Indiana Haunters - for Halloween and Haunt Enthusiasts - Events

2014-03-22 TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show

2014-03-26T01:45:30+00:00

This year’s Transworld Trip was fun. We traveled over with 6 people and pulled a small cargo trailer with high hopes of finding bargains. The floor show was filled with many of the usual suspects and maybe a 10 percent loss from the previous year (lost in vendors). Many of the same sorts of products were on display.

Pictures can be found at link below

http://jseiler.smugmug.com/Halloween/TransWorld-2014

Some highlights

Steampunk – is it catching on? There was a pretty authentic booth with steampunk clothing, pretty elaborate accessories. I ended up talking to a gentleman that just started a Steampunk festival in Las Vegas (http://www.piratefestlv.com/steampunk.html). He was explaining to me that Steampunk is here to stay, like Pirates. Costumes and accessories are far more elaborate than normal off the shelf costumes and they people are willing to put $300-1000 dollars into their costumes and that the Steampunk costume will be a staple like the pirate costume for years to come.

I saw a large selection of vintage control panel vacuum tubes, switches, lights, gauges, etc. Some vendors were selling synthetic stuff (man made with resins and LEDs) and others build Steampunk control, Telsa type device panels using nixie tubes, specialty bulbs, LED strips, etc.

The “Dark Zone” (area where the floor show is in the dark) was pretty typical. Scare Factory had a pretty good cavern (20 foot long) with skeleton arms (20 of them) reaching for you in an automated fashion. It was pretty touchy. I thought about going through it again to get a better, more precise massage.

There was an interesting cadaver that was displayed on a hospital gurney. Dana was taking video and eventually noticed that the cadaver had a full size, exposed penis. I was a little envious. It was quit bold and in your face. I tried to explain to the girls that it “was bigger” than average. Later days, we saw the gurney wheeled around the floor show by some distressed “sexy costume” zombie girls (3 to be exact).

I was able to get additional autographs using pictures I took the year prior. Ed, Marsha, Mike, Ryan from Making Monsters. They told me that the travel channel is not renewing their show (sad face).

I got an autograph from Kyle Thompson. I thought about buying another piece from him this year, but decided I had spent too much and split before the impulse overwhelmed me.

There were several products that covered ideas we have had in the group.

We saw the leaning/falling barrels that Jose created in his haunt.

We saw the foam cinder block on a pole that we talked about creating.

We saw several resin casts of gears, vacuum tubes, gauges that we wanted to create.

We saw a version of the hand held scare noise maker with the model A car ooga horn.

We saw talking steampunk skulls.

Pumpkin vine feet were popular. Proof, if you supply a reasonable priced product, people will buy.

The interactive Haunted House on the show floor was very dark and it was hard to make out the rooms. I was able to take some pictures using flash photography.

The Nazi mannequin displays with gas masks were very popular.

We noticed there were more vendors doing cash and carry, but also notice many items were purchase as early as Thursday. The entire Morris Costume booth was purchased sometime on Thursday.

We visited the Darkness Haunted House Saturday night and had some fun.

Funny Video of the Darkness – warning: PG-13 Language (click link below)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vvzw1080sbyqflc/Darkness-Haunt-Clip.mp4

Synopsis – I wore a GoPro POV video camera through the haunt. Basically we were on the upper floor in the tail end of the haunt where the 3D backlight part of the haunt starts. There was a large puppet (I’m guessing a Gore Galore prop) that was manned by a human. One of our group members was ahead of me and got hit in the “nuts” as the hands of the puppet came out. I proceed to taunt the guy behind the “curtain” to come get me, unknown to me, he or someone else was circling around to my position for a scare. As I exit the room you hear a pretty good series of words from me as I’m startled several times.

2013-03-09 TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show

2013-06-15T00:28:29+00:00

TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show 2013

Jerry's pictures from this year's show.

http://jseiler.smugmug.com/Halloween/TransWorld-Halloween-2013

My second trip to Transworld and well worth it.

Sunday - I had my eye on this HUGE prop by Kyle Thompson @ Midnight Studios FX... I went to make an offer on Sunday and Ed Edmunds (Making Monsters and Distortions Unlimited had walked by (while Marsh gave me a wave (I stalked them all weekend)... as I was haggling with Kyle, he mentioned that Ed stopped by to ask him to be on the show Making Monsters. Apparently Kyle is an understudy of Jordu Schell. We cut a deal for a little cash and a photo opportunity.

I got several photo opportunities this year. I was able to print the photos from last year and get these celebrities to sign them. See if you recognize any of them.

2013-06-08 Midwest Haunters Convention

2013-06-15T00:26:16+00:00

Midwest Haunters Convention 2013

Jerry's pictures from this year's event.

http://jseiler.smugmug.com/Halloween/Midwest-Haunters-Convention

The Costume Ball (Masquerade Party) was quite the event on Saturday evening. There were some amazing costumes. Just think of the money that you have spent to decorate and stock your haunt over a year and expect to see that kind of money and detail in some of these costumes.

We arrived just in time to take some detailed photos of the air brushed models (naked models) in the Fantasy Body Art Fashion Show. They had a professional photographer on site with strobe lights and a background. They didn’t want people using flash photography, so I was able to take some shots at 3200 IS0 at 2.8. Not the best picture quality, but I think I capture the moment.

We met up with some of the Chicago Haunt Builders group and took a classy photo.

We met all sorts of characters wanting to get their picture taken.

The floor show was full of vendors (Exhibitors) showing off their products. Heidi and I ended up renting a booth for the weekend and attempted to sell some of the stuff we made as well as some other manufactured Halloween items. It was a very successful venture and we will be thinking about doing it again. Our booth was named “Haunt Out Hunger”, the name of Heidi’s non-profit haunt here in Indianapolis. We also advertised the Indiana Haunters group.

Pictured - Jerry and Heidi

2013-06-01 Great Lakes Fright Fest

2013-06-15T00:25:13+00:00

Great Lake Fright Fest 2013

Jerry's pictures from this year's event.

http://jseiler.smugmug.com/Halloween/Great-Lakes-Fright-Fest-2013

My second trip to Great Lakes Fright Fest.

This year we attempted to decorate our campsite. We hesitated because of the weather and time preparations for our booth at Midwest Haunters Convention the following weekend, but we ended up doing something.

I had this idea that I would stake 15 four foot black light fixtures into the ground using ‘T” stakes. I would protect them by wrapping “shrink” wrap (saran wrap) around each “pole” unit.

We staked about 15 lights in a semi-circle around the camp site and illuminated the area pretty well. There was a security light high up on a tower that caused some white light wash, but other than that, it was a good effect.

We erected a 20 foot ghost on a pole that Heidi lent us. We sprayed the white ghost fabric with glow in the dark paint to make sure we got good illumination. We also used some glow in the dark paint on the grass, attempting to paint large skulls and an outline of a body.

We hung several small ghosts, also painted with glow in the dark paint and hung other glow in the dark bats, bugs, rats, snakes, etc.

I took some glow in the dark rope and strung the rope between the black light poles.

I ran a bubble machine with UV bubbles and had a strong fan blowing the bubbles up the front and back of the ghost. That was a really cool effect.

This was about all we could accomplish this year, but several new ideas for next year are on the way.

While our campsite didn’t win, place, or show, our other Indiana Haunters showed well. Hope and Heidi’s 50’s era giant Mosquito with tiny GI Joe soldiers won 2^nd place and Pat’s Pumpkin Scare Crow grave yard won 3^rd place.

Giant Mosquito

Pumpkin Scare Crow