I'd like to introduce a new show...

[The HorrorTeller]

First off I'd like to say again that the problem you folks are having with this is that you are not thinking outside the box.
This is a production...a SHOW. As bold as the day it was born.
A one man/woman show that takes the guests on a journey into their own minds by the use of selected wording, memorized with enhancements of skilled movements . Unusal dialect, unusual appearance...an unfamiliar presence.
Set in a specfic scene to visually enhance what the guest is hearing .
The story is being developed by an intimadating character crawling little by little into the minds of where the Horror-Teller wants them to go. What he wants them to see.
As his voice rises and the action accumulates, the ending is near...but the guests do not see it coming.
The why? Perhaps its because of when we think of storytellers, they relate legends, history or most recently as I have seen, speeches of the past.
They have a few visual props but storytellers very rarely incorporate distinct
theatre of their created character when presenting a preformance.
And never have I ever in all my years as a haunted entertainment owner , have I ever seen a ending like the one presented in The Horror-Teller Show.
This is only one aspect that sets it apart from the typical storyteller of a muldane ghost story.
Its not just one aspect that can describe The Horror-Teller Show. It is a compilation of many facets, that when presented together create a mind blowing show of dark entertainment and this is what keeps the guests coming back for more. Hopefully you now will understand the complexity of this show.
Well placed and choreographed thrills also enter the picture. Though I will not say when/how or why...that is for you to discover on your own.
Thank you both for your comments.
The HorrorTeller

info@thehorrorteller.com
www.thehorrorteller.com
www.scarecrowvillage.com

[Greg Chrise]

Again no disrespect

but, we were all pretty much squirted out of the box from day one.

[The HorrorTeller]

...and no disrespect to you.

You were in the dark then...

And still in the dark now.

Is there anyone else that is a professional who would like to discuss this show further?

The HorrorTeller

info@thehorrorteller.com
www.thehorrorteller.com
www.scarecrowvillage.com

[Killer Katie]

My 2 cents

I have read all the inquiries and responses and am compelled (the power of words compel me... ). Having been involved in this industry fro 10 plus years, I can understand the scepticism. In this industry there is a huge amount of ego. That is the price you pay for being artists. With that ego, in some cases, comes a great deal of B.S. Unfortunatly there has been a lack of respect with alot of people talking a great game, but failing to deliver. Which, to me, leads me to think you have little experience in this industry (whether true or not) and I think that's why you are meeting some resistance. I have read the website, and am not convinced why I should buy your book. Like posters have said before, find a way to give just enough details that tell us why we can't live without your ideas. Any book on successful marketing would say the same. Think of it like a movie trailer. Does it give away all the secrets? No. Does it give away the ending? No. Do you go see the movie that doesn't explain what it's about other than "mindblowing?" or do you go see the movie that peeked your curiousity as to how it ends? And observing this forum for awhile,
"thinking outside the box" is not an issue for these people. Not getting "scammed" for the 30th time is. Finally, this is NOT and attack on you or your idea, just a little insight as to why there is a push back about the way you are marketing your book.

[Infoamtek]

Don't get your panties in a bunch

It's not good marketing to call potential customers unprofessional and in the dark. From all I've seen of your posts and website, you have managed to invent the wheel, yet again. It sounds like the old Carny show, with the Draw, the Build up and the Blow out. (with the required twist ending) You know, something like the old Girl to Gorilla bit. Convince me otherwise.

[Jim Warfield]

"Ego" is what almost everyone in this business had to have to buck the non-believers surrounding us and open our haunt ANYWAY! Even if "It will Never work!"

We all pretty much do things the way we want or think that they should be done and often there is no real right or wrong way to entertain people ..as long as they are entertained and it's not a ego- blurred unreality burping in our skull.

I am fairly confident that no other haunted house does things the way I do. But then alot of us do things peculair to our own ideas now don't we?
Many have difficulty finding the words to describe what it is like seeing my house and tour.
I have realised for most of my 58 years that life is "finite" so I made the choice to work as hard as I can to pursue MY ideas rather than wasteing my time here simply being a copying machine.
The first room of my house can often be a 45 minute experience for my patrons.
Tours have often taken 90 minutes or more, maybe this is wrong, maybe I should be more stingey with myself, fostering a quicker , stronger yearning for a return visit.
I have spent many years speaking my front room routines and simultaineously listening to how my voice sounds, how people are reacting to any pauses, inflections, tweeking my delivery for optimum effect, all a learning experience.
At the same time I am paying attention to the customer's whispers if any and other agendas they may have. I'm also the babysitter, bouncer and wise-ass if need be to keep order so the happy paying customers who paid to hear what I am doing can indeed hear ME versus any heckler, although slicing and dicing hecklers is also a fun show for the rest of the group .
The huge majority of the people coming through are shocked when the tour is over that so much time has passed!?
Maybe they were engrossed? Supremely distracted? They laughed alot, they jerked, jumped and screamed and will never forget their experiences here.
I have had many people tell me that they found out about my house because their friend, relative, co-worker could not stop talking about the things that happened to them when they were here.......sometimes this obsession goes on for years.......think of the money I have saved over the years on re-advertising.
You cannot pay people enough money to make them want to be a walking , talking billboard for your business. Impress them, they will remember you. I bet most haunters here that have been around awhile already know and practise this.
Just as in failure, there are also commonalitys found in success.
None of us are alone in our discoveries, except for the guy who invented "BOO!", he's alone, I know, because I have had him imprisoned in my basement for many years. I refuse to hear his pleas for release, I'm protecting him from making an ass of himself...AGAIN!
(He's not alone in that room, the person who invented the polka dot room is in there with him , if I could find them!)

[drfrightner]

Several years ago, John Denely created a seance show that displayed at Transworld. It was AWESOME but they didn't really sell any because it cost too much. I thought about it, but figured I could build my own if I really wanted one.

Kevin McCurdy helped John build that show. I'm telling you it was worth every penny they wanted to charge because of the WOW factor. I saw that as being something you would upcharge for... several years later Lance Pope at Verdun Manor created one and everyone in the industry loved it.

I don't know how much money he made but I think it was an upcharged event.

Seance shows are in a large part how our industry got started, or rather 'Ghost Shows'. Rich Hanf wrote about this in a Hauntworld magazine several years.

What was a TOTAL LAUGH was when IAHA put out a press release last year saying haunted houses aren't about getting scared, but rather romantic dates, and going on to say our industry was the sister to the old tunnel of love attractions. It really shows how clueless those people who made that press release really are... because if you had read Rich Hanf's article you would have learned our true sister, or rather the attractions or shows that later came to be 'haunted houses' was the Ghost Shows. This was very popular back in the day and one of the biggest ghost show masters was Phil Morris from Morris Costumes.

Either way as you chug along in this industry, and you look for ways to create side shows events to upcharge your captive crowds, this could be one way to really make some funds and some real excitement.

Now if it was me and I was going to create one I would have to go all all all all all out... There would be things that fall off the walls, animations that are triggered, ghosts that would appear, the whole bit.

But I wouldn't discount shows at your event especially if they're done as pre-shows while people wait in line or side attractions.

Larry

[The HorrorTeller]

Setting all egos aside for just a moment here...perhaps I should back up a bit and let you all know what brought this concept if you will to reality.
At my beginning I started with just a love of Halloween....the computer age brought forth a means for me to find out I was not alone out there-tho i certainly felt that way because of the small town I belonged to. I was introduced via internet to others who also had the same passion as I did. Through construtive building of bonds we shared, learned and fumbled through many successes and failures. As I grew in knowledge, I also wanted to really see what was out there in this exciting field of the dark themed attractions.
So when time permitted I was able to visit many attractions. Not to spy on them but to absorb with respect how each was individual , in what they felt was unique as to what they offered their guests. As time progressed ( and I progressed) and haunted realm was really getting big I gathered even more information. I then in turn visited transworld and sat in at an IAHA meeting. Visited their offerings of shows, haunted house tour and vendors. I sat and walked around listening to other professionals in the business , the actors and the public who were there to purchase the goods. I learned alot in those 4 days by listening.

As a business person myself I understood what the promoters felt...as I was also involved in promoting. The vendor had his share of pains which I also understood because of the my experience as a promoter and dealing with the vendors.
The speakers had their share of problems, as haunt owners we all basically had the same problems, being an actor to in my own event I could relate to their problems also. These were all componets of running/owning/working in the business world.
Whether it be haunting or some other line.
In my own business of entertainment I have spent long hours and alot of money over the years I've ran it.
I have done it mostly as an experiment to learn about people and find out how to meet the needs of people in general. Plus I get bored easily and like to create new ventures to try out and bring to the public.
I have never looked over my shoulder in fear of competition. I never had to.
With most of my promotions...they were successes. But I did have some that were way less then expected as the outcome I had hoped for. But it never stoped me from the learning and plugging away to be better.
Which now brings me back to the haunted attractions. While touring these attractions I again learned much. I could tell who had the ego because they had all the expensive props and though (when walking with the guests) they were startled...there were many other comments to. As we all exited the event tho there was laughter of the fun that they had there was also the 'ok, lets go to so and so place maybe its different'.
For me personally as a guest the houses with the latest eye candy didnt do much for me. It was like visiting a showroom seeing everything from the catalogs with an occasional startling boo.
What the owner didnt hear even after the exiting person asked them questions about how they liked the event and would they come back...even tho the guest said yes...under the breath a...NOT! was heard.
Now again don't get me wrong...set those egos a side...I am not targeting anyone or their event. I am just relaying what i've heard and seen.
As Larry suggests the old ghost shows are where it all began. I am an old school
haunter. I enjoy creating interactive shows for my guests. I enjoy watching the faces of my guests as real fear replaces what they thought they knew to only be make believe....get to them. I enjoy creating actors...not just boo's. I enjoy seeing my actors feel important and valued for their abilities. I enjoyed interacting with my guest so they don't feel like just an admission factor. Mostly I enjoy seeing them return each season because they know I will bring them something new.
The Horror-Teller Show is that something. The something they all come to see.
Because once its set up it is the easiest show to redo each year. New character, new story, new scenery, new thrills. As for competition...there isnt any. Each haunt owners ideas are what makes the show unique. Heck in my opinion,
I think guests may even travel around more to other haunts to see all the different ways each show is produced .
Is a shame that many of you have been scammed out there. I do feel bad for you all. But I do believe in people....their are good and bad. But if you label us all out there without getting to know us...how will you ever know what is around the bend.
The only way I have perhaps scammed you...is to get you all fired up to express
your opinions and your fears. To once again learn or validate what I know.
Yes, I do know what I'm doing. I am good at what I know.
If you do not purchase the book to learn something new, it does not matter.
I know what is inside and how it works very well. Its only my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. I will be around no matter what your belief and bringing new shows or products to those who want to learn. Maybe they will be the newcomers to this big world of haunting. But I am willing to teach those who are willing to learn.

The HorrorTeller

info@thehorrorteller.com
www.scarecrowvillage.com
www.thehorrorteller.com

[drfrightner]

I think everyone should chase down their dreams. IF this is something you really want to do and believe in it as much as it seems that you do...go for it!

I wish you luck!
Larry

[The HorrorTeller]

Thank you Larry.
Thank you also for the encouragement to post and jump right in.

The HorrorTeller
info@thehorrorteller.com
www.scarecrowvillage.com
www.thehorrorteller.com

[Greg Chrise]

This Forum

This forum should be considered perhaps that you have found your people. Over the last decade hundreds of such introduction statements have been posted (me included) with exactly the same experiences and desires. This being the case, we the people share all our ideas totally free reguardless of financial despiration as when you help others, some thing generally works out for your understanding, thus taking it to a higher level.

Certainly we all should welcome you and love to hear of you experiences and ideas. But, we don't hustle each other. This isn't the customer base of people who have never thought of what you just discovered. There are several conventions across the land for marketing products. At these conventions is like you stated you attended, where all the newly inspired come to see what could be up with this industry. There are magazines to be featured in and places to link your website to all over the planet.

Quite a few of is are generally the same age as you If I'm guessing this is Sandy writing all of this? As you see, most of us all know each other by first or even complete names as opposed to the creators.

We have all been to Transworld, to hundreds of attractions to see how they serve their patrons and we have all gathered here to compare notes even fire off ideas like no one had every thought of this before. The ideas are generally compared to the other extreme or ignored but, they aren't necessarily held to be an industry wide gospel unless it has been proven to be unsafe, loses everyone's money and livelyhood or is just plain lame.

I understand your excitement. However you just walked into the bread council and announced that for a price you will teach people to slice bread. That they must have been too stupid to have ever thought of this or aren't already doing it. And they are in fact already doing it with automated slicing machines for years. Ony because some do not advertise nationally it takes a little discovery or lots of travel to actually find how valuable each participant is.

Just to keep it simple, feel free to keep me on the resistant/retarded list.

Greg

[Greg Chrise]

Products

I fully understand you have a product but, you might find some tremendous minds on here to refine what you have to the next level. Sort of version 2.0 and version 3.0 in the making. This is the source of many minds able to offer true decades of experience rather than just critisism.

This is the skunk works if you know what that means. The customers are "out there somewhere" wanting a reason to buy a ticket.

People on here will see an entire transcript of something and then pay for a copy to simply have it as a hard copy resource whether it applies to us now or not.

You will meet people who know how and where to market what you have. You may want to pick out a like minded haunt and whip them a copy for free so they can be as excited as you about your product and services and this stunt might find a great movement of interest.

We are all artists who in out daily lives take something with little or no cost and make it into something.

We are also all promoters or wouldn't have events

And because most of us are personable, (except for me because I'm retarded) the entire gathering can be made to take notice if you are befreinded. Not just encoraged to keep posting.

Under these forums is a back network of emails and personal messages, even long distance phone calls that go on for hours, happening in the back ground between friends. Not that you have created such a stir, just that this illustrates how tight this group who totally disagrees and is resistant to each other's ideas can be. It's not get paid to take surveys.

Again, excuse me for being retarded. They don't know I am on the computer.

[Jim Warfield]

Gregg has the most unusual wireless access to the internet in Texas, he has to since his saucer is floating over Texas! They saw you the other night though didn't they?
Our TV picture gets interupted and the new image is being broadcast from Gregg's saucer!
He has his "Miss Romper Room Magic Mirror" up "I see Jimmy and Larry, and Billy-bob.... I see the incoming air to ground missle.. push one button, now I'm gone, missed again!"

[Greg Chrise]

They think they saw me.

I kept changing the light colors and they came up with 50 different descriptions. Now the Air Force is trying to cover for me. The booster I normally do tron turns with that makes no one believe them as nothing moves like that is in the shop.

[Jim Warfield]

Dig a hole, put the saucer in there, attach a merry-go-round to it's top and watch that baby spin then!
Those directional changes are head-rippers!