First budget is in... Please help...

[Frightener]

Ok. I just sold my Nova SS. I have $7,000 left from the cash and will be using it at for HOPEFULLY the large props that I WILL be buying.

I need opinions however, on what to use it on. First off, this money WILL be spent in this manner. I need to get it out of the way so I can start saving for marketing / rent.

with that said. 2012 will be our first year. We want to open with as much bang as we can! ALL of the haunts in this area are SMALL! And I do mean small! They are NO WHERE NEAR big attractions like you guys have, so keep that in mind. I don't need $125k in props! And TONS of ppl go! I want the wow factor when ppl leave! In fact, I want to make it a habbit of people to get out, and go right back into the line lol. Would you get the biggest, 1 thing, or lots of smaller items? Bring it to me. I will make a lot of cool sets, like dungeons and cathedral type walls etc, so I don't need facade's or anything, but I have thought of those vinyl wall sets, they look VERY cool!

So, through what you guys see or have seen, what would YOU buy for your "wow" props? I can already make some pretty cool TCT's, Coffin flingers etc. But I need something I CAN'T build! So that means like, a large animitronic like scarefactory's Angel of Death or something.
I know it's odd to ask, and a lot to ask, but you guys are very cool here, and I know some of you wouldn't mind sharing with me. SO!

If you had $7,000 to spend on prefab'd items, on your first year, what would you buy? Get to shop with my money so to speak.

Any and ALL Ideas are welcomed!> My theme is "Night Terrors" It will be an investigation, A "ride" if you will, to examine the parallel world that's infiltrating our world causing the night terrors and nightmares. Scientists have devised a way to "visit" this realm that's threading into ours and you will crash in that realm. Leaving the capsule / machine you'll run into ALMOST ANYTHING YOU CAN NIGHTMARE ON! So I can have a wide variety of different style rooms.

GO! :P

[poison]

This is a GOOD starting place!

If you want bang for your buck check out www.PoisonProps.com
There is almost 150 different animations to choose from.
Coming to Transworld with even more : )

[Frightener]

Thanks Adam. Yeah I've been all over your site lol. There's a few I've got my eye on. I want to buy at TW, but the thing is, I gotta buy something from a vendor that's going just to get an invite. Kinda aggravating but I understand at the same time. I just hate being forced to buy something just to get invited.

See you at TW... Hopefully!

[Capt.Chaos]

Bang for your buck

Last year I spent $6K on animatronics from Dark Raven. They are awesome! Realistic!And worked flawless! But I got way more scares and people talking about my $30 flash cracker from fright props. In my experience I would pass on all the cool animatronics until later in your venture. Focus on actors,costuming,realism and visitor flow through your attraction. I realize you have $7K burning a hole in your pocket, but I would save it until you have your whole layout done. Then once you have that done, go to Trans and look for vendors or differant scares to use in your differant sets. Im not saying NO to animatronics but I am telling you from experience not to blow your cash all on that one kick ass prop.

Here is some ideas
Flash Crackers from fright Props $30
Boomstick or cattle prod from Spooky Props $100
Air cannon $300
A room with laser lighting and Fog $500
Some projection Video FX (numerous at Trans)
There you go 4-5 rooms covered and you still have enough money for some great costuming and marketing.
Who cares how cool your haunt is if you cant get anyone to see it. Hope that helps.

Chaos

[screamforadream]

Do NOT do something like that, you'd be foolish. Small or not, I bet those haunts you're referring to have been around for a WHILE. They have customers because they've become a tradition. You can't become a tradition overnight. Instead of that super crazy one prop, invest your ass off on creating the BEST actors/characters and interactive scares. Flash crackers die in about two weekends....only use boom sticks. We learned that lesson.

Get cool hand tools, actor props (gore galore has a LOT and they're top notch!)
Check out Shattered FX or CFX and get really cool masks and gloves, the twin and the creature by shattered fx sounds great for your theme.

Make the best sets and best characters and best scares you can. Rope them in with your eye candy next year or something.


And did I read right? You don't have a location yet?? That kinda sorta really takes priority over buying props....lol.

[Jim Warfield]

And just What are the customers impressed by?

I have always felt it was the human inter-action with real other people who have a real brain, real mobility, know where the short cuts are in the dark to be multiple places , all things that no expensive prop can ever do (yet)
They also should know when Not to scare somebody who is a small, crying child about to become the owner of terrifying nightmares for the next 20 years of their lives.(or more?)
I had probably had my house open for at least 5 years before I bought an aircompressor to operate one prop that had been a gift to me, then I built other props.
There are more ways to effect movement than just air compressors and computrerized switching.
"KISS"? (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and build it solidly it will be seeing various kinds of abuse, much or it unforseen and unplanned.
(Unforseen by those of us who don't see the world through azzwhole colored lenses of vandalisim and alcohol poisoning.)
but, what do I know?
If it works for you, it's OK because.... it works.

[Allen H]

$7,000 buy one show stopper or many items.....hmmmm.
In my experience guests wont remember much about your show- it is sensory overload. Coming out of the show they remember if they liked it or not- but very few details.
So have details to make them like it- but not pne big detail that you need them to remember or else the memory of the show suffers. So I agree with most on here- better to go for 7$1000 things to build 7 cool rooms around as opposed to one $7,000. one fantasic room can make the others feel cheap.
Allen H

[Frightener]

Thanks for the info guys. Well, this is the first round of MY money. The money that will only be spent on prefab'd. I have 3 more chunks of money going towards building, small props etc. This is ONLY for larger things!

I will have probably close to $18k in the rest of the ordeal. Which, I already have 8ft tall statics that are cool, some pop up monsters, Trash can terror styles and other props that are always in motion. I have 2 different budgets set aside for set building. I have 6 rooms laid out on paper that's done except for building.

I am gauranteed ONE spot if i want it, I just want a bigger place!! We have a fair grounds which I'm 75% sure I can get into, an old school 30 miles away I'm about 50% sure I can get into. I HAVE spots in play. I'm just going to build offsite to accommodate the smallest one, and go from there. But yes, ABSOLUTELY a building is top priority. But Like I said, if all else fails... my brother in law's going to have one HE11 OF A YARD HAUNT!!! lmao.

EDIT* Ohh also, yeah this afternoon after some medicine wore off and I took a nap, I was considering just getting one of those big cool arse puppets! (not sure the real name, but it's probably been mentioned above) and just using that. I KNOW, without a doubt, if I succeed in doing the haunt next year, people will be thrilled! The haunts around here barely have decent sets. So My main concern is having sets so real, and so awesome that they'll just wanna stop and touch everything! ... ok.. well maybe not EVERYTHING :P i want my actors to have to push them out in other words! :P

Oh btw, DVDs!? Any suggestions on some DVD's that are out there I can snag early and study on?

[Marr Branch]

Dark Works FX

Dark Works FX have an awesome prop called the villian. When my patrons triggered him they would not take there eyes off him. At the same time my chainsaw man fired up the husky right under there ass. Customers ran,pissed,cried, and some laughed. As long as i get a reaction it's all good.

[HauntedPaws]

Speaking as new haunter this was my plan.

First I went though every cool site and made a list of every prop I liked. Next to each I listed the price too.
Next I tried to think of themes and what on my list could go in each theme.
Then I took my budget and tried drawing up each section and put props in each theme.
Yes you go WOW factor but within ur budget. Not everything needs to be awesome, else it'll lose its wow factor.

[screamforadream]

Larry has a few on his site hauntedhousesupplies.com but I subscribe to Allen's YouTube channel. It kicks ass!!

[Frightener]

Thanks for the help guys. I think we've about decided to buy a few props about $1,500 each and put the rest back in case we need it. We have 2 cards we're going to expend for the first 2 rooms. We're building the rooms at the house here, then will worry about stitching them together later.

Thanks for the help.

[Jim Warfield]

Just today.. As I was doing ..

..some little things here , I was reminded how for the first five years of owning this place that I never bought a piece of wood. I tore down old buildings, people gave me wood piles, dumpsters, saw off the rot, square it up, use it.(Pull the nails out)
I also used many of the old things that were left in this house to make things from, which worked just fine.
The old hill-farmers motto:"It's not how much money you "make" it's how much that you don't spend that counts!"
"I made a million dollars last, but I spent two million."
"I made 50,000, but I only spent $1,000... who's ahead?
Of course everything is relative. If you make more money more easily than most people, go buy everything. Be "Happy!"
ENJOY!

[Dr Spooktakular]

Frightener,
I sent you a PM about How-To DVD's.

[xtremecreator]

Best thing you could do is BUY USED.

Props lose thier value 30 to 50% as soon as you buy it.

Your more likely to resell it for what you paid..

Sent you a PM

John
XtremeCreators LLC