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A wise person once said, what goes up, must come down. So is also true for haunts.

But why are you talking about tearing down haunts in Summer? People are building their haunts now, not tearing them down! 

Glad you asked. That's because the success of a haunt teardown sttarts during haunt construction. Decicions made during the build impact how smoothly the haunt comes down.

While most haunts use panel-based construction for easy knock down or renovation, there's a lot more that goes into tearing down a haunt than just building it in pieces.

With that in mind, we're taking a look this week on how to tear down a haunt safely, quickly and with minimal swearing.

The Week's Episode Includes:

IntroductionConference RemindersSafety During Tear DownBuilding Tips to Help with Later Tear DownsTear Down PracticesConclusions

Whether your haunt is permanent or a knockdown, if you plan on taking some or all of it down, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly we're going back to school!

Yes, we know it's the middle of summer but that makes it the perfect time to pick up some non-credit or continuing education courses. Need some suggestions on what to take? We look at our local schools and see the types of courses you might be able to pick up closer to your home.

Best of all, many of the courses can be taken online so, even if you aren't near a school, you may be able to attend.

So strap in as we talk about some options for continuing education and suggest some courses that can benefit you as a haunter.

The Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersWhy Continuing Education?Graphic Design ClassesCAD ClassesPhotography ClassesSocial Media and Marketing ClassesQuickBooks/Accounting ClassesTechnology ClassesProject Management ClassesVocal LessonsOther Options

All in all, if you're looking to improve yourself or what you can do for your haunt, this is one episode you do not want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking about everyone's favorit topic: RULES!

Wait, wait, wait, before you leave. Hear us out. Rules are vitally important to your haunt but they are also something that none of us really pay much attention to. Heck, we haven't updated our rules in 12 years.

However, now is a good time to start thinking about those rules and, maybe, getting some new banners printed. After all, haunt rules protect the haunt, its customers and it actors equally. It's important to have good, clear and concise rules.

So let's spend an hour talking about these rules and how we can improve them, it's an hour that, hopefully won't be totally wasted.

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersThe Common RulesThe Medical RulesThe Rules We'd Like to SeeThe Controversial Rules

All in all, if you have a rule banner (and you should), this is one episode you do NOT want to miss. 

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Sorry for the late podcast this week! We've been travelling and this week's episode is brought to you from a Super 8 motel near St. Louis. If we sound a bit different or seem a bit out of sorts, that's why.

But, the show must go on and there is a lot of news to cover this week. We have a major announcement from both Halloween Horror Nights and VooDoo Fest, We also have some new examples of haunted attractions being used as either add ons or as promotions and much more news.

So, sit back, relax and let us get you caught up on the industry news.

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersHalloween Horror Nights Adds 10th AttractionVooDoo Fest Announces on-Festival Haunt"Murr" From Impractical Jokers Announces Book w/ Haunt PromoParanormal Cirque Uses a Haunt As Part of Its ShowWyandotte Jaycees Put Out Call for VolunteersMontgommery County Cultural Foundation Seeks to Open Competitive HauntIllinois Haunted House VandalizedPhotographer Releases Book of Haunt Scenees

While it may not be the busiest week for haunted attraction news, you can still guarantee that this is one episode you do NOT want to miss. 

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When it comes to talking about spooky things, Crystal and I got our start reviewing "Garbage Horror" movies, low budget horror movies that were usually the brainchild of one or two people.

We've seen hundreds, possibly thousands of these films. Many are unwatchable, most are forgettable, but some are actually very good and very memorable.

So what can those GOOD budget horror movies teach us as haunters? That's exactly what this episode is about!

This Week's Episode Includes: 

IntroConference RemindersOur Background with These FilmsPractical EffectsCheap, Effecient SetsCompellling Characters and StoriesCostumesActorsUse of LevityFocus on the UniuqueClosing

All in all, whether you're a fan of haunting or of budget horror, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're lightening things up a bit. After such a downeer last episode, we decided to talk about something everyone loves: Saving money.

But here's the deal. Every article, podcast, forum, etc. covers the same tips and tricks. We all know to go dumpster diving, shop at thrift stores and troll through Craigslist. That's the easy stuff.

So we wanted to cover some less-common ways we save money, in particular how we takea tiny budget and use it to build our haunt.

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersThe More Common Suggestions We Hear10 Tips for Saving Money Designing/Building Your HauntConslusions

All in all, if you like saving money, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Last week, Crystal and I had some time off. So we decided to take something of a staycation and explore the French Quarter and do some spooky things. One of which was visit the Bloody Mary Museum and Tour. 

While the museum shop wass your fairly standard New Orleans French Quarter affair, it was the tour that stuck with us. Rather than being a generic tour of a "haunted" place, it was a detailed tour of the location of a 2006 murder-suicide that has both living survivors and still needles as an entire city wrangling with the aftermath of Katrina.

I quickly posted about the tour on Facebook (being vague at first) and it was picked up by a friend of mine that brought it to the attention of The Advocate, a local paper, which published an article on it and quoted me in it. 

All in all, this is one heavy and personal espisode and not one directly related to the industry. So, if you want to skip it, we understand.

Still, for those who are interested in haunted attraction ethics, this one is probably worth a listen.

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersThe Story of the Bloody Mary Museum TourHow it Impacted UsWhy We Find It Troubling

As I said, if this isn't your cup of tea, we'll be back next week with a more normal episode. If it is though, it's definitely a one-of-a-kind episode.

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This week on Haunt Weekly, it's an episode divisible by four and that means it's time to do the news! 

And what a busy news week it is! We have some major news about new haunts opening, haunts moving and one haunted attraction that's doing away with its ghostly theme.

There's also some news about Disney's Haunted Mansion and a new documentary that focuses on home haunters.

All in all, this is one jam-packed episode that you do not want to miss!

This Week's Episode Includes: 

IntroConference RemindersNetherwold Cuts Ribbon on New LocationScout Island in New Orleans' City Park to Become a New HauntHalloween Horror Nights Announces Second AttractionLegoland UK to Open Haunted House RideKnott's Scary Farm Designer Opens "R Rated" Escape RoomKenhorst, PA Getting New Charity HauntAustralian Attraction Dropping Ghostly MarketingConcept Art for Disney's Haunted Mansion AuctionedTeaser Trailer Released for Epic Home Haunts DocumentaryReindeer Manor Hosts Haunt Garage SaleHorror Lost Two Great Actors This Month

All in all, there's a lot of news going on and this is one episode you do not want to miss! 

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It's that time of year where haunt building is in full swing so what happens if you have a prop, room or character that you need to push your haunt over the top but can't come up with the idea? Well you go to the internet!

Our industry has gotten very good about swapping and sharing ideas and, if you're scratching your head looking for something to go in your haunt, there's tons of places you can go online to get inspiration.

How many? We can't possibly list or even know them all so please share your places on our Facebook or Twitter, but in the meantime, enjoy our list of go-to places to get your haunt inspiration on...

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersGothic HomemakingInstructablesHaunters HaungoutHaunters ToolboxHalloween Props for Sale and DIYDamn Texaqs HauntersUnited HauntersHaunt ChatHallloween Prop BuildersEscape Room EnthusiastsHaunted Attraction IndustryReddit GroupsCosplay GroupsYouTubeClosing

All in all, this is one jam-packed episode filled with inspiration that you do not want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking about villains!

Every haunt has a villain, the difference is that many haunts take the time to flesh their villains out into marketable characters that add to the scare while others put no real time and attention into them.

However, that's pretty insane. Crafting a good villain is free and relatively easy to do. All you have to do is put some time and effort into creating a three-dimensional villain that your audience will connect with. Sound too good to be true? By the end of this podcast you should have a handle on how it's done. 

This Week's Episode Includes:

IntroConference RemindersThe Importance of a Villain to a StoryChoosing a Villain NameCrafting Your Villain's LookThe 6 Steps to Crafting a Villain's CharacterConclusions

All in all, whether your haunt has a crafted villain or not, this is an episode you do not want to miss. After all, there's always something you might be able to improve. 

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

Facebook: @HauntWeekly
Twitter: @HauntWeekly
YouTube: @HauntWeekly
Email: [email protected]