Seperate Waiting/Staging Area

[evilmanor]

I'm planning on an insane asylum theme this year and am thinking about setting up a staging/waiting area in the first room of my haunt. The idea is to separate each group from the cue line prior to entering the rest of the haunt and letting them sit/wait in the waiting area. Very dark room with the only light coming from a TV (playing white noise at low volume) in the corner.

I thought this might be a good opportunity to go over the rules of the haunt, maybe presented in a news/documentary format. The TV would interrupt the low hum of white noise like it all of a sudden regained reception of course at a somewhat higher volume. The show would be something I had put together giving maybe a little history and the rules of the haunt.

During the video I'd like to flash random images of fear and creepiness. Maybe even add some elements similar to what's seen in the movie Whitenoise.

Any ideas on what kind of video editing software I would need for doing fade in/out type transitions, generating white noise, maybe even make the audio/video stutter, speed up/slow down, maybe even go in/out of focus?

If I can find the right software I think this could be a very cool effect.

Comments/concerns/suggestions?

[Scareside]

For my video effects I use a combination of Adobe AFTER EFFECTS and Adobe PREMIERE. Both are a little pricey but the results are great. If you know someone who is a student somewhere you could pick up a cheaper student copy.

For the random blur, time, ect, There is a plug-in for after effects called twitch from videocopilot.net . You should check it out.

If you need any examples / tests feel free to contact me, video is what I do.

[evilmanor]

Thanks for the input Scareside. I've looked at the Adobe stuff and yes it's a bit pricey. Was hoping there was something a little cheaper as I've never done any video editing and don't want to be out hard earned money on something that won't allow ME to get the desired results.

If I get the video footage I want would you be willing to do the editing and add the transitions/effects? If you're interested shoot me an email at studioforty5 at yahoo.

[Mr Nightmarez]

You know there are 'share ware' versions of something like this available too?

[The Nightmare Factory]

We do this very thing in our pre-show room.

We are luky to have a rather large room that we an bring in four different groups, one at a time. once in the room the rules play, along with mood music and effects.

Each group is divided by using props, bookselves and displays. Keeping in theme with the area. Once the rules are gone over, about 40 seconds, group one goes in, a new group enters the vacant space. a minute passes and group two goes in, and a new group fills in the space, and so on, all the time the rules are plaing on screens through out the room.

I would be glad to go over our design and how we monitor group movement into the haunt and through the haunt.

We move a new group into a transition hallway that leads to the atual haunt ever 60 seonds or so.