WEEKEND SEMINARS

We will once again be offering our signature lineup of seminars from some of the top experts in the industry. Over 45 hours of classes in five tracks - Acting, Makeup, Props, Haunt Business, and Haunt Design!

Take as many classes as your schedule allows all for one low price. Seminar guests will also receive discounted admission to the Saturday Masquerade party.

We will be adding a few more classes to this lineup so check back for updates.

2009 HauntBots Seminars

Makeup:

Makeup 101 - Katie Johnston
Learn what you can't live without in your make up kit, where you can get the stuff and how to use it! I'll walk you through the tools and tricks necessary for a beginner to get a running start into the world of Haunted House Make-Up. Focus will be on supplies, how to create the undead with grease and liquid make up, types of blood, and if there's time, a little latex action! Questions are encouraged and expected!
Makeup 102 - Katie Johnston
Let's take things one step further! This seminar will focus on details to make your creations stand out and how to use latex for buildups, cuts, gouges and holes (oh my!).
Fast and Kickass Characters - Make-ups on a budget, without sacrificing quality -
Scott Sliger
Efficent tools and materials for creating full head " Film Quality " make-ups, both from scratch and premade. This is a hands on exercise, which will include extreme make-ups as well as subtle ones and the best and fastest ways to get them done.
Foam Latex Prosthetics: Creation, Production, & Application - Robert Beech
With a life mask in hand, this seminar will give an overview on: Sculpting prosthetic appliances, moldmaking for prosthetics, "running" foam latex, and application and coloring of the finished appliance
Soft and Sticky: a look at Cotton Latex Build up - Matt Seel
What do i need? How do i get started? What can i accomplish? In this class you will learn everything you need to know about latex and cotton build up, from basic wounds, neck rip outs to full head. Starting you off with proper setup, materials needed, design application and sculpting so that you may leave with the knowledge that will further you make-up skills in the haunt industry.
Face Painting with Wolfe FX / UV Blacklight Makeup Effects
This class is an introduction with intermediate level tips for face painting using sponges and brush techniques. It will cover how to achieve airbrushed looks and blending as well as cover how to effectively use ultraviolet Blacklight makeup.
Watermelon Appliances - Michael Davy
7 years ago Michael Davy Film & TV Make Up developed the first water based vinyl cap/appliance material called “Water-Melon”. Recognizing an unusual characteristic of the bald caps made with Water-Melon was that they could be applied with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and attach directly to the skin with a waterproof bond using no glues whatsoever. It was a “Eureka” moment! From that point onward the Halloween appliance industry would never be the same. Michael realized that cuts and scars made with water-Melon were not only latex free but could be applied with alcohol, required no remover AND were translucent. Which means that they took on the color of the actor needing no troublesome foundation matching, as with other brands. Now you can learn how to both MAKE and APPLY these unique appliances HANDS ON. The first 20 through the door receive a free bottle of Water-Melon and all receive their own appliance to apply under the direct tutelage of the inventor himself .

Acting:

Acting Approaches 0-60 - Jeff Glatzer
An introduction to advanced professional haunted house acting approaches. I will be in costume and make-up for the purpose of a thorough demonstration with the Managers and staff so they can take away with them a concrete account of what they learned.
360: From make-up to acting with costuming in between - Glen & Melissa Gilmore,
Beth Biasella, Katie Lane
A hard look at the basics of make-up, costuming, and acting in the style of the Legion of Terror.
Improv Dialog - Glen & Melissa Gilmore, Beth Biasella, Katie Lane
A look at using words with a new twist from the parking lot to the set, and would also like to do a portion of the Improv Dialog Exercise seminar outside this year, basically to show that from set to outdoors is a completely different acting style.
No more clowning around!!! - Roger & Beth Miller
What is really separating your characters from your competitors'? What makes your vampire/zombie/clown/bedraggled little girl different than anyone else's? Roger and Beth get down to the the hard facts of striving for originality and offer their practical experience and observations from 50 Haunts! Straight talk from the Millers on the state of acting (or lack thereof) in our industry with solutions from which all haunts can profit.
Costuming Undressing Distressing: a guide to inexpensive costuming alteration -
Katie Lane
Ever wondered how to make custom high-end costuming, without paying a fortune? I will show you simple and inexpensive tricks for aging costuming and how to alter existing clothing items into period pieces. Learn the basics of a costuming wardrobe and how to find the perfect items!
Accentuating Your Acting with Accessories! - Ed Gannon
Do you have actors that say they can't be scary without an actual and dangerous machete to break your scenery with? How about the chainsaw wielding killer that still isn't effective? How about performers in reaper robes that just don't make the impression you would like? These situations and many more will be solved in this fun seminar! Learn: -how to modify props to be safe and actor friendly, -use gags, drop downs and animatronics as actual actin g techniques instead of just a quick climax, -make costumes and characters stand out and use props as tools to engage your audience, tell the story, and polish your show! We all know it's not the room, costume, or prop that makes the scene come alive; it's the actor, and this lively discussion will teach you how to help that actor use all the tools at their disposal to help strengthen their character and boost your guest's experience!

Business:

Advertising Autopsy: How To Keep Your Haunt From Showing Up DOA In The Marketing Morgue - Dick Terhune
Time Of Death: Midnight, October 31st. Why does one Haunted Attraction live and thrive year after year, while another suffers a sad and tragic demise? Sharpen your bonesaws kiddies, we'll soon be elbow-deep in the rank and putrid guts of the commercial casualties that have ended up still and pale on a cold slab. Dick Terhune, "The Voice From Hell," takes a forensic look at how to create effective Haunt Advertising, paired with a compelling Marketing Strategy, to generate greater awareness, drive more traffic, and squeeze better results out of every ad dollar. And yes...we will be dissecting actual commercials. (Not for the squeamish.)
Recruiting and Managing Talent for Your Haunted Attraction - Kelly Allen
In this course, Kelly Allen, author of the book "So You Want to be a Haunt Entrepreneur and President of Eureka Screams!, LLC, will discuss effective methods of Recruiting and Managing Actors, Makeup Artists and Security personnel for your haunted attraction. Included in the seminar will be methods of successfully recruiting, screening, hiring and motivating individuals for consistent and maximum positive performance. Kelly will also discuss compensation, reward systems and other methods of building a highly motivated Fright Team with a shared goal of providing the best possible entertainment value for the guests of your attraction or event. Kelly will share tools and insights used at the Raycliff Manor Haunted Attraction and will be providing hand-out materials that you will be able to take with you and immediately implement in your attraction.
Connect with Customers! - Cliff Martin
The people who buy our tickets are not 'cattle with money'. They're individuals - people - just like you and I. And they have things to say, both to us, and to each other. These pre-teens to thirty-somethings are far better connected to an extended network of friends than any generation before, and they know how to use the tools at their fingertips. They connect with each other on issues that matter to them. They have lots to say. And they will say it. We need to be a part of that conversation. In the world of internet multi-media, communicating directly with customers has huge benefits. But it comes with risk, and costs, as it can expose issues that we'd rather not be confronted with - while still having to deal with the thousands of other issues that keep our businesses running. But there's gold in those conversations, and the extra effort builds long-term relationships that keeps your lines filled. Find out how events in the mid-atlantic region have come together to address these issues by creating and supporting a community of customers and haunt owners, and how you can directly improve your relationship with your customers while they're at your event.
New Social Media - Glenn McKnight
This seminar will focus on the effective use of Social media, with an onus on Buzz Marketing, Customer colloboration, Social Media, Brand Communities, Influencer Markeing, Social networks, User Generated Content, Grassroots/Cause Marketing, Experimental Marketing and Viral Marketing. Learn why Word of Mouth, Internet/Mobile, Brand Entertainment, Custom Publishing and others have experienced the highest compound annual growth rates all off which ward off the advertising attention deficit hurdles business is facing today.
"Beyond the Haunted House" Vintage, Folk Art and collectible Halloween displays to enhance your Haunted House - Pamela Apkarian-Russell, The Halloween Queen TM
Too often people get bored waiting in line to go into Haunted Houses and some are just waiting for their kids and get bored waiting. Give them a display of Halloween memorabilia and art to look at. It can be an investment as well as an attraction but you need to know what you are looking for when you are buying and you need to be wary so you do not get taken in by the fakes and forgeries which abound on the market. Your exhibit no matter how large or small needs to stand by itself and be worth seeing as well as remembering. It need not be an extension of the Haunted attraction but nostalgic. Remember nostalgia for a ten year old is not the same for a 30 year old or a 60 year old. Nostalgia is different for everone and so the eye candy differs and that is much of what we at Castle Halloween Museum can introduce you to and help you put up an exhibit which will enhance your haunt and delight your willing victims with.
Working With Magicians in a Haunted Venue - Chris Handa & Jonathan Frost
Magic and Halloween go together, but not every magician is the perfect fit for your haunt. Veteran Performers Jonathan Frost of Chilling Magic and Chris Handa of spookymagic.com will teach you the hows, whys, and best ways to get the most out of working with a magician at your attraction. Both magicians will share their own experiences as well as items from their working acts as a part of this seminar experience.
The Psychology of Fear: Exploring the Roots of our Fatal Attraction - Robin Walters
The psychology of fear dates back to Aristotle. Controlled fear is a right of passage – some of us seek it out, as evidenced by the wildly popular horror genre in our country. But why is the shadow on the wall more terrifying than actually seeing the monster? How can we use Stephen’s King’s three categories -- terror, horror and the gross-out -- to effectively scare our customers? Learn how humans are hard wired to fear predators and how haunted attraction owners can use flight or flight to their advantage.

Haunt Design:

Set Decorating Theory - Allen Hopps
Mentioned to many in convention bars, Allen's set design theory "anti fung-shway" will be revealed to the sober for the first time. The theories are great for implementing in the design of new sets or or for adding the elements onto existing sets and whole haunts. Allen Draws on hundreds of years of Asian study and observation on making people and visitors welcome. The books are out there, we just have to do it backwards.
Best kept Make-up department secrets - Scott Sliger
Everything you need to know to set up a well functioning Make-up dept for your Haunted attraction. From efficent tools and techniques for creating consistantly great make-ups, year after year to the best materials and where to get them. Time and cost saving tips for the novice or expert.
Who Writes This Stuff? Theming and Scripting for a Haunted Attraction - Chris Handa
Yes, the best haunts have scripts and overall themes, and sometimes it takes a bit of work to make that “special” actor or expensive prop fit within the context of your show. Chris Handa will share his years of experience as a writer to explain the development of an overall theme as well as ways to seamlessly mesh characters and individual scenes within an attraction to relate to the overall theme or story of your show. This will be a “hands on” exercise in the sense that the group will go through the process that is used to develop both the big picture and the little details.
Styrofoam Masonry - Bad Boys Scenic Design
Expanding on last year's hugely popular workshop, Bad Boys Scenic Design have agreed to expand on their Foam Masonry. A hit with attendees, this informative How-To workshop gives Haunters at all levels, the techniques to turn an average Haunt in to a highly detailed Disney-level attraction. Join Mike "Tattoo" Krausert and Bert Zelten from Bad Boys Scenic Design in this informative, hands-on seminar. Basic Styrofoam techniques will be addressed as well as tips and tools of the trade. Mike and Bert will also demonstrate and discuss more advanced methods including deep sculpture, lettering, foam props and applications used on the interior and exterior of there Haunted Attraction, Terror on the Fox. This hour and a half long session will be packed so arrive early to get seats!
Destroy the Paradigm of Traditional Design - Roger & Beth Miller
Roger and Beth propose that “the customer (perspective) isn't always right”. They challenge the haunt industry to approach lay-out and design from a different perspective: THE ACTOR'S PERSPECTIVE. When the environment is designed FOR the actor instead of BEFORE the actor, the natural product is a heightened experience for the customer. Most of today's haunts are using a mindset toward design that is decades old. With their cutting-edge concepts, your haunt will create the new standard of excellence.

Props:

Pneumatics 101 - Brian Warner
This class will be covering all the basics of pneumatics systems and how to apply them to haunted attractions. Brian will be covering everything from what fittings to use, types of cylinders and valves, and safety. If you are an absolute beginner, or just someone hoping to pick up a thing or two that has not been covered somewhere else, you'll like this seminar.
Intro to Design of Animatronic Mechanisms - Kip Polley
This class will cover the basics of animatronic mechanism design. It will cover everything from determining what kind of motion you want your piece to have to choosing the right bearings and properly sizing your pneumatics. It will be a very good course for anyone who wants to get into animatronics but doesn't know where to start.
Haunt Audio 101 - Virgil Franklin
Often overlooked is the most important element in any haunted attraction; audio. Noted haunt composer Virgil Franklin will help you to develop a plan of attack to put your haunt’s sound and feel over the top! Audio theory, room and haunt themes will be discussed as well as the use of freeware and shareware audio software to develop your own custom mixes for your haunt. Attendees will get access to a special Haunt Audio 101 website for their use after the workshop.
Haunt Audio 102 - Virgil Franklin
With “Haunt Audio 201” Virgil Franklin gives you the tools you will need to create your own haunt audio tracks for 2009! Using freeware and shareware programs let the “Master of the Ethermuse” show you the way to your darkest sonic nightmare. From developing sound effects and manipulating “found sounds” to the secrets of the Ethermuse itself Virgil will share it all in this one-time workshop. Audiophiles and DIY audio gurus this is your chance to get inside the head of one of the haunt industry’s most infamous sound sculpters! Attendees will get access to a special Haunt Audio 201 website for their use after the workshop.

Seminars By Time:

Saturday June 6th, 2009

9:30 - 11:00
Makeup 101
No more clowning around!!!
Recruiting and Managing Talent for Your Haunted Attraction
Set Decorating Theory
Pneumatics 101
Working With Magicians in a Haunted Venue
1:00 - 2:30
Makeup 102 - Katie Johnston
Improv Dialog
Advertising Autopsy: How To Keep Your Haunt From Showing Up DOA In The Marketing Morgue
Best kept Make-up department secrets
Haunt Audio 101
Accentuating Your Acting with Accessories!
2:45 - 4:15
Foam Latex Prosthetics: Creation, Production, & Application
360: From make-up to acting with costuming in between
"Beyond the Haunted House" Vintage, Folk Art and collectible Halloween displays
Destroy the Paradigm of Traditional Design
Intro to Design of Animatronic Mechanisms
Watermelon Appliances - Michael Davy

Sunday June 7th, 2009

10:30 - 12:00
Fast and Kickass Characters - Make-ups on a budget, without sacrificing quality
Face Painting
Costuming Undressing Distressing: a guide to inexpensive costuming alteration
Connect with Customers!
Who Writes This Stuff? Theming and Scripting for a Haunted Attraction
1:30 - 3:00
Soft and Sticky: a look at Cotton Latex Build up
Acting Approaches 0-60
New Social Media
Styrofoam Masonry
Haunt Audio 102
The Psychology of Fear: Exploring the Roots of our Fatal Attraction