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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're continuing the proud tradition of finding people smarter than ourselves to discuss the topics at hand. Today, that means sitting down with Chris Gay, an EMT and rescue chief that is also the brains behind Haunt Tech Tips and a regular speaker to the haunt community about how to prepare for medical emergencies.With everything going on with COVID-19 and the concerns about how it could impact the haunt industry, now is the time to start thinking about potential changes, both inside your haunt and outside of it, that can help reduce the spread of this and other viruses.Over the podcast, Chris explains multiple ways to reduce the spread of infection in your haunt, ranging from simple design changes to reduce the spread of germs to potential big changes behind the scenes to keep your actor safe. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroductionIntro to Chris Gay and His WorkWhat Haunts Can Do to Reduce the Spread of GermsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode that you do not want to miss! Special Guest: Chris Gay.

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What a week to have a news podcast. Though we were hoping we would be able to completely avoid talking about the coronavirus and leave that to the experts, the impacts on the haunt industry are officially far too great to ignore.So, for better or worse, that is the bulk of this week's news episode. I'm sorry it's a bit of a downer and just one more piece of COVID-19 news to throw on the pile, but it's the nature of the world right now and not something that can be ignored. This includes events that took place on Friday the 13th as we will look at how many took place versus how many canceled/postponed.So, without any further ado. Here's a look at what's in the news this week.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference Reminders (With Additional Updates)Updates Locally and HousekeepingHow Many Haunts Were Open This Weekend?Transworld PostponedScreamWorld Has Last Night (https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/screamworld-closing-for-good-friday-the-13th/285-6c2a6e92-8e68-4d37-886d-4c738f7e81df)Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion Breaks Down... Twice (https://insidethemagic.net/2020/03/disney-haunted-mansion-ride-closure-evacuation-tm1/)8.Halloween Horror Nights Movie Being Discussed (https://www.slashfilm.com/halloween-horror-nights-movie/)Dad Builds Epic Haunted Playhouse for His Kids (https://103gbfrocks.com/dad-builds-most-epic-haunted-playhouse-for-his-kids/?trackback=fbshare_mobile)ConclusionsAll in all, this is an important episode you do NOT want to miss.

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We haunters tend to be a strange bunch. We work insanely long hours under grueling conditions. We do it for little (if any) pay and, in return, we get to hang out in a macabre world our creation and, if we're lucky, scare some people.Why would people choose this? Why did we choose it? What possible force in the universe could make an otherwise reasonably sane peprson put themselves through all of this for a scare? It's easy to step back and say, "We do it because we're haunters," but that's not the answer. Why do people become haunters?To that end, we have some theories and we've tracked down five elements that go into making pretty much every haunter we've known. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About UsWhy Haunters Are Strange CreaturesElement 1: A Creative SteakElement 2: A Wee Bit of MacabreElement 3: A Desire for Power or Lack of RestraintElement 4: A Desire for FamilyElement 5: A Pinch of InsanityHow to Apply ThisConclusionsAll in all, if you're a haunter, this is an episode that you do NOT want to miss!

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Haunts put a lot of thought and effort into marketing and trying to build a brand, but far too often sabotage it with unforced errors and simple mistakes. You work hard to make sure your customers think highly of you and want to come back year after year. However, one small misstep can damage or even wreck all of that goodwill. So it's not enough to have a good brand strategy in place, you need to watch out for pitfalls that you, your actors or your marketing can fall into to damage it. To that end, here are some of the more common ways we've seen haunted attractions sabotage their own brand unintentionally.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About UsIntro Into BrandingInconsistent DesignIrrelevant MerchandiseLack of Social Media RulesInappropriate Content for the BrandAdvertising Things Not in the HauntRogue ActorsCharacter ControlConclusionsAll in all, whether you're the brand manager or just an actor in the haunt, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Two weeks ago we discussed the things we hate about being haunters. This week we're flipping the script and spreading the love. The truth is that we love being haunters and wouldn't trade it for the world. Sure, as we said last time, there are things we could do without, but there's a lot to love about haunting and that's what this episode is all about.So let's find our inner hippie and spread some peace and love as we go over just some of the reasons we love the things that we do!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update About Us10 Things We Love About Being HauntersConclusionsAll in all, if you're a haunter at all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly it's time to do the news! Since we had to skip the news last month we actually have two months of content to go through so this is going to be one packed episode to say the last.We have some difficult news from Field of Screams, an update on the Joilet Prison and an interesting Valentine's Day promotion for one haunted attraction. Couple that with some other big haunt stories and you have a very full 50 minutes of haunt news and content.So sit down and take a listen, it's time to get caught up!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntInfo About our Upcoming Witchita TripActors at Field of Screams Voice Concerns (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)6. Man Charged for Sexual Assault on Haunt Employee (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/1/30/21115401/charges-man-inappropriately-touched-haunted-house-employee-salt-lake-arizona-sexual-battery)13th Floor to Take Over Old Joilet Prison (https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/01/08/thirteenth-floor-plans-haunted-house-at-old-joliet-prison/a1buwkm/)Tennessee Haunt Loses Roof, Takes Water Damage (https://www.wate.com/news/top-stories/oneida-business-impacted-by-saturdays-storms-after-wind-blew-their-roof-off/)California Haunt Sends Clows to Deliver Valentine's Messages (https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/valentines-day-gram-clown-192226998.html)Charity Haunt Founder in Michigan Passes Away (https://www.wnem.com/news/community-mourning-death-of-nonprofit-haunted-house-founder/article_0f3139c4-479d-11ea-883d-bb0a2f8c9c23.html)Virginia Haunt Teams with Family to Raise Cancer Awareness (https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Terror-Manor-teams-up-with-the-Price-family-to-raise-childhood-cancer-awareness-567852021.html)Indiana Haunter Brings Back Christmas Light Display (http://www.tribtown.com/2019/12/24/local_resident_brings_back_animated_musical_seymour_lights_display/)ConclusionsAll in all, this is one news episode that you do NOT want to miss!

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Being a haunter is great. We get to build neat stuff, scare a lot of people and do things that would never be allowed in polite society otherwise. That said, there are a few things about haunting we could definitely do without. The abject poverty, the stress, the fighting and the jerk customers all hash the buzz pretty nicely.So, with that in mind, we're going to look at some of the things we actually do hate about being haunters, in particular home haunts. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntA Housekeeping Note10 Things We Hate About HauntingConclusionsAll in All, this is an episode I think every haunter can relate do and definitely an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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When it comes to questions we got at HAuNTcon, this was one of the more surprising. Several people asked how we got started haunting.The answer is: Terribly. We got started terribly. But we have managed to keep it going for 15 years and, with luck, you can too. To make that happen we had to make a lot of adjustments along the way. Though we made some good decisions in the beginning, we had a lot to learn. Now, we're offering you the chance to learn from our wise decisions and our mistakes alike to start your home haunt in a way that will keep it going for a long time to come. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntIntro to the TopicLegal StuffWorking with the NeighborsCreating a BudgetDesign StuffFamily CareActor CareThe Actual BuildConclusionsAll in all, if you're interested in starting a home haunt, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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We had such a fun time at HAuNTcon but one of the questions we got repeatedly surprised us. So many people wanted to know how we queue or time our actors. We never really put too much thought into how we do it but, as we talked about it, we realized that we had been through hell and back on the issue and now, 15 years later, it was coming pretty easy to us. So, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and discuss the good, the bad and the ugly ways we tried to time our actors.Get ready for some embarrassment and, hopefully, some helpful tips for your haunt.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntOur Biggest Timing FailuresOur Biggest Timing SuccessesConclusionsAll in all, whether you run a haunt, build scares or are an actor, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss.

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HAuNTcon 2020 is in the books and what a weekend it has been. There was much education to be had, parties to attend, drinking to be done and, most importantly, haunt fellowship to be had. As amazing and chaotic as it was, we're going to try and recap it all in under an hour. Impossible you say? That's because you're right. But it won't stop us from trying. We're sorry to anyone we forgot but our brains are mush and our bodies are exhausted. Thank you for your patience with us!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntThursday (The Bus Tour)Friday (Classes and Haunt Visit)Saturday (Our Class)Sunday (The Day of Not Rest)Monday (The Aftermath)ConclusionsAll in all, whether you were at HAuNTcon or not, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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