HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters

Brian Foreman & Darryl Plunkie: Haunters, Scare Actors, Haunt Owners

Have you always wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of Haunted Attractions, Scare Attractions, and Halloween? We tell those stories here!

  • 1 hour 15 minutes
    How does your Haunt compare? The 2024 Haunt Industry Report

    HauntPay created the annual Haunt Industry Survey because they needed reliable, recent data about the haunt industry. This is the fourth annual report and haunters revealed some surprising insights for the coming season!

    Marketing efforts got more sophisticated and more robust this year, with haunters using digital and offline platforms to promote their attractions. Crowd sizes are growing modestly, but haunts remain an affordable activity compared with rising costs for other entertainment. And Haunters are using new strategies to manage the crowds on busy nights.

    In this podcast, you'll find insights like: how small or large is the average haunted attraction these days? How much are they charging for admission? Which social media apps are most popular? What are the biggest challenges haunt owners face?

    Thank you to all of you who responded to the 2024 survey! We quite literally couldn’t do this without your help.

    Visit HauntPay.com for all of your ticketing needs. Visit HauntersToolbox.com for help starting & growing your haunt.

    29 October 2024, 12:15 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Manage & Organize Your Scare Crew with Sithon.io
    A complete walkthrough of the Sithon management platform for haunted attraction staff/actors, why communication with your team is important, and things you can do this season to keep your staff coming back every year!   Things Sithon can do (all from your phone): -Custom Actor Recruitment -Scheduling -Actor/Staff Management -Costume Management -Time Tracking -Email & Text Notifications -Dedicated Personnel Line -Background Checks -Attraction Studio -Staffing Metrics -Awards Tracking -On-Demand Reports   From Sithon.io : Recruit, manage and communicate with your actors and staff with Sithon. Developed by a veteran haunted attraction manager, Sithon is an easy-to-use platform that includes everything you need to make personnel management easier for you and your managers. Anytime. Anywhere   No selling on this webinar. Just solid information that will help you be stress-free this season.   Start and grow your haunted attraction business at HauntersToolbox.com
    29 September 2024, 6:09 pm
  • 1 hour 5 minutes
    Special FX Makeup Tips from the Dead Factory Haunted House

    It's 30 minutes before the haunt doors open. You need a quick way to make some realistic wounds, cuts, and bruises that will stay on all night. We have those answers inside this podcast!

    You can also watch the full video here: https://haunterstoolbox.com/sfx

    Applying special effects makeup inside a haunted attraction is a unique skill. You have to be fast & efficient while creating a monster that the customers want to see. The best way to get started with special effects makeup is buy a few supplies then just start. Practice on yourself and watch your skills blossom as you learn along the way.

    Join these Master Classes at HauntersToolbox.com

    27 August 2024, 11:01 pm
  • 1 hour 28 minutes
    Upsells & Upgrades: Make More Revenue At Your Haunted Attraction

    There are a few ways to make more revenue with your attraction: 1) Raise your prices 2) Get more customers 3) Sell more to your current customers

    We will focus this master class on selling more to your current customers by using the space you already have. Things like themed dinners, private tours, and ticket upgrades allow you to charge more for unique experiences without needing extra space. 

    Shawn Lippert, the co-owner of Scarehouse Windsor, joins us to show how he increased the revenue at his attraction by adding interactive dinner experiences. We'll also share some various ways that you can earn more revenue at your Haunt this season.

    To get more monthly Master Classes like this one delivered to your inbox and take your Haunt to the next level; become a member at HauntersToolbox.com

    31 July 2024, 1:40 pm
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Guerrilla (Haunt) Marketing and Other Creative Marketing Tips with FearWorm

    How do I get more people to attend my Haunt? What does it take to stand out in today's market? Are there creative ways to grab attention without spending too much?

    We answer these questions and more in this Master Class with Laura Kilpatrick from FearWorm Hauntvertising.

    Become a member at HauntersToolbox.com to join our next Master Class. Start & grow your Haunt today!

    Visit FearWorm.com for your Haunt Advertising needs.

    26 June 2024, 3:27 pm
  • 1 hour 55 minutes
    Wall Textures & Techniques: Create Burn Effects, Aging, & Fundamentals

    Creating realistic scenes requires detailed wall panels. But where do you start? Should you use a light base paint or black? What are simple ways to distress your sets? How do you make charred walls, peeling paint, bubbled paint? What materials do you need to create amazing sets? We answer these questions and more during this Master Class with Scenic Artist Rich Cimino from BentCirkus.com

    Start and grow your Haunted Attraction at HauntersToolbox.com

    Reward, Retain, & Recognize your employees with ScareItBadges.com

    27 May 2024, 1:12 am
  • 1 hour 44 minutes
    Introduction to Animatronics with Ed Gannon

    Let's talk about things that move in your haunted attraction. Yes, animatronics can be complex and scary to attempt by yourself. But what if animatronics weren't as scary as you thought? Join co-host & haunt veteran Ed Gannon as he breaks down some simple takeaways that just might change the way you look at animations.

    You can also find Ed Gannon at Something Wicked Productions, Haunt Dawgs, and Haunt Fix.

    Sign up to be a Haunter's Toolbox member (any tier) before May 7, 2024 to receive a video of this Master Class at HauntersToolbox.com 

    Join our next Master Class with Rich Cimino on Wall Textures & Paint Effects on May.14th, 2024. This is for ProHaunters & Haunt Masters only. Become a Exclusive Member here. 

    28 April 2024, 6:36 pm
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    Scare Tactics: How To Scare the Crap Out Of Your Customers

    Inside a Haunted Attraction, it's all about the SCARE! But how do you pull it off when your audience gets braver every year? Learn the proper techniques to create that perfect scare that can be effective over and over again. We'll talk about Actor Tools, Set Design, & Scare Techniques.

    To join us next time LIVE and get this video master class, become a member at HauntersToolbox.com

    29 March 2024, 1:36 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Wicker Manor: The Journey from Home Haunter to Pro
    Sean Herman takes us through the Wicker Manor and tells us how he will transition from a haunt in his two-car garage into a permanent location. Wicker Manor was featured on ABC’s Great Halloween Fright Fight and also won Best International Haunt in an award show.   To start your own haunted attraction business, visit our homebase at HauntersToolbox.com
    24 February 2024, 12:19 am
  • 1 hour 50 minutes
    Terror in the Corn: Mazes, Marketing, Management & Monsters

    Join the haunt community at HauntersToolbox.com and start your own haunted attraction or grow your current haunt business. Get instant access to haunt master classes, the haunt library, haunt vendor discounts, and haunt coaching.

    Bart Butler from Terror in the Corn located in Erie, Colorado, shares his knowledge about building corn mazes, designing haunted houses, scare actor management, and how he changed his marketing strategy to drastically increase his attendance numbers.

    Find Bart at TerrorInTheCorn.com

    28 January 2024, 9:18 pm
  • 1 hour 35 minutes
    Improve your haunted attraction in 2024 | Haunted Attraction Network

    What can you do before next season to improve your brand, your marketing, and your attraction? Are you focused on the right things? 

    Philip Hernandez, from the Haunted Attraction Network, lets us in on a few things he noticed in 2023 that will be game-changers for the future of your haunt. 

    Find Philip here: Haunted Attraction Network

    Start and grow a Haunted Attraction business here: Haunters Toolbox

    Buy ScareIt Badges for your haunt crew and yourself here: ScareIt Badges

    Music by The Crypt Keeper and Midnight Syndicate

    18 December 2023, 1:01 am
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