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**poison** · 02-13-2015, 11:20 AM

**Farmer** · 02-13-2015, 11:30 AM

We have a LOT of animations in our show. We typically find that animatronics add a "WOW" factor for our guests, help set the scene, and serve as a distraction so a skilled actor can move in and get a good scare on the guests while they're mesmerized by the technology. We rarely rely on an animation alone to get a huge scare. However, to answer your question, we have both of these from poison props:

http://www.poisonprops.com/dp607-drop-portrait/

http://www.poisonprops.com/dpw612-drop-panel-werewolf/

They've been pretty reliable and low maintenance, and consistently they are the ones who get the most scares out of guests on their own. (The placement is also a crucial factor.) You can see them in action getting scares on our youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP3BAKMzwyg

**scarymovie** · 02-14-2015, 08:06 AM

thanks those are some cool props as well I like the screamer!

**wickedfarmer** · 02-14-2015, 09:01 AM

I'll second Farmers posting

http://www.poisonprops.com/dk824-dropping-kid-flailer/ is very much like the clown flailer I have used. And I know it will be at Transworld, (might still be available to take home). Dropping out of nowhere it actually generates its own scare very well. The drop portrait does somewhat as well and I have had that. But pairing drop portrait with a actor behind a drop panel on opposite wall is very good. They move away from drop portrait as it is a loud in your face very active oiece. Move right into 'kill zone" of live actor drop panel. I trade props every year...but drop clown faliler is one I have used 3 years in a row as it is that effective (made it into mummy last year)

Wicked Farmer

**austind** · 02-14-2015, 01:09 PM

I agree with Jake we have a ton of animatronics but they wont carry a show by them selves. I use the Scarefactory Extorcist bed with Levitatior with a actor on it to set up the SF Bedolator. When a person enter the room they are so distracted by the actor on the bed that they think the bedolator is a static prop. The actor actually triggers the other prop which has the sound built in to the body so it come screeching out at you. If the bedolator was stand alone it would not be nearly as effective. We also use some animatronic as a wow factor to get our actors better scare by drawing the customer attention away from the real scare. Everyone has seen or used the truck or care coming through the garage door, its one of those item customers have seen to many times so we use it to set up our actor in the Gore Galore Panzer costume which looks like a static prop when stationary. We actually has a woman go up to it this year to check if he was real by grabbing his junk like Crocodile Dundee. Look at the animatronic as a tool and how you want to use it and no matter which one you buy it will be effective. As far as where to buy my favorites are Gore Galore, Poison, Distortions and Unit 70, they all make good stuff.

**Marr Branch** · 02-14-2015, 06:56 PM

chair screamer

Adam's chair screamer works just fine by itself. I have traded or sold other larger and more expensive pieces, but I will never sell Granny. Year in and year out customers still say "I did not think the lady in the chair was going to stop!"

**scarymovie** · 02-15-2015, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by Marr Branch View Post

Adam's chair screamer works just fine by itself. I have traded or sold other larger and more expensive pieces, but I will never sell Granny. Year in and year out customers still say "I did not think the lady in the chair was going to stop!"

thanks its either between a poison props prop or unit 70.

**wickedfarmer** · 02-15-2015, 09:30 AM

More info:

I Pm'd ScaryMovie yesterday. He is a yard haunt. No maze or walkthrough. Told him I had a Spitting Debbie for sale even but Chairscreamer or dropping flailer that is hidden behind a banner or such would be better than buying my Spitting Debbie he liked. What a lousy salesman I am...telling people they do not want my prop.

Wicked Farmer

**monsterwax** · 02-20-2015, 07:38 PM

Many of these drop frames and such would be cheaper and more effective with actors (unless you're open for 40 hours a week all month). Sometimes the animatronics work better, but they are 100 % repetitive, once you seen one, it won't ever surprise you again. And they break down, too.

Just say'n...

**wickedfarmer** · 02-20-2015, 10:29 PM

Originally posted by monsterwax View Post

Many of these drop frames and such would be cheaper and more effective with actors (unless you're open for 40 hours a week all month). Sometimes the animatronics work better, but they are 100 % repetitive, once you seen one, it won't ever surprise you again. And they break down, too.

Just say'n...

Got to go with mix. All have advantages and disadvantages. But the "and they break down too" well knock on wood I have been very fortunate in using them 10 years or so. But actors.....while I love them like family (and adopted family is what they really have become)....are the biggest headache if you want to talk about "100% repetitive and breakdowns of props" I have never had to apologise to a customer for what an animatronic said. Never has a prop shown up drunk. never has an animatronic showed up late to work. They do not ditch me at last minute when buddy from out of town wants to go to bar, sisters birthday, to be at a high school playoff game,. They do not schedule a wedding for Oct. 10th and take 6 other animatronics with them to the wedding. They do not leave position to follow a nice looking gal farther....take a smoke break...get a head ache...get sick...get a call from mother whose car broke down...or have cops show up to haul them away for non payment of child support. I've seen all that and more from actors. I have a lot of animatronics that have never missed a day nor missed a beat. But comparing actors to animatronics for breakdowns (reliability)....that's funny!

Wicked Farmer

**poison** · 02-21-2015, 04:41 PM

Wicked Farmer

Wicked Farmer...
That has to be the single funniest/ best response I have ever read for Actors vs. Animatronics.

**wickedfarmer** · 02-22-2015, 07:53 AM

Monsterwax has kept me up at night thinking...

Now after I talked about "breakdown/reliability" of actors. Lets look at the other part of the post. Something about actors would be cheaper. Stay tuned...I'm going to give that a serious look as well.

P.S. I might go overboard on this and actually get into tax forms and terms like 'depreciation" and so on. if I do it will be a unofficial seminar. pleae make payments/donations to Ren. Bar tab in Wicked Farmers name if you learn something LOL.

Wicked Farmer.

**hauntfarm** · 02-22-2015, 08:57 AM

Actors without any doubts. Animations break and well they are fake. Animations can't judge people or react to the customers like an actor. I go with actors all day long. We pick up an animation here and there but overall actors are the best and only line of defense for a good haunt.

**wickedfarmer** · 02-22-2015, 10:55 AM

You missed it.

This wasn't about actors vs. animatronics. Thread starter asked about certain props. Then "props break down " and "cheaper" as compared to actors was introduced. I do not think there is anyone on the forums who would disagree with you as to NEEDING actors and what they can do and how they can read people. Like I said above my opinion is you need a mix. If you want to be just another haunt with actors and no over the top stuff for people to see and get the whole experience that is fine. But Phatman can tell you he has seen my place with a 1100 foot wide parking lot overflowing while 2 miles away another haunt of 6 years had 3 cars. We advertise in same places as other haunt. Actually he is a former actor from here. I WISH he would employ more eye candy and special effects as we are away from the population centers in the country; and I want our Interstate interchange to be known for 2 haunts. Even tried to get them to get more stuff and offered to give anyone going there a free fastpass at our place if customer bought a combo ticket or proof they were headed to haunt 2 miles away. But...they stick with acrtors only and some woden shacks etc. No animatronics what so ever. The biggest difference is they get people to come to their place ONCE. I get people to come back year after year. And I feel the BIG reason is WE MAKE A POINT TO TELL EVERYONE..."We change at least 50% of our scenes/animations every year..usually more than 50%". Over and over and over we hear after that statement 'Oh wow, we are deffinately coming back here next year". Now if I didn't have good actors to go along with the animatronics..forget it...my ticket line would be non existant.

That high turn over rate of props keeps people coming back. That is why you see Wicked Farmer so active on the trading page of the forums. I am always buying and selling or trading props. Actors they are like family. Can't trade them off. (Ok maybe a few I would if I could LOL) But I got a core of people who can read people and change up the presentation that an animatronic can't do. I have a good mix of both worlds.

The haunt 2 miles from me has their signs at end of my road. We are in same publications. They put their flyers right next to mine at every fast food place in 20 mile radius they can find. They are cheaper than my place. They have decent actors...but they have ZERO animatronics. People who go there first are sometimes in a surly mood when they arrive at our ticket booth...AND WOW ARE PEOPLE NOT AFRAID TO TELL YOU THEY WERE DISAPOINTED WITH ANOTHER HAUNT THEY JUST CAME FROM just 3 minutes earlier! We have even gotten a little cocky in those situations..."Hey..oncef you go through come back and tell us if you are happy with ours". It is always the same...they are coming back here next year. And having BOTH animatronics and good actors is the major difference. Several Poison things, Gore Galore giant costume, Distortions stuff etc.

AGAIN...this is not actors vs. animatronics....it is using BOTH.

Wicked Farmer

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which one of these props has the best scare factor?

which one of these props has the best scare factor?

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