Practical and Theatrical Scare Acting

As with most lists, for every ten items that you think of someone else will think of another completely different set of items. After my last Do's and Don'ts  list I kept running into situations, and given suggestions, where I realized there was more than enough material for a second list. It's a sad fact that common sense is not as  common as you would expect, and sometimes things haunts didn't think they needed to teach, should have been taught. Here is a list of additional Do's and Don'ts that are common to most Haunts. Some are from personal experience and some I've learned from my peers in the haunt industry. Some will not apply based on the Haunt you are working in or the role you play, but most are generally expected wherever you work. Don't trust a Mime. It's the quiet ones you've got to watch. Don'ts Don't Scream in someone's ear - Any loud noise, screaming, whistles or horns next to a guest's ear is not scary, it'...

One of the first and most important steps when becoming a scare actor is determining what type of role works best for you. Typically, the haunt runner or cast director will actually determine what role is the right fit, sometimes as early as when you audition for the part. Actors will typically be drawn to certain types of role and are better at some than others. Knowing what works best for you is important, both for you and the haunt (or haunts) you work for. As far as the actor training aspect goes, the actor's role is also important to distinguish. For example, advice for someone who works a queue line might be of no use to someone who is scaring on a set.  Sadly, Teen Vogue doesn't have a quiz for this one. There is an abundance of good information scattered around the internet  about scare acting . Unfortunately, one of the most frustrating issues is how often the terminology is different depending on the author of the site. Specifically, there is no universally accept...

One thing you can count on every year (sometimes every night) is the problematic guests that will come through your haunt. Talk to any veteran scare actor and they will immediately give you a list of people that have ticked them off, and they have some very colorful language to describe them. Not surprisingly the stories are often similar too. Some people think that spending money at a haunt gives them license to be rude to the actors and staff, some are already rude before they come in and it's just how they are. The problem is often twofold because these people will frustrate scare actors and other staff in addition to being a general nuisance to other guests.  Sadly, there is enough of these common complaints that I was able to compile a list of the most common offenders and how to deal with them. Rather than create a novel so long that Stephen King would be impressed, I'm going to do a series of posts on the different types of guests and how to respond accordingly. This is ...

One thing you can count on every year (sometimes every night) is the problematic guests that will come through your haunt. Talk to any veteran scare actor and they will immediately give you a list of people that have ticked them off, and they have some very colorful language to describe them. Not surprisingly the stories are often similar too. Some people think that spending money at a haunt gives them license to be rude to the actors and staff, some are already rude before they come in and it's just how they are. The problem is often twofold because these people will frustrate scare actors and staff in addition to being a general nuisance to other guests.  Sadly, there is enough of these common complaints that I was able to compile a list of the most common offenders and how to deal with them. Rather than create a novel so long that Stephen King would be impressed, I'm going to do a series of posts on the different types of guests and how to respond accordingly. This is the s...

One thing you can count on every year (sometimes every night) is the problematic guests that will come through your haunt. Talk to any veteran scare actor and they will immediately give you a list of people that have ticked them off, and they have some very colorful language to describe them. Not surprisingly the stories are often similar too. Some people think that spending money at a haunt gives them license to be rude to the actors and staff, some are already rude before they come in and it's just how they are. The problem is often twofold because these people will frustrate scare actors and other staff in addition to being a general nuisance to other guests.  Sadly, there is enough of these common complaints that I was able to compile a list of the most common offenders and how to deal with them. Rather than create a novel so long that Stephen King would be impressed, I'm going to do a series of posts on the different types of guests and how to respond accordingly. This is...

Working in a haunt is incredibly fun, it's also incredibly exhausting. It's perfectly reasonable to expect the first person passing through the door to get the same show as the last group through at the end of the night. They all pay the same amount of money after all. This simply won't happen if all the scare actors are completely exhausted before the night is over. There are more than a few suggestions on how to make it through the night and/or through the season. Unfortunately some of the advice out there is horribly, horribly wrong and even good advice is often debated. I have compiled a list of techniques used by the pros, and some are based on actual Doctor's medical advice. So please give them all serious consideration since Doctors have years of schooling to educate them on how to keep you from dying, and your buddy handing you an energy drink probably doesn't. Bruh, we were totally fierce for that first hour. Don't Stay Thirsty my friends ...

Auditioning for a scare actor position at your favorite haunt is exciting but can also be an anxiety producing experience.  Having nerves before an audition is perfectly normal, even for experienced pros. The best way to avoid the nerves is to be prepared. I've compiled a list of suggestions that will help increase your odds of getting the part with the least amount of stress. 1. Dress appropriately  - Seems like a basic idea, but for a scare actor audition it can be critical to dress appropriately. Most auditions will have you moving around and clothing that is restrictive can really work against you. Wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable and allow you to have a full range of movement. A lot of people will show up to auditions in costume, which is typically fine because it shows enthusiasm. But you probably shouldn't do it unless they specifically ask for it. Plus you don't want to go overboard and give the impression that you would creep out your fellow scare act...