Blood, Guts, n' Gore. Opinions?

[NateTheGreat]

Any opinions about using Blood, or excessive amounts of blood in a haunt. Yes, our haunt is obviously not for little kids, but, lots of people do not like lots of blood and may potentially not come because of it. I know i have gotten a lot of questions about my haunt having gore in it. So, what has worked for you guys? I know some haunts even advertise that their customers will be coming to see BLOOD N GUTS EVERYWHERE! but is this really the right approach? What' are your thoughts? Could blood help or hurt my haunt in the long run?

~Natethegreat
www.Fearoverload.com

[Badger]

I've heard the Pirates of Emerson uses little to no blood at all in their haunt and they are continuously rated as a fantasic haunt. http://www.piratesofemerson.com/index.html

We use as much blood as necessary and for what's appopriate for the scene. However, during the last weekend, we try to use up all the remaining blood and the sky's the limit...

[Front Yard Fright]

We use as much blood as necessary and for what's appopriate for the scene. However, during the last weekend, we try to use up all the remaining blood and the sky's the limit...

I think that's a great idea. Have the first couple weeks you're open be less gorey for the families and kids that want to go through, and then your last weekend go all out with the gore and make it more intense!
.

[HauntedMemphis]

There really isn't a right answer here.

Some of your potential audience really wants blood and guts. If you don't have it, they will be disappointed.

Others, will not want it, and see it as gratuitous.

The biggest thing is to pick your idententity, and stick to it. If you want a non-gore haunt, more power to you. Build that way. If you want to try and be the goriest haunt in the US, good luck with that as well. I think as long as you don't try to deceive your customers one way or the other, you should be fine.

I personally am not a fan of blood and gore, but it's just my opinion and approach. I think a lot of haunts substitute gorey for scary, and it takes away from their overall product.

[Allen H]

In the show I own, I use very little gore.
In the shows I run I use as much as is necessary, I have a dungeon haunt that is pretty gory ( as you would expect). The texas audience seems to love a good bit of gore so we try to give it to them.
Memphis is dead on, get an identity and stick with it.
Allen H

[damon carson]

I used to use no gore. I think if you go overboard with it you have no imagination I think. I use some gore compaired to none in the past. I think there can be a fine balance with the two. But it isnt neccessary to scare anyone.
Damon

[BruiseMuse]

I really think think the level of blood and gore should be based on your clientele. I've worked at haunts that had a young, jaded crowd and they expected to see copious amounts of blood, intestines, etc. I've also worked at other haunts that had a more family friendly image, so they avoided the gross out method and focused on being scary in other means.

I personally think a little gore goes a long way; its very easy to get desensitized to it when there is room after room of blood splatter and carnage.

[snowfreak666]

I would say have options for your quests if you can. Have seprate spaces of like what was mentioned earlier the last night go all out. I know Busch Gardens Europe has differnt levels of fright so that families and fright seekers can have a little bit of everything!

[Dr. Giggles]

Not a HUGE fan of gore personally.

Just enough to get their attention.
Not enough to make them refuse to enter.
We rely mainly on our actors.
But the chainsaw scene has plenty of gore. But then again i have no say in that part of the haunt.

[Jim Warfield]

If A Customer Here....

Doesn't see what they thought they came here for...they can go somewhere else!
I do what I feel is best for me to be doing . I do not inflict things on my customers that I would not want to experience myself such as blinding strobe lights, choking amounts of fog, extremely loud sound tracks (especially with that gut-shaking bass turned way up)
The definition of "Haunted House" used to be alot different from what is experienced in October "haunts" for the most part, now fresh dripping crime scenes.
I am sure there would be alot of people who would love to attend something called a "Crime Scene", maybe truth in advertising should be applied and generate a whole new genre?
How's that for an idea?
"Haunted Houses" could go back to being mysterious, quiet, stately and ghostly, and possibly THE scariest thing of all!
"Supernatural" and the idea of it scares many very completely and basically deep.
Handle with care.
I'm not kidding.

[The Doctor]

We use what we feel is necessary to pull off the scene. I personally love gore having grown up on it (Fangora magazine was bed time reading for me). I mean to say that gore shows a lack of imagination is just plain not true, I dare say any of us would accuse Tom Savini or George A. Romero as being unimaginative. I think any well thought out, designed and constructed scene that elicits fear or visions of the macabre is as imaginative as any other scene in a haunted attraction. Our goal is to entertain our customers, and get them to come back and bring friends. If gore is what keeps them paying then by all means gore away, if fluffy bunnies sneaking around behind rockers keeps them paying hey I will be the first line them up. Keep you customers satisfied... isn't that the ultimate goal?