Practical and Theatrical Scare Acting

Something that has been spreading around the haunt community and getting more popular is the labeling of some scare actors as a "boo". It's not hard to figure out that it's not meant as a compliment and getting called one can be hurtful and embarrassing. So, if you've heard the term and don't want to be one or if you've been called one, don't worry because this can be fixed. In this article we will cover the origins and the word and how to ensure that it doesn't apply to you. What is a "Boo"? To be clear, we're not talking about the slang term that is referring to your sweetheart. And honestly, you might want to reconsider using it if you still are, but I digress.  In the haunt industry, a Boo is anything but a term of endearment. It's a name that many experienced scare actors use for actors that they feel aren't cutting it.  Just like saying "boo" in a haunt isn't scary, a "Boo" isn't scary. It...

Every year scare actors and haunt owners push through a tough schedule. Late nights, bumps and bruises, sleep deprivation and more will wear you down. But somehow when it's all over you wish it hadn't ended so soon. Well, there are some things that will help with the post haunt season blues, and that's what is covered in the article. So here we go: After the fun ends The season is over. You're bruised, battered, beaten and sleep deprived. You could probably build a ten foot high pile of water bottles or energy drinks behind your set. But despite all of the pain and exhaustion, you're incredibly sad that it's over. It's a common thing that effects many scare actors, yet most of us never talk about it. Similar how most NASCAR drivers never talk about other drivers getting into accidents, it's something we all go through but don't discuss. I'm assuming that's true because it was in Days of Thunder and Tom Cruise wouldn't lie about someth...

One thing that's important to scare acting is understanding your part in the bigger picture. Some actors don't want to look beyond their own role, or worse consider themselves the "stars" of the haunt. The thing they're lacking is a proper perspective on the haunt and the actor's role in it.  So here we go with a valuable lesson on perspective: Haunts are about the guests Some actors think of their character and their set and don't care about anything going on around them. They want to have their character perform their way, regardless of what they've been told. The term that is often used in the industry for these people is a "boo". This is not a term of endearment like "bae", it's intent is to point out that the scare actor will never be more than someone who just jumps out and goes "boo". My point here is not to make fun of them. In fact, I firmly believe that most scare actors can do a great job if properly tra...

My first love of scare acting (besides simply scaring people senseless) is interaction with guests as my character. Half of them are completely shocked that you responded to something they said. Simply put, being able to improvise your lines and respond to guests in character is a challenge but can make for a great scare. Why talking can actually be a terrible idea Some haunts have strict policies against any of their characters talking, there is a very good argument for this. Guests, in a sense, often see actors as "props" in the haunt. They know the actors are alive but they tend to dehumanize them. This makes sense because actors don't typically "look" human while they're in character. Most importantly, you really  want them to not see you as human. You are asking them to suspend their disbelief and assume, while they are in your haunt, that they are in some kind of real danger. If not done properly, improvising or even talking in general, can hum...