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Category: Haunter Interviews

The ScareHouse: Surviving the Horror Movie Inside the Haunted House

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:59 — 90.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple

scarehouse-movieIn episode 56 of HaunTopic Radio, we strap Shawn Lippert from The ScareHouse Windsor to the chair and get the scoop about the horror movie that is being filmed inside his Haunted Attraction by D Films (part of Universal Studios). This thriller movie is titled The ScareHouse and his good friend Gavin Michael Booth is the one taking over his Haunted House to direct this film about a Haunted House that has a ‘real’ dark side!

The Scarehouse Windsor, located in southwestern Ontario, Canada, is 20,000 square feet of madness and provides the perfect backdrop to film a real horror movie. Canadian filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth has had a previous success in the Canadian Film Festival Circuit with his latest short film To Hell With Love and has confidence that this movie will deliver some scares to die for.

Shawn Lippert has a challenge setting up his Haunted Attraction this year as he has been helping build sets exclusively for the movie and navigating around extra equipment and crew for several weeks. We discuss how the formation of this movie happened, the background into The ScareHouse Windsor, and some ideas you can use to get a movie filmed at your location!

The ScareHouse Movie– When Corey and Elaina open a Halloween fun house on Devil’s Night, it’s all fun and games until their former sorority sisters begin to arrive. Quickly these six sisters are confronted by their past within the corridors of The ScareHouse as the night spins out of control.

Find More of The ScareHouse Here:

 

Thanks to our sponsors for the month of September:

Our winners for September (11 music downloads & CD packages):

  1. Top Winner- Dan B (kuma98)
  2. Joy (cowrun2)
  3. James Schuppe
  4. Crawford Hampson
  5. Rob Horton
  6. Jim (foodandgames)
  7. Jess Hoffman
  8. Marcus Constable
  9. Kristin (Spookee Sculptor)
  10. Boo & Douglas
  11. Jerry Murnahan

Make sure you are a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox to win prizes each month.

Click Here To Sign Up.

 

 

 

Keen Halloween: Putting the Culture and Creativity Back Into Halloween

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:09 — 90.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple

keen halloweenIn this episode of HaunTopic Radio we chat with Daniel Davis, the man behind the Keen Halloween Festival and Steam Crow Illustrations, about what the second year of Keen Halloween will bring. We also discuss how Halloween has changed over the years and some ways you can bring the culture back into your Halloween this year.

Matthew Hampel infects you with his passion and shares a quick skeleton corpsing trick for that

We include more haunting music tracks from our sponsors of the month which are listed below this article with links to their music. Help support these dark artists if you enjoy their music on this show or more tracks on their personal websites. Plus, you have a chance to win some music because each is giving away some free tunes!

(Press Release from KeenHalloween.com)

Keen Halloween, the all ages classic Halloween festival, encourages attendees to “watch, learn, and get inspired” with informational workshops, a Monster Market featuring local artists and creators, live entertainment, crafts tables and on-site costume advisers.

Event founders Daniel and Dawna Davis of Peoria, AZ are Halloween enthusiasts, known for their Steam Crow brand monster illustrated products – and a passion for spooky art.

“We want to promote the Halloween from our childhood – with handmade decorations, costumes and art, gathering together with friends, and enjoying spooky entertainment and music,” said Daniel. “We couldn’t find an event like this, so we created it. It’s a chance for us to gather together spooky-inspired talent – artists, crafters, teachers and entertainers – who have a love for vintage Halloween.”

Costuming is, of course, a large part of the event. Keen Halloween works to provide a walk-up “Evil Genius” Costume Bar where costuming experts offer troubleshooting advice, tricks and inspiration to bring spooky ideas to life. They will also feature the Iron Skull Costume Challenge, where three teams will have 90-minutes to each create a costume live on stage, from a mystery box of common, household items. “The catch is they won’t know the theme of the costume until they step on stage,” notes Daniel.

Entertainment will feature a variety of odd acts and strange shows, including a live acoustic set by the Tucson-based garage rock band, The Mission Creeps. Bookmans will also be on hand as sponsors of the event along with last year’s hit, the Scarecrow King Photo Booth, where attendees can pose with the Scarecrow King, Marrow Thatch.

Artists including Victor Moreno, Serkworks and Studio Fugazi will be on hand along with vendors that include ZOMs, Fez-O-Rama and Dollipop Cosmetics amongst many others.

Local spooky artists, costumers and entertainers are encouraging Arizonans to embrace vintage Halloween culture – the creative and the macabre – with a kick-off festival this month. Sano Fitness Studio presents the second annual Keen Halloween on September 28 – 29 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.

Tickets are $15.30 pre-purchase at , $20 at the door. Single day passes are available for $9.18 pre-purchase, $13 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult.

For further information please contact Daniel Davis: 480-381-2182, daniel@keenhalloween.com

Find More Keen Halloween Here:

 

Win one of these Haunt/Halloween Music CDs! To qualify you must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox. To enroll automatically sign up here before Sept.24th.

Sam Haynes-Welcome to the Horror Show (5 Winners)

sam haynes-halloween music

Ken Elkinson- Halloween Ambient (3 Winners)

Ken Elkinson

Music for Haunts- Church of Torment or Custom Ringtone (2 Winners)

music for haunts

Midnight Syndicate- 7 CD Package (1 winner)

"Monsters of Legend" CD by Midnight Syndicate (July 2013)

 

 

Midnight Syndicate Interview: Behind ‘Monsters of Legend’ and ‘The Axe Giant’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:07 — 85.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple

"Monsters of Legend" CD by Midnight Syndicate (July 2013)In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, Midnight Syndicate stops by to fill you in on what they have been up to over the last few months and you also might learn something about them you didn’t know. We also announce the 2 lucky winners of some cool props for the month of August Give Away and tell you what prizes we are giving away for September. You won’t want to miss these treasures!

For almost two decades, composers Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka have been known as Midnight Syndicate, creating symphonic soundtracks to imaginary films that facilitate a transcendental and adventurous escape into the secret dimensions of the mind’s eye. To many of their fans, they are Gothic music pioneers brewing a signature blend of orchestral horror music and movie-style sound effects. To others, they remain the first “haunted house band” that forever changed the Halloween music genre and became a staple of the October holiday season. And some know them as the duo that teamed up with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast to produce the first official soundtrack to the legendary Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Their critically-acclaimed works are reminiscent of sweeping, complex masterpieces by artists such as James Horner, Danny Elfman, Black Sabbath and King Diamond and have been featured as a part of films, television shows, video games and at haunted attractions, amusement parks, and live performances worldwide.

 

Find More Midnight Syndicate and Buy Their Music!

 

The Winners of HaunTopic August Giveaway Are:

Michelle Montanaro

John Murray

Thanks To HauntNav.com for donating this Scary Peeper Prop:

Win this Scary Peeper Prop from HauntNav.com

Thanks to Stabbing House for donating this prop package:

Win these Halloween Props from Stabbing House

The Prizes for September are: (11 Winners This Month)

A 7 CD package from Midnight Syndicate (1 Winner)

Halloween Ambient CD from Ken Elkinson (3 Winners)

Welcome to the Horror Show Downloads from Sam Haynes (5 Winners)

Music for Haunts Downloads (2 Winners)

How Do You Win? Become a Member of The Haunter’s Toolbox for FREE.

If you are already a member, reply to any email you have received from us with ‘CONTEST’.

Horror Movies, Monsters Wanted, Midnight Syndicate, & ScareLA with Matthew Hampel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:23 — 107.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple

The Mummy

 

In Episode 51 of HaunTopic Radio we dig down into our Horror Movie archives with our new HaunTopic Crew Member Matthew Hampel and discuss what scary movies have affected us over our lifetime. We review the new documentary Monsters Wanted which follows the journey of The Asylum Scream Park and the struggles they faced their first year of business.

We even sprinkle this show with spots from other Haunters and how movies have influenced their haunt & horror career. We include a short interview with Kevin Segawa from Scream Team Productions on the premier Halloween, Haunt, & Horror Convention ScareLA in Los Angeles on August 10 & 11.

 

We announce the 3 winners for this month’s HaunTopic Giveaway. We also include 3 NEW tracks from Midnight Syndicate’s new release Monsters of Legend!

 

This show is jammed pack full of Midnight Syndicate tunes, horror movie memories, prize winners, a new Halloween trade show, in-depth reviews, and more scary stuff!

ScareLA– When people hear “August” they think of beaches, late nights, back to school shopping … all of that changes this year.

Don’t run from the fear—embrace it at the ScareLA Halloween Convention! ScareLA and Creative Partner Scream Team Productions  bring the horror holiday to Los Angeles, California August 10th – 11th, 2013. Premiering at LAMart, it gives the City of Angels its first convention “…dedicated to celebrating Halloween.” Anyone wanting a preview of what’s to come this October needs to be here!

Here is what we discuss in this episode:

  • Horror movies and how they influence haunted houses
  • The new Haunted Attraction Documentary Monsters Wanted
  • 3 New Tracks from Midnight Syndicate’s ‘Monsters of Legend’
  • The new Halloween Convention in Los Angeles, CA called ScareLA
  • “How To Create a Theme and Backstory for Your Haunt” Seminar
  • 4 clips from other Haunters and the horror movies they like

 

The links to our topics in this episode:

The Winners of This Month’s HaunTopic Giveaway are:

Juli Savage

Hope

Slouthia

If You Want A Chance To Win Next Time Click Here to CREATE A FREE MEMBERSHIP

Thanks to John O’Brien of Job 4 Davinci and John Dean of Terrorealm for Sponsorship this month!!

 

 

 

 

Zombie Camping at The Plague & Camp Nightmare Haunted Attractions with Travis Russell

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:04 — 65.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple

The Plague Haunted HouseDr.Yorick moved into this small lakeside community years ago, and nothing has been the same since. His wife died when his experiments went wrong, leaving him a widower with numerous children. 

But no one has ever seen the Dr. or the children. They remain inside the modest building they call home. Assistants maintain the property and remain silent about what happens inside. 

The strong scent of burning flesh is dominant in the dark night, along with the sounds of victims of The Plague….

The Plague Haunted Attraction and Camp Nightmare Haunted Hayride are both located at the Americamps Lake Gaston Campground in Bracey, VA and owned by Travis Russell of Big T Productions. Travis used to be a Home Haunter and outgrew his home many years ago, which led him into a business opportunity to move all of his Halloween belongings to a friend’s campground. It’s been growing each year ever since!

The Plague is the indoor haunted attraction featuring infested patients, failed experiments, and screams of his missing children. Camp Nightmare is the outdoor haunted hayride where the escaped victims roam through the woods and zombies lurk within every shadow. If you think that’s not scary enough, then trying staying the night to survive the Zombie Camping experience where the undead take over the camp and leave no tent or camper safe from the infection. If you’re too scared for that, then just come for the kid friendly activities during the day and Travis promises to be easy on you…..maybe….

Travis Russell is not just a Haunter. His background in professional lighting, set design, and audio engineering have transitioned over to the Haunt Industry quite well. His company Big T Productions has coordinated events with groups such as the Rolling Stones and he is always available to help with your questions about making your show stand out from the crowd.

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we get Travis Russell to open up the doors of The Plague and lead us through the shadows of Camp Nightmare to see how he does it. Listen to the show for some cool tips and tricks for your Haunted Attraction or Home Haunt!

 

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • The best way to use professional audio/ lighting indoors and outdoors
  • The transition between home haunting & pro haunting
  • Quick building tips for your haunt set
  • Using a campground as your base for a Haunted Attraction
  • Turning your passion of Haunting into a business

 
 

Find Travis Russell Here:

  • The Plague/Camp Nightmare Haunted Attraction
  • The Plague on Twitter
  • The Plague on Facebook
  • Travis on Linkedin

 

July HaunTopic Giveaway! (Enter before July 24th) To get a chance to win one of these prizes make sure you are a member of our FREE newsletter “The Haunter’s Toolbox”. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Halloween Artist

1) A personalized comic cover of your Haunt or Character by John O’Brien (the artist above)

2) A personalized color illustration caricature of you as your favorite monster. (also by John O’Brien)

3) A hand-crafted scarecrow mask by John Dean of TerroRealm in Rutland, VT.

Scarecrow Mask

If you want a chance to win next time make sure you’re a member of The Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter!

Click Here to become a member of The Haunter’s Toolbox for FREE

 
 

All Music in this episode of HaunTopic Radio by Sam Haynes.

sam haynes-halloween music