Looking for Actors/Partners in Central Ohio

[devil_dog]

I've been running a large section of a Haunted Trail attraction for a private campground for several years now near Columbus OH (for no pay of course..). I have a large fog generation capability and a fairly decent graveyard set. I'm used to working remotely and have my own generator.

I consider myself a decent effects engineer, usually standing in as an actor as well, and have built many custom props. The focus has generally been on undead/zombie type characters.

I'm looking to move and expand the operation. Indoors would be very appealing, being able to leave everything set up.

It's been a good bunch of people working the trail, but being a different set of volunteers each year, it's not working as well as I think it could. A guy in jeans and a flannel shirt wearing a rubber mask just doesn't cut it for me as being scary.

I'm hoping to either find others with similar interest to get together and do a professional job, or join in with a larger existing operation. Making a buck or two while giving people a good scare wouldn't be a bad thing either.

[Jim Warfield]

"Flannel shirt and Blue Jeans"?
You just described how I am dressed alot of the time I'm doing house tours here.
I sweat way too much to keep any make up on my face.
Maybe if you were older (like me (57)) you could get away with wearing no make up, mask or such things and still be scary like I am. I tell them stories about this house as they sit in the front room.
I can scare them, make them laugh, scare them again, make them laugh and sometimes during October all of this happens in just ten minutes.
(You "reset" them for the next scare when you get them to laugh.)
All along keeping it my little secret....am I really as nuts as I can seem to be? I just dropped the big steel bar across the door behind them as they walked in, it's my house, surrounded by parking lots, behind the storefronts, east of the 6,400 grave, grave yard . Woods, stream and nothing to hear you scream to the north, but if you scream too loud you upset the deer and coyotes!

[devil_dog]

I'm definitely reset now... Thanks for the chuckle.

Sorry, no intention to offend any jean and flannel shirt wearers out there! Especially undead ones...

I believe if you have the part of the zombie, axe murderer, Jason, etc. , regardless of dress , you should be "in character" for the part. Walking behind the wagon as it passes along the trail, waving your hands just doesn't look scary.

It's about inciting primal fears, whether learned through evolution or TV. Zombies, etc. should walk and act a certain way. Just a bit of attention to detail makes all the difference between wow and blah.

[deathcharger]

Well from my experience you really wanna get away from the flannel shirt and blue jeans, destroy them... litterally get a knife, or any sharp object and destroy the outfit... decrepid, annihalated stuff is soooo much better. If an actor walks out in Abercrombie and Fitch, and a rubber mask...that's not scary.. get your actors out to the thrift store, buy the UGLIEST things you can find, and tear the living crap out of them. If using grease paint, make sure to cover the hands with gloves, get them to wear boots or black shoes, vs. white nikes... also for hair, get wigs, they are rather inexpensive and are usually a nice touch. Dental appliances if you really want to get into it are usually sold at any wal-mart during halloween, and if you really wanna get crazy, contacts are also a great touch to any good make-up job you can find some rather cheap ones online, or my personal favorites can be found at ( www.9mmsfx.com ) they are a bit pricey, but I only wear Sclera, and they are the best I can find. Now I realize some of this will be out of your budget, but I like to give as much detail as possible just in case.

[Jim Warfield]

Almost all of my clothes are destroyed-looking!
As I am welding and running a grinder on steel, pin holes and burns happen and shred and weaken the clothing.
I was told by a man running a clothing store that the single biggest destroyer of nice clothing is "sweat" and I do alot of that too!
We seem to have a fair number of Zombies around here, they look pretty normal, some even have high school diplomas...wait a minute, I think the local high school is making these Zombies!
Last year you couldn't play on the sports teams if you had one "D", this year it was changed to 2 "D"'s!
I rest my case.

[deathcharger]

hahahhah Jim you never cease to make me laugh

[devil_dog]

I surveyed a large campground yesterday for a more permanent Haunted Trail/Forest. They have a nice twisting road in a forested area of their primitive section, and the prerequisite tractor/wagon combo.

It has the potential to be huge and the sites to put up individual scenes go on and on. There is available power within 100 ft or so of many of them.

We're going to try running it each Saturday of next month to get an idea of what it might draw for interest. Next year with a bit of advertising budget hopefully.

The location is southeast of Columbus off of Hwy 33. It's just under an hour drive from Delaware. Anyone interested in setting up a scene or acting please leave me a post with contact info for an interview.

[Red Elvis]

Devil_dog contact me at paul@mindgame-productions.com we will be working on a haunt project in columbus in July of '07 and could always use help and advice.

thanks