Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Animatronics and Automated Show control is nothing new to the Haunted House industry. In fact it has been around since the early days of theater. How we use it has changed a great deal, especially over the last decade. The once high-end and expensive devices that were limited to large Stage Shows and Theme Parks are now abundantly available and very affordable. Multi-channel devices can control anything from large animatronics to the subtle flicker of a candle. Audio processors monitor the screams of our guest and adjust the ambient volume and lighting of the room in milliseconds. Literally changing the mood of a scene based on your reaction. Gone are the old fashion infrared motion detectors and pressure pads that would trigger the action. Replaced by active sonar, thermal imaging and scanning lasers. (more…)
Tags: Animatronics, Electric Chair, Haunted House Tech, haunted houses, tech, tranning
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Friday, January 20th, 2012
One of my most vivid memories of Halloween as a kid was what we called the Haunted House record. Each year as the season changed to fall and the days on the calendar passed. My brother and I would dig thru the stack of albums next to the Curtis Mathis TV, turn the lights out and play Disney’s “Sounds of the Haunted House” And we would scare ourselves crazy! Keep in mind this was before video games and high speed internet – for us it was 100% pure Imagination. Last week we were working at the Boneyard upgrading some digital sound cards and I was asked how we make the sound effects that are used in the Boneyard? Almost immediately I flashed back to the artwork on the old “Haunted House” record,, The next question that came to mind… What ever became of the album…? (more…)
Tags: Animatronics, Audio, Halloween, Haunted House, Imagination, Sound effects
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Friday, January 6th, 2012
What started out as a routine traffic stop for speeding turned into a national news story. Back on December the 20th 2011 a patrol officer pulls over a car for speeding a making a unsafe lane change. The incident took place in Washington State on interstate-5 & 272nd Street according to a media release by the State Patrols office.
Tags: Animatronics, Halloween, haunted houses, Props, skeletons
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Thursday, January 5th, 2012
The year was 2002, we had installed a inexpensive wireless camera inside the Haunted House, just for fun.. to laugh the people getting scared. (Yes we do make fun of you when you get scared) it was a very low tech camera, poor image, no recording or playback, black and white picture. Within the first couple of hours of seeing our guests reactions we found ourselves trying different things. Changing actors, scare tactics, lighting and just about anything else we could think of. No longer did we have to wait for you to exit the Haunt to judge how well we did, we could now see results in real time. after that first night we knew one thing.. We needed more cameras.
Tags: Animatronics, Halloween, Haunt-Cam, haunted houses, tech
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Monday, October 31st, 2011
Tags: Animatronics, Haunt cam, Haunted House, Pictures, tech
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Thursday, August 11th, 2011
One question I get asked often as a Haunted House owner is ” What is your favorite prop or animatronics?” And it’s like asking a parent what kid is their favorite! However I have to admit the classic “Electric Chair” makes my top 10 list year after year.
In 1881, – Dr. Albert Southwick, a dentist and former steamboat engineer, sees elderly drunkard touch terminals of electrical generator in Buffalo, New York. He is amazed at how quickly and apparently painlessly the man is killed and describes episode to friend State Senator David McMillan.
Currently the Boneyard houses a total of five electric chairs. one of the chairs has been imported from Europe. Originally manufactured as a arcade style novelty, the chair has been restored and updated with modern electronics. And is currently available for customers. Read More.
Tags: Animatronics, Electric Chair, Halloween, Haunted House, Horror, Props
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