Scaring Them Is Not Funny, and the Artists of the Haunted House Want You to Know About Other Things.
A spooky season is approaching and for many thrill-seekers, that means it’s time to pay other people to scare the hell out of you at the haunted house.
From elaborate sound design to scenes centered around specific phobias to the art of distraction, creating a great ghost requires a deep understanding of human behavior. We spoke to some of the people behind your favorite chainsaw madmen, creepy nurses and classics: scary clowns (“scary clown” seems overkill, yes).
Bud Strauss is co-owner of The Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati; Melissa Sapienza is a former actress and show manager and is currently a promotion and internal consultant for ScareHouse in Pittsburgh. Both attractions are consistently ranked among the most popular in the United States . Here’s what the pros have to say about ghost etiquette and how to get the most out of your experience.
You paid to be scared, so let yourself get scared
When you go to see a comedy, are you trying to keep from laughing? When you go to a restaurant, do you resist the food? I hope not! So if you’re going to pay the pros to scare you, Strauss says, “Let go and let the ghosts take over.”
Sapienza says the ideal shopper is someone who is enthusiastic and doesn’t try to ruin the immersive experience. However, intimidating actors know that you don’t have complete control over your fear response. Many clients deal with fear like a comedy. Strauss says that while many try to befriend the actors and joke around, the performers “see the action as a real defense mechanism.” Likewise, one of the number one things that actors hate the most is when a guest tries to scare the actor.
Unpredictable reactions often scare real people. Have you ever noticed how scared you are from behind or from the side? There are two reasons for this, Strauss says: 1. to keep your group moving around the house, and 2. to avoid accidentally hitting the performer.
One piece of advice to “let the ghosts take over” is to think of yourself as a member of the audience – just like you shouldn’t be joking in the movie theater, don’t try to scare yourself (or laugh) in a haunted house. … (And if you’re joking at the cinema, well, you’ll need a completely different article.)
At the end of the night, everyone’s goal is entertainment, not injury. As Strauss put it, “It’s all about having some fun on Halloween and getting you back.”
But if you really can’t handle it …
One of Strauss’s tips to make sure you’re not an easy target? Strength in numbers: “Put the scared cat in the middle and let them hold on with all their might.”
If you need more calmness and / or perspective, remember that the people behind these havens are seriously concerned with the safety of both their performers and guests. Strauss says most rides will have a security camera with night vision in every scene, as well as security while roaming.
And if you just can’t crack it (horrible pun?), Strauss and Sapienza report that there are plenty of emergency exits throughout the attraction.
Put your phones away
Many rides have clear rules regarding cell phones and cameras, and for good reason. Flashing your phone not only makes total immersion impossible, but also a safety issue. Strauss notes that the frightened actors “spend hours in the dark, so a sudden flash from your camera can seriously blind and disorient them.” And since it’s so dark, Strauss adds, “your footage won’t be all that good anyway.”
And yet, in the age of content creators, you may have a natural instinct to post your impressions – in fact, some attractions attract visitors from viral TikTok followers . But back to the movie theater analogy: if you’re behind the screen, you don’t get the full immersion. Or worse, you risk being dragged out of security.
Sapienza adds that even a warning can “destroy the illusion for yourself and for those around you.” Instead, she encourages guests to take pictures with the ScareHouse mascots in line or in any other scenic spots before and after the ghost – but not on time. Strauss notes that most attractions will have zones specifically designed for posting on social media. Dent Schoolhouse has special Snapchat geofilters, hashtags, and picture-making options (read: over 400 pumpkin lanterns ).
Practice patience
Over the past year, many panic professionals have been sharing stories on Facebook groups about the astounding increase in queues jumping in front of their eyes, Strauss said. Strauss says the most common assumption is that there has been some sort of impairment in patience since the pandemic.
So please: be polite to your patron friends. If not because you are a decent person, then at least because you do not want to be kicked out.
Rethink this drink
It’s no secret that drunken people will visit haunted rides. But, according to Sapienza, “if you look like you might be unsafe to yourself or others, we can ask you to leave and come back another night.” Likewise, Strauss says that his team understands that many guests will somehow play before the game, but they will turn you down if you start to disturb the order.
In addition, you can avoid being drunk altogether. As mentioned above, a lot of what a ghost does is take a close look at the human psyche. So, anything that gets in the way of your feelings (like drugs and alcohol) can ruin your overall experience. Luckily, some hot chocolate doesn’t hurt anyone.
Scary actors are not just school children
Many attractions employ performers from all walks of life; Strauss says it’s not uncommon for a person without a day job to work with a doctor during the day and a frightened actor at night. When it comes to hiring, Sapienza looks first and foremost for the customer service experience as “you have to be willing to deal with a lot of characters.”
A hallmark of the ghost industry is the sense of community these workers find: Sapienza and Strauss point out that many of the same actors return year after year. Working together to scare people all night turns everyone into a family. It just so happens that this is the kind of family that will brag to each other about how they made you pee in your pants.