Haunt Weekly

This week's Haunt Weekly begins with something of a programming note. Originally, we had planned to have Japes Palles on to talk about actor recruitment and training while working remotely. However, some severe weather struck his area and he was not able to come on. So, we will have that conversation next week, same time, same channel. In the meantime, we wish Japes the best of luck with the cleanout of his basement. Good luck and please be safe!So, this week's episode was a bit hurriedly put together but we are talking about an equally important item, namely 10 COVID-19-related things that your haunt should be doing right now.Yes, it's only May but no matter when your haunt opens, it will be while COVID-19 is still a thing. So, it's best to start preparing right now and here are just a few places you can start.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuarantine ResourcesQuestion for the AudienceIntro to the TopicSetting Up Virtual Queueing/Timed TicketingInvesting in Hand Sanitizer Stations

As sick as we all are of the phrase "In these uncertain times" there's not much doubt that these are, indeed, uncertain times and that means a lot to keep up on.That includes for the haunted attraction industry. Even though our season may not begin in earnest for many months, there's a lot of news that directly impacts us and may alter if we have that season at all.So, with that in mind, I promise that, if you get through the bad news this week, we will leave you on a happy note. So get ready as we go through all of the haunt news that's fit to print.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuarantine ResourcesQuestion for the AudienceMidsummer Scream Cancelled (https://www.dailynews.com/2020/05/01/long-beach-halloween-convention-midsummer-scream-canceled-due-to-pandemic/)Fear Factory in Salt Lake City to Open This Month (https://horrorbuzz.com/2020/05/05/fear-factory-in-salt-lake-city-to-open-for-halfway-to-halloween-event/)Orlando Leaders Highlight New Potential Rules for Theme Parks

When you go to more than a dozen haunts in a year, you start to see a lot of the same things come up over and over again. Some of those things are fine, especially when they are used well, but many of them don't add much to the haunt and are just kind of... odd.So this week we're taking a look at those things, examining some of the more commonly used tropes in the haunt industry and picking on seven that we see as not just being overused but outright abused.So sit back, relax and enjoy as we tackle some of the tropes, including some that we admittedly love.This Week's Episode Includes: IntroQuestion of the WeekThe Reason for the TopicClownsStereotypical CharactersBlackout Portions (Especially Mazes)Heavy Metal MusicTwo Kinds of Women RolesClaustrophobia and Vertigo TunnelsHidden FeesAnswering the Weekly QuestionConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!PS: Apologies to Ryan Gregor, whom I repeatedly made Irish by calling him Ryan MacGregor for reasons that defy explanat

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're taking a look at an issue most haunts will face: How to best help and support actors with chronic conditions.To helps with this, we have brought on two amazing haunters, Derek and Shalisa Muehlberger from Scary Train (https://www.kirbyfarm.com/the-lost-railroad), which is one of the many events held at Kirby Family Farm. Not only do they both have chronic conditions themselves, but their positions mean that they recruit, train and work with other actors that do as well.So sit back, relax and enjoy as we spend the hour talking about ways to recruit and keep some great actors...This Week's Episode Includes:IntroductionDiscussion with Derek and Shalisa About Supporting Actors with Chronic ConditionsWhat Actors with Chronic Conditions Can Do To Help Their HauntsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guests: Derek Muehlberger and Shalisa Muehlberger.Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWe

Haunters, just like any profession, have a language and jargon all of our own. But for 228 episodes we've been using a lot of the lingo without making any attempt to actually define what any of it means.This week we are fixing that by going through some of the more common terms and expressions used in the haunt industry and among its membersSo, get your jargon hat on as we're opening the book on just some of the key terms haunters (and their customers) use.This Week's Episode Includes: IntroQuarantine Resources for HauntersUpdates From Our HauntAbout the TopicHaunt Building/Construction TermsHaunt Acting & Operation TermsMiscellaneous TermsConclusionsAll in all, this is one packed episode that you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

It's another episode divisible by four and that means it's time to do the news but man what a strange time to do haunt news. Usually, in April we're scraping by on a drip-feed of HHN news and haunt awards. However, thanks to COVID-19, there's actually a lot of interesting stuff going on.So, with that in mind, we are just going to jump right in with a look at all of the haunt news that's fit to not print from the past four weeks.This Week's Episode Includes: IntroCOVID-19 ResourcesHalloween Horror Nights 30 Details (https://attractionsmagazine.com/rumor-queue-halloween-horror-nights-30-universal-orlando-houses/)Museum of Death Cuts Ties with AntiChrist KramerPennsylvania Haunt Offers 30-Day Mobile Haunt Experience (https://www.pr.com/press-release/809820)Froggy's Fog Switches to Selling Sanitizer (https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/news/20200330/froggys-fog-from-smoke-to-sanitizer)Under the Grave Event Takes Place at Mississippi Haunt (https://www.wxxv25.com/2020/03/23/grave

Even as the quarantine drags on and haunters find themselves either worrying about the upcoming season or occupying their time with whatever projects they can do, Haunt Weekly marches on.To that end, we started thinking about what haunts might be doing if things weren't sideways and quickly realized that it's Easter and, for many haunts, that means special holiday openings. While they may not be happening this Easter, such holiday openings are becoming more and more common for haunts as they seek to expand their season. However, oftentimes, they wind up being just weak versions of the haunt's usual show.So this week we're talking about holiday haunts and how you, with little time and money, can make a holiday haunt that feels both special and different.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroAnnouncement About Don't Be a Monster AuctionAnnouncement About Weekly LIVE RecordingsQuarantine Resources for HauntersHistory on the TopicCreating Unique CharactersRedecorating Your HauntCostuming

We hear you. ANOTHER Coronavirus episode. We hear the groans and we sympathize. We promise to be back to (more) normal next week but, for right now, we have some resources and suggestions we want to get into your hands.You see, as more and more of us are going into various forms of lockdown, we're finding ourselves with a lot of extra time on our hands. Some of us are actively building our haunts but, for many, that's not possible. For those, there are some virtual ways to get your haunt fix.To that end, here is a list of some great virtual resources for haunters as well as answers to some of the most common questions we're seeing haunters ask.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroHousekeepingWe Are Doing a Virtual Haunt Tour!Haunt Connec by HAuNTconHaunter's Hangout and Haunter's ToolboxQuarantine-O-WeenDon't Be a Monster Virtual AuctionTransworld 2020 Vendor CatalogsFree ShudderCommon COVID-19 Questions AnsweredConclusionsAll in all, whether you're on lockdown or not, thi

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're continuing the proud tradition of finding people smarter than ourselves to discuss the topics at hand. Today, that means sitting down with Chris Gay, an EMT and rescue chief that is also the brains behind Haunt Tech Tips and a regular speaker to the haunt community about how to prepare for medical emergencies.With everything going on with COVID-19 and the concerns about how it could impact the haunt industry, now is the time to start thinking about potential changes, both inside your haunt and outside of it, that can help reduce the spread of this and other viruses.Over the podcast, Chris explains multiple ways to reduce the spread of infection in your haunt, ranging from simple design changes to reduce the spread of germs to potential big changes behind the scenes to keep your actor safe. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroductionIntro to Chris Gay and His WorkWhat Haunts Can Do to Reduce the Spread of GermsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode that you do not w

What a week to have a news podcast. Though we were hoping we would be able to completely avoid talking about the coronavirus and leave that to the experts, the impacts on the haunt industry are officially far too great to ignore.So, for better or worse, that is the bulk of this week's news episode. I'm sorry it's a bit of a downer and just one more piece of COVID-19 news to throw on the pile, but it's the nature of the world right now and not something that can be ignored. This includes events that took place on Friday the 13th as we will look at how many took place versus how many canceled/postponed.So, without any further ado. Here's a look at what's in the news this week.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference Reminders (With Additional Updates)Updates Locally and HousekeepingHow Many Haunts Were Open This Weekend?Transworld PostponedScreamWorld Has Last Night (https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/screamworld-closing-for-good-friday-the-13th/285-6c2a6e92-8e68-4d37

We haunters tend to be a strange bunch. We work insanely long hours under grueling conditions. We do it for little (if any) pay and, in return, we get to hang out in a macabre world our creation and, if we're lucky, scare some people.Why would people choose this? Why did we choose it? What possible force in the universe could make an otherwise reasonably sane peprson put themselves through all of this for a scare? It's easy to step back and say, "We do it because we're haunters," but that's not the answer. Why do people become haunters?To that end, we have some theories and we've tracked down five elements that go into making pretty much every haunter we've known. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About UsWhy Haunters Are Strange CreaturesElement 1: A Creative SteakElement 2: A Wee Bit of MacabreElement 3: A Desire for Power or Lack of RestraintElement 4: A Desire for FamilyElement 5: A Pinch of InsanityHow to Apply ThisConclusion

Haunts put a lot of thought and effort into marketing and trying to build a brand, but far too often sabotage it with unforced errors and simple mistakes. You work hard to make sure your customers think highly of you and want to come back year after year. However, one small misstep can damage or even wreck all of that goodwill. So it's not enough to have a good brand strategy in place, you need to watch out for pitfalls that you, your actors or your marketing can fall into to damage it. To that end, here are some of the more common ways we've seen haunted attractions sabotage their own brand unintentionally.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About UsIntro Into BrandingInconsistent DesignIrrelevant MerchandiseLack of Social Media RulesInappropriate Content for the BrandAdvertising Things Not in the HauntRogue ActorsCharacter ControlConclusionsAll in all, whether you're the brand manager or just an actor in the haunt, this is an episode you do NOT want to mi

Two weeks ago we discussed the things we hate about being haunters. This week we're flipping the script and spreading the love. The truth is that we love being haunters and wouldn't trade it for the world. Sure, as we said last time, there are things we could do without, but there's a lot to love about haunting and that's what this episode is all about.So let's find our inner hippie and spread some peace and love as we go over just some of the reasons we love the things that we do!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About Us10 Things We Love About Being HauntersConclusionsAll in all, if you're a haunter at all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly it's time to do the news! Since we had to skip the news last month we actually have two months of content to go through so this is going to be one packed episode to say the last.We have some difficult news from Field of Screams, an update on the Joilet Prison and an interesting Valentine's Day promotion for one haunted attraction. Couple that with some other big haunt stories and you have a very full 50 minutes of haunt news and content.So sit down and take a listen, it's time to get caught up!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntInfo About our Upcoming Witchita TripActors at Field of Screams Voice Concerns (https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/field-of-screams-addresses-allegations-from-its-actors-and-volunteers/521-36979387-e894-4380-8507-9d40aed26cd1)6. Man Charged for Sexual Assault on Haunt Employee (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/1/30/21115401/charges-man-inappropriately-touched-haunted-hous

Being a haunter is great. We get to build neat stuff, scare a lot of people and do things that would never be allowed in polite society otherwise. That said, there are a few things about haunting we could definitely do without. The abject poverty, the stress, the fighting and the jerk customers all hash the buzz pretty nicely.So, with that in mind, we're going to look at some of the things we actually do hate about being haunters, in particular home haunts. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntA Housekeeping Note10 Things We Hate About HauntingConclusionsAll in All, this is an episode I think every haunter can relate do and definitely an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

When it comes to questions we got at HAuNTcon, this was one of the more surprising. Several people asked how we got started haunting.The answer is: Terribly. We got started terribly. But we have managed to keep it going for 15 years and, with luck, you can too. To make that happen we had to make a lot of adjustments along the way. Though we made some good decisions in the beginning, we had a lot to learn. Now, we're offering you the chance to learn from our wise decisions and our mistakes alike to start your home haunt in a way that will keep it going for a long time to come. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntIntro to the TopicLegal StuffWorking with the NeighborsCreating a BudgetDesign StuffFamily CareActor CareThe Actual BuildConclusionsAll in all, if you're interested in starting a home haunt, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntwe

We had such a fun time at HAuNTcon but one of the questions we got repeatedly surprised us. So many people wanted to know how we queue or time our actors. We never really put too much thought into how we do it but, as we talked about it, we realized that we had been through hell and back on the issue and now, 15 years later, it was coming pretty easy to us. So, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and discuss the good, the bad and the ugly ways we tried to time our actors.Get ready for some embarrassment and, hopefully, some helpful tips for your haunt.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntOur Biggest Timing FailuresOur Biggest Timing SuccessesConclusionsAll in all, whether you run a haunt, build scares or are an actor, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss. Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

HAuNTcon 2020 is in the books and what a weekend it has been. There was much education to be had, parties to attend, drinking to be done and, most importantly, haunt fellowship to be had. As amazing and chaotic as it was, we're going to try and recap it all in under an hour. Impossible you say? That's because you're right. But it won't stop us from trying. We're sorry to anyone we forgot but our brains are mush and our bodies are exhausted. Thank you for your patience with us!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntThursday (The Bus Tour)Friday (Classes and Haunt Visit)Saturday (Our Class)Sunday (The Day of Not Rest)Monday (The Aftermath)ConclusionsAll in all, whether you were at HAuNTcon or not, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

When you build and run a haunt, you buy a lot of things. Some of those purchases work out and become worth their weight in gold, others... not so much.Even though we're overgrown home haunters, we've made a LOT of purchases in the past 15 years and, as we reflect on our buying choices, we see some savvy moves and some major mistakes. Today, we're going to tell you both kinds of stories.So, on that note, get ready for some cringe and some good love stories!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About Our HauntRules of the Episode5 Haunt Purchase Regrets5 Haunt Purchases We LoveConclusionsNo matter what role you plan in a haunt, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

HAuNTcon is just around the corner and, as we've done in years gone by, we're looking ahead to see what we are most excited about. This includes looking at the events taking place, the education to be had and the tradeshow to be seen.Truth is, there's so much to see and do at HAuNTcon that we can't possibly cover it in one hour. Hell, I don't think we can cover in the actual three days of HAuNTcon. That said, we're going to try and here is where we're beginning.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntIntro to HAuNTconThe TourEducationTradeshowBrewing Boos and Booze BallOther EventsConclusionsAll in all, HAuNTcon is looking to be a party that we won't soon forget and this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com