Brian, Author at HaunTopic: Haunted House & Attraction Podcast

Designing Knotts Scary Farm with Jon Cooke (and a Transworld Show Update)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:39 — 49.1MB)

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Designing and building a Haunted Attraction is challenging. So how does one manage “160 Acres of Horror”??

Jonathan Cooke, one of the masterminds at Knotts Scary Farm, joins us in this episode of HaunTopic Radio and shares some of his creativity and ideas for operating such a huge event at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Every year Knott’s turns their entire amusement park into darkly themed scare attractions. (Yes…that means tearing down and setting up each year. 160 acres!)

Knotts Scary Farm, aka Halloween Haunt, started back in 1973 as a 3 day attraction and now has become a very popular month long event. One not to miss.

Jennifer Braverman, event coordinator and owner of the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show, also stops by to fill us in on the new stuff going on at the trade show this year. New FREE meeting rooms for Haunters, hotel arrangements, new registration packages, and more!

The Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show is hosted in St.Louis, Missouri on March 19-23 and attracts Haunted Attraction owners, theme park designers, and Halloween enthusiasts as well. However, Transworld is geared more as a trade show for buyers and serious Haunters.

We play some twisted tunes from the horror masters Midnight Syndicate and cover some tips in finding a location for your Haunted Attraction in this episode’s Haunter’s Toolbox. If you’re looking for ideas and steps to find a property for your Haunt, this online seminar may help. Location. Location! How to find the perfect spot for your Haunted Attraction.

Haunt Topics in this episode:

So… go visit Knott’s Scary Farm in Bueno Park, CA one October. Make sure to attend the Transworld Halloween & Attractions show or another Haunt Show somewhere. And always strive to be a better haunter in your journey and continue to learn everything you can along the way.

We’ll scare ya later!!

[Free Training] 13 Fears of a Haunt Owner: Survival Tips from Haunted Attraction Owners

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17:33 — 106.5MB)

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Is the fear of owning and operating your own Haunted House holding you back? What do you really need to know before you go into the Haunted Attraction Business? Are you ready to be a Haunt Owner?

You can overcome the obstacles that stand in your way. There are many successful Haunted Attractions, Scare Attractions, Haunted Hayrides, Scream Parks, Escape Rooms, Haunted Houses, and Themed Attractions that have done it. You can too.

Yes…there are many that don’t make it too. If you put the right systems into place and operate your attraction like a business, you will get a huge start on your Haunt Journey.

These survival tips from professional haunt owners will help take some of the fear out of your mind. At least you will feel that you are not alone. I combine my experience as a Haunt Owner and my survey results of over 500 Haunt Owners in this online training seminar.

[This is the audio recording of our LIVE WEBINAR plus a few extras thrown in.]

Here are the ’13 Fears’ I discuss in this podcast about Overcoming Haunted House Problems:

Motivation to Keep Going
Time Management
Finding Reliable Help
Choosing the Right Location
Codes/Permits/Safety
Money & Funding
Community & Social Acceptance
Theme & Back Story
Managing Employees & Volunteers
Marketing/Advertising/Sponsors
Ticketing & Queue Line Efficiency
Competition
Customer Service & Bad Reviews

Find more Haunt Owner Audios & Videos Here. Get Access.

I also discuss 3 ways to overcome each fear. And many attendee questions answered during our seminar. This free training is great for those who are thinking about starting a Haunted Attraction or Haunt Owners who are looking for ways to take their Haunted House to the next level.

If you want a chance to win more prizes & get our updates in your email…Subscribe Here

Hope you enjoy the audio seminar and We’ll Scare YA Next time!

HAuNTcon and Other Haunt Conventions You Need To Attend in 2015

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:02 — 50.8MB)

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It’s that time again.

Time for Halloween trade shows, Haunted House Conventions, Haunted House Tours, Meet-ups, and lots of parties!

Here to start the beginning of Haunt conventions and shows is HAuNTcon: Haunted Attraction National Trade Show and Convention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Feb.6 through Feb.10. We will have more coverage for you on more shows throughout the year so make sure you get on our email list to stay informed. Subscribe for free here.

What is HAuNTcon?

HAuNTcon is an acronym for the Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Conference, an expo and convention “Designed by Haunters, for Haunters” of every age and level of experience. HAuNTcon brings people who love Haunted Houses, Halloween and scaring people together for a fun-filled four days and nights Haunt Tours, Education, Tradeshow and Networking, rounded out by a Haunted Garage Sale and the amazing annual Costume Ball.

In this podcast I have a conversation with Leonard Pickel, owner of HAuNTcon, about all the cool happenings the show has to offer in 2015. The Haunt Tours of Necropolis 13, The 13th Gate, Rise Haunted House, and The Mortuary. And the awesome lineup of training for haunters.

The Garage of Evil will also be offering some workshops and training as Steve has teamed up with HAuNTcon this year to expand the training available to more Haunters that are eager to learn.

USE DISCOUNT CODE: VOODOO10 and receive 10% off selected tickets to HAuNTcon 2015

Overall, HAuNTcon 2015 has lined up some great Haunt Tours, educational tracks, and entertainment for Baton Rouge this year. Plus, New Orleans is only a short drive away! The room are only $99 bucks and just think about all the new friends you’ll meet.

Links about HAuNTcon 2015:

Other Haunt Tradeshows & Conventions in 2015:

Thanks to Sam Haynes for donating his Haunt/Halloween Music this month.

If you want to sponsor the show for a month contact us here.

The winners of a digital download of Sam Haynes Spine Chillers are

Gil Lovato

Mike Johnson

Robert James

Miles Woods

Gregory Wallace

If you didn’t win…. you’re in luck! We are giving away 5 MORE CD DOWNLOADS.

Make sure you are a member of The Haunter’s Toolbox (our free email newsletter).

Reply to the last email you received from us with ‘CONTEST’ before Jan.25th, 2015

We’ll Scare Ya’ Next Time!!

Marketing & Building Fearfest Haunted House with Owner Greg Allen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:48 — 105.5MB)

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As a seasoned Haunt Owner or a first time Haunt Manager, you know that it is difficult to increase attendance each season and also save money on marketing. What if there was a way to do both at the same time?

Greg Allen, owner of Fearfest Haunted House in Columbia-MO, meets us in the dungeon for some secret tips and tactics to get more with your marketing dollar. He also shares the struggles he went through those first years as a new Haunt Owner. After 11 years of managing Fearfest, he is still fine tuning his skills but has learned a lot from experimentation and some failures along the way.

You also get a behind-the-scenes audio exclusive as I recorded a LIVE WALK THROUGH while we went through the Forbidden Haunted House within Fearfest.

Yes…me, my wife, and my 16 year old son get startled and the girls in front of us screamed a lot! Make sure you listen to this episode to hear us scream.

Here are a few things you will discover in this episode of HaunTopic Radio:

How Greg saved $65,000 in marketing and still increased his attendance
A simple way to train your scare actors and keep them coming back
How to build permanent structures without spending lots of cash
How one mistake cost Greg $1,000s of dollars and hurt his attendance
Using side shows to entertain your guests as they wait in line

We also play some Scary Christmas Tunes from Sam Haynes. He is also giving away 5 Digital Downloads of his CD “Spine Chillers”!! You must be a member of HaunTopic Radio to enter. You can subscribe here for free.

HaunTopic Links in the show:

Win 1 of 5 Digital Audio Downloads from Sam Haynes! You must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter (it’s free.) Subscribe Here

Creating ‘Wasted: A Stoner Zombie Comedy’ with Steve Kasan

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:10 — 52.4MB)

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In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we discuss the making of ‘Wasted’ with Steve Kasan, actor and producer, and the journey the crew has been on as they try to make this TV Show a reality.

Ideas to concept. Acting while working a day job. Film competitions. Producing on a budget. Marketing a Zombie comedy to the masses. And how to survive it all!

Steve also gives you some tips on How To Produce Your Own Horror Movie, His Favorite Zombie Movies, & How To Mix Horror with Comedy.

The world is a big waste according to four friends who spend most of their time discussing zombies while getting drunk and high. When the dead actually do rise they must use their limited knowledge and skills to survive.

Wasted breaks the rules of prime-time comedy with edgy multicultural characters and situations that poke fun at race, religion, taboo topics, and the zombie genre itself. This show will present how they deal with the world before and during the zombie outbreak, often resorting to the past in order to face the future. ~Comedy Coup

Wasted placed in the TOP 55 in the Canadian Comedy Coup competition for the CBC (a television network in Canada). But the team isn’t going to stop there. They are still moving forward and gaining traction along the way. And you can help!

If you enjoy Zombies, horror comedies, or just want to support them in their path of survival….Click on these links below to help them out by spreading the word to your friends.

Haunt Topic Links:

Like ‘Wasted’ on Facebook

Follow ‘Wasted’ on Twitter