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  • Silent haunt

    Just had a thought I figured I would cast out and see what bites.

    Has anyone tried a Silent haunt as in a haunt that focused primarily on lack of sound? Of course their would be some sounds but say combine darkness with a majority of silence with only key sounds kicking in. Something that could simulate that feeling you get when you go outside and its dead quiet, too quiet. Just wondering if anyone has tried something like that or some sort of sensory deprovation without subjecting the customers to full on sensory deprovation like in Blackout.

    Was just picturing a pitch black maze with various open rooms with nothing but stratigically placeds sounds such as an actor just dragging something "heavy" across the floor or even just the sound of heavy breathing. In essence using sound as your prop. Would def be more the "what you don't see that scares you" idea with the customers imagination filling in the blanks in your haunt (and budget lets be honest).

    I remember disney had something like this for one of their alien rides but you were stationary in your seat.

    Thanks for any feedback.

  • #2
    I personally like the idea

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    • #3
      you cannot have a silent haunt. Its like testing something in a vacuum, as soon as you put something in a vacuum- you no longer have a vacuum. The guests will have a moment of discomfort because of the lack of sound then they will make enoug noise for them to become comfortable. having sound is something they can control. For several years my trails sound track was crickets and whatever sounds my actors can make. It was nice but I wasnt able to sculpt their mood without control of the sound.
      Allen H
      www.Stiltbeaststudios.com
      http://www.youtube.com/user/Stiltbea...s?feature=mhee

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      • #4
        Sound tracks, loud noises work well.

        Except in my Haunted, Haunted House. Ambient sounds here have often got people's "attention" and increased their awe and wonder???
        A dog and two cats upstairs right above their heads, scurring around chasing one another also suddenly becomes some harbenger of fear to come for many .. (are you laughing yet?) All TRUE!
        If a din of sound is simply way too loud, I think many turn it off in their head, unless it is so loud it is rattling their teeth in their sockets!
        As patrons travel through Ravens Grin I am narrating the tour, and they have the opportunity to speak to me or express themselves. When people know each other in the group these communications can add to their fun and happy memories of their time here.
        I tried using a Big, Noisey sound track once when I first started, it was definately a mood influencer, but it didn't create or help the mood I was seeking .
        Anyone remember some ancient ad on TV:"If you want to get someone's attention... whisper.?"
        When the house is more quiet than not, I have scared people with very slight noises and making loud noises uncommon also sets up the loud sound (if it is to happen?) to be more scary and effective.
        So as all of this is how my house is, now maybe it can be understood how much incredible fun I can have here , scaring grown adults by simply shuffling my feet as I very slowly walk across a very dark room!
        A few weeks ago a man who is getting into the haunted prop business was here alone and I was only half way across the dark room, shuffling, when he suddenly says loudly:"OK! I've had enough!" Very scared !
        He later had to laugh at himself.
        A female writer for Chicago Magazine also wrote about these kinds of things she experienced here during her tour, it was hysterical!
        I am sure there has never existed any sound track that could generate as much fear and fun as what I have just described here.
        hauntedravensgrin.com

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        • #5
          And, of Course...

          These are just some of the reasons that a tour of The Ravens Grin Inn requires from 60 to 90 minutes to complete! (Sometimes even longer if we are all having fun and nobody else shows up for a tour.)
          hauntedravensgrin.com

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          • #6
            Thanks for the feedback.

            Maybe set up a few scenes ahead of time, with some ambient sound and then have just a large room, no light, no sound. and just an actor dragging something heavy across the floor. The customers will make noise of course and don't forget 99.9% of cell phones have flashlights. So of course they will start queuing those up and as soon as they see the actor all decked out dragging say a VERY large ax/knife/ etc behind em. Thats when another actor could pop out or set off a loud noise. Once thats set up. Once you establish that silence as a bad thing or a specific sound to key them off just continue with that.

            The silence would of course magnify the experience. Maybe not a totally silent haunt as I originally though but focus more on silence with a few strategically placed sounds to boost the atmosphere.

            Comment


            • #7
              Minus Jim and a few other crafty artists who can narrate as they go and don't require it, no sound is silly. You are to create a mood, not remove one. If I go into a haunt with no sound, it feels too comfortable. Even if someone jumps out at me, many are comfortable with silence. Silence can't mask movements of actors, knees cracking, material shifting, footsteps. Nothing. Seems sort of weird to not assault their senses and simply make it a "meh" experience. Just my two cents though. Not saying silence doesn't work in all scenarios, but theming a whole haunt or even more than a room or two would be counter productive.

              Just my opinion.

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              • #8
                as im reading

                its hard but I agree with what everyone is saying and only had one more piece of input here. the size of the group going through the bigger the group the more noise the group makes... the smaller the group the more likely other people in line will hear there screams from people already in side getting scared. that's all I have really

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                • #9
                  Then to Make use of sounds you already have.

                  Like a small air compressor that was not going into my compressor room, 90 feet away from where I neded the air, so I put the little compressor under the hood of my wrecked car.(Weather Proof too!) I use the noise it makes as an engine noise (which can fool some people) which all fits in with what happens next.
                  "I don't believe it! My wrecked car hasn't run in 12 years!?"
                  Then the air from this compressor makes the hidden UFO fly up and out of it's hiding place, which in Hollywood logic could be a rational explaination for my junk car being able to run again!
                  The UFO is piloted by our "Designated Driver", "He will give you a ride "Home", although it might take awhile, since he has those prodding experiments to do on you first."
                  hauntedravensgrin.com

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                  • #10
                    As a side note:

                    Never throw away any metal. For years I hung onto a blade-edge for a road maintainer. maybe 14 feet long? By only maybe 3/8 of an inch thick, by maybe 3-4 inches wide and of course a Very Solid piece of steel. (with some bolt holes already in it, I made use of later)
                    This is the high "Teeter-toter" that lifts my UFO up . Looking pretty much straight at this thin piece of steel , most can not see it, it is also using some camo cloth and is located in a setting of trees and over-growth of the under-growth.
                    So, this piece of steel is probably the thinnest, smallest,longest, strongest piece of steel that I could ever find to use this way. and it was "Free".
                    hauntedravensgrin.com

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