this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
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Halloween

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Hopefully this is on topic here. I’d love some feedback/ideas for a successful haunted trail (self.halloween)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Tandybaum to c/halloween
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Last year I started up a neighborhood haunted trail and it ended up being way more successful than in imagined. We’re starting planning for this year and I thought I’d get some ideas from y’all. Let me know if you have any amazing ideas for a haunted trail.

I setup a semi janky site for it so also take a look if interested.

Only real constraint is that we don’t have tons of power available. Last year was zero power and this year we’re planing on running some long extension cords but it’s definitely a limiting factor.

It also needs to be roughly PG-13. We can go semi hard but need to be able to be able to dial it back as there will be some little ones.

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[–] Waldowal 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you have a way to keep people from touching it too much and destroying it, you can do alot of cool stuff with the 1 inch thick phone insulation boards from Home Depot (or wherever). You can create pretty decent stone, wood, and cement facades with it. Here's an example:

These lanterns on Amazon are battery powered, last a long time, have auto on/off, and provide a great ambiance:

https://a.co/d/4bPgku4

With LEDs, you can run quite a bit off of a single extension cord. In the woods, you can get alot of bang for the buck with a projector and invisible screen. Plenty of ideas/products here:

https://atmosfx.com

[–] Tandybaum 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I need to do testing but I’m 100% doing to the projector and screen. Already got them from AtmosFX.

Have you done this yourself? Is there a good enough screen option? Feels dumb to buy from them if a shower curtain or something will do.

[–] Waldowal 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have the 3 pumpkin faces video that I project onto pumpkins. I have another projector that fills one of my house windows. For that one, I have a cheap plastic sheet on par with a matte garbage bag. It works fine for that. If you want to project something that looks like it's floating in the space though, the Hollusion screen from AtmosFx might be the best way to go. I've heard you can find similar fabric cheaper from a fabric store, but I haven't tried that myself.

[–] Tandybaum 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I found this video comparing different options. I went with his recommendation of chiffon.

I found it really cheap on Amazon so I ordered 4 yards.

[–] Waldowal 2 points 1 year ago

Nice, that does look like a good option. Would love to see your results as you get everything built.

[–] ZoopZeZoop 1 points 1 year ago

In my garage window I use a clear frosted shower curtain. The grommets make it easier to hang. That might not be a great option for in the middle of nowhere, though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Where I’m from some folks put on something like a light and digital media type of art show. One year a very cool artpiece had lights shining up towards the trees, so the branches were illuminated but the ground level was dark. They played a creepy violin music in it as well. The overall experience was eerie.

Also a projector projecting abstract creepy shapes would be cool.

Sounds like a fun idea!

[–] Tandybaum 1 points 1 year ago

A few years ago I got a huge pack of VFX files from AtmosFX so this year I’m doing a huge push for projector based stuff.

I’m doing a homemade 25’ tall skeleton with a projector head. Separately 2 haunts in the woods that will be creepy projector things.

I really wish I could go nuts with lighting because I think there is nothing more Halloween that shadows casting through trees.

[–] Lakija 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I went with my nephew trick or treating. I saw a bunch of people crowded around one house so I went to see what they were so scared of. Maybe the image will pop up. If not there was a giant spider and web over the porch. Occasionally a loud sound would boom and a creature would burst from the side of the porch. Then the kids would scream lol.

Imagin a giant spider on the trail. That would be cool.

[–] Tandybaum 1 points 1 year ago

Great idea. There are areas where I have a long(ish) walk between sections and I could probably put a good spiderweb up just out of reach like that. Could be a great thing to fill out some dead spots.

[–] Ithilwen 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You could have a chainsaw guy (no chain on), the one near me has one that jumps out of the trees revving it.

[–] Tandybaum 1 points 1 year ago

Chainsaw guy is a must have.

We try and stick to 3-4 groups of on theme and then some floaters. Chainsaw guy is a floater that can wander the trail and figure out where the scare should be.

This year I think our sections will be:

  1. scary circus
  2. haunted tunnel
  3. haunted table/dinner
  4. scary campsite

I’m right in the middle of making the circus tent. It’s 35’ diameter so I’ve got to sew a shit ton of queen size flat sheets and then I’ll paint with the classic red triangle pattern.