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This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing a topic that, for us, has been a LOOOOOONG time coming: Aphantasia in haunting.

What is aphantasia? It's the inability to form pictures in your mind.

Where most of the population can picture a beautiful beach or a country cottage, people with aphantasia see only words, letters or numbers.

Though this was originally discovered in the 1880s, it's been getting a great deal of attention irecent years as more people have woken up to the idea that not everyone sees things the same way in their mind.

So what does aphantasia mean for our industry? How can we better serve customers with it and, perhaps most importantly, work with oher creatives who have it? We brought in our girlfriend and and partner Elli, who is one of the few with aphantasia, to answer these questions and more.

This Week's Episode Includes:

Intro
Conference Reminders
Background Info on Aphantasia
Aphantasia in Haunt Customers
Working with People with Aphantasia
Conclusions
All in all, this is an episode you do not want to miss.

In the meantime, feel free to check out this article on the BBC, which features a test you can take to see where you see on the aphantasia spectrum and this post on Facebook about what it's like to live with aphantasia.

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're discussing building or improving your haunt character.

It's the perfect time of year for this conversation, too. With just over a month before haunt season, many actors are trying to nail their characters down. This includes veterans looking to up their game and newcomers looking to hit the ground running.

So, we'll discuss how to build your haunt character and what you should think about before you start scaring.

Article: https://www.dabblewriter.com/articles/how-to-write-compelling-characters-from-the-inside-out

This Week's Episode Includes;

1. Intro 
2. Work We Did for the Haunt
3. Question of the Week
4. Everyone Has a Character
5. What Makes a Good Character
6. Creating a Backstory
7. Planning Your Appearance
8. Creating a Hook
8. Coming Up with Catchphrases
9. Movement
10. Tying it All Together
11. Going Deeper
12. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news! 

Sadly, this week's lead story involves you-know-who being arrested on some serious charges. However, we also have some haunt openings, announcements from Six Flags and much more.

This Week's Episode Includes: 

1. Intro
2. Housekeeping Note
3. Question of the Week
4. Conference Reminders
5. RM Arrested on Attempted Murder and Rape Charges - https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2024/07/22/mckamey-manor-owner-charged-with-rape-attempted-murder/74501898007/
6. Texas Haunters Convention Apologies for Parking Issues - https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1083725766604059&id=100048999381128&mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=aBCm8pwJ4wIhiw6o
7. Haunt Investors Team Up with Bailey Entertainment Group - https://www.pr.com/press-release/915477
8. Film Shot at Columbus Haunt to Open - https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/dystopian-thriller-filmed-in-columbus-county-to-open-tuesday/article_55bde59e-3d30-11ef-9c4f-3b6ed1d3a9be.html
9. Netherlands Theme Park to Open New Dark Ride - https://blooloop.com/theme-park/news/efteling-danse-macabre-opening-date/
10. Eloise Asylum Hosts Country Music Festival - https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/michael-ray-love-theft-other-country-singers-coming-eloise-asylum-next-month
11. Six Flags Over TX Announce Themes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyeSAF6c000
12. Disnely Celebrates Halloween with Charity - https://abc13.com/post/disney-gets-ready-halloween-good-cause/15117747/
13. Evansville, Indiana to Get New Haunt - https://wkdq.com/evansvilles-massive-new-haunted-house-announces-opening-weekend/
14. Birmingham, AL to Get Year-Round Haunt to Support LGBTQIA+ Charity - https://wkdq.com/evansvilles-massive-new-haunted-house-announces-opening-weekend/
15. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Twitter: @HauntWeekly
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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're discussing the TV series The Walking Dead and examining the lessons that haunters can and should learn from it.

From scare tactics to sound design, the show offers much to learn about scaring people. So, we will break down all the things you can learn from the show.

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Work We Did for Our Haunt
3. Question of the Week
4. Intro to the Topic
5. Lessons from The Walking Dead
6. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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

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AI is still the big marketing buzzword for the 2020s. However, as the hype and fear begin to fade, it's time to look at what AI can actually do and how it might be able to help.

To that end, most of AI's improvements are more iterative than revolutionary. However, that doesn't mean that AI is useless, just that one needs to be smart about how they  use it.

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Work We Did for Our Haunt
3. Question of the Week
4. Conference Reminders
5. Intro to the Topic
6. 8 Potential Uses for AI in Haunting
9. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Twitter: @HauntWeekly
YouTube: @HauntWeekly
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Every haunt has a theme, even if they don't realize it. Sometimes, the theme is no theme; sometimes, it's a generic "Haunted Hosue" theme. Other times, it's something even worse.

As haunts begin working on their themes and promotions, we'll discuss themes and the mistakes we see haunts, including some good ones, make when picking a theme.

While a haunt may not need a theme to excel, no haunt has been worse for having a good one.

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Question of the Week
3. Weird Mail We Got
4. Lumber Prices Are Crashing
5. What is a Theme
6. 6 Common Mistakes with Themes
7. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

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

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news! 

It's a busy time for haunt news as we ramp up the preparation for haunt season. However, that doesn't mean we don't have a few stories from outside the industry that could have major impacts on haunted attractions.

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Question of the Week
3. Haunted House Actor Admits to Killing Friend - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13553707/Haunted-House-actor-Brandon-Risner-admits-murdering-disemboweling-friend-Aaron-Davis.html
4. Man Dies After Being Struck By Coaster -https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-critically-injured-after-being-struck-by-roller-coaster/ar-BB1oAQA8
5. ScareHouse Will Not Open This Year - https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/scarehouse-will-not-open-this-year/
6. Dubai Mall to Get $480 Million Upgrade - https://retailasia.com/stores/news/dubai-mall-set-408m-expansion
7. New Dark Ride Opens in Maine - https://www.sallydarkrides.com/dark-rides/haunted-hotel
8. Ghostbusters Coming to HHN - https://www.sallydarkrides.com/dark-rides/haunted-hotel
9. Haunted Hydro Hosts Car Show/Clown Event - https://www.sallydarkrides.com/dark-rides/haunted-hotel
10. Dark Nights Returns to Hershey Park - https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hersheypark-halloween-dark-nights-returning-175954670.html?guccounter=1
11. Mortuary Announces Theme
12. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

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

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're discussing day jobs—or rather, why day jobs should hire haunters.

Haunting is hard work, and even those who've done it for years or decades may not view it as "real work." However, we should be more proud of our work and hiring managers should take note of the skills we've learned.

After all, if we can survive a few seasons as at a haunted house, we can probably deal with Janet in accounting. And not that way...

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Work We Did for Our Haunt
3. Housekeeping Note
4. Question of the Week
5. Why Companies Should Hire Haunters
6. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

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

Send us Fan Mail

Haunting is hard work, but it's much more difficult when unprepared. 

In this episode, we will discuss 13 things that every haunter should own. They can make haunting easier, more comfortable and, in some cases, safer.

So sit back, relax and take some notes. You probably have a few things you'll want to buy.

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Work We Did for Our Haunt
3. Question of the Week
4. Conference Reminders
5. 13 Things Every Haunter Should Have
6. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to missi1

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

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

Send us Fan Mail

A haunted attraction is basically a magic act. Though everyone knows it's an illusion, we don't share how it is done.

However, we're throwing open the curtain a bit and looking at 13 secrets that pretty much every haunter knows, but doesn't tell their customers.

Some are standard, some are wholesome, and a few we'd probably rather not get out. But we will share them all here!

This Week's Episode Includes:

1. Intro
2. Work We Did for Our Haunt
3. Question of the Week
4. 13 Secrets We Don't Tell Customers
5. Conclusions

All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss. 

Get in Touch and Follow Us!

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