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  • Touching!

    I have heard some haunts have gone back to "Touching" or even grabbing in haunts.

    Who here does this and let the debate start!?

    As for me - we train our actors to stay within the bubble of uncomfortable and occasionally there might be contact but immediately back away if contact is made. I have heard of haunts bringing back the "We will touch You" and they do... grabbing and pushing.

    Just wanted to poll - and yes I know there will be some "legal" discussion etc. but I wanted to get a feel for who is doing what!

    Plus I wanted to see if anyone was "touching/grabbing" if any legal recourse has happened or if your attraction has seen an increase in traffic because you advertise - "WE WILL TOUCH YOU!"

    Thanks!
    105
    Yes and we advertise it will happen
    9.52%
    10
    Some Subtle - maybe a brush against but not literal grabbing
    23.81%
    25
    No - We get as close as we can w/out touching
    59.05%
    62
    No - Stay outside the Hula Hoop Bubble!
    7.62%
    8
    Last edited by Mr Nightmarez; 04-21-2009, 09:44 AM.

  • #2
    Our rule: "No monster will intentionally touch you."


    We've always wondered about insurance for haunts that touch. Just seems like the liability would be huge... especially in these ambulance chaser days.

    Blood Lake Haunted House & Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours
    www.bloodlakeva.com www.hauntsofrichmond.com
    Located in Richmond, VA

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    • #3
      Well, we try not to touch. But sometimes it helps for a scare. We never push nor grab though. As thats just being brutal and very rarely gets a scare in my opinion. I may hold hands with an unaware female, or link arms with someone. But i would never grab nor push. However i do invade personal space so accidental brushes and pushes do happen.
      But other then the occasional touch, i think that contact should not be allowed in haunts. I know that a monster shoving me and grabbing me wouldn't scare me, it would irritate me.

      Comment


      • #4
        I agree, little is ok, but violent ones, i.e. grabbing and pushing. Not so much. I enjoy shadowing people who are the back of te group, and just lightly tapping them on the shoulder. They will turn around and i will be gone. Either in a shadow, around the corner, or over the wall. (I do par kour). Freaks people out when they know someone is in the vicinity, and could come into contact with them when they cant see them, usually only two taps on the shoulder suffice to get the person running.

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        • #5
          No touching under any circumstances (unless it is unavoidable, like they run into you). That will get you fired from our haunt rather quick.

          It's easy to grab and scream for a scare. Learn how to scare without touching. that's a bit more difficult...
          http://www.bigscaryshow.com
          http://www.rabidbadger.org

          Comment


          • #6
            Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy being touched at a haunt. It makes the haunt that more intense. But sometimes it can be taken a little too far. I've been to about 5 haunts where touching was permitted and for the most part, the actors didn't take it too far. While there was a haunt where the actors would bite, grab your shoulders and turn you around, and even hold onto your legs. It was intense, but over stepping the boundaries of people's personal space. Either way I enjoy it when a haunt incorporates touching in their haunt, but that's just me.
            Spooky Wishes
            Noah


            City Blood: Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana's #1 Haunt Site!

            http://www.ohioshaunted.com

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            • #7
              no

              No touching in our haunt. It leads to dangerous situations. Plus alot can happen by accident to your patrons or to your actors. To me its an unnessacary risk. Your actors should be able to scare the crap out of someone inches from thir face with out having to lay a hand on them.

              OdetteDespairr
              “Happiness is the sublime moment when you step out of your corset at the end of the night.”

              “Actors love mental disorders, dialects, and corsets. Give them one of the three and they're happy.”

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              • #8
                Touching is a hot topic, No one at my shows is allowed to do it. Does it happen, sure.
                One or two actors will weasel their way into the group by tapping someone on the shoulder and going around the other side when they turn to see.
                In the midway its common for an actor to fall in with a couple and place their hand out as they woman (or man) goes to hold hands with their other for a quick freak out.
                Brushing against someone in a tight spot while on your way to your next spot.
                One of our actors takes advantage of the wording of our rules "The actors cannot touch you unless you touch them first, their touch may come in a very dark area where we forgot to put cameras" He is a Line actor and will walk up to a group introduce himself and stick out his hand for a hand shake, when they grab it, they realize their mistake "he says see you inside" and scurries off. It gets a good reaction and has never gone sour.

                It happens in the line of duty but it is not taught and is not condoned, the above situations I understand fully.
                Allen H
                www.Stiltbeaststudios.com
                http://www.youtube.com/user/Stiltbea...s?feature=mhee

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                • #9
                  When we visited the haunt in Columbia, at St Louis, they had some controlled touching and thought it was done VERY well. A grab of an ankle here and there, a brush of the hair etc. I really enjoyed it and thought it would freak out a lot of people.
                  www.atheateroflostsouls.com Or if you need makeup or supplies www.abramagic.com


                  "I am a frickin evil genius who deserves some frickin respect!"

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                  • #10
                    I've worked at several haunts that allowed touching. It was always something that only the older, more experienced actors were permitted to do. Grabbing was not allowed, but we did do brushing of the hair, tapping on the shoulders, taking their hands, etc. The big guideline was that touching could occur from the shoulders up and from the knee down (to avoid the "grope zone").
                    Katie Lane
                    Partner/VP
                    Raven's Wolf Art Productions (www.ravens-wolf.com)
                    sigpic

                    Bansheette Morningstar (www.bansheette.com)

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                    • #11
                      We do not allow touching at Fearfest in Columbia Missouri. Our competitor Necropolis does touch their customers. It gives the people of Columbia the option to be touched or not to be touched depending on which haunt they visit. I will say if I see or hear about one of my crew touching any of my customers they are warned once and that is their ONLY warning. Termination will follow. We dont feel you need to touch someone to scare them and thats the way it is at our haunt.
                      Greg
                      Fearfest
                      Greg Allen
                      scarygreg@andersonfarms.com
                      www.andersonfarms.com

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                      • #12
                        Heh, no way no how. Arms length at all times.

                        Maybe it's our area, I'm not sure but we get a fair number of drunk customers and at least a half dozen times per season and actor gets swung at. Sometimes they connect, sometimes they don't. If a group is stupid drunk, we escort them out. If they're obviously intoxicated but not being rowdy, a security member will follow them from a distance.
                        -Brandon Kelm
                        Operations Manager & Technical Director

                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Prop touching is allowed, i carry a short childs sized hockeystick that i have layered many layers of papertowels and then dried gobs of latex over for the ripped flesh look, it's been nicely distressed over the years.

                          During make up session we have a community water bucket for that quick rinse of blood covered hands, before i head to the spot for the night i dip that latex blob in the watered down blood.



                          Living in N.C., October is nice and warm,LOTS of sandals on our patrons i just drag my little buddy across the top of their feet for good quality screams! With the shorter length hockey stick it is very easily worked inbetween groups of people so you can hide behind one group and get the people in front of them.

                          Now their being touched, but not really being touched, their being touched by something clammy and wet but non staining as the blood is watered down quite well.

                          I feel all out grabbing is asking your audience to kick your actors ass, your grabbing them and they will return the favor 10 fold and then claim the actor hit them first.

                          The no touch policy gives them NO rights for hitting actors. You hit my people, your gone thanks for the contribution!

                          If your actors aren't talented enough to scare without grabbing somebody physically, then their not very good actors!! Touching with Props or sweeping of hair or blowing in their ears all part of every haunts tricks, totally allowed.

                          Tell your crews to build props with flesh hanging off them, they really work well !!

                          Give them a shaker can of beans, they can eat the beans and make very scary noises!

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                          • #14
                            Kevin, where in NC?
                            http://www.bigscaryshow.com
                            http://www.rabidbadger.org

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I appreciate all the responses. We visit haunts during the conventions and it's great to see everyone's haunt and styles. Some touch or even grab. As stated above the shoulders and below the knee.
                              For any of the haunts that touch - have you had any issues or lawsuits etc? And insurance concerns?

                              Great stuff, thanks to all that has responded.

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