JustJimAZ

  1. How To Feel Miserable as an Artist

    Borrowed from "The Artist's Survival Kit"

    Haunting is definitely an art. Everything from sets and props to costumes and acting is an art unto itself. I thought this might be appreciated here.

    Would love to hear your feedback.

    Happy haunting!
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  2. Putting the Magic Back in Halloween

    Haunt is about illusion. We plan our layout, our lighting, sounds, etc. to create an atmosphere that seems to be more menacing than it is. We use hot glue, PVC, and paper mache to create the illusion of things that simply cannot exist.

    Stage magic is about illusion too. The magician puts the audience in a position of "seeing" what is simply not true. Why, then, do I see so few references to magic type illusions in haunts?

    Don't get me wrong. Though my ...
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  3. Haunting Science

    Anyone who knows me knows I love big displays of science. Sure, vinegar and baking soda is a mildly interesting reaction, but put it in a ziplock and it explodes, which is much better! Put it in a volcano model, and ...well, we have all seen that. Mentos and Diet cola is another spectacular reaction. I am always looking for something that makes a big impact.

    You have probably seen a Jacob's ladder. Nothing says "mad science" like a buzzing, sparking thing that serves ...
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  4. Halloween On The Air

    What do you think when you think "old fashioned Halloween"? I was listening to a recording of "The Great Gildersleeves" From 1943, when one of the characters said "Let's have a real old-fashioned Halloween party". I thought about that. Here is a show about 75 years old. What would characters in their 40s consider old fashioned?

    Turns out, it was mostly about pranks that were clever but harmless. Perhaps a sock filled with chalk powder for smacking ...
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  5. The Beast Within

    I have always been drawn to werewolf stories. The idea of the shapeshifter intrigues me, but a werewolf is typically a tragic figure more than anything else. At first, it seems very cool. Every full moon the werewolf metamorphoses into a powerful beast, seemingly invulnerable to all but silver.

    The thing is, this is a curse, not a gift. The werewolf, by his very nature, is separated from mankind by the beast within. Worse, the victims will inevitably be those he loves. Therein ...

    Updated 07-06-2018 at 03:56 PM by JustJimAZ

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