JustJimAZ

Touch it. TOUCH IT!

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We all know the rule:
Touch nothing and nothing will touch you.
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But, what if we decided to make everything so it NEEDED to be touched to get the full effect?

In a blackout haunt, various textures and effects could be added to the walls. It almost wouldn't matter what they were, so long as they were unexpected and safe to touch. Why stop there? it might be freaky to unexpectedly touch fur on the wall, but what if it was "breathing"? What if, when touched, it suddenly pulled away, leaving an empty space? An actor could stand in one room with her hand sticking out into another. Someone touches it, and she pulls it away! Maybe something on the wall could be always moving...
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In many places, making "touch reactive" walls could simply be pressure mats built into them, triggering whatever effect as long as the collection is good. Some might require a bit more sophistication.

Whether in a blackout room or not, some items could be built so when touched, they light up, or make a sound, or both! At Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, there is a mastodon skeleton that you are encouraged to walk into and play like a xylophone! I mean, haunters would probably want stuff to scream or roar when touched, but ominous tones would be pretty cool in some places.

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Of course, if you are going to put stuff in the haunt that reacts when touched, you have to REALLY over-engineer everything within reach. You never know what a patron might do.

Have you ever been in any kind of interactive or immersive theater experience that required you to touch the props and scenery? How would you use this in a haunt?

Happy haunting!
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