HOME-MADE HAUNTED HOUSE

(This article was written by Lacy Boggs for the Yellow Scene-October 2010 issue. It features my suggestions for creating your own neighborhood haunted house-Happy Haunts)

On an unassuming street in the subdivision of Erie Village sits the Halloween House. Most of the year, it’s just a normal house, but the kids around this neighborhood all know that as soon as the air turns cooler and the leaves begin to change, the Halloween House also begins to transform into a scary, hand-made haunted house. Brad Beck has been converting his garage into a full-blown haunted house since he moved to Erie Village in 2002, and his attraction’s popularity speaks for itself. Every year, he scares the giggles out of more than 500 kids, and he agreed to share some of his tips for those wishing to create their own house of horrors.

Plan Ahead

Beck starts planning the theme of his haunted house nearly 12 months in advance, so he can be on the lookout for inexpensive props year-round. Closer to October, he meticulously plans out what the maze inside his garage will look like, so he has a clear vision when it comes time to build.

Have a Theme

A theme helps give the experience cohesion. He often goes with whatever’s hot that year, be it pirates, zombies or classic Halloween monsters. He also suggests carrying the theme out into the front yard, the house decorations and even the costumes you wear to welcome visitors.

Create Vignettes

Beck’s haunted house doesn’t employ actors to scream and jump out at the kiddies, but rather relies on little vignettes of props to create scary scenes in unexpected places. Anything can become a prop with a new coat of paint or a little imagination.
Incorporate MovementSince his scares are technically inanimate, Beck uses anything he can find to incorporate movement or changes in light to make his vignettes appear to move. An old oscillating fan with the fan part removed makes a scary doll look your way, while a strobe light or puff of air can make ghosties flutter and come alive.

Use Misdirection

The key to Beck’s “maze” through his home is misdirection. As he designs it, he tries to imagine where people will expect the next scare to be—and then places the actual scare in the opposite direction. Keeping things dark and unexpected creates anticipation and makes everything more scary. The less people actually see, the better.

Be Safe and Have Fun

Beck tests all of his walls, vignettes and pathways thoroughly before the first trick-or-treater ever gets a glimpse. It’s important to keep pathways clear and keep walls or drapes stable so that scared kiddos don’t trip or knock things over. He also builds barricades around his vignettes so that curious fingers can’t reach the props

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