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  • Darkness 2013

    Darkness 2013 is already planned out in detail and believe it or not but we have already started working on it... the stuff i want to do is going to take so much work it can't be done between November and March. First things first we will get some drawings done and go from there... we have already done about 20 drawings on little things and those things are in progress. Additionally I wanted to announce for the record that we will go back to producing animations for the haunt industry... nothing crazy like what Unit 70 does, but more animations mixed with visual fx. Every piece we'll make will be spectacular with no expense spared. The only things really that we are going to sell are the things we are making specific for The Darkness nothing out of that realm. So as we develop new scenes we will develop some custom animations/visuals fx to go with it... we will offer these fx at the show in March 2013.

    So this year when we are showing you all the photos and stuff we are going to be more careful showing you as much as we have in the past because I don't want anyone trying to copy what we are going to offer at the show... We will also offer a FULL LINE of vac form panels. We will have about 20 different panels and yes these are also already in the works. Already started... and again we can't show any of these things either for fear someone might try to copy them. So this year as we develop all the new scenes everything will be tighter than in the past until we get really close to the show. Know this it will be awesome!

    We will be making MASSIVE changes upstairs this year mostly removing about 25% of the entire haunted house and starting from scratch. We will also being doing some really cool things in Terror Visions as well. This is actually one of my favorite times of the year... after we get the haunts open they become very boring to look at. All I can look forward to is create all the new stuff I want to do!!! We also will do one big massive animation fx in the house as well... totally custom!

    So stay tuned. More on everything very soon!

    Larry
    Larry Kirchner
    President
    www.HalloweenProductions.com
    www.BlacklightAttractions.com
    www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
    www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

  • #2
    Sounds great!!!

    If you charge regular admission cost like you do during October, I'll go through during Transworld! But if it costs more than my monthly cell bill to go through then I'll pass.

    Comment


    • #3
      The cost in the past is $50.00 Darkness is now $23 and we are going to $25 this season... but you cant 'open for one day for the normal price the cost in opening is to high! Larry
      Larry Kirchner
      President
      www.HalloweenProductions.com
      www.BlacklightAttractions.com
      www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
      www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

      Comment


      • #4
        Can you explain the operating costs between those 2 months? October vs, March. Why is it so much more to operate in March. It cannot be because you do the changes from November to Feb. You are going to do the changes regardless if they are done in the winter or in summer. Can you elaborate? Just curious. :-)

        Comment


        • #5
          Sure... if you open for the Halloween season you do not get all your money back in one day do you not agree? For us to break even it usually takes all the way up to the last 7 to 10 days to break even. You have to pay back all marketing costs, labor costs, any rents, insurance, utilities, portable bathrooms, security, and the list goes on ... you get it .

          So where as in the regular season a haunt is usually open for 20 maybe 30 days before they are in the profit and with a haunt tour you do all the same things to open and I mean all the same things but you only have one day. So clearly NO ONE is going to make money opening for an event like this not in the middle of March.

          Additionally the other issue is you can say well you are going to do some renovation anyway... yes but not the day after we close working 20 people a day for four months, only to let the haunt sit for another 6 months before I can really start trying to get my money back. What it really is stupid on my part... the first year we did it I was flat broke for 6 months borrowing money so I could just open. Spent everything we had trying to get it ready to open in March rather than spending that money slowly over 10 months Nov-Aug. Big difference.

          No matter what you charge you will still lose money doing it ... but you can't try to operate it for one day at a total loss.

          $50. is the very very lowest I can even considering charging to open... if I opened the darkness for a private party I would charge them the same 50 per person or more. I hope this explains.

          Larry
          Larry Kirchner
          President
          www.HalloweenProductions.com
          www.BlacklightAttractions.com
          www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
          www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks for the explanation Larry! I hope you have a great season! Since i am from Ohio I have to say this... GO REDS! :-)

            Comment


            • #7
              Hey we totally agree GO REDS... another season with the Cardinals in the WS and I'm going bankrupt! I'm sure all the haunt owners up there do NOT appreciate your GO REDS enthusiasm. LOL

              Larry
              Larry Kirchner
              President
              www.HalloweenProductions.com
              www.BlacklightAttractions.com
              www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
              www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

              Comment


              • #8
                you won't know if you don't go

                Originally posted by RobbeOne View Post
                Sounds great!!!

                If you charge regular admission cost like you do during October, I'll go through during Transworld! But if it costs more than my monthly cell bill to go through then I'll pass.
                With all due respect, not going to the Darkness Behind the Scenes Haunted House tour for monetary reasons is a poor excuse at best. Larry spares no expense renovating this attraction especially for a private walk through, which is attended by a lot of great people in the industry. Maybe you're not in the industry but having that experience and being able to talk to Larry at the end or look behind the curtains etc. is an experience you cant get during the regular season.

                Ed Z

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for the comments... there is a lot of things I've learned since we've been doing all of this. Its been fun to do the renovations its really the only thing I enjoy related to the haunt industry. I get a big carried away doing all sorts of new and exciting things. This year I will have a slightly different team working with me on the renovation process and in all honestly the best people ever! So I'm really excited to see how it all turns out! But first we have to get through THIS season and we'll start the renovations the day after.

                  I should have taken a photo of a 40 yard dumpster we pushed inside the building of The Darkness. Our shop was for slobs... well all of that will change. I can NOT work in there now that I'm doing it myself, no way... I can't work in that environment so I have to totally renovate our shop! LOL! By this time next week our shop will be ready to roll for a major and very massive project I'm going to start in two weeks for a client while at the same time the renovation of the all new Darkness.

                  I'll take some pics and post them! I'm really really really excited about getting our shop in tip top shape! I will post some before and after photos! Its funny though I wanted the 40 yard dumpster pushed into the building and believe it or not its in the building! Larry
                  Larry Kirchner
                  President
                  www.HalloweenProductions.com
                  www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                  www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                  www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                  Comment

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