Haunt Law: How to cover your a$$ with waivers, contracts, & preparation.

Haunt Law: How to cover your a$$ with waivers, contracts, & preparation.

Author: Brian Foreman & Darryl Plunkie: Haunters, Scare Actors, Haunt Owners May 23, 2025 Duration: 1:30:50

Matthew Murphey is a Haunter and a trial attorney. Matt has worked in courtrooms since starting his legal career as a court-martial clerk in the United States Army in 1985.

He also knows Haunted Attraction's legal roadblocks.

We'll discuss:
-Protecting yourself from legal battles

-How to start a non-profit attraction

-Employee contracts & applications

-Waivers: Good or bad?

-How to deal with local codes & laws

-Insurance & Liability

-Legal guidelines around your brand

-Do you own your characters?

-Advice for Home Haunters & HOAs

Matt has tried cases to juries in three states and five federal districts as counsel. Matt's background in science coupled with his trial experience with prosecution agencies allowed him to transfer his trial skills to private practice fifteen years ago to complex patent and other intellectual property, financial institutions, and commercial litigation cases.

Start, grow, & scale your haunted attraction business at HauntersToolbox.com

Find Matt at themurpheylawyers.com


Ever wondered how the chilling atmosphere of a professional haunted house is really built, or what it takes to make a scare actor’s performance truly unforgettable? HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters pulls back the heavy black curtain on the world of professional scares. Hosts Brian Foreman and Darryl Plunkie aren’t just commentators; they’re working haunters, scare actors, and haunt owners who live this passion year-round. In each episode, they sit down with the artists, builders, and visionaries who create the terrifying events we love, capturing their personal stories and hard-won expertise. This podcast is built on practical, real-world advice, focusing on how you can design effective scares and build compelling attractions without relying on a massive budget. It’s a deep, conversational dive into the craft, from makeup techniques and set design to the psychology of fear and the business of Halloween. You’ll hear the triumphs, the creative problem-solving, and the dedicated community that brings the haunting season to life. Tune in for an authentic look behind the screams, where passion for the art form is always the main topic.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters
Podcast Episodes
Haunt Marketing, Haunt Dolls, & Conjured Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:21
Vendor Spotlight: Haunt Dolls/Conjured Media Hosted by HauntersToolbox.com Before Haunt Dolls was even a thought, Alex Berland, who also runs Conjured Media, a marketing agency that specializes in haunted attractions, wo…
How to get more people to your Haunted Attraction: Philip Hernandez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:16
Philip Hernandez, the founder of the Haunted Attraction Network and CEO of Gantom, answers all of your marketing questions. He has experience in social media, marketing, video & audio, theme parks, haunted attractions, p…
Create Killer Videos and Photos of Your Haunt with Haunting Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:44
Scott and Jewel Simonson answer all of your questions about creating killer videos and photos at your haunt, marketing on a budget, retaining your actors, haunt technology, and other questions you have about Haunted Attr…
Ask the Haunt Expert: Leonard Pickel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:44
Start, grow, and scale your Haunted Attraction at HauntersToolbox.com In this episode, we discuss many things like Scare Actors, Safety, Timed Ticketing, Wall panels, Haunt Construction, Tent Haunts, Outdoor Trails, Inte…
The Evolution of Haunted Attractions with Beverly & Nick Pappas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:11
It stinks that we don't get to travel during October to visit haunted attractions because most of us are busy with our haunt businesses and projects. Nick and Beverly Pappas have traveled thousands of miles yearly as Hau…
How does your Haunt compare? The 2024 Haunt Industry Report [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:40
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!…
Manage & Organize Your Scare Crew with Sithon.io [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:30
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! Th…
Special FX Makeup Tips from the Dead Factory Haunted House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:48
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…
Upsells & Upgrades: Make More Revenue At Your Haunted Attraction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:14
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…