finding actors for a first year haunt

[Duke of Darkness]

Jason - In my opinion, being able to pay your actors is a good thing. The numbers that you are proposing are impressive, but of some concern for a first year attraction. You said that you are looking for 50 - 100 actors. Depending on what the minimum wage is in your state, and assuming that you will be open 18 - 20 days, by they time you add in employer contributions to social security, workman's comp, etc. you are looking at a payroll of between $35,000 - $50,000. Will you be able to absorb that as a first year haunt? If so, I am very impressed.

That said, if you want to hire actors, there is an agency or service in most major cities. They will go out and find the talent for you. You can also consider going through a temporary agency. Either way, you are going to pay a premium (i.e. you have to pay the company, not just the actors) but there are advantages. One of the pluses is that you may pay the service a fee and they take care of all the tax withholding and other details that need to be handled when you have employees. This could save you a significant amount of time and may be worth considering.

Dave

[Nicole]

LARPer's are always good - also your local Ren Faire folks (tend to be LARPer's too)... community theatre folks. Free postings at craigslist, myspace, and run PAID ACTING GIG ads in the local news paper, local HS papers and college newspapers... list audition dates if you are auditioning.

[Jim Warfield]

One night a guy who once worked here came walking out of a tavern and was approached by an attractive looking female who then proceeded to bite him on the neck!
She then apologised saying she thought that he was one of the role players roaming around the streets that night!
Watch out for some of these "Role Players!" hahaha!

Just remember when hiring workers, the drunks and aggressive punch-throwers ALWAYS seem to punch the smallest person in costume, which means kids or women, usually.
Funny no matter how drunk somebody says they were/are, they never punch someone their own size or bigger?
It makes me wonder just how drunk they really are, since they are still knowing better than to pick on somebody that might clobber them right back and inflict noticable damage.
I wouldn't like to face a parent of a busted-face, kid/worker.

[jason]

lol i'm sure 100 is an over shot espically for a first year haunt. 50 will probably be more the range (still one needs to fill the spots for actors that call off that night) plus that 50 woudl also include security/other staff members.

i must say there is some good feedback. thanks!
(now if i only had a few more PM about my stats. post...)

[Duke of Darkness]

Jim makes a great point. Since I made the comment about having worked with great young actors, I want to reemphasize that they must be put into protected positions, and they must NOT be left alone. I actually had a guy (an adult) try to assault a 10 year old girl in a haunt I was managing. Fortunately, we had an adult who was working various effects and keeping an eye on her. He stepped in and solved the problem in short order. Point is, younger actors need special protection.

Dave.

[Spookyfinder]

It may be a good idea to put the younger ones behind drop boxes/doors or in scareboxes. Kind of gets them out of harms way while still getting GOOD scares! You don't want a young person to be the lone greeter! Oh god! -Tyler

[Hell American Freak]

That is all very true, and a good point at that. We have quite a large amount of youner female actors, we make it a point to have at least one older male in every room where our female actors are. Plus, we have members of the production staff making regular rounds through the house every night. We've had a few altercations with customers, a touch or a grab here and there, but nothing too serious.

[MindWerxKMG]

From what I understand the IRS has reversed their opinion on independent contractors as haunt actors. If the actors provide their own costumes and makeup and are allowed to choose the roles they want to play and the dates/times they want to work, they can be issued 1099's at the end of the year and the haunt owner is not liable for paying payroll taxes and unemployment insurance.

[jason]

From what I understand the IRS has reversed their opinion on independent contractors as haunt actors. If the actors provide their own costumes and makeup and are allowed to choose the roles they want to play and the dates/times they want to work, they can be issued 1099's at the end of the year and the haunt owner is not liable for paying payroll taxes and unemployment insurance.

that sounds like it could be a mess! ( i wanna play zombie #1! NO, i want to play zombie #1!!)

[Kevin Dells]

reply

I know this has been a topic that has been beaten to no end but im volunteer and i would never want to be paid for my fun!
Our owner will offer styphon gifts, I always push it right back at him.

Maybe my crew is the exception here but we have in the past told our owner to keep the money and put it back into the haunt. He has enough expenditure, we see our haunt as our playground and if we didn't have it we would have no place to play.

I don't know, i do it all for the pride! Makes me feel good to know im doing it for me and my hobby,makes me want to try harder every time i dress.

For those that do take the styphon gifts, we divide it up into days worked the more you work the more you get.

When we didn't open this last year and we decided a group of us really still wanted to act, we hit the road and guest acted. The owners payed for the hotel and gas and we got an opportunity to do what we love to do.
All other expenses came out of our pockets for the month, after it was over and the money was missing from our wallets we still agreed we would do it again a thousand times and were happy we didn't just sit during October.

I keep saying it, it's the pride of being your best for you and only you!

[MindWerxKMG]

What is a styphon?

[Kevin Dells]

reply

A styphon is basicly a fancy name for a gift.

[Jim Warfield]

I thought it was a python named Stephan.
It might have it's origins in the boss not paying his help, so he gives them a shabby little gift, in other words, he "Stiffs" them. ("Styphon") Stiff-on.

[Nicole]

I think Kev means stipends? I think he means premiums/gifts.

We've done those for the top actors that "kill" each night.

We have an "in" with Harley Davidson so we give out cool gifts from them as well as fast food gift certificates and movie passes.

[MindWerxKMG]

That's what I had assumed he meant, but ya never know!