This past March I got my first opportunity to be a haunt actor. I’ve always wanted to be an actor in a haunt, and finally I decided ‘fuck it, I’m making time for this’. I talked to my buddy and he got me a pretty sweet gig working the notorious 13th Acre of Monroe. This is a legendary outdoor haunted trail, and boy what an experience it was. However, when I went into this, I had no idea of what to expect.
It was at this point that I realized something needed to be done. I needed to go into that haunt, work it, and report back with some tips and tricks for new scare actors. For someone who hasn’t been a scare actor, it’s quite an intimidating job. I know I had my own anxieties wondering if I would be scary enough or if those ballsy customers that just antagonized the actors would get to me. If only I would have known what I know now, then maybe my anxieties would be laid to rest a little bit.
First and foremost, being a scare actor is the most satisfying and fun job out there. I had an absolute blast and plan on returning to that 13th Acre for the fall season. Sure, there were some downsides, just like any other job. Haunting is not a job for someone just trying to make a quick cash grab, if you aren’t someone who’s super into it, it’s going to suck. To get the most out of it you have to really be into the ‘Halloween thing’ and you have to really enjoy it, which I did!
I will say that I only have one weekend under my belt so far, which means I am a beginner with this whole haunt thing. In the future I plan to interview some haunt actors who have a lot of knowledge, however this article is dedicated to the people wanting to get into this and were in my shoes.
Tips and Tricks
You’re still here? The idea of working a haunt races your heart a little bit? Sweet! Now it’s time to prepare yourself for one hell of a ride, and a ride it will be. To make this haunt experience the absolute most amazing thing it can be, and to guarantee a scare or two, here are some tips and tricks that I learned from my first weekend working the haunts.
The first piece of advice that I can recommend is getting to know your fellow crew. Your crew is your haunt family, and these folks are going to work with you through your journey as a scare actor. They also have a lot more experience than you do, so asking them as many questions as you possibly can, without annoying them of course, is the way to go.
With the haunt I worked we showed up a few hours early to get makeup, costumes, and our trail assignments cleared. This is the time you should be socializing with others. I understand, under normal circumstances socializing with strangers at the workplace is a horrible thing to do. However, this is not your standard workplace. These people are freaks just like you and are usually amazing people. Getting a few of them to take them under your wing is key here because they know the haunt you are about to work, and some of them might have even worked the specific position or character that you are playing for that evening so they might have some insights on how to get a good scare.
Another tip I can give you is to bring the right gear. I didn’t quite do this on my first night and it was a little rocky, but hey now I have something to tell you folks! Depending on if your haunt is outdoors or indoors will change a few things. I worked a trail in the woods so some of the things I mentioned are going to be exclusive to that setting.
The first piece of gear I can recommend is a good pair of shoes. Obviously if your costume requires a certain pair then you don’t have as much flexibility here, however if you can wear the shoes you bring then invest in a good pair. I wore black work boots that were waterproof and found out these things were insanely useful. Not only were parts of the trail especially muddy and wet, but those boots could also grip the mud better so I could chase the customers as they slid through said mud. They also kept my feet dry, which is a huge positive. Since I was working an off-season haunt in March for a Saint Paddy’s Day event, it was freezing. If I would have just worn a pair of black sneakers not only would my feet have been frozen, but they would also be soaked the entire time.
Going along with that I will also say to wear something you are comfortable in. If you do go out and buy a pair of black boots or black waterproof shoes then walk around with them for about a week before your haunt. Depending on how your haunt, character, and station is set up you may be running, climbing, or jumping out at people. Not having ‘broke in’ your kicks yet is the fastest way to feel uncomfortable the entire time. This is especially important because if you do get black boots, and you aren’t used to wearing boots, it would be very unfortunate to trip up or twist your ankle in the middle of a scare.
Another piece of gear I recommend is a pair of black padded gloves. I didn’t have these the first night and banged my hands, wrists, and fingers up. In the scene I worked the first night I was smashing a metal gate against some posts to create a lot of noise while I scared the guests. Without gloves this meant my wrists and fingers got insanely messed up. It was interesting though, I would smash the hell out of my fingers and be bent over with pain, but as soon as I heard another guest coming I returned to my spot and got ready for another scare. The pain in the moment will be temporary, however the morning after you will have wished that you had a good pair of gloves.
I got the Anti-Vibration Gloves that Hardy has to offer, and no I don’t get anything for saying that. These gloves just had all the features I wanted: wrist and palm padding, rubber guards on the fingers, and a velcro tightening strap. Although I worked a completely different scene the second night I can 100% say that having the gloves was the absolute best investment. The second night I was climbing, swinging a stick against a fan, and encountering situations that would have just not felt comfortable without the gloves. The other, more experienced haunters, seemed to all have a pair of good gloves on them. Get a pair, it’s a whole lot better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
Working a haunt means that you are going to have to prepare for some variable things as well. As I mentioned the haunt I worked was outdoors in the woods, which meant I had to prepare for the weather. The first night it was drizzling and the second night the temperatures plunged below freezing. Before you work your first haunt, look up what the temperature is going to be that evening. I wore thermals underneath my costume and it saved me from absolutely freezing my ass off, however some people didn’t come quite as prepared. I will say that once again depending on your scene you might not need as many layers or you might need more. Just do some research on your haunt, and preferably, go through your haunt before you actually go there so you know the kind of settings it includes.
The final piece of gear I have to recommend as a beginner is water. Every haunt actor has their experience of going too hard and ending up getting sick. Hydration in between groups is key to your survival as a haunt actor. It’s insanely easy to get caught up in the character and just go full throttle the whole night, however that is not sustainable unless you are a super athlete. Make sure you bring at least a water bottle with you that’s a pretty good size.
Another thing that worried me as a beginner haunt was, am I going to be scary enough? Not having done this before I was wondering if I would be able to seal the deal. Understand this, you aren’t going to scare everyone. Middle school boys will go into the haunt acting cocky, especially if they are with girls or family. A lot of them will even antagonize you. For me personally, it wasn’t hard to break character here. When people started to heckle me I just moved on to other people in their group. Those guys aren’t going to get scared, and wasting energy on them doesn’t really do anything.
I will say, once you get that first good scare you’ll be addicted instantly. The one where people fall down, or scream and run away from you, that is what makes the whole job worth it. Learning your set and finding different things you can do to really freak people out is key. Once you get one good scare you’ll be craving the next. It’s an insane drug that is extremely satisfying to take.
Those are the biggest takeaways from my first weekend as a haunt actor. Like I said, in the future there will be more in depth interviews with more experienced haunt actors, but until then, scare away fledglings. Go out there and go for it! It’s an insanely fun thing to do.
