Southern Spooks

Creating a successful haunt takes much more than scattering actors in a field and leaving them to their own devices. It's like saying that you take a bunch of vitamins and medication without speaking with your doctor first and you just hope your body knows what to do with all the drugs you're pumping into your system. (Sudden death. Wasted. K.O. Not good.) Without a clear, planned out, and tested course of action, nothing but madness would ensue (and not the good kind of madness).  Just like your body would be unable to function without its head, arms, or legs, a haunt can't function without understanding the groups, understanding scares, and properly putting everything into practice. Before you ever get to scare somebody, it's important to know the underlying guidelines to ensure that nobody gets hurt, upset, or has a bad time at your haunt. Nothing can upset The Powers That Be more than losing customers because their actors were careless, and I care enough about all o...

Like I mentioned in previous posts, I started out at Ravenwood Manor as a volunteer makeup artist, and, if you remember what I said, you should recall that I was probably the most unqualified person for the job. That's not to say that Ravenwood just hires any person who walks through the door (though, that could be debatable on those desperate nights where half the cast is sick and dying), but I honestly lucked out that the system was rather lax when I showed up and I had an interesting, chance encounter that validated my presence at the manor (in my mind, at least). Otherwise, there would be no Jaz at Ravenwood. In every haunt, you have your Head Makeup Artist. At Ravenwood, that's Talia. Most HMUA try to build a little team of makeup artists under them, because, no matter how much we wish it were possible, one person can't do it all. The best way I've seen it divided up was having your HMUA, someone who specialized in prosthetics, someone who specialized in paint/ai...

One of the most important things you could do if you're hoping to make haunt your career is to network. You will want to talk to as many people as you can in the industry. You will want to learn as much as you can from other haunters and really get your name out there. If people know you, you can't fly under the radar and vanish into the background. When I first started out in the haunt industry, I thought this would be a hard thing to do. With only a handful of haunts in the area, it seemed impossible to network unless The Powers That Be invited me to haunt conventions. At Ravenwood, being invited to a haunt convention...that is the most chased after opportunity that everyone is dying to be chosen for. (I'm pretty sure a few people, including me, would literally kill to be invited.) Throughout the year, there are four major conventions that you will always hear about: HauntCon, Transworld, Midwest Haunters Convention, and Legendary. Of course there are a few West and E...

If you ever took an acting class, one of the first things you're told is to know your character type. The same rule applies in a haunt. (Though, walking in with zero theatre knowledge or background won't knock you out of the runnings. Newbies are always welcomed.) Acting for a haunted house is much more than just being able to scream or wield a chainsaw. Of course, being able to do those two things could benefit you, but knowing the general character types within most haunts is the greatest tool you can have in your arsenal. Character classifications can be broken down into various sections. For this post, we will start with the most important classification of characters: Zero Dialogue, Medium  Dialogue, and High Dialogue. This is one of the main things a Casting Director or Stage Manager will want to know when you audition, "Are you comfortable with speaking?" It's not a trick question and it will not hurt your chances of being hired. If anything, this will...

Happy Holidays and Happy New Years everyone! I hope you all enjoyed some well deserved time off with your family and loved ones before school and work starts up again. I sure as hell know that I'm excited for my little get away in the next few days, far away from anything haunt related. I can finally give my brain the small breather it needs, so when I come back I can kill it with this season's preparations. (I'm already dying just thinking about all the working out I'll be doing to mold myself into some crazy, acrobatic, high energy...thing. Damn, I really need to figure out this character soon.) With the new year, there are always new opportunities on the horizon. With every season that comes and goes new job positions open up, new roles are created, cast members cycle in and out, and the chances of doing more are endless. I'm a big believer that if you work hard and show you are dedicated, you can achieve anything. It doesn't hurt to want more responsibi...