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  • Claustrophobia Instructions?

    Hello all!
    We bought a set of claustrophobia (16') last November...never opened or used...and it didn't come with instructions.
    I know it's prolly simple, but we want to put it up right the first time and not 'guess' so does anyone have the instructions they could scan or email or post?
    Thanks!

    Kirk
    Kirk Boemmel
    Dark Ghost Manor
    www.darkghostmanor.com

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  • #2
    It's pretty simple indeed. Build the walls as long (or longer, obviously) as the Claustrophobia that you bought (they come in a few different lengths), 8' tall.

    You'll need to have room on each side of the wall to mount the blowers. I would guess our blowers stick out from the back of the wall 2', give or take. Mount the blowers up at the top of the wall on the backside and cut a hole in the wall for the 'snout' to stick through. Screw the bags in place (make sure you use washers). Done.

    You may have to pull a few screws out on the top of the bags if they don't fully inflate. Since they are squirrel cage type blowers, they need to be able to move the air and vent, otherwise the bag won't inflate properly. I recommend using screws through all of the grommets, then take one out here and there until it inflates properly, if it doesn't right off the bat.

    If you can wait until tomorrow afternoon, I'll snap some pics for you when I'm down at the haunt.
    -Brandon Kelm
    Operations Manager & Technical Director

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    • #3
      FYI... As I had predicted from the minute I saw this being offered I would not USE THIS PROP in a haunted house. I have now talked to SEVERAL people who told me they took this effect out of the haunt. Haunt owners told me everything from slowed down their haunt so bad it couldn't be tolerated, to being ripped open to people spitting on it and stuff like that.

      Again I would NEVER use this prop in my haunt.

      Larry
      Larry Kirchner
      President
      www.HalloweenProductions.com
      www.BlacklightAttractions.com
      www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
      www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

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      • #4
        Claustrophobia Jr. Install Pics

        This year we installed a Claustrophobia Jr. in our closet between the nursery and the basement. Here a some pics of the installation. The blower for the bag on the left was installed behind the wall and the blower for the other bag was mounted from above. We built a make-shift duct which used the interior of the wall to channel the air into the bag.
        Attached Files
        Kevin
        MindWerxKMG, LLC

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        • #5
          Tips For Effect

          Hey there,

          If you plan on using this effect, just a few tips and suggestions for you that could make you life ALOT easier. First and foremost, assure that your hallway is 46 inches wide. If not, the bags will not properly inflate. If you put them to close the bags will collapse in on each other. To far apart and you loose some of the claustrophobic effect. 46 inches seems to be the magic number. Also, be sure to securely fasten it to the wall with screws and washers. Hum? What else? Oh! Make sure that you fasten the bags to the tops of the walls to allow for foot traffic (8 foot tall), the bags when inflated will be about 7 foot tall, this gives you a foot at the patrons feet so they don't step on it and tear it.

          As far as through put, I would strongly suggest having a staff member in costume but nothing to crazy staffing the front of the effect. People generally have a hard time figuring out just how the hell to get into it. The staff member can direct them in to the effect as well as deal with those who don't want to go through. This brings me to my next point. Be sure to have an area that is large enogh to put people aside while they "decide if they want to go through" so you can keep traffic moving along. Lastly be sure to have a chicken by-pass for those who just refuse to go through.

          Hope that is a bit helpful! Best of luck in your 2009 season!

          - Ethan
          www.HundredAcresManor.com
          www.CostumeFind.com
          www.HundredAcresManor.com

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          • #6
            Claustrophobia is a great prop

            For those who have one, I am on the side of a great effect. Sorry Larry, your off your rocker here. I have seen how Erebus in Detroit uses it a couple of places and uniquely at that. Same goes for Pete at Niles. They have actually set up a bypass route for those that won't go through it.

            I have read on this board of someone that installed two side by side because they have a lot of traffic. They seem to have figured out how to have a high traffic night and still make it work. A bypass route would also be good here as well. We do have a bypass and it is used by some customers as well as staff.

            Obviously, the congo line, mega, world's best type of haunts that drive profits would have a couple of issues with it.

            But, the fear of CLAUSTROPHOBIA is, repeat IS, one of the prime fears of people.

            Larry, I am sure you could think of a way to use it in a WOW KAZOWIE way that your talent has done with many other ideas and make it your unique claustrophobia Darkness or Creepyworld style.

            Ours, for instance, is in a J-shape and made with a pvc material. Easy to clean and no other one like it in the whole wide world. The Haunted Hotel-13th Floor deserves it's own world ranking as we see it. lol
            .
            .
            .
            Brett Molitor (aka ~ JamBam) Member of HAA

            Haunted Hotel-13th Floor (est by Huntington Jaycees in 1968 8) )
            Longest running Haunted House in the WORLD!!

            Hysterium Haunted Asylum (old Haunted Cave), Fort Wayne Indiana

            Hysterium Escapes - 4 rooms with 3 themes


            www.HauntedHuntington.com

            www.facebook.com/hauntedhotel

            www.Hysterium.com

            www.facebook.com/HysteriumFtWayne

            www.hysteriumescapes.com

            www.facebook.com/hysteriumescapes


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            • #7
              Originally posted by JamBam View Post
              I have seen how Erebus in Detroit uses it a couple of places and uniquely at thatl
              I went through Erebus a few years back, and the Claustrophobia part was excellent!

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              • #8
                Placement suggestion.

                In my experience, the best place for one of these is at the very beginning, so you cna monitor customer flow. I worked at a thaunt that had this in a dark hallway in the middle if a large haunt. No matter waht actor you put there, nothing is gonna make that person walk thru that thing fast enough.
                It would be a good idea in a place where you want to set a pace, but should be monitores, otr else you will end up with a huge hold up if you have a moderate to busy night.
                Good luck, becauses they are a great effect, and maybe a lower (waist high) setting like pictured would help with the crowd control, not as much of a backup.
                Do Vegan Zombies eat heads of lettuce?

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                • #9
                  the haunt I worked at had claustrophobia right near the end (there was only 2 scares after it and the last of those scares was right after you exited the building). There's never really been any problems with it getting too backed up. There were times when there was a small line to go through it but it was never bad. What was worse was the pitch dark maze in the middle of the haunt that had a column in the center of a wide pathway. People would feel the column, follow it around and go right back the way they came and the maze would get clogged up BIG TIME. We would routinely go through with flashlights to show people where to go so the flow could continue.

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