Uncle Timmy Zombie's How-Tos

The Shadowman

This can really be an eerie extreme, visually challenging effect because it plays on your senses and uses optical illusion. The scene is based on two colors: black and white. The walls, floor and ceiling are painted in checkerboard fashion, with 6 in. black and white squares. The actor you have in the scene will be wearing an ''all-in-one'' body suit which you can paint exactly like the walls. A lycra/spandex body suit is your best choice, and don't forget to cover the face, hands, and feet. To finish off the illusion you will need two strobe lights with a speed adjustment, which is standard on most strobes. The strobes are to be placed in the two corners of your missing fourth wall. To make this all work, rehearse the actor in your painted up suit, move in a slow rate, and then adjust your strobe ''flash rate'' to where you get the best effect.

The combination of black and white squares, strobes and the actor's movement will have your guest losing their depth perception. They'll be swearing ''Did that wall move?'' Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.

The suit can be painted by an airbrush artist. It might be easier to match your wall pattern to the suit once you find one. Instead of squares, you could use black walls with polka-dots all over them and covering a black spandex suit for the actor. Using flourescent dots looks good in blacklight.

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