Black Maze...

[Greg Chrise]

Another annoying thing is finding out people put lights in your dark maze because people were complaining they couldn't see the way through it. Like what ever.

[Greg Chrise]

So maybe there needs to be a glow in the dark sign in there, this part of the maze was intentionally left dark. Don't be a whinner.

[EnterAtYourOwnRisk]

Dave talked about 2 things that I want to comment on:

1. I think the slime product that won't stick to your fingers sounds MUCH better than vaseline, KY, or anything that will stay on your body.

2. He says that he has great night vision so he is able to approach the customers in a dark maze but they can't see him. Why not get night vision goggles for any actors who are working in the dark maze? Are they too expensive or are there other problems with them? Just wondering.

[Greg Chrise]

If you are using camera with the infared lamps on them, perhaps just having infared lenses for glasses would pick up the light enough to see a little? Infared is invisible to the naked eye.

Real LAS, light amplification systems are $3500 a cheap one eye binocular for hunters is maybe $900 but, too easy to get elbowed and put this into your skull. They aren't necessarily that rugged to be dropped or kicked around. Too much money to be tossed around like a toy inless your haunt is funded by the government. Also this implies that there is SOME light to be amplified to be able to see anything.

[John Coen]

KY or vaseline on a prop that can be seen (but not to be touched) is fine. Making me walk in pitch blackness while running into walls of vaseline will never be "time honored" . Why not just smear dog poop on the walls? Is this a Kings Island Haunt? Cause I want to know which haunt to avoid.

Take pieces of garden hose (about two feet long) and fender washer them to the wall sticking into the pathway below the knees. You can contact cement pieces of foam to the ends to make it less sharp feeling. As people walk through the haunt it feels like someone is grabbing their legs. Changes in the floor (ramp up/down) , and lots of fog even if it is pitch black. That renders cell phones useless as a flashlight.

Jute or rope dipped in latex can be fun as well.

[Spookyfinder]

Thanks for the tip about the fog... we were just thinking of ways to keep people from using their phones as a light source; even though it's easier for them to see, it's makes them an easier target!


I also love the idea of jute and latex... sounds very, idk, creepy feeling!

NO! This is not a haunt at Kings Island, this is a haunt we are building for an event in Lexington, KY. Maybe you can come down next year to see it! ;_

Thanks for all the help, this is awesome! You all don't know how much we appreciate this! -Tyler

[Spookyfinder]

Ok, so my partner brought up this concern about the thick fog. Although he likes the idea of this as it will not allow people to use their phones as a light source, won't it be dangerous in the event of an emergency. Like, he is saying that when our overhead emergency lights kick on, that it will still be so foggy that people still won't be able to find the exits fast enough?

So, how can we do this and be safe about it? I suggested putting some large fans above the haunt hooked into the same lines as the back-up lights, so that if/when the lights kick on, these high powered fans will literally blow away all the fog... we can get these fans extremely cheap if not free... so, could something like this work?

Thanks. -Tyler

[Boni]

Was thinking about this today, get a spray adhesive of some sort, like a contact cement spray, and spray some on the floor so when they get to certain spots its like walking in a theatre. Have some audio about a blood spill right there as they walk through it.

The garden hose idea is great with audio about lab rats escaping. now they think its rats running over their feet and brushing up against their legs.

[Spookyfinder]

OH MAN! That's a great idea! Thanks! -Tyler

[Boni]

Glass coffin

If you can rig it up right, either have a sunken area, or a ramp up onto a platform.

Have your actor in a glass coffin that the guests are walking on and then he/she flips on the light and starts screaming. Have some rats or snakes in the coffin with him. A strobe would be cool here.

[Haunting Copy]

Was thinking about this today, get a spray adhesive of some sort, like a contact cement spray, and spray some on the floor so when they get to certain spots its like walking in a theatre. Have some audio about a blood spill right there as they walk through it.

The garden hose idea is great with audio about lab rats escaping. now they think its rats running over their feet and brushing up against their legs.

You guys are merciless! I love it!

Sarah

[Haunting Copy]

Ok, so my partner brought up this concern about the thick fog. Although he likes the idea of this as it will not allow people to use their phones as a light source, won't it be dangerous in the event of an emergency. Like, he is saying that when our overhead emergency lights kick on, that it will still be so foggy that people still won't be able to find the exits fast enough?

So, how can we do this and be safe about it? I suggested putting some large fans above the haunt hooked into the same lines as the back-up lights, so that if/when the lights kick on, these high powered fans will literally blow away all the fog... we can get these fans extremely cheap if not free... so, could something like this work?

Thanks. -Tyler

Tyler, there is a recent thread *somewhere* on this forum that discusses this very topic. Somebody's fire inspector wanted an "evacuator" of some sort, to clear the fog in the event of a fire.

But then they realized that if they were to clear the air with a fan that it would actually worsen the fire situation.

I don't know if they found a solution. Maybe someone reading this will remember.

Sarah

[Spookyfinder]

Hmmm.... glass coffin eh? Know anyway to build this safely? That's such a great idea, thanks! -Tyler

[DeadManWalking]

Make the 1 1/2 hour trip to Jeffersonville Indiana and visit Pitch Black. Do exactly the opposite of what they do and you will be fine. We went last week and it was the worst haunted attraction experience I've ever had.

It was just what they say it is "Pitch Black". No blinder lights, random strobes, any light at all. It actually had dead ends in the maze. How do you get away with that? They either have the worlds best evacuation plan or the worlds worst fire marshall. You would walk down a corridor and run into the edge of a wall panel. You could not feel your way through with hands out to the side feeling the walls because you had to keep one hand in front so you didn't crack your head on a panel edge. And talk about being touched, with the dead ends customers were flowing both directions in the same corridor. You literally would walk right smack in to people. There was one spot with a water sprayer that was either timed or foot pad activated that hit me about 5 times as we tried to get out of that area. My hair was actually dripping. Not my idea of fun on a cold October night. Now to me all of this is reason to never go back but I've saved the best for last. There were customers in this maze that were literally pleading to be shown the way out. The only response they got was a worker yelling "put that phone away" or "no light". Every event I've ever worked or ran, when a customer asks to be taken out you take them out. It's one of the few times I would ever allow an actor to break character.

[Boni]

Glass coffin should be "plexiglass" coffin.

I saw plans for this, it might have been at Haunted Illinois or Monster Pages, can't remember.

Basically really thick plexiglass with wood frame, 4x4's. You don't really need to build the sides, just the top, people will be on it, build a wall right up to one side where the actor can slide in through the wall, the other side could be wood or a platform floor.