tombstones in the graveyard but are quite unsettling in their singleminded ability to follow you with their eyes as you walk by without showing any expression whatsoever.
There were lots of local home haunts to choose from this year, and this is very encouraging as I like to think the holiday of Halloween is on the cusp of another golden age as more people are deciding to celebrate it.

Like a kid in a candy store...

2008-11-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite post halloween events has been to lie on the floor with my kids and empty out the bucket of candy we collect as Haunted House admission. I must admit to still having retained my almost childlike fondness for candy, and what ends up in that collection bucket tells an interesing story about the people who visited us the night before. Amongst the more traditional Snickers bars, KitKats, and M&M's are usually a handful of peculiar morsels that inspire the imagination and generate some questions. Here are this year's top 7:
#7: Chewy Atomic FireBalls (Oh, the fond chilhood memories I have of the game we used to play where we would see who could keep the fire ball in their mouths the longest without taking them out- a true childhood right of passage into manhood).
#6: Limited Edition Reese's CRUNCHY peanut butter cups. (As if the taste of pure peanut butter mixed with sugar and covered in chocolate wasn't enough, they added whole peanuts to the concoction. What might have possessed the previous owner to let go of this delectable morsel I can't fathom, but I can tell you I'll be looking forward to trying this one).
#5: Assorted gummy body parts (Nose, eye, and miniature foot, someone truly after my own heart. Although the Halloween themed candy generaly tends to taste like it was made in one of my sweaty socks, they are still truly a feast for the eyes).
#4: Assorted Mystery Morsels. (Completely unmarked hard candies in clear plastic wrappers of variable sizes, colors, and flavors. It's like the life-is-like-a-box-of-chocolates cliche made so recently famous by Tom Hanks as Forest Gump, only you kinda do still know what you're getting with the chocolate- only the inside filling was the mystery. These little nuggets are an enigma inside and out, and the only way to bust the mystery is to pop one in your yap. Will it be wild cherry flavor or wild salmon? I'll save these for days when I'm feeling particulary adventurous and randy).
#3: Assorted unwrapped candy. (Ok, so the sign said price of admission 3 pieces of candy or 1 full sized candy bar. What I didn't anticipate is that some of my more miserly patrons would actually open a bag of Skittles or M&M's and literally drop 3 single candies in the bucket. I guess, technically, that qualifies as admission based on what the sign said, but it sure was a pain separating all those free-spirited mavericks from the rest of the booty before the ants could find them. C'mon people, you got it for free! 3 pieces of candy is what most of you get from 1 house trick or treating, not to mention we give the exact same back to you when you trick or treat at our place. I know the economy is in the toilet, and many of us are worried about the future, but hook a brother up).
#2: Snickers Limited Edition CHARGED Candy Bar (This thing stood out right away in its snazzy metallic silver and red package with the graphic design of a rhino head bursting through the package with designs all around the head as if to present the image of a mighty collision, kinda like the cheesey cut away image they would show in the old Bat Man shows- POW! WHAM! KA-BOOM! What really got me was the caption beneath that shows the special ingredients that make this bar different: Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins. Are you serious? Was someone actually handing kids extra caffeinated candy bars? The impact this would have on some children would probably have certain parent wishing the givers had done something less lethal, like inserting a needle or a razor blade in their offerings! And Taurine? What is that? Is that something edible, or is that something grandpa picked up in one of those foriegn "massage" parlors during the war?)
#1: Snack Sized Package of Chicken Flavored crackers. (Yes, at first when I noticed this mysterious treasure in its crinkly yellow-orange bag covered with Chinese writing with a child like caricature of an egg shaped chicken looking up at me, I thought someone had donated a travel sized package of Top Ramen. I had a college flash back to the days when my diet consisted primarily of cup o' noodles, Taco Bell, and beer. Upon further inspection I realized with only moderate disappointment they were crackers. I'll have to be liquored up for sure before I take a nibble out of one of these poultry flavored bad boys. I'd almost rather eat the worm at the bottom of the tequila bottle before drinking the tequila.)
So thank you Halloween rebels who still know how to blend a little trick with your treats, and thank you non appreciators who left these oddball offerings at my home for me to enjoy.

Ghost Traumatic Stress Disorder

2008-11-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

After 2 marathon days of last minute checking, rechecking, zip tying, taping, stapling, hammering, drilling, measuring, swearing, kicking, stomping, and throwing an occasional tantrum, another successful haunted event has passed peacfully into the pages of the Day31 annals.
The most important thing is that no one was hurt, and hopefully all of the children who came through the haunt this year will be nightmare free for tonight and into the forseeable future, although tear free was too much to ask for as more than I would have liked to have seen came out bawling this year.
The main scare was the chain saw maniac in sync with the sliding dead end wall. We had some timing issues that prevented many people from experiencing the full intended effect, but I think it did a good job of topping last year's electric chair and spark fence as the main event. I'll be hard pressed to beat the chain saw scare, but I now have 364 days to cook something up. To be honest, I'm not sure the hearts of my patrons can handle anything more intense, and while the reactions of the older kids have been my lithmus test for the success of my props and scares, it saddens me a bit to see the little kids being left behind as my haunt and my skills as a haunt owner mature. I was pleased with the results of the Chicken Run this year for the smaller kids and weaker stomached adults, and I think it has a place in my future haunted ventures.
Here are some of my final results. 463 people passed through the long and narrow chambers of Day31 this year. We didn't do an official count, but we estimated approximately 250 visited us last year. I have been strongly against charging a monetary fee to walk through my haunted house, and while many home haunters except cash donations, I have been reluctant to do this because, frankly, I didn't feel the haunt was good enough. This year I was talked into allowing a donation jar at the entrance placed in a very non-conspicous place. The final result? $30 and some change. I'm flattered that some of you felt this experience was worth leaving a cash donation, especially in these times. As promised it will be put towards new props for future haunts.
There were no major issues to report. My kicking hang man did go at some point from being a 2-legged kicking hang man to a 1-legged kicking hang man, but I'm confident that will be an easy fix. The intensity of the chain saw scare did cause the walls to be pushed and shoved against often over the course of the night, and although the walls had to be pushed back into place repeatedly and plastic restapled, the overall structural integrity of the corner did hold up, and I never felt that desptire the beating it was taken there was any danger of a wall being knocked over. The number of volunteers was the major issue for the second year in a row. If you can get 40 people to lay their hands on a Bible and swear by their immortal souls they will be there Halloween night to help, you'll get 10 who show up.
I want to sincerely thank my reliable core of people who helped make this work. We all keep that naughty and nice list in the backs of our minds, and all of you who showed up and helped are on the nice list, which means your kindness and generosity will be repaid in kind and with interest as the opportunities arise. As for the others, particulary the ones who just no showed without even a phone call, you are on the naughty list, so if you're broken down on the side of the road and desperately need someone to come out and help you, please give me a call. I'll come out and help you still, of course, but I'll probably finish watching whatever was on TV before I leave, and there's a good chance I'll stop for a slow and liezurely lunch along the way. I'll likely pull over to the side of the road and pluck a few gray hairs out of my goatee as well just to make sure I'm looking my best- gray hairs I got trying to man a 15 man event with a staff of 10.
Anyway, it's now 2:30am and I'm standing at the foot of the mighty Everest of a mountain that is the post-haunted house tear down, but I'm already shaking off the it's-all-over-dumps and looking forward to next year, and I certainly hope I'm not the only one!

Prepping for the Chicken Run

2008-10-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's officially crunch time in Hauntsville. While the main event won't take place until the night of the 31st day, we are doing an invitation only chicken run on the 30th. A chicken run is a lights and sound only rehersal event which will permit our friends with young children to go through the haunt without having to experience any of the traumatic "shocker" scares. They may discover that Day31 is plenty scary even minus its main dishes. The other purpose of a chicken run is to test the load all these energy sucking contraptions are going to put on the individual circuits to see if they can shoulder the load. Nothing worse than a blown circuit on Halloween night.
I allowed a few neighborhood kids to go through the haunt tonight. They had come by yesterday and said they were going to be out of town Halloween night. Despite it's 3/4 finished appearance, I allowed them to go through, and I accompanied them to make sure they wouldn't trip over any of the tools or building supplies I had scattered throughout the haunt. To my surprise, they were quite frightened by the haunt, and most of the impact scares were not even lighted or operational. This makes me a little concered about my haunt being a little too intense for the average joe. I'm brainstorming some last second ideas to tone things down for certain attendees.

6 days until showtime

2008-10-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today I got the north side of the house wired for light and sound. I'm absolutely thrilled at the result having just tested it out in the dark. I have nicknamed it Thunder Hall as it is a 40 foot long corridor filled with the sound of wind, rain and thunder with lightning flashes periodically illuminating the distressed portions of wall where the lathes are showing. As any home haunter can tell you, we are brutally hard on ourselves as our vision of a project rarely matches the reality despite our best efforts, but this hallway comes very close. I also downloaded some good sound bits to mix for different areas of my haunt, and I have nearly completed the video that will be shown at the haunt entrance to entertain as well as state the haunt rules to all who are entering.
A couple guys from another local haunt called Night Terrors (I added a link for their haunt to my Links page) dropped by today, and I was happy to walk them through Day31 and go over most of the plan and some of the tricks with them. This is their first year haunting their new home, and they will be operating on Halloween night and the following Saturday night. I'm planning on checking out there haunt on Saturday, and you should do the same.
I almost finished the build for the slide wall on the east side, and it is really the last major build. Everything else is detail and gingerbread from here on out.
Went to Wally World tonight to pick up a few last minute supplies, and I dropped by the Halloween express store on Madison in Murrieta across the street from the Home Depot. If you are looking for the best selection of costumes and props under one roof, I haven't seen a better one in the area, except maybe for Party City. Their prices pretty much suck, but I get that they are a seasonal business and need to make some bread in the short time they are operating.

Day 5

2008-10-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Got a late start today, but what time I had was pretty productive. Was able to build 3 walls and cover them with the great wall paper I was able to get at the Habitat for Humanity store in Temecula. Check out the Habitat store for home improvement supplies. Their prices are great and the proceeds go to an awesome cause. I can't say enough about their store and how friendly the volunteers who staff it are.
With the garage build nearly complete, the only major project left is the pepper's illusion. After that I have a few more walls to get up in the back and then I can start running the necessary wiring and test the sound and lighting effects. The rest of the surveillance cameras and other detail work starts after that, but I should finish in plenty of time. People keep asking me why I don't open this event for multiple nights, and the reason is because it's difficult enough to get volunteers to commit for even one night, much less two or three. Maybe next year if I can get the staff, I will think about a Friday, Saturday run.
Plenty of people came by to look at the front of the house today. It's nice to see people bringing their kids by to enjoy it- that's what it's all about.

Day 4 Build

2008-10-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? Finshed the facade in the front yard, so the front is nearly finshed. The only major task remaining is the garage build and the Pepper's ghost, the plans for which are completely in my skull and not even sketched out on paper yet. I scrapped a pretty cool plan I had for one of the door ways on the north side due to time constraints. The wall panels for the east side are there and waiting for a quick assembly, but I'm still playing with ideas for how I am going to meat them out this year. I have plans for a very intense scare on the east side, so I want something durable on those walls in case someone tries to escape by climbing over them like happened last year by the electric chair, but I don't want to use anything as heavy and expensive as plywood. I will probably save it for last.
I'm pretty much set on the idea that the pet cemetery will be semi-retired this year. Given the intensity of the scare I have planned on that east side, I doubt anyone will be of a presence of mind to look at or even notice that cemetery in the back. I know this will disappoint some people, but they will be too busy changing their pants to complain after what I have in store.
I'm getting a little help on Friday and Staurday. That will be great just to get some of the painting and other labor intensive tasks done. Good stuff. I'm so tired....why in the hell is it still 90 degrees out 10 days before the end of October? It's not natural!

Day 3 of the marathon build

2008-10-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty beat after my third day of working on the haunt. I took a couple time outs to pick up supplies at Big Lots, Walmart and Lowe's, but for the most part the day was all about the build. I finished another section of wall and finished the spark fence wall and part of a doorway on the north side of the house.
I'm a little bent over the tendency the blue paint on the colored Sylvania spot lights has to peel away after only a few day's use. Those things are nearly $7 each, so I'll be packing them back up and returning as many as I have receipts for to Walmart. The green and red spotlights have not given me any trouble, but I really liked the soft, eerie effect of the blue.
The web site is starting to get a response since I put up the mural advertising it on the front of the house. I added a hits counter and it has been viewed more than 70 times in 24 hours. It's a pretty wild feeling to watch this thing start to take on a life of its own. It's a little freaky, too, as I really have no idea how many people might show up for the haunt this year. It could get pretty crazy around here. I'm taking precautions this year with video cameras, fire extinguishers and radios for my volunteers....all things that cost money and are launching me well beyond the budget. Hello plastic!
I still have to do the garage build from scratch and the entryway. I'm starting to feel the clock ticking down. I'm not sure I have enough days left to complete the entire vision, but I'll do my best. Tomorrow I will finish the double door and the one remaining unfinished wall on the north side. I still have a couple gaps to figure out in the front as well. Stretch goal is a mosoleum facade in the front, or possibly the inside garage build.
Storage is going to be a major issue this year, but I'm shelving that thought until November 1st.

Vacation: Day 2 of the Haunt Build

2008-10-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the second day of my vacation leading up to Halloween. I managed to build the wall frames that will make up the new edition of the haunt at the front of the house. I also painted the haunt logo and web site url on the front of the tarp stretched over the wall panel. I think it looks pretty decent considering my lack of artistic talent. Tomorrow I will finish off the north side of the house and begin working on the east side, or possibly work more on the west side. I have options, and thankfully, time.