Haunt Season Post-mortem: The Past, Present, & Future

Haunt Season Post-mortem: The Past, Present, & Future

Author: Brian Foreman & Darryl Plunkie: Haunters, Scare Actors, Haunt Owners November 27, 2022 Duration: 1:52:36

How did your Haunt Season go?? We had some ups & downs. And some BIG changes are in store for 2023. Some of our Haunt Master members share their experiences and give you a sneak peek behind their businesses. 

In this podcast episode you'll learn:

  • How marketing varies greatly depending on where you live
  • How to overcome burnout and choices you can make to help
  • Steps to set a goal for each new haunt season
  • Ways to help reward actors & staff
  • Clarifying your brand to help customers find you
  • and LOTS more! Just click "PLAY"

To join us in these monthly sessions, become a Haunt Master at HauntersToolbox.com 

Haunted Attractions mentioned in this episode:

  • Terror Isle
  • Deadmonton Haunted House
  • Grey House Haunts
  • Country Dream Farms
  • Dead Factory
  • Haunted Hallows

To get new episodes and listen to our archives since 2012, subscribe to ANY podcast player or visit HaunTopic.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: 50

HaunTopic Radio: Haunted Attractions | Haunted Houses | Halloween | Haunters
Podcast Episodes
Total Terror Haunted House: From Home Haunter to Pro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:39
Join us as we discuss the Total Terror Haunt with Chip Wells in Virginia. Going from a home haunter to a commercial haunted attraction Create your own props with papier-mache How to operate and grow a haunted attraction…
Scare Actor Training & Managing with Fright Nights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:08
Sammy Days & David Gricius are the Scare Actor Trainers and Scare Actors at Fright Nights in Southern Florida. Join us as we pick their brains... Learn how to recruit scare actors Learn how to train scare actors Learn ho…
Halloween Hollow Haunted House: Starting from ground zero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:01
Halloween Hollow Haunted House in Silver Point, TN, Has Everyone Screaming From Nashville to Knoxville, Tennessee, With Its Massive Outdoor Halloween Event! We answer your questions to the owners, Carroll Lee Moore III a…
Woods of Terror: Scare acting, snakes, midways, & more! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:54
Eddie McLaurin is the creator and owner of the Woods of Terror haunted attraction in Greensboro, North Carolina. Here's a brief overview of his story: Family Legacy: The Woods of Terror sits on land that has been in McLa…
Terror in the Corn with Bart Butler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:28
Ask the Haunt Expert: Bart Butler from Terror in the Corn Hosted by HauntersToolbox.com Bart Butler is the show director for Terror in the Corn in Eerie, Colorado. Bart answers all of your haunted attraction-related ques…
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…