Halloween Ideas

[SPL db]

Some friends of ours and us go to a local campsite for Halloween...

The campsite has a judging contest for the best decorated site...

My friend (Bob) and I are trying to come up with ideas for our campsites.

We have two stalls right next to each other and are planning on tying the
two sites together.

We already have the fog machines, coffin with a skeleton, strobe lights,
glowing pumpkins, rope lights, cemetary with tombstones, and more...

If you've done some spectacular things for Halloween setups, let's hear about
them here! If you have a lighting idea or other like project, please include
how you created the finish project with any parts list you can think of!

Here's a few links to some of the things that I'm going to try...

Blinking Rat's Eyes

Which came from this site

Projects

Here's one that I want to put together for our fog machines

Chiller

Keep in mind that your idea has to be portable and easy to tear down
and set up... we'd like to figure out a way for a "ghost" to travel between
the campers - thinking some sort of pulley system with a reversable motor
and micro switches...

So let's hear those ideas!!!

Thanks!
Scott

 

[SPL db]

Anyone ever used one of these units?

Lightning Machine

Scott

 

[Strawman]

Those are some great projects, my wife is going to love those sites, she goes nuts decorating for halloween. I get to drag out a system to play the spooky tunes, and she doesn't tell me to "turn that crap down". And instead of a reversing motor, why not just put the pulleys flat so it runs in a continous loop?

 

[markthefixer]

Once I toyed with the idea of getting the T-rex roar from a Jurassic park flick (digital if possible) and seeing just what I could do with a system....
(opens door, t-rex head shows in dim light with open jaws ... and ROAR...)

 

[SPL db]

And instead of a reversing motor, why not just put the pulleys flat so it runs in a continous loop?

I was thinking of that, but was worried about the pulleys cutting into what
was used to hang the ghost... meaning with the line that the ghost is hanging
from having to be connected to the "drive" line, I'm worried that whatever I use
to fasten the two together could be cut by the pulley...

Still, it is a possibilitly! :thmbsp:

Thanks!
Scott

 

[SPL db]

Once I toyed with the idea of getting the T-rex roar from a Jurassic park flick (digital if possible) and seeing just what I could do with a system....
(opens door, t-rex head shows in dim light with open jaws ... and ROAR...)

Then you might like this idea...

Possible T-Rex

This would give you the mechanics, you'd have to come up with the cosmetic
portion. :thmbsp:

Scott

 

[Strawman]

Thanks

I showed the project page to my wife, of course to justify the time spent on AudioKarma, now I need to make one of everything before Halloween.

 

[babblefu]

Killer costumes can carry you a long way. A couple years ago I discovered foam latex applications. If you have a knack for painting these can be an unbelievable way to become something frightening. They have a flesh-like texture and adhere to your face using a skin-friendly adhesive called "spirit gum". The upshot of this is that when your facial skin moves the application moves with it. It is not a mask, it is an extension of your face, moving perfectly with your mouth when you speak, with your cheeks when you smile, etc. For an idea of the types of characters you can choose from, look here:
http://www.halloweendirect.com/
Click on COSTUMES then Foam Latex prosthetics, masks & ears. Friggin awesome. Their draw back is that they are just a flat flesh tone and are intensed for painting. But if you can do that there is no going back. Did my first one two years ago, I was a werewolf. Won $100 at a bar with it!
Anyway, if you are really a Halloween nut then there is no better rush than being your own best prop!

 

[SPL db]

babblefu - last year there was a guy that all the days prior to Halloween,
had a dummy in a coffin with a costume on, then on Halloween, he dressed
up in the costume and waited for people to look him over thinking that he
was still the dummy, when he would jump out at you!

Lots of fun! :thmbsp:

Course, it's been done before, but it never gets old!

Scott

 

[Sandy G]

Its amazing to me the amount of work that was done on meanness & deviltry here in Halloweens past...My dad tells tales of 55-gallon drums of molasses poured in front of the doors to the theater; Cop cars having their license plates bent double, every outhouse got turned over, lots of wagons got put on tops of barns. Another trick was to lay a log in the road & cover it w/leaves; more than a few tires & front ends of cars were ruined that way. Halloween around here back in the 40s & 50s was NOT for kids or the faint of heart...-Sandy G

 

[babblefu]

>>Course, it's been done before, but it never gets old!<<
One of the greatest tools in freaking people out all-hallowed style is misdirection. Your friends idea was a great one, the beauty is you need not even jump.
I was at a halloween fair a few years ago, basically a bunch of tents with life sized statues set up, every tent had some theme. I went into the "killer" tent, there were statues of movie murderers like Jack Nicholson from "The Shining". There I was, going through and naming them all, then I got to one I did not recognize. It's head was down, its hands resting on the head of a cane. I went, hummm, who could this be as I went in for a closer look. It lifted its head and one hand to offer a shake. Very subtile, and it scared the livin' crap out of me!! I knocked into someone as I jolted back! Jumping out and saying "boo" is an easy way to rattle someone, but when you can get the same effect by just lifting your head and opening your eyes you really got something goin' on!!

 

[SPL db]

Found a webpage with a huge list of DIY ideas (for anyone who's interested)!

Take a look!

Halloween DIY

Scott

 

[SPL db]

***BUMP***

Scott