Uncle Timmy Zombie's How-Tos

Severed Head on a Plank

This effect can be used in a number of different ways. We had an actor with his head propped over a highway roadblock marker, like the highway patrol use during an accident. The floor should be covered with gravel, sand, straw, or whatever. Be sure not to use anything the fire inspector is going to outlaw. A mirror is used and is the same height as the upright supports, and as long as the space between them. The road block uprights need to be built on a 90 angle. Meaning when set up, the back side, where the mirror is affixed is at a 45° angle from the floor. This reflects the floor and any material under it. This is why it is best to have a rough material like straw or gravel. This helps break up the reflection as well as hide the edge of the mirror.

If you look at the illustration, you will see the actor kneeling behind the mirror. His body is blocked by the mirror and it is reflecting the surface of the floor. Watch your angles on this. You will need to make this room narrow. This keeps people from seeing around the sides. You can also keep your group corralled in a narrow space to prevent this.

Have a bloodied cloth wrapped around the neck of the actor and start out with a cloth over the head. Tell the story of a car crash, and a head that wouldn't die because the owner had too much alcohol in his system at the time of the accident.

You can take this idea a bit further and construct a table on the same means. Say, like a picnic table. The actor could have his or her head sticking through a hole in the table. A big lid could go over his head, and have a chef whip it off after considerable chatter about the main course always having to be on the ''head'' table. What is neat about this trick is that the dismembered head can then talk or scream or even sing. ''I ain't got no bodeeeee.'' Sorry.

You can either wrap a cloth around the neck or buy a latex prosthetic that looks like a cut throat. Even a combination of both would be effective. Be sure to also build a board onto the back so there won't be any stress on the mirror from the weight of the actor's body.

Keep this scene dark. The addition of lots of flashing lights around as well as some car wreckage will heighten the atmosphere. If you are tied in with a police department, this makes a great drunk driving message to pass along. This can be a good attention getter for police squads to set up a county fairs as well. The sobriety message rings loud and clear. Put it in a tent for fair goers to walk past.

The above "How-To" is an excerpt from Tim Harkleroad's "The Complete Haunted House Book" for more information about this and other great haunted house reference books go to MoonLighting Publication's website "Haunted House Books On-Line" at www.hauntedhousebooks.com. You can e-mail Tim at moonpub@aol.com