FRIDAY SEMINARS

SATURDAY SEMINARS

SUNDAY SEMINARS

• SUPER SEMINAR (2 Hours) - Hopps On Haunt Acting: Grind Up Weird Stuff And Make Awesome Haunt Acting!

  Speaker: Allen Hopps, Dark Hour

  Friday 3:00pm - 5:00pm

  $60/attendee (Early Bird Price) $75/attendee (Regular Price)

  Step into the role of your nightmares with our comprehensive 2-hour training class for haunted attraction actors. This is different. I want to talk about some weird stuff- Physicality, faceicality (I made that word up) Commedia del Arte, Character philosophy, Haunt based character arcs,  How your character influences the world around you, Isometric view character control, all kinds of weird stuff that I don't normally have time for but I can't stop thinking about. Physicality, vocality, and motivation- each one expanded in talk and exercise demos.Whether you're a seasoned scare actor, actor trainer, just starting out, or just into weird stuff -this class is not to be missed. Join us for an unforgettable training experience and unleash the terror within!

• SUPER SEMINAR (2 Hours) - Motor Class: Take Control!

  Speaker: Jim Slanker - Chicago Haunt Builders and Boston Petit - Dark Hour

  Friday 3:00pm - 5:00pm

  $60/attendee (Early Bird Price) $75/attendee (Regular Price)

  Unleash the full potential of your haunt with our thrilling and interactive 2-hour seminar: Take Control of Your Home Haunt or Attraction! Join us for a hands-on experience as we explore the different options available to control pneumatic props, motorized props, lights, fog machines, and other special effects. Our experienced instructors will review different trigger options and provide invaluable insights on how to create spine-tingling scares and special effects that will leave your guests screaming for more. But the fun doesn''t stop there! The seminar culminates in a hands-on section where participants will have the opportunity to program one of the most popular brands of controllers and take their haunt to the next level. Whether you''re a seasoned haunt designer or just starting out, this seminar is not to be missed. Join us for an unforgettable experience and take control of your haunt like never befo

• Dress To Distress: Costuming In The Haunt Industry

  Speakers: Dani Panik- 13th Floor Chicago, Maiya Higgins Old Joliet Haunted Prison and Joseph Goratowski ,Macabre Intentions Moderated by Katie Lane moderates

  Saturday 9:45am - 10:45am

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Step up your haunt game with our panel of talented individuals in haunted attraction costuming, featuring both men and women with expertise in their craft. These speakers not only bring a wealth of knowledge but also unique personal styles and edge to their work. In this class, you'll learn the ins and outs of creating unforgettable haunted house costumes, from design and construction to accessories and distressing. Our diverse panel of experts will share their secrets and experiences, including tips for ensuring actor effectiveness and working within a budget. Whether you're a professional costume designer or just looking to level up your personal style, this class is not to be missed.

• How To Scare Anyone - Powerful Shock Scares For Actors!

  Speakers: Ben Armstrong - NETHERWORLD Haunted House

  Saturday 11:00am - 12:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  A lot of time and effort goes into the details and props in a scene but many times a virtually untrained actor is sent to the space and told to just go "scare people". While guests go to haunts for many reasons getting scared is the primary one and deserves the maximum amount of focus from show designers. This seminar will focus on tried and true methods to train, equip and motivate your actors to scare your customers and have fun doing it!

• Practical World Building And Deep Theming For Haunted Attractions

  Speakers: Ben Armstrong- NETHERWORLD Haunted House, John Laflamboy - Hells Gate Haunted House, Allen Hopps - Dark Hour Haunted House

  Saturday 1:00pm - 2:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Join us for a seminar on world-building for haunted attractions featuring three industry experts known for their impressive themes and immersive environments. Creating a world that is truly terrifying requires more than just jump scares and gory props. In this class, we will discuss the art of creating a fully-realized world for your haunted attraction, from crafting a cohesive theme to designing detailed environments and characters. How to tell a story through your haunt and create a sense of immersion that will leave your guests screaming for more. You never know exactly where we will go, but I assure you that the nuggets of wisdom gained will be well worth your time!

• Run And Gun - The Art Of Creating Video And Photographic Content While Your Haunt Is Open!

  Speaker: Boston Petit - Dark Hour

  Saturday 2:15pm - 3:15pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  You’ve read all the posts, taken all the classes on advertising, and hear constantly how TikTok and Facebook posts can make or break your attraction’s ticket sales. But how do you actually generate the content for those platforms? In this class, I will be running you through my guide of generating all forms of content for your haunted house, without having to devote extra time outside of operating hours. This bare bones approach has allowed me to make engaging content for haunted houses all over the country without the hassle or time of setting up specific media days. I will share all of my secrets and give you a game plan on how to revolutionize your content this upcoming season.

• Mayhem And Movement: The Importance Of Body Language In Haunt Acting

  Speaker: Katie Lane

  Saturday 3:30pm - 4:30pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Body language can enhance your character by allowing you to communicate in nonverbal methods with your audience. Learn how using facial expressions and movement will convey different emotions, add an imposing element to your performance, and make your character feel more fully developed. This class will cover different techniques from head to toe and how to read the body language of your guests for optimal scares and interactions.

• Making The Wait Worthwhile: Acting In The Queue Done Right

  Panelists: Shane Howard (Dead Man's Hand, RIP Sideshow) Emma Von Zombie (Spfx MUA, w/ Basement of the Dead and Disturbia Haunted House) Tyler Fermanich (Nightmare Forge). Moderated by Japes Palles, Lost Souls Chicago

  Sunday 9:45am - 10:45am

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Join our panel of veteran scare actors as they share their tips and tricks for creating a chilling atmosphere in the queue line of your haunted attraction. The queue line is often overlooked as a prime spot for scares, but with the right approach, it can set the tone for the entire experience. This panel will cover everything from improvisation and character development to crowd control and character theory. Whether you're a seasoned actor or just starting out, this panel will provide you with the tools you need to take your queue line interactions to the next level.

• Make Haunting A Career!

  Speakers: Ryan Visingard - Woods Of Terror, Teddy Summers - Dark Hour,Moderated by: Allen Hopps - Owner of Dark Hour Haunted House and Stilt Beast Studios

  Sunday 11:00am - 12:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Have you ever wondered how to turn your love for the macabre and all things spooky into a fulfilling career? Join our team of industry experts as they share their insights and experiences on how to break into the world of haunted house work. From designing and building haunted attractions, to acting and makeup, to marketing and management, this class will cover all aspects of making haunting a career. Get inspired and discover the many opportunities available in this unique and exciting industry.

• Distressing With Dimensional Realism - Adding Texture and Depth To Your Scenic Finishes!

  Speakers: Teddy Summers - Dark Hour

  Sunday 12:15pm - 1:15pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Take your distressing skills to the next level by creating 3D texture and depth in your haunted attraction scenes. While 2D paint effects can be impressive, adding true depth and texture can make a scene truly larger than life. You'll learn techniques for creating realistic texture and gruesome detail using a variety of materials. Discover how to incorporate 3D elements into your distressed surfaces, including walls, floors, and props, to create an immersive and unsettling environment. Whether you're a seasoned scenic detailer or just starting out, this class will provide you with the skills you need to make your haunted attraction truly pop

• The Five (5) Types Of Scares For Design And Scareacting

  Speaker: Jonathan Seth, South Florida Fairgrounds

  Sunday 1:30pm - 2:30pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Get ready to scare your guests like never before with our class on designing and executing five types of scares. Whether you're a seasoned haunter or just starting out, this class will provide you with a deeper understanding of what makes each scare effective and how to purposefully design and utilize them in your haunt. Jonathan will break down the elements of each scare and explore how they rely on one another to create a truly terrifying experience. You'll learn how to combine design and acting to enhance your scares and leave your guests screaming for more. Join us for this thrilling class and take your scare game to the next level!

• Supercharge Your Home Haunt With Advanced Pixel Lighting Displays!

  Speaker: Rudy Vanderbiest, Chicago Haunt Builders

  Saturday 9:45am - 10:45pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Learn how pixels can become a fantastic addition to your home haunt display! You'll see the basics of programming a light show and see samples of fantastic pixel props geared specifically towards Halloween!

• Home Haunting 101 Fundamentals

  Speaker: Christopher Hazel - Ohio Haunters Association

  Saturday 11:00am - 12:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Understand forced perspective and how to design and place scenery in relation to actors and audiences. Then learn how to work with low voltage batteries, gels, securing lights, building flats and jacks for your Haunt structure

• Making Monsters Move!

  Speaker: Jim Slanker - Chicago Haunt Builders

  Saturday 1:00pm - 2:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Learn the basics of using motors to create animated props for your Haunt or Display. Learn about the different types of motors used in props, how to power them, trigger them. The seminar will also cover basic linkages.

• The Ultimate How To Guide For Monster Mud

  Speaker: Cheryl Calendar - Chicago Haunt Builders

  Saturday 2:15pm - 3:15pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Learn to use “Monster Mud” to make statues, tombstones and other eerie props. Learn the materials needed for creating “Monster Mud” as well as how to create realistic looking status from start to finish as well as to take your tombstones to another level by using Monster Mud on your tombstones to give them a realistic stone look and texture.

• How to Build a Walkthrough Home Haunted House

  Speaker: Michael Peters - Chicago Haunt Builders

  Saturday 3:30pm - 4:30pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Have you ever wanted to create a walk-through home haunted house? Do you already have one and want to take it to the next level? From wall panels to black plastic, there are many ways to create a walkthrough Home Haunted House at your home! Learn everything there is to go into creating and running a home haunt. Set up, take down, storage tips, building methods on all levels of budgets, set design, how to incorporate animatronics and props, as well as how to get people to come out to your show! Stand out from the rest with outstanding design that makes your show your own unique experience!

• Anchors Away - Securing Your Home Haunt Display

  Speaker: Rudy Vanderbiest, Chicago Haunt Builders

  Sunday 9:45am - 10:45am

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Learn about the tools, tips and tricks that keep your props standing tall and proud during those pesky weeks leading up to Halloween and survive the furies of Mother Nature!

• Oh, The Web We Weave

  Speaker: Jennifer Horst

  Sunday 11:00am - 12:00pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Move up from the pulled cotton spider webs and learn to use Beef Netting to make impactful, over-the-top spider webs that will send chills down the spine of any self-respecting arachnophobe! Attendees will learn the basics including where to buy beef netting and more importantly, how to work with it to create amazing spider webs which can be used inside or out.

• Corpsification: How To Create A Cool Skeletal Corpse On A Budget

  Speaker: Michael Burnett - Fright Night Studios

  Sunday 12:15pm - 1:15pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  Creating a creepy custom skeletal corpse can be easily accomplished with common materials and tools, using the techniques demonstrated in this demonstration workshop by special makeup effects artist Michael Burnett (FrightNight Studios, Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Evil Dead 2). Michael will take you step by step through the materials and techniques needed to turn an ordinary plastic skeleton into a realistic, super creepy corpse prop. This workshop will give attendees a basic understanding of the various materials, tools, fabricating & finish techniques that can be used. Attendees will go home with an information handout covering everything discussed during the workshop, including supply sources. The creepy skeletal corpse you can create from what you will learn in this workshop will be a great scary addition to your escape room, large haunt, or scary yard.

• Distress Clothing For Your Props And Actors!

  Speakers: Kevin Biksacky / Wayne Dvorak, Chicago Haunt Builders

  Sunday 1:30pm - 2:30pm

  $30/attendee (Early Bird Price) $40/attendee (Regular Price)

  In this session you will learn how to permanently change "like new" garments and give it a transformation to give it a look to fit any actor's character. Or dress up your prop for your home haunt or yard display at an affordable price. Many of the materials can be sourced locally or found online. From ghouls to phantoms to specters to zombies.

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