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  • Field of Scream Issue with Actors

    Did anyone see this story? I just have a few comments on this issue... the actors you deal with today are different than the ones we dealt with pre-social media. Today is a different world without any doubt. I'm not sure I believe actors are forced to work 12 hours, that sound ridiculous. no one is forced to do anything cmon. If you're really a volunteer then clearly you're NOT forced you volunteered because you wanted to do it. As for security I also have a hard time buying that one to... I'm pretty sure a haunted house of this size has security.

    Some of these complaints seem totally bogus.

    With all that being said however a haunted house of this size, doing these types of crowds, charging the type of money they charge SHOULD NOT be asking people to volunteer or get a t-shirt at the end. Working inside a haunted house is very tough work and although people do it for the love of scaring these people should get paid without any question. Would I volunteer to help any business millions NOPE! So in short let me say this to the actors/staff: Stop with the totally bogus complains you're being snowflakes. Why? Do you see the lines around the block? Do you see the crowds? Do you see what they charge? And you volunteered? Who's the dummy?

    You can't donate your time, then whine later about how you should have gotten paid, or you worked way to long when YOU COULD HAVE left at ANY TIME! What you actors should have done... that is clear! if you didn't like the condition of working for nothing every single person should have walked out! Pretty simple huh? So I don't buy your whining now, I stand by you that NO ONE should work for someone else in those conditions for free. Helping out here and there sure if you want to learn something why not but working for a for profit business for FREE... you guys did that to yourself. I like the FIeld of Screams guys but c'mon man you can't pay your actors. Really? But hey if they can get away with it and the actors allowed it that is on the volunteers. The minute they have no more volunteers guess what they will start doing???? PAYING! See the point.

    https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/field-of-screams-addresses-allegations-from-its-actors-and-volunteers/521-36979387-e894-4380-8507-9d40aed26cd1

    or this link


    https://www.abc27.com/news/local/lan...ms-complaints/

    Larry Kirchner
    President
    www.HalloweenProductions.com
    www.BlacklightAttractions.com
    www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
    www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

  • #2
    I've heard of charity haunts not paying actors but how does a for profit business get away with that?

    Comment


    • #3
      Simple,
      We are a Large Attraction that pays a farm wage, We just moved up to $7 an hour which previously was $6.
      Its been years since that was changed. We gave them an extra dollar because they are the hardest working, Most talented actors in the industry.
      Aidan P. Finnegan
      Partner
      Grave Gear Studios
      www.GraveGear.com

      Specializing in Custom Audio and Music for the babes of the Haunted Attraction Industry!

      Comment


      • #4
        This is criminal. Not paying your actors and being a for profit business is immoral and unethical and is or should be illegal. Cant hide behind being a farm, since most attractions like them don’t even do any real farming anymore it’s just a cover to get agritainment benefits. Imagine the competitive disadvantage that was for the other haunts in their market who are doing the right thing and paying their staff. Crooks
        Last edited by Deathwing; 02-22-2020, 08:02 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          This should be illegal. I’ve been at a family owned Operational Dairy Farm in Western Massachusetts for 30 years. Every actor is paid hourly, taxes are withheld, we pay employer matching taxes, we provide workman’s compensation as well as general liability insurance. Our payroll for a season based on 106 employees is roughly $80K on top of that add 20% which is the Comp and Matching Taxes. I wish we had FREE PAYROLL, $100K extra free and clear each season. It’s easy to see why they have the equipment and facilities they have when you have 200 FREE actors a season. At 200 actors, that would be roughly $200K FREE. I’m sure MOST will agree this is despicable for a Profit Business.

          Comment


          • #6
            I don't agree with it at all not one bit... you're making that kind of money and you don't pay your actors. I could see it if and only if you donated all the money to charity. But at the same time those actors shouldn't be crying about it either... HELLO you agreed to work free now way after the fact you want to cry about it? C'mon. If its so unfair just stop working there and trust me they'll be paying people in no time.
            Larry Kirchner
            President
            www.HalloweenProductions.com
            www.BlacklightAttractions.com
            www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
            www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

            Comment


            • #7
              One of the biggest haunted houses in America doesn't pay their actors? Are you sure that is accurate? Why would the actors work there?

              Comment


              • #8
                actors work there for the love of scaring right ?? this has not effected them.. they are opening march 13 first time ever in all the years in business doing a off season haunt

                Comment


                • #9
                  Tommy,

                  I have no idea what you're saying. I can only tell you what I'm saying. The actors who supposedly work 14 hours who claim they're forced to do it... are not forced because as the haunt states they volunteer. So if you quote un quote volunteer they're free to come and go as you please I would imagine. Even if you're hired and paid by this haunt your'e free to come and go if you choose! As far as I know its NOT a prison.

                  So I find the complain ridiculous. Furthermore if don't like hte concept of volunteering you shouldn't work at a different haunted house where you get PAID!

                  Lastly, on the flip side I find it totally out of line that Field of Screams isn't paying their actors. This is not a charity haunted house they should be paying their staff end of story. With everything being said if people WANT TO volunteer I guess that is their choice. This is America people can do whatever they want to do.

                  Larry
                  Larry Kirchner
                  President
                  www.HalloweenProductions.com
                  www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                  www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                  www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Saying they are doing for the love is a total cop out. I have heard those guys doing 8k-10k people on busy nights and they act like getting a sweatshirt is enough, that’s terrible. Most people who act at haunted attractions are in it for the love, it’s minimum wage basically, but they deserve some kind of compensation. I always wondered how they get away with it, same thing with another hayride up in Maryland. Meanwhile you had the guys running pennhurst and bates motel paying very well. I knew it was going to come back to haunt them. The sexual misconduct is bad enough, but not paying is nothing but greed and taking advantage of their hard working staff.

                    DA
                    Last edited by Darkangel; 02-26-2020, 08:54 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by drfrightner View Post
                      Tommy,

                      I have no idea what you're saying. I can only tell you what I'm saying. The actors who supposedly work 14 hours who claim they're forced to do it... are not forced because as the haunt states they volunteer. So if you quote un quote volunteer they're free to come and go as you please I would imagine. Even if you're hired and paid by this haunt your'e free to come and go if you choose! As far as I know its NOT a prison.

                      So I find the complain ridiculous. Furthermore if don't like hte concept of volunteering you shouldn't work at a different haunted house where you get PAID!

                      Lastly, on the flip side I find it totally out of line that Field of Screams isn't paying their actors. This is not a charity haunted house they should be paying their staff end of story. With everything being said if people WANT TO volunteer I guess that is their choice. This is America people can do whatever they want to do.

                      Larry

                      Larry, they aren’t being physically forced to work from what I read, but they are being coerced, pressured, made to feel shame if they don’t work. They ostracize you and goad you into working. Now that the district attorney is involved, I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t made to back pay actors going back a few years. That can totally happen.

                      DA

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Darkangel View Post


                        Larry, they aren’t being physically forced to work from what I read, but they are being coerced, pressured, made to feel shame if they don’t work. They ostracize you and goad you into working. Now that the district attorney is involved, I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t made to back pay actors going back a few years. That can totally happen.

                        DA
                        I doubt that seriously. No way that happens. What you have here is a bunch of crybabies upset about something so they go and complain. It happens to every single haunted house across the country. They signed an agreement to work for nothing. They should just own that what they did was DUMB! Now what they should do is rally all the actors together and go back and say 'hey we'd love to work here but we have to get paid, we're done being the dumb people'.

                        No one should work for the benefit of someone who's doing it strictly for profit at least on that level. Its okay to offer to help for free here and there because you want to be a team player... but this is different you're asking them to show up every single night and deal with all of that and do it for free? NO WAY! I could see if the owners donated every single penny to charity but that isn't happening.

                        If people want to work for these guys free go for it... but don't cry about it later just stop working there.
                        Larry Kirchner
                        President
                        www.HalloweenProductions.com
                        www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                        www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                        www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          im sure this is not the only for profit haunt that is volunteer based

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Tommy there is a big difference between a haunted that barely makes a penny, and uses volunteers and a haunted house that does 2 million plus and doesn't pay their actors.

                            BIG DIFFERENCE!

                            This haunted house should pay their actors but again if the actors want to profit the owners that is their right. Any or all of the actors who thinks its unfair just shouldn't work there anymore. Every single one of those actors should just not show up then they will pay everyone. On the flip side if all those actors want to donate their time they should, but they should also leave when they want and show up when they want.
                            Larry Kirchner
                            President
                            www.HalloweenProductions.com
                            www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                            www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                            www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                            Comment

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