Fear Net Video Contest winner

[skullman]

Has anyone seen the winning video from the Fearnet contest yet??? What a joke for the winning video. It was a bunch of black plastic walls, cheesy masks and costumes (some of the actors didnt even wear gloves to cover their hands). It reminded me of an elementary school spook house. I'm sure the winner is laughing all the way to the bank. I feel very sorry for all the other contestants who lost...They really got screwed!!!!!

[SomeThingInTheIce]

Ya, I posted about this already, a joke is putting it nicely. This was a load of crap and FearNet should go outback and hang themselfs, there were way to many better haunts then this one and even some that were not as good but still better then this.

[skullman]

This is the end result when jusdging is done by people instead of a panel of judegs. The winners must have had an awful lot of friends voting for them because a real Haunter sure wouldn't have voted for this lame thing.....

[GraveStalker]

Fearnet - The Good, the Bad and the UGLY

Fearnet has done some good things for home haunters like "Route 666: America's Scariest Home Haunts", but they have also done damage. This is a very good example. In order to get people to come see our home haunts we need promote the best of the best and this is obviously not the case. Don't get me wrong, I think the winners have a great thing for people to visit. I'm sure people really enjoy their display and that's what it's really all about, BUT I would not consider that "high-end" by any stretch and I believe to promote it as such hurts all home haunts.

Fearnet has done mostly damage with this stupid contest. Last year, it exposed (in a public way) the ugly behaviors of some home haunters when money is dangled in front of them and it is really a shame because most (if not all) do it solely for the love of haunting. However, you would never know that based on some of the comments that were made -in particular, haunts slamming other haunts

Fearnet also changes rules mid-stream and does not appear to enforce some rules.

Our haunt was not a contest entrant this year because we are not happy with the way Fearnet handles things - they can keep their money and we'll keep our integrity. Regardless, we are proud to have been selected for Route 666 and finish in 3rd place in the video contest last year. DC Cemetery was a very deserving winner and represents what I would consider a high-end home haunt. Unfortunately, this year I do not feel that's the case and am really happy with our decision to not enter this contest.

There were MUCH better videos submitted and I agree this is a slap in the face to those entrants.


Jim Wieloch
Graveside Manor

[Spookyfinder]

I didn't catch it but from reading the post it seems to me like they wanting a more "home made, mom and pop home haunt"... not a home haunt that is "too professional" or could compete with the pros. Idk... just my observations. -Tyler

PS: DC to me isn't a home haunt, it's a pro haunt located at someones house.

[GraveStalker]

Sad but True

I didn't catch it but from reading the post it seems to me like they wanting a more "home made, mom and pop home haunt"... not a home haunt that is "too professional" or could compete with the pros. Idk... just my observations. -Tyler

PS: DC to me isn't a home haunt, it's a pro haunt located at someones house.

Tyler, I believe you are right, because that's the only explanation I could think of as well - BUT then they should call the contest what it is.

[shawnc]

I didn't read the rules but it sounds like the only criteria for winning was getting the most votes, right?

So next year get a mask and a few decorations and promote the heck out of it to get votes. Make them sorry they came up with that way of picking a winner.

[SomeThingInTheIce]

The rules stated that the top vote getters AND two that they would pick would move on to round two and then be judged. This video got little to no votes and the ones that did, did not move on two round two. I know because my haunt and Hells Gate had the most votes. We both worked the internet and forms to get people to vote for us, all my actors voted and got freinds to vote, he// I even posted to the venders that I needed the money for Transworld. Both of us never made it to round two, so I don't get it. A haunt that made it to round two (and their haunt looked great) video ran a Min. to long so it should not have made it to round two. The barking dog video was better then that crap fest, I smell a rat!

[shawnc]

I've been trying to watch the winning video all day, but it's always down. Did they agree that it was so bad that they pulled it?

[SSP]

If you want a contest based on the best home haunt, but then want to redefine what a home haunt is, you step into some dangerous territory. And to possibly ignore votes? (If that happened, I am not sure, just going off what I'm reading here). How could you even judge for best mom and pop decoration, and how would one be more mom and pop than another? More mom and pops?

Nothing stops us from constructing a professional attraction in our backyard. If you run off volunteer work, a budget made out of everything in your pockets, have a PURE love for the art that is what we all do, and are located at a HOME, then you are a HOME haunt. The definition of home haunt has greatly changed of the years, just as the expectation for everything else has changed.... but how can a competition cast people out in suspicion that they are too good?

How many vendors build their own props? There are more than a hundred people on this board who could prove the fact that one person can produce professional looking props in their basement. This contest is looking at people like that and saying "get out, you're too good". FEARnet has no idea of the type of people they are dealing with, all of us hardcore haunters.

At least Route 666 was an unbiased, equal opportunity showcase that put everyone on an even playing field by having freelance videographers film the events and one person edit them all. If anything, a winner should have been picked from that selection, and not have relied on submissions (otherwise you wind up with another contest based on video editing skills.... and we all know how that turns out). It was an honor to be a part of that selection last year, alongside some of the countries best.

My oh my

[dshaunt]

HELLS GATE WAS THE BEST ONE ON THERE! they should have won

[UnDeRTaKer313]

bro you just made my day =)

anyway contest wise this whole thing was totally rigged and idk how
we had most votes on there, high stars and everyone loved our video
no way we shouldnt have won

so there is no way to justify why the haunt that won won
messed up

thank you for all your support everyone

[SSP]

I'd like to state that you guys at Hells Gate are technically our competition here at GSM, but I personally will give you guys my support. I'm all for anyone who puts that much hard work into something, you deserve recognition. In any contest like this, though, having a winner does not make everyone else a loser, or any less of a haunt. I've seen all of your videos, looked through your website, I've seen all one can without actually being there, but even that is never enough to make a judgement on your attraction. I will not sit here and judge you and say you deserved or didn't deserve to win because I have not seen what you have done, nor should anyone who hasn't seen it in person. I'll never understand these contests.

No list or contest should ever be done without experiencing the attraction itself. Costly, yes, but it's accurate and fair. It will always be opinions, but will be based on everything that matters and not the catchy web art that someone was able to design, or the camera angle that makes something look bigger than it is.

[HauntedPhantom]

Can anyone post a link to the winning video just so we can see it for comparison purposes?

Also, I keep seeing "Idk" and have no idea what that means. Wanna share?

Thanks!

[shawnc]

Here's the link but I haven't been able to see the video for the past three days: http://www.fearnet.com/HH2008/index.html

idk: I don't know