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Category: Haunter Interviews

HAuNTcon 2014 and Making Your Haunted House Successful with Leonard Pickel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:23 — 73.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple

hauntcon 2014HAuNTcon, The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention, will be held in Houston, TX on January 23-28 and has teamed up with the Halloween & Expo Show for 2014! That means more Haunted House Tours, an Interactive Trade Show for Haunters, a weekend full of Education to make your Haunted Attraction successful, an over-the-top Costume Ball, a Garage Sale full of cheap items for your next show, and a chance to meet new friends and connect with those you have haven’t seen in awhile.

We get Leonard Pickel (the HAuNTcon mastermind) on the mic to give you the inside scoop on what HAuNTcon has to offer for 2014 so you can plan your schedule before you get there. This year HAuNTcon has teamed up with the Halloween and Party Expo, the first and LARGEST international show for the Halloween, Party, and Costume Industries; which should bring in new customers and products to the Haunt Industry.

 

Check out this Current List of Education Sessions, Classes, and Demos at HAuNTcon 2014  (More Classes Will be Added!)

Topic Presenter
Taking the Fright out of Writing a Haunted Business Plan Joyce McLean
Fire Codes for Haunted Attractions Fire Marshall Todd Mitchel & Shannon Brinkley
Sponsorships and Partnership Programs Julie Dion
Media Buying How-to Julie Dion
Advertising Using Facebook Ads Steve Colberg
Paid vs Volunteer; Operating an Attraction with a Hybrid Staff Jim Bugos
7 Ways to Profit in the $7 Billion Dollar Halloween Industry Kimberly Stewart
How To Build A Creative Team Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Selling Sponsorships D’Ann Dagan
Critical Components of a Haunted Attraction Website Jeffrey Ward
Projected Ghost Effects Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Using Fog And Special Effects To Safely Affect Your Bottom Line Chris Markgraf
Burns, Flesh Wounds, & Frozen Props! The Art of Detailing Dead Bodies Maris Blanchard
Theming your Haunt!”: Using Psychology to Dramatize Your
Theme and “Traumatize” Your Patrons!		 Craig Caldwell
Advanced Haunted Attraction Floor Plan Design Leonard Pickel
How Realistic Detailing Can Make Or Break Your Set Chris & Jeff Davis
Prop Fabrication On A Budget Russ Foster
Secrets of Queue Line Entertainment! Matthew Martino
How to WIN on FaceOff! Panel Roy Wooley & RJ Haddy
Application of Latex Prosthetics with Emphasis on Airbrushing to Achieve Desired Effect Tom Devlin
The Art of Foam Carving Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Horror Face Painting at a Fast Pace! Nick Wolfe
How To Create Effective, Detailed Zombies Cheap and in a Pinch Dale Flink
Roy Wooley Demo Roy Wooley
Dingy, Disgusting Walls for Your Haunt Ettie Thompson
How To Properly And Effectively Light Your Attractions and Store Displays Quan Gan
RJ Haddy Demo RJ Haddy
Original Music For Your Haunted Attraction Chris Thomas
Prop in 3D! Simple carving techniques to make 3D
props for your haunt		 Laura Neeley
Makeup! Tips, Tricks,& Techniques! Hannah Moon

 

We also release the details for our January Giveaway where we will be giving away a one mask from Face Factory FX and one 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar from Hector Turner. You must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter to qualify to win.

 

Topics & Links we discuss in this episode:

 

Win One Of These Prizes! Submit Your Entry Before Jan.24th. You Must Be a Member of The Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter. Sign Up Here. (All new members will be automatically entered.)

A hand crafted Clown latex mask from Face Factory FX

face factory1

A 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar (with Haunt Photos from all over the world!)

Haunted Halloween Calendar

Sign Up Here (FREE) If You Are Not Currently a Haunter’s Toolbox Member.

Halloween Memories with Darryl and Brian (and a few extra guests)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:58 — 39.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple

Vintage HalloweenDo you remember when the Halloween Bug bit you? Do you have unforgettable memories of Halloween when you were growing up? What do you do now to celebrate the month of October?

We talk about our upbringings as children and young adults as the Halloween infection spread through our tingling unscathed virgin bodies. Halloween has a way of grabbing a hold of some people and not letting go. If you are still reading this post then you have probably been bitten by the Halloween Bug and can relate to this twisted obsession. You are not alone.

We also add a few audio clips from a few of our guests as they share their experiences along their journey as a Halloween Junkie. You will hear stories from Leonard Pickel (HAuNTcon), The Bloodshed Brothers (Field of Screams), Eric Lowther (Haunted Overload), Matthew Flagler (The Canadian Haunted Attraction Conference), & Chris Ainsworth (ScareFest).

Whether it’s the crowded neighborhoods on Halloween night, filling up pillow cases full of Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or scaring the little children that stroll innocently through the dark streets…we all have favorite memories from our Halloween past. The important thing is that we continue to reflect back into what excited us about this wonderful holiday and carry those thoughts into our future.

So…what are your favorite memories from Halloween? How did you know that you were infested with Halloween?

 

Haunt Topics for this Episode:

  • A NEW Contest for Haunters. ‘Hack a Christmas Prop Contest’ by Haunt Nation Mag (Deadline Jan.3)
  • The Home Haunt Contest (Contest Expired but check out these awesome Home Haunts!)
  • Thanks to Matthew Freyer for his awesome Haunt Graphic Skills! Find him here for your Haunted House Graphics.

 

Do You Have Halloween or Haunted House Products You Would Like to Promote on Our Show? We are Looking for Prizes to Give Away to Our Listeners.

Contact Us Today.

 

Haunted Attraction Reviews & How To Make Your Haunt Better with Onezumiverse

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:47 — 111.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple

oniandharknellHaunted Attraction Reviews are often hard to believe or difficult to trust. After you listen to our interview with Oni Hartstein and James Harknell from Onezumiverse.com, you might just change your mind. James and Oni have been reviewing Haunted Attractions since 2008 and try to keep their opinion unbiased and more focused on the creativity of the event.

They definitely look for the scary ones but there is more to Haunted Attractions than just scary. With each Haunt they go through they reset their haunt radar and pay attention to different aspects of each one. Innovation, Back Stories, Set Design, Scare Acting, Queue Line Entertainment, and the Complete Experience are just a few things they focus on as they enter a Haunted House.

If you live on the East Coast and are looking for an honest review of your Haunted Attraction, then Oni and James want to hear from you!

Topics We Discuss in This Episode:

  • The different types of Haunted Attractions and how to experience each one.
  • How to make your Haunted House the best attraction that it can be.
  • Haunted Attractions that you need to visit that you may not know about.
  • How to scare a Haunted Attraction reviewer…and everyone else.

More about OneZumiVerse:

The Winners of the October Giveaway from The Haunter’s Toolbox are:

  • Dan Caulfield
  • Vince Parsons
  • Charlie McAllister

 

Happy Halloween from Us to You (14 Spooky Tunes)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:47 — 72.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple

Happy Halloween Pic VintageWe’re cutting this one short and leaving you with 14 Spooky Audio Tracks from various artists from Halloween’s past. THANK YOU for supporting HaunTopic Radio and for being a friend. Have a Happy Halloween!!

We will announce the winners of our October giveaway in our next episode on November 6th. Stay tuned…

Tracks Played in this epiosode:

  • This is Hallloween- Danny Elfman
  • It Lives- Midnight Syndicate
  • The Monster Hop- Bert Convy
  • Crosses Under The Moon- Shadow’s Symphony
  • Halloween Theme
  • Grim Grinning Ghosts- Disney’s Haunted Mansion
  • Nightwish- Scaretale
  • Monster Mash- Groovie Ghoulie
  • Nightmare On Elm St. Theme
  • Kiddie Land- Prelude to a Nightmare
  • Psycho theme
  • Awaken- Destini Bearde
  • The Frightners Intro
  • Thriller- Michael Jackson

 

Shooting Zombies at Haunted Hollywood Sports with Mario Garit

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:15 — 59.4MB)

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Zombie AirsoftWith 23 Acres of Terror and the Official Home of the Original Zombie Kill House…..Haunted Hollywood Sports is a Halloween event in Southern California based at Hollywood Sports Park in the city of Bellflower. With 2 scare-zones, 3 walk-through mazes, and 3 interactive Kill Houses, an 18 and over Club, Shooting Range, and Group E-Photo Booth; HHS brings in a new level of terror for Halloween 2013.

If you are looking for a complete interactive adrenaline packed experience and a chance to shoot zombies, you won’t want to miss the scares at Haunted Hollywood Sports!

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we chat with our West Coast connection Mario Garit about his experience at the Haunted Hollywood Sports Complex and just how awesome the staff & crew treated him on his zombie mission. With elaborate Hollywood sets (most from the 1999 film The Haunting), a well-trained zombie horde, and a creepy atmosphere….this is one event that you must check out! For an extensive article and review, read this from our friends at Theme Park Adventure: Haunted Hollywood Sports Rises From the Grave

 

More About Haunted Hollywood Sports:

More About Mario Garit:

 

 Enter before October 24th to win one of these cool t-shirts from Haunt Life.com

To register, sign up for our FREE Membership The Haunter’s Toolbox.

Haunter Shirt