Sunday, February 27, 2011

Haunt Dilemma – “Phantom” or Pirates?

OK, first things first: I’m a flip-flopper when it comes to themes. Remember last year? I went from carnival to year-off then back to carnival before repeating the “Scarecrow Hill” theme. My problem is both indecisiveness and a enjoyment of many haunt themes. While I like all kinds (except for aliens/sci-fi), very few actually inspire me. Ever since I posted that teaser video for a redo of my old “Phantom of the Opera” haunt from 2006, I just haven’t been feeling the whole “Phantom” thing.Lately, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at a different theme – pirates. Now, before you start groaning, let me explain my reasoning.

1) It’s a theme I love, and have thought was fun and cool for most of life.

2) I haven’t actually built any props or sets yet, so the window of opportunity is still open.

3) Both sets would be similar in design – a cave, but instead of a Gothic style lair, I’d be doing a hidden tavern for the scoundrels.

4) With a pirate theme, there’s opportunity for a façade over the garage door.

5) Finally, while there are many excellent pirate haunts out there, none of them have been done the way I’d done it, with other haunts going very Disneyland instead of dark and frightening (along the lines of Nox Arcana’s Phantoms of the High Seas album).

So, before I start making any changes to my haunt plans, I’m going to get as many opinions as I can. If you have any ideas or opinions, please comment below. So, my fellow spookables, what do you think: Phantom or Pirates?

4 comments:

  1. You have to put your heart into it for the next several months, but you also have to think of your audience. Will children get the phantom theme? Will they be bored with pirates theme being so popular lately? You gave me an idea the other day with The Fog and I rewatched it again for the umpteenth time--not a bad theme--figures in the fog--it will take a good fog machine and figures on sticks inside the fog. Whatever you do, it will have to be considering what you can potentially make, what kids will potentially get scared by and what fits into your environment. Seems like where you live, Sleepy Hollow would be wicked.

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  2. Hehe, The Phantom theme would be awesome! I am biased however when it comes to Pirates because I've always loved Pirates. Basing your Haunt of Nox Arcana's Phantoms of the High Seas album would be awesome! A darker twist on a classic! The scene from Pirates of the Caribbean II Dead Mans chest I believe was so cool on the bridge with the Prisoner just rotting away while a crow ate him. Too dark for smaller children, but it would be gruesome to have a skeleton rotting away in a gibbet cage! The Dead Men tells no tales song by Nox Arcana is awesome!

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