Haunted House Halloween Handbook

Jerry R. Chavez has been designing and producing haunted houses for over twenty years. He lives in Fountain Valley, California.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgements     Preface     1. GETTING STARTED     Start-up Costs and Sponsorship     Accounting     Workforce     Location     Legal and Safety Considerations     2. LAYOUT AND CONSTRUCTION     Floor Plans     Basic Construction Tools     Lumber     The Wall Frames     Building Temporary Walls     Electrical Cord Organization     3. BASIC EFFECTS     Appearance or Vanish     Transformation     Penetration     Animation or Levitation     Physical Paradox     Sensory Assault     Threatening Object     4. PROPS     Special Tools     Special Materials     Surface Treatments and Finishes     Using Color     Some Basic Props     5. COSTUMES     Latex Mask Making     Some Basic Makeup     6. SOUND, LIGHTING, AND SPECIAL EQUIPMENT     Sound Effects     Lighting     Other Effects Equipment     7. ADVERTISING     Media     Publicity Stunts     Postings     Last Words     Appendix A: Task Checklist and Sample Timeline     Appendix B: Threatrical Supply Companies     Index

“it will tell you everything you need to know to make sure the event is the nightmare you want it to be”—Big Reel; “Chavez utilizes his knowledge of stage magic and his vivid imagination to add some new twists to old illusions...sets a new standard for Halloween ‘How To’ books. For the beginning and intermediate haunter, this book is a must have”—Haunted Attraction Magazine.