Hi all, and thanks for all the great information in previous posts!
I teach theatre technology and design at a university and will be running a haunt for the first time this Fall. The theatre department was recently were given a gymnasium and I plan on using 1220 sq. ft. of it for a small maze-style haunt. It will be produced as part of a theatre class (TA 407: Haunt) so that there should be a dedicated core of students involved in the project. I hope to use proceeds to endow a scholarship fund within three years or so. The first year I kinda hope to break even.
I have a small budget (less than 10k) but I also have access to a lot of good stuff; actors, a scene shop, costume shop, skilled workers, high-end projection equipment, large DMX controlled strobe lights, fog/haze machines, dimmers and controllers, and the like. I also have full access to State Surplus - the stuff that is available only to government agencies rather than the auctions that are open to the public - a true treasure-trove.
I've been reading the various forums, buying books, subscribing to magazines, and just came back from TransWorld. What I don't yet know about haunts I'm trying to smooth over with theatre skills....
I have two questions at this point.
1) With a small, approx. 6 room haunt, can I charge $5 per person without offending too many people? This should end up being a well-dressed, actor-heavy haunt that advertises itself as a scholarship fundraiser. It will be held on-campus in a small town that is (I believe) at least 1.5 hours away from the nearest large, pro haunt.
2) Can I cover the maze with some sort of ceiling, at least in part? We have a good relationship with the fire marshal, but I want to be better educated before I present the plan. The gym has sprinklers and I know that this is an issue, as well as smoke venting. I've looked at flame-retardant muslin as one option. It is affordable and comes in a variety of pre-dyed colors. I also looked at a product called SmokeOut, a flame-resistant fabric designed for expo booth ceilings, that has seams that open up to let smoke out when they get hot. It is very expensive however, about $60 a yard. I see that 13th Gate has solid ceilings with openings that could allow smoke to exit - might this work with fabric?
Thanks,
Scott
I teach theatre technology and design at a university and will be running a haunt for the first time this Fall. The theatre department was recently were given a gymnasium and I plan on using 1220 sq. ft. of it for a small maze-style haunt. It will be produced as part of a theatre class (TA 407: Haunt) so that there should be a dedicated core of students involved in the project. I hope to use proceeds to endow a scholarship fund within three years or so. The first year I kinda hope to break even.
I have a small budget (less than 10k) but I also have access to a lot of good stuff; actors, a scene shop, costume shop, skilled workers, high-end projection equipment, large DMX controlled strobe lights, fog/haze machines, dimmers and controllers, and the like. I also have full access to State Surplus - the stuff that is available only to government agencies rather than the auctions that are open to the public - a true treasure-trove.
I've been reading the various forums, buying books, subscribing to magazines, and just came back from TransWorld. What I don't yet know about haunts I'm trying to smooth over with theatre skills....
I have two questions at this point.
1) With a small, approx. 6 room haunt, can I charge $5 per person without offending too many people? This should end up being a well-dressed, actor-heavy haunt that advertises itself as a scholarship fundraiser. It will be held on-campus in a small town that is (I believe) at least 1.5 hours away from the nearest large, pro haunt.
2) Can I cover the maze with some sort of ceiling, at least in part? We have a good relationship with the fire marshal, but I want to be better educated before I present the plan. The gym has sprinklers and I know that this is an issue, as well as smoke venting. I've looked at flame-retardant muslin as one option. It is affordable and comes in a variety of pre-dyed colors. I also looked at a product called SmokeOut, a flame-resistant fabric designed for expo booth ceilings, that has seams that open up to let smoke out when they get hot. It is very expensive however, about $60 a yard. I see that 13th Gate has solid ceilings with openings that could allow smoke to exit - might this work with fabric?
Thanks,
Scott
Comment