Haunted House Tips Archives - Page 4 of 6 - 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)

Subscribe: Apple

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)

Subscribe: Apple

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!

Marketing & Building Fearfest Haunted House with Owner Greg Allen

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

Subscribe: Apple

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

Managing a Haunted Attraction with Mario Garit from Haunted House Makers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:36 — 90.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple

Last year we sent our West Coast representative Mario Garit out to Haunted Hollywood Sports (Bellflower, California) to interview some of their staff, navigate through their highly-detailed Haunted Attractions, and check out the zombie paintball zones they call Kill Houses.

A few months later they made him Haunt Manager.

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we talk to Mario about his opportunity to work with an amazing staff of Haunters and how to handle all the moving parts of managing a multi-attraction scare event. We also announce the winners of the Gore-Galore digital giveaway and play a short track from the Halloween Music Galore download library.

Mario Garit, from Haunted House Makers, has worked with many Haunted Attractions over the years. As well as created props and acted for movies such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and X Files. His well-rounded experience gives him the insight needed to add value to any Scare Attraction. While managing a Haunt is one of his favorite things to do; his passion for creating animatronics and props is high on his list.

This was Mario’s first experience working with a Haunted Attraction that uses live action paintball mixed with a haunted theme. Hollywood Sports is one of the largest paintball venues around which then transforms into Haunted Hollywood Sports through the Haunting Season. Over 23 acres of amusement becomes 23 acres of TERROR!

When you shoot zombies here, you are up close and personal. Kill Houses are walk-through attractions where the undead are hiding and you get to unload your paintball weapon as you navigate your way through mazes of darkness. The only downside….you want to do it over and over again. RELOAD!

Haunt Topic Links from this episode:

Haunted House Makers

Haunted Hollywood Sports

Buy Gore-Galore Music (played in this episode)

Email Mario

The Winners of the Gore-Galore Giveaway Music Soundtracks are

J. Gonzales

Jimmy Castro

If you want a chance to win next time….Sign Up For FREE Here.

How To Make Foam Weapons (plus 13 Halloween/Haunt Songs to Die For)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:48 — 84.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple

How To Make a Foam Weapon — Prop Design by MadCity Haunt

Happy Halloween!!

It’s really Halloween all year long…isn’t it?

If you’re anything like me, you are always planning & thinking about the next October before the current October ends.

Well…after you grab your pen & paper to jot down these awesome tips from MadCity Haunt on How To Make Foam Weapons; we want you to RELAX to these creepy and eerie soundtracks from some great Halloween/Haunt/Horror Musicians (with a few surprises thrown in.)

No interview this episode. Just an awesome way to make that Sledge Hammer in the pics included in this article and a new way to make any foam weapon. Plus a bunch of twisted tunes to keep you motivated the rest of the month.

You like surprises right??

mad city prop — Prop Construction by MadCity Haunt

Here is a list of the some of the dark musicians you will hear in this episode:

Gore Galore
Midnight Syndicate
Prelude to a Nightmare
Mystary
Sam Haynes
The Night Keep
Throne of Anguish
Verse 13

Thanks again to Mad City Haunt for his detailed tutorial on Making Your Own Foam Weapon! I also throw a tip in there on How To Keep Your Foam Tombstones in Your Yard. Plus, Gore Galore is giving away 2 Soundtracks of their creepy sound effects digital downloads!

Win a Special Effects Download from Gore Galore!!

Become a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox to Qualify. It’s FREE. Sign Up Here.