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  • Different types of actors

    I recently had a conversation with an actor that likes to travel and perform at different haunts. He’s been complaining about the number of drama queens at these haunts and was contemplating giving up performing. I started thinking about it and decided to categorize the different types of actors who work at pro haunts. I’m sure I haven’t recapped every category and some actors may fall in two or more categories. Any thoughts?

    Here’s what I’ve learned over the years and how I categorize most haunt actors:

    - The regular guy/girl who has a good job; but enjoys getting in costume/character and scaring/entertaining people in October. They don’t have a lot of time to devote to the industry or haunt, but they try to help out when they can and try hard at scaring people. They understand this is a business and work with the team to make their haunt successful.

    - The outcast; usually considered strange by most people, they don’t have a lot of friends outside of the industry, but they’re really good at character development and scaring people. They’re usually struggling to get by and live from paycheck to paycheck. They love their haunt family and tend to volunteer to assist when they can. Most people don’t understand them, but their haunt family accepts them as they are. They can be loyal to their haunt and they tend to contribute whenever they can.

    - The drama queen (not necessarily a woman); they want to be the center of attention and keep everyone informed of their trials in life. They feel they have to one up everyone and they don’t usually get along with other drama queens. They are usually the most vocal actors at the haunt. They tend to have good characters because they work hard at staying on the top. Everything they do in life centers around what is best for them. They don’t really understand the business side of haunting and tend to move around from haunt to haunt. They can be good actors and every haunt has them.

    - The crazies; yep we’ve all seen them. They make the outcasts look tame; although they could be outcasts off their meds. These are the ones you need to stay clear of. They may be good performers, but they can harm a haunts reputation and possibly injure guests or insult them.

    - The part-timers; usually new at the haunt industry or extremely busy and looking for an occasional outlet for their pent up frustrations. They enjoy scaring people and will do anything you ask of them. They tend to get along with most other actors and accept them as they are. They don’t usually have their own costume/character, but will fill in a spot as needed and will try to help the haunt be successful.

    Have I missed any? We really appreciate our actors and what they do to help us be successful. We’ve tightened up our hiring practices and require auditions. You can’t always weed out the undesirables in an audition, but you can use the audition to help recruit the best potential performers.

    Hope everyone had a good and safe season.

    Kelly

  • #2
    I'd say you pretty much nailed it with the descriptions. We've experienced all types over the years. Now does anyone have any advice on how to utilize each personality to run an effective haunt? In a perfect world, our actors would share the passion most of us have for this industry. But often times, they fail to see the big picture and how truly important they are to producing a quality attraction.

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    • #3
      I have a pretty strict method of thinking when it comes to actors that aren't in it for the heart and love of haunting : ditch them. I'd rather you have a highly detailed haunt with great content and a great actor every other scene than go to a haunt with little detail and an actor every 3 feet.

      We've struggled for years to truly motivate the folks who are here because it's "something to do" but have found that even money isn't a motivator for them. They don't get it, and probably never will. Unless you can unleash a motivator that they may strive towards (maybe they thrive on laughs and not screams?) then they probably aren't cut out for long term employment for your attraction.


      Additionally - OP forgot one truly crucial persona : The Dedicated. Rain or shine, they show up for the love of the industry, the drama of the haunt, the thrill of the screams and scares, and the desire to get more out of each season as an actor and an employee.

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