Have you heard............

[Mr. Haunt]

Have you heard of this and what are your thoughts???

Has anyone been through or heard of a haunt of any kind that involves the use of NO lighting but the use of a flashlight???


Now I know there are going to be some people that are for or against the idea due to some factors that are easy to answer, such as the need for emergency lighting and the cost of battery replacement.

CAN IT BE DONE IS THE QUESTION??????

I know that haunters use lighting to make things more visual, but would'nt it be more scary if you had no idea what lurks around the corner??? And the monsters finding you before they find the monsters????

I think it would freak people out being in total darkness!!!!

Oh YES one more thing, this would not be indoors, just the darkness of night.

Mr. Haunt

[Allen H]

In 2005 My trail had no lights, none. It was still bright enough by moon and starlight to navigate just fine. True darkness can only be achieved indoors. The issue with true darkness is that instead of wondering whats around the corner, they have no idea there is a corner. They are to unaware to be scared. even growls and such in the darkness is more effective when they get a hint of a sight of what is making the noise.

[Mr. Haunt]

So for an out door attracton would it be better with NO flashlights and just let the patrons eyes get used to the darkness???

Im think no lights at all and like I said this would be outdoors vs indoors.

Mr Haunt

[Trail of Terror]

Hummm

That is so funny that you ask that question.... I was just taking about doing a special weekend with just that... NO Lights, only flashlights... I think it would cool and something different..

As far as outdoors and in woods ... I dont know how it would be... I have ran a Haunted Trail before and had every little lighting in the trail, till they got to a scene in the woods and that went over good....

That is just my thoughts on it...

Geoff

[Spoils]

We do a glowstick night. We turn off the lights and they navigate through the haunt with a glowstick. The great thing about that is it illuminates them, blinding them really and still keeps the monsters in the dark. We also pump fog through the haunt which cuts down visiblity too.

[damon carson]

I dont know?! I sure wouldnt give them metal or mag flashlights. Ive seen too many customers react when they get scared. And one of your actors may not see a flashlight being swung at his head in a mask. It has its advantages and disadvantages. And then you got these flashlights that you control. I would think as soon as you push the button and the thing starts to fail or they think it is. They would just throw the thing. And then really mess it up for real.
Damon
Frightmasters

[Mr. Haunt]

Thanks everyone for the ideas!!! I have thought about the use of a glowstick before as well, either way it would be better then the use of a flashlight.

I am thinking that this idea would be something new and differant here in MN where I am. I know two years in a row a haunt had a section that was in total darkness with some lightly lit rope light and even that had my brain spinning.

Mr. Haunt

[Haunted Prints (EOM)]

A couple years ago Mansion Of Terror in Austin did a flashlight only haunt. The flashlight looked like an old lateen. But what made it really special is that they were custom build with a transmitter that allowed the actors to turn the power to the flashlight off and on.

It was a really awesome effect.

[xtremecreator]

Our actors complained when you get a group of 8 pointing all of them right at you!


john

[Jim Warfield]

How About Candles?

When I first had just gotten my house I had no money at all. I toyed with the idea of using candles, making it a real 1870 experience to match the house itself.
Flickering light and dancing shadows running up the hallway wall. What is in that "Dark at the top of the stairs"?
I don't know how so many houses survived using candles, kerosene lamps and white (low pressure ) gas generated in a shallow pit beside the house, then piped all through the house in 1/8 and 1/4 inch steel pipe.
When my house was built pictures seem to show the last part built was the south main wall long after the majority of the roof was done. Maybe this gave them more natural light to do better work by?

[Thorswings]

We have done a lights out night and used finger lights for it. They work great. They are little miniature flashlights that have a rubber-band on them so you can put them on your finger. They come in red, green and blue... the blue ones are the best as they have a strobe setting on them that work great. We let the kids take them home with them. They cost us like .49 each if I remember right.

[Killer Katie]

It works if you do it right!

We gave each group one, very dulled down flashlight. It worked really well, gave a very cool effect. The problem, we figured out early on, was that the light blinded the actors pretty regularly - hence the dulling down.
On a positive note, the actor saw the people coming, so was better prepared for the scare, and the light gave them ample opportunity to hide in it's shadows.
We did go through a crapload of batteries and flashlights, but overall it can be done, and it was well worth it

[Greg Chrise]

I went to one outdoor event that the very last section was basically a tar paper shack with no lights at all, a dark room about 20 by 30 with people standing in the way you needed to go slowly and slither around the obstacles. Of course the scared ones got trapped somehow. Blocked in screaming for help.

There isn't always moon light and some times there is serious moon light. If there are lots of trees it can be totally dark and you need to have ropes to feel your way down the edge of a trail. It can be done. Still having a few lighted scenes makes the dark more dramatic.

[Mad Wax Sculptor]

we did the one night lights out glow stick night as well. We used a guide to go thru with groups in the dark using glow sticks. The guild would then prompt monsters to act out the scenes. Its a completely new show and the patrons like it we only did it the last night we were open

[Mr. Haunt]

Sounds like everyone has their own cool story, I am surprised more haunts don't do it or not doing it enough times meaning more then once.

Be differant, thats what I think!!!

Mr. Haunt