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  • Scare or Detail

    What do you think is more important. Scare or detail. Last year we went for the scare. People liked it.
    Slash
    "If you fail to plan, plan to fail"

  • #2
    Scare definately! Use detail for distraction to set up the scare.

    Comment


    • #3
      Bottom line...

      If your haunted house doesn't have detail you're just another run of the mill attraction. ANYONE can have a scary haunted house if thats all you're aiming to do...and those haunts can and will do some people.

      But the attraction that do the big business have both.

      Your eye candy (detail) sells the attraction to the public first and foremost, and secondly they expect to get scared. It works in that order.

      Example: No one knows if they're going to get scared until after they've bought a ticket, and gone through the show.

      But they don't know whether or not they're going to buy a ticket until after they've reviewed your website and seen what your show looks like.

      Detail first and scares second, but in order to be super successful you've got to have both.

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

      Comment


      • #4
        I have to dissagree larry, you see there are haunts that can use alot of dark some lighting, and mabe 4-5 detailed scenes and put through ove 200,000 and then have them come back the next year or even week! its not the detail always, its more the way the scare is arranged, taking a drop potrait for instance, The common one drops inside the frame, this makes it disguinshable from the "real" pictures, but if the frame fell with the picture it makes the scare that much harder to see, plus the room doesnt have to be very detailed. you do need both, but everywhere doesnt have to be detailed, if it looks good it looks great but really, you dont have to be detailed to be
        super successful
        Just my 1 3/4 cents, Steve
        www.Doomsdayproductions.com
        www.RealmofTerror.com

        Comment


        • #5
          When it comes to creating a detailed set or scene let your imagination" go"(or if your's is weak or faulty use a house pet's imagination).
          I believe a large part of anyone wanting to have a night out is to see and experince something different, and the more different it is, the more likely they will remember it and maybe even tell their friends.
          If your mindset is basically the business side of it all, find someone who is the artistic type and encourage and support them and them stand back and be amazed at what they might create! A little encouragement can often do wonders!
          Of course money also must be forthcoming to provide the materials, expect to spend money, expect to then see results.
          hauntedravensgrin.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Steve, "Detail" ? Does this mean have alot of props and things for the customers to jump backwards into? This makes life more interesting doesn't it!
            How about my Pants-Drop scare?
            How about my picture-drop that doesn"t drop, it rotates on a 3/4 inch steel shaft through sealed bearings, built to last!! Detail!
            hauntedravensgrin.com

            Comment


            • #7
              If I go to a haunted house and am not scared, I won't be a repeat customer. I would, however, return to a haunted house where I was scared if the detail was minimal. After all, the point of going to a haunted house is to be scared.
              In our town, a detailed house that isn't scary is called a "tour of homes".

              Ideally, detailing AND scares are the better choice. But for the big business I vote for detail, scares, Elvira and free coke and pizza!

              Comment


              • #8
                Steve,

                I agree with you that having dark mazes or whatever is a great asset to any haunted house and they're indeed not detailed what so ever.

                However I never said you shouldn't have area's that aren't detailed due to those areas being more scary. I totally agree you should should sacrfice detail in some area's if it would interfere with the scare as in the case of black mazes as I have black mazes.

                Bottom line it's a fact that detailed haunts do more business.

                The most visited haunt in the world is Disney's Haunted Mansion, that isn't scary what so ever but the detail and the effects are worth their weight in gold. I know that is a bad example in some light because it's inside Disney, but i f you took that attraction and put it anywhere it would still be as popular.

                Bottom line: detailed haunts will always do more business.

                They must be scary, I'm not in any way shape or form saying they shouldn't be scary, I'm only saying a haunt that is scary that has great detail will always do more business.

                I leave you with this...

                Jealousy aspect...THIS IS TRUE BTW. Everytime I talk to another haunt owner in some town, I'll ask about this haunt which I hear does great business. The guy I'm talking to always says the same thing no matter what state, no matter what country I'm in..."Yeah it looks good, but everyone says our haunted house is scarier".

                They know the neat looking haunt does more business, they know its more well known, but they always through that curve bell saying "but everyone says our haunt is scarier".

                Well then I wish someone would tell me why if everyone with the scarier haunt doesn't do as much business as the haunt that is more detailed and not as scary??? Two words: PRODUCTION VALUE!

                Fact #2: The guy with the detailed haunt isn't neccessarily not as scary the problem they're having is scaring all those people who're going through the door. The guy with the non-detailed haunt can scare them better because he's only doing half the business on any givin night and thats why that was is scarier.

                Anyone who's ever put through 3 thousand people in one night knows just how hard it is to scare the people, opposed to a night when you do only 300 people.

                I remember one time some newspaper reporter was doing a story on haunts in our area...and they said this one charity haunt was scarier than our haunted house. They said our looked a million times better but theirs was scarier...they went on to describe how every actor chased them around the entire house, they were being mauled by actors and finally chased them right out to their cars.

                WOW...hmmm. Well on that same night we did over 3000 people and they did like 30 people. Yeah I guess every actor can leave their scenes and chase every single customer right to their cars. So i wonder if it was that scary why in the world didn't they do the business???

                Because it's NOT all about scaring people, it's about entertaining people.

                Entertaining people comes in all different forms not just making people cry for mercy!

                Keep in mind if you scare someone to much they'll never come back.

                What a dilema, huh?

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

                Comment


                • #9
                  I vote for scare. It's harder for us to judge this because when we go through a haunt we're looking for the cool props and detail things. But the average person or teenager that goes through a haunt that isn't that scary isn't going to say to they're friends after "well, that wasn't very scary but did you see all that detail?!?" Detail is improtant to add if you can, but i think its more important to get the scares down first.
                  Just my opinion...
                  Mike Quill
                  Fear Town Haunted House

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    "It wasn't scary!"
                    Don't you love it, this comes out of the mouth of the young guy who was quivvering , trembling and begging to be walked around a potentially scary part of the tour just a few seconds ago.
                    I think alot of guys don't like going into a haunted house environment because they seem to feel that their manhood will be tested and graded via their reactions, and afterall, this is the great unpredictable unknown, right? At least the rest of us all hope that it is to make it an interesting , entertaining experience and give out a positive vibe for all haunts by osmosis.
                    So Larry, what would your estimate be as to the number of employees a haunt would have to have to have everyone of 3,000 customers in one night have someone chasing them through a haunt?
                    Employees wear out being so physically ambitious afterall.
                    hauntedravensgrin.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I agree completely with what Larry said...and Jim of course. Very scary is fine but you're greatly reducing the amount of customers you could have. We don't try to be the scariest and to be honest the thing I think about most in bed the night before opening is, "Is it scary enough???" But it always seems to be just scary enough once the actors get into the groove.

                      We also go for funny, cool and neat. There for, we have 10 year olds all the way to Grandparents on a regular basis. Yes, they get scared, but not horrified. They have FUN. They come back next week to see what they missed (cause of all the detail) and they come back next year because it was so fun. Lots of people won't come back if it's too scary or if the actors "milk" the scare trying to get more screams (I HATE that).

                      If you go big on scary and not so big on the other stuff that's fine and you'll get pleanty of high school kids. We are loaded with high school kids but their parents love the place too. We much prefer the crowd that's heavy on 30 and 40 something folks. Less distructive, less vulgar, they have more money and love being ENTERTAINED. The crew loves the whole mix too and the busier we are the more they get into it.

                      If a house isn't scary, they won't come back, maybe so, but if ALL it is is scary there's a LOT of people that won't even go. As Larry said, entertain them and you'll broaden your customer base.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        What is "SCARY"? You may get a few startles out of the big black maze, but I think people will actually feel more "scared" (without anyone even getting in their face yet) being in well detailed scenes where there are things going on all around them. You definitely need both. I agree with LK, Jim, and Gypsy wholeheartedly.
                        Chris Riehl
                        Sales@spookyfinder.com
                        (586)209-6935
                        www.spookyfinder.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I myself believe it's 50/50. Without detail, there is no mood, no atmosphere, nothing to build up the scare, nothing to play with their minds and get out everything you possibly can in one opportunity. Like Larry said about the Haunt Mansion, the detail itself is incredible and thats part the reason people want to go back. It is, however, the things the details does that makes everything in the haunt seem that much better. The theatrical mood and setting is placed all around you, from detail with all the sound, lights, props, the staff and even the slightly chilling temparature inside. Once you set all this, once the anticipation has been built and their attension grabbed with the detail....this is where the scares are at their best.
                          - - Luke - -

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I myself believe it's 50/50. Without detail, there is no mood, no atmosphere, nothing to build up the scare, nothing to play with their minds and get out everything you possibly can in one opportunity. Like Larry said about the Haunt Mansion, the detail itself is incredible and thats part the reason people want to go back. It is, however, the things the details does that makes everything in the haunt seem that much better. The theatrical mood and setting is placed all around you, from detail with all the sound, lights, props, the staff and even the slightly chilling temparature inside. Once you set all this, once the anticipation has been built and their attension grabbed with the detail....this is where the scares are at their best.
                            - - Luke - -

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Scares

                              I voted 50/50, but I think its more 75/25, with scares being more important.

                              I can understand Larry's point of view, he makes a living selling attractions (as do I) and his customers, paying tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, expect highly detailed scenes.

                              The actual customers of the attraction, however, wants to be scared, and a majority of the time don't care about, or won't even NOTICE the distressed wallpaper, patina finish, dusted cobwebs, etc.

                              I disagree with Larry that anyone can create a truly SCARY haunt. It is an artform. While anyone can get a group of 15 year old girls to scream and hide their eyes, it takes a lot of skill and talent to make the typical adult male jump. It is even more dificult to scare other haunters... most of them have seen it all. If you make them jump a few times and can really keep them guessing about where that next scare is coming from, they will always have a great time, regardless of how much wallpaper you use.
                              Chris Riehl
                              Sales@spookyfinder.com
                              (586)209-6935
                              www.spookyfinder.com

                              Comment

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