Category: Unused Ideas

Final thoughts on 2014.

Every year, I like to sit down and analyze what worked, and what didn’t.

This particular year, it was just a minor miracle we were able to do it at all. However, analyzing the new additions:

“The Orchard”, so coined in 2010 was a night and day improvement over the 2010 concept, but still not quite where I’d like it.

One teenager stopped to ask me at the entrance. “What is this, Mr Jones?”

It’s a rare treat to be compared to the nigh perfection that is Pumpkinrot’s works. Alas, I hadn’t watched Mr Jones until this past Saturday. I can kinda see where the teen was coming from in a very broad sense, both works meaning to imply something mystical being set up with the bones and sticks.

The Orchard was one of the few successes, and I’m determined to make it return in 2015, with more proper attention than we were able to give it this year.

Jim.

Jim was another project I started years ago and never finished. Representing my first foray into animation, I’m left unsure whether I will return to animation or not. When he was working it was a marvelous, almost magical thing. A neighbor girl on the 29th went down that corn tunnel (her brother stopping at the gate), encountered Jim, and come running right back out. It remains one of the funnier things of the year.

However, I believe in an attempt to figure out how it was working, someone went fiddling at some point during the party on the 30th, and Jim took a dive. By the time I found him, it was in such a state I knew repair would be impossible with the time and resources I had available. So, a half-working Jim was on for Halloween night. Don’t know whether I’m just not going to put out future animatronics till after the party, or just stick to static.

Jim did look ominous just sitting there waiting for someone to trigger his motion sensor.

The coffins.

They really weren’t my thing to begin with. They got me through a rough time, though, and kept me busy.

Missed opportunity to do up a whole old west graveyard with wooden crosses. Didn’t even cross my mind till it was too late. (I keep seeing the scene with Ned on display outside the bar from Unforgiven when I look at this. Poor Ned.”) Not a bad idea for a whole theme, really. Just, not my thing. They sold about 10 minutes after posting them…which was kind of the point of building them in the first place.

So, where does that leave us?

Well, I’m strongly considering a fresh start for 2015. Return to the most basic elements from 2010. Full on Harvest theme.

I also discovered my city has started a scarecrow contest. I think I might just have to follow a bit of Pumpkinrot’s example, and enter such a contest. I don’t know what won, but I only saw a bunch of smiling stuffed happiness on display. Can’t allow that to stand unchecked. Last time I went looking to make a scarecrow, I stumbled on the Chimera.

Now, how do I take my style there and translate it to a more traditional ‘scarecrow’ form?

Inspiration in odd places.

It’s been a week for finding inspiration in some really odd places.

The kids got on my nerves earlier in the week, and we had a no tv/gameboy night in the house.

In the ultimate show of contempt, I forced them to put up with it as I stuck my Niel Diamond collection into the CD player.

And, eventually we got around to Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.

OH MAN! A traveling salvation show would be ALMOST as much fun to make for Halloween as my idea of doing a Snake Oil Salesman that we’ll eventually be getting around to.

There’s something about the whole thing brings a smile to my face. Yeah, more fun than scary, both of them, but there’s something about being up peddling cures of dubious validity that puts a smile to my face. I can see baffled children and parents alike on Halloween.

But, a preacher bringing back the dead on Halloween night would likely be a wee bit on the too sacreligious part, so we’ll stick to the snakeoil routine, of which we have a draft script here.

Been slowly collecting bottles for that idea as well. $$$ to build the stand is still a wee bit on the pricey side, though, so it’s stayed on hold for a few years now.

Then, one wouldn’t go into the Superbowl looking for Halloween inspiration, typically. But a couple commercials sure lean that way.

Talking Flowers.

One can’t help but think of Audrey II. (rare original ending, and likely one you’ll see in the stage musical, didn’t do well at test screenings)

I adore that movie. Have always wanted to make an area that’s something of a cross between the new Audrey II, and the OLD one that had the faces in the flowers. Carnivorous Pumpkins.

Maybe someday after I get a much larger air compressor, and can make a truly menacing pumpkinified Audrey II.

Also, apparantly, Death sales.

Curious how most of the western world views Death as a male.

Lady Sebastianne (La Santisima Muerte) is not but one more portrayal of Spider Woman.

The Beastmaster!!!

I don’t know what triggered my thinking on it yesterday.

But, I got going on The Beastmaster. As I have mentioned many times before, I find inspiration in some REALLY ODD places. Movies, books, documentaries, etc. Most people don’t see them as “Halloween”, and yet, when looked at under the right light, they really fit.

The Beastmaster is another in that line of movies that one could make some REALLY COOL haunt assets and areas from. And, it’s a movie plays so often, most adults will remember it, even if the kids don’t.

Now, there’s human sacrifice, cool skulls, evil costumes galore to choose from, but there is that ONE SCENE that sticks out in my mind when thinking of a Halloween haunt. And, in broaching the subject with Jen last night, conversation went roughly…

“I had this evil thought today…”

“What kind of evil thought?”

“You remember the Beastmaster?”

“Kinda…”

“How much do you remember about it?”

“I remember it disturbed me…”

“Remember the bat people?”

“EWWWWW!!!!!! NO! NO! NOOOO!!!! You are NOT making those, I won’t sleep with them around!”

Oh….YES, I am…

Not this year, not enough time, so we’ll file this away with the ‘to be used eventually’ file. And, I might even just make them and sell them. But, the bat people must have their place in Halloween. Such GREAT source material. I found this clip of them, it’s missing some of the great atmosphere shots before and after this bit, all the wierdo things hanging from the tree and all…

Bunch of bat people statues, arms folded, standing around…

Anyhow. Was in the store last night, picking up our copy of Nightmare Before Christmas.

GREAT DVD, btw. The second disk contains Frankenweenie, and Vincent. Both excellent on their own. I’ve added a widget for Nightmare before Christmas to the sidebar.

But, while at the store, I just HAD to swing by the cd section. And there…calling me…was this…

Can’t pass on something like that…

Halloween is in the air.

Summer has only officially begun, and yet, already Halloween is in the air.

Sure, we can look forward to fireworks and rootbeer floats. Lazy days by the pool, kids running through sprinklers, and an explosion of the insect population. Corn on the cobb, tomatoes, homemade salsa…Ah…summer.

However, look carefully, and everywhere is signs of the coming of Halloween.

Stores placing their spring garden statuary on sale. Yes, to some this might actually look like spring…

Cute little cherubs and statues for that nice green garden. Happy wings, faces inviting you to contemplate this miracle as being brought forth through that flower bed…

And yet, when looked at through the darkened glasses of halloween, we see weeping angels, watching, waiting for some passing person to comfort, waiting to be placed atop a proper tombstone, and even spring decorations begin to echo Halloween…

Now, tombstones are really not my ‘thing’ when it comes to halloween. But, a couple with some of these bargain bin angels made to look a part of that stone would simply be both gorgeous and creepy. Almost enough to make me want to make a few ‘halloween stones’ as Alec called them last year. But, I wouldn’t want people thinking I was going all normal on them, now, would I.

I am especially fond of this little angel. A sadness in the expression is only matched by the weathered bronzed finish, giving it an especially melancholy feel perfect for a tombstone.

Then you move on to the summer section. Just in time for the 4th of July, the glow in the dark bracelets are coming out of the woodwork, on sale. Yes…kids love the things to play with on the 4th while waiting for the fireworks. Heck, sometimes they even prefer them TO the fireworks.

Yet, these things disappear from the shelves closer to the time of Trick or Treat. They are perfect for the younger ones, especially when told it’s a ‘magic’ bracelet to ward away anything that might scare them. More than one child has gone through the yard proudly displaying such a ‘magic’ charm, no longer afraid. These are becoming rather more common for treats, though. I may need to begin thinking about another ‘magic’ charm.

If these were not enough, the stores have down right started the Halloween campaign.

Now all that is missing is that special smell in the air that fake pumpkins just cannot replace.

And, even the ads are getting into the act. Another of the ‘not my thing’ decorations. The Halloween version of the Christmas town doodad things.

The room that will never be.

Haunted houses are typically broken up into ‘rooms’.

You’ll have the clown room, then the graveyard room, then the chainsaw guy room. Etc, and so on. I still think in that mindset quite a bit, but I like to get things to flow better, and up till now, it’s been basically one “room”. However, this year we are trying to get a slight seperation between the front yard “room” and the back yard “room”, and eventually, I have a theme planned for many ‘rooms’.

However, the other night, I came up with the room that will never be. It’s still vivid in my mind, and I’ll incorporate parts of it, I’m sure. Last night, as I was pulling my crystal skull from the mold, and soon laid up as I got a wee too strong a facefull of the vapors coming off the thing, I was thinking once again how best to use it. And I kept going back to this room…

Picture a hallway. Black walls, and making your way through some cobwebs. At the end of this hallway you can make out a circular room. The center of this room, is a human sized crystal skull, glowing in a white light. (lit from leds underneath from a technical standpoint. Around this skull are smaller crystal skulls, that are glowing differing colors. (color changing led’s probably) This is the only light in the room, these skulls glowing.

Walls black, floor and cieling black. Maybe a few statues around. No obvious exit. As you enter into the room, maybe about halfway, a switch in the floor is triggered. The skulls stop glowing, the room goes black for a few seconds.

Then, on pops a blacklight or two along the walls. And both the ceiling and floor reveal a magic circle. No, not a pentagram, though if it helps you to imagine one in the absense of knowing no others, it’ll serve the purpose for this reading. Painted in flourescent paint to line up with all the skulls.

A big, booming, reverberating voice also come on saying something about disturbing the place, or sacrifice, or something. I’m sketchy on the best script right now, as that would be tailored to fit whatever is out the exit. Just know it’s gotta be a big voice. And a moment later, a light comes on in the exitting hallway, revealing the exit. (a scrim would keep that exit invisible till the light comes on)

The room is great. Interactive, and would serve as a transition from one theme to another. Plus gives a leadup to whatever would be coming out the exit. Something many a haunt is lacking. (yeah, it makes perfect sense to come out of the dimented circus and walk right into a graveyard with no transition…)

So, why it will never be:

I am NOT building a walled hallway or room.
Giving that I somehow had the hallway and room already, it would be a considerable investment to get all the lighting, switches, relays, and etc set up.
I’m not sure how a magic circle will play in this neighborhood…people are equally likely to not understand and/or be offended/concerned about it’s inclusion.

One of these days when we’re rich and I have much more time to devote to this stuff.