Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news and, as we're in the run-up to the 2023 haunt season, we have a lot of news to get through. We have a lawsuit filed against a year-round haunt over an accidental death, some major Halloween Horror Nights announcements, as well as a new dark ride opening up and a new documentary series to check out. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Discussing Lowe's Selection 5. Passing of Michael ...
Aug 29, 2023•48 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're taking a look at ghost stories, in particular the elements that you need to create a good one. Fortunately, making a compelling ghost story isn't that difficult, as long as you have five key elements. So we're going to go through those five elements and then compare a ghost story we've been studying to them. This Week's Episode Includes. 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Our Visit to Spirit 4. Our Visit to Slidell 5. The 5 Elements Needed for a Good...
Aug 22, 2023•44 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're answering your questions as we share our episode 400 Q&A session for the world to listen to! That's right, no longer must you go to the bowels of Facebook to hear our thoughts on a variety of topics picked by you the listeners. So sit back and relax as we go through what you all wanted to ask us. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro by Jonathan 2. Our Episode 400 Q&A Special! 3. Conclusions All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to ...
Aug 14, 2023•57 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly we're going on a road trip as we head to Mobile, AL to visit the Exploreum (https://www.exploreum.com/) and their Fear exhibit. On the way, or rather the way back, we're also going to hit up a series of roadside attractions including the world's largest dental pick & mirror, the world's third-largest rocking chair, the largest video arcade in America and a world-famous BBQ joint. It was a trip to remember, some come join us as we relive it all. This week...
Aug 08, 2023•54 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news including two big announcements from Halloween Horror Nights, the Mall of America's new haunted attraction and a major retirement announcement. We also have an update on the New Zealand haunt Spookers, a new fear-based attraction in Mobile, and some creative ways film workers are surviving the strike. All of this and much more in this week's news episode! This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Come to Our 400 Episode Q&A - https:...
Jul 31, 2023•50 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking immersion, specifically the ways that haunts break immersion without meaning to. Haunts can easily be the most immersive form of entertainment available to the masses. However, that immersion is easily broken, and many haunts aren't doing themselves any favors. So this week we're highlighting some of the common ways haunts break immersion and how they can correct them. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Work We Did on Our Haunt 3. Quest...
Jul 25, 2023•56 min
Send a text Dumpster diving is a haunt tradition. But it's not the only way that you can get cheap stuff for your haunt. So in this episode, we're going over some of our favorite ways to save money while filling out your haunt. Everything from estate sales to government auctions will get a mention! This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week. 3. Conference Reminders 4. Intro to the Topic 5. Estate Sales 6. Online Marketplaces 7. Government Auctions 8. Thrift Stores 9. Dumpster...
Jul 18, 2023•51 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're discussing the new-ish game Escape Simulator. Along with it, we're taking a look at the history of the escape game concept and why this title may represent something of a turning point in that history. We'll also discuss the implications of this game for both the escape game industry and the haunted attraction industry more broadly. So sit back and relax as we let you escape from your daily grind while we simulate being a real podcast. This Week's Epi...
Jul 10, 2023•51 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news, and we have a LOT of news to go through. It may be the dead of summer, but the haunt news is almost as hot as the temperature outside. So sit back, relax, and let us walk you through all the haunt news that is fit to print! This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Haunters Against Hate Moving to Chicago 5. Woman Refuses to Take Down 9 Foot Werewolf - https://www.kmov.com/2023/06/16/woman...
Jul 05, 2023•51 min
Send a text Making your haunt welcoming to a wide range of people is no accident. It requires planning, patience and a willingness to step outside your own comfort zones. However, there are some simple things that all haunts can do to make themselves more welcoming. So, that's what we're doing, naming seven ways that haunts can be more inclusive, accessible and welcoming. The goal here is to find some low-hanging fruit that isn't performative or showy, but can mean a lot to the people who need i...
Jun 27, 2023•50 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're looking at the (limited) history of Halloween in Japan, including why it was hated for so long and why things are now starting to turn the corner slowly. It's an interesting look at a nation's experience with Halloween with a lot of great analogs for haunted attractions in the United States. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Origin of the Topic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fopB4-zJDUU) 5. Why...
Jun 19, 2023•46 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're mixing Jonathan's hobby with his day job and discussing not one, but two separate Supreme Court rulings that are going to have major impacts, including in the haunted attraction industry. Though one of the rulings deals with copyright and the other with trademark, the rulings both send the same message: It's getting more difficult to use exemptions under IP law. So, what did the rulings say, and how could they impact haunts? That's what this episode i...
Jun 12, 2023•50 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing the news and boy do we have a LOT of news to go over. There's the closure of two, if not three haunts, a new IT-themed escape room in Las Vegas and much, much more. So please, sit back and relax while we tell you all the haunted attraction news that is fit to print. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Fear Fair Closes After 22 Years - https://www.facebook.com/fearfair/posts/pfbid02u8rKpom5kZqW...
Jun 07, 2023•45 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking about the marketing, social media and other promotional elements that get us excited about visiting a haunt. We cove a little bit of everything, from marketing, word of mouth and some good business decisions. So sit down, relax and let's focus on the positive (for a change). This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Ten Things That Get Us Excited About a Haunt 4. Things That Do Not Get Us Excited 5. Conclusions All in a...
May 31, 2023•45 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're letting you do our homework for us. You all had such a big response to our question of the week, we're making a whole episode about it. We asked you what made your eyes roll when going through a haunt and, well, there were no eyes left unrolled. So sit back and relax as we look at all the things that made your eyes go straight back... This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Housekeeping 4. Intro to the Topic 5. What Makes You...
May 23, 2023•49 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we are continuing our focus on storytelling by looking at some of the biggest clichés and tropes in haunted attraction storytelling. To be clear, we're not saying don't use these tropes, but definitely build off them and make them your own. They can be useful, but they aren't a story unto themselves. So, with that in mind, here's a look at some of the biggest tropes our industry leans on (perhaps a bit too much). This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Qu...
May 16, 2023•53 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news! For a spring month, there sure is a lot. We have another haunt owner being arrested, several updates in the story about the Hotel of Terror (Update: The City Council decided to repeal the eminent domain) and much, much more. So sit back and relax as we cover all the haunted attraction news that's fit to print. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Work We Did on Our Haunt 5. Former Ha...
May 09, 2023•54 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're revisiting ChatGPT as we ask it to write us a series of potential backstories for haunted attractions. The results, to put it mildly, were mixed. A couple of stories were at least OK and a couple failed absolutely miserably. But hey, at least we can laugh at ChatGPT's failures without worrying about hurting its feelings. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Work We Did on Our Haunt 4. 5 AI-Generated Haunt Backstories 5. Co...
May 02, 2023•52 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're bringing on a very special guest: ChatGPT We decided to sit down with the AI and ask it a slew of haunt-related questions. It did everything from telling us lines that actors should say to discussing the roles for women in haunting. So, how did the AI do, and what can we learn from it? That's what this week's episode is all about. 1. Intro 2. Intro 2 3. Question of the Week 4. Conference Reminders 5. Basic Haunt Questions 6. Difficult Haunt Questions ...
Apr 25, 2023•58 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're looking at the dead ends that the haunt industry appears to be going down. To be clear, not all haunts are doing these things, but they are all trends that don't end anywhere good. So whether your haunt is investing in uninteresting technology, marketing tho long things or trying to expand in the wrong direction, this week's episode is for you. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Housekeeping 3. Question of the Week 4. Intro to the Topic 5. Esca...
Apr 19, 2023•54 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly we are doing the news including the passing of a haunt legend, the closure of an iconic haunted attraction themed bar and an update on the Haunted Hotel. For a spring edition of the news, it sure is a busy one. So sit down, relax and enjoy as we bring to you all the haunted attraction news that's fit to not print. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Work We Did on Our Haunt 5. Disney Legend Rolly Crump Pa...
Apr 10, 2023•48 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're going on an adventure! After living in the area for over 20 years, we're finally taking the trip to the Abita Mystery House. We're bringing back what we learned from the trip and, most importantly, what other haunts can glean from it. However, it was one packed weekend as we both went to a mystery comedy show and attended a toy and collectors convention. Both were educational and informative experiences. So sit back as we tell you about our craziest "...
Apr 03, 2023•53 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we received a very special package: Our new mask from Shattered FX. So, this week we're going to talk about this mask including why the character uses a mask, how we got to this point, most importantly, the process of getting the mask itself. It's a very thorough look at one very large purchase. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Why a Mask 5. The History of Bernie's Mask 6. The Decision to Buy This One...
Mar 28, 2023•50 min
Send a text You might remember we sat down with Japes a few times in the past. For example, Episode 59 , Episode 46 and Episode 43 if you're curious. You might also remember that, on Episode 65 , we discussed toxic actors and repeatedly said we wish we could have Japes on this subject. Well, our Japes prayers have been answered as the actor guru sat down with us to discuss toxic actors and everything we said wrong. To that end, he started with correcting the term "toxic actors" saying he prefers...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news! We have news of a new dark ride being built and another that is celebrating their 50th year. We also have news of a "Scream Break" event at six flags and a mysterious theater opening in the basement of another haunted attraction. All in all, this is one jam-packed news episode! This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. New Dark Ride Opens in Maine - https://www.intergameonline.com/coin-op...
Mar 14, 2023•42 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're sitting down with Mike and Lisa from Rotting Orchards and Igor Box. We discuss everything from the challenges of home haunting in a gated community to how their new product could make haunting more accessible. The duo have been home haunters for over a decade. However, the duo have identified what they see as a missing element in the haunt industry and are hoping to, soon, help haunts large and small control their show easily and without any programmi...
Mar 06, 2023•57 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we visited a rage room and are eager to tell you all about it. Rage rooms, also called Smash Rooms or Break Rooms, are a growing trend across the country but, should haunts be looking into joining the business? We will be sharing our experiences and our thoughts on that topic. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. What is a Rage Room? 5. Dangers of a Rage Room 6. Our Experience 7. Things We'd Like to See I...
Feb 27, 2023•56 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking about Transworld again but, this time, we're discussing who is not in the room. While it's true that pretty much every company you can name in the haunted attraction industry was on the trade show floor, there were several types of companies that were not. So, to that end, we're examining the apparent gaps in our industry and offering suggestions for how entrepreneurs may be able to exploit those gaps. This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2....
Feb 20, 2023•45 min
Send a text This week on Haunt Weekly, we're shaking off the Transworld hangover and doing the news! And, to that end, we have some heavy news this week including a lawsuit against Zombie Army over alleged pay violations, a historic haunt that's facing eviction and the latest on the CFX/AEW mask lawsuit. So, strap in folks as this is going to be a long, but important, episode of the news! This Week's Episode Includes: 1. Intro 2. Question of the Week 3. Conference Reminders 4. Follow Ups on Last...
Feb 13, 2023•47 min
Send a text I'm going to be honest. There's not really show notes this week. We recorded this episode in a noisy hotel room, strung out from four full days of conferencing and several hours on the road. We're pretty sure that this is what a Bob Seger podcast would be like. Still, we wanted to get this out as close to on time as possible while the information was still fresh. So, here are two very tired people recapping Transworld 2023 in a rambling but hopefully entertaining way. This Week's Epi...
Feb 07, 2023•56 min
