Tech Talk: Inexpensive Halloween Effects
What are some inexpensive Halloween effects I can recommend to my clients
by Warren K. Kong | Published in October 2009 special effects | tech talk | Departments
Q: What are some inexpensive Halloween effects I can recommend to my clients?
A: Halloween is the one time of year you can spill blood, guts and brains all over the dance floor — and it’s OK! Every October, I seem to get one or two events that lean to the dark side. Whether it’s a themed wedding or a Halloween party, the topic of spooky effects always turns up. Fortunately, there are many ways to get inexpensive, high-impact effects for your event, without making it look like you purchased the entire inventory of your local discount store.
When tasked with a Halloween event, I always try to achieve two things. First is the centerpiece — not literally the table centerpiece, but the metaphorical centerpiece of your event, the icon for your event, the one thing that every guest will be talking about for months afterward. And when it comes to icons, I can only think of one place: Scare Factory (scarefactory.com). This company has been making high-quality effects in the spook industry for decades, all at reasonable prices. From a bleeding corpse that literally jumps at you to a 20-foot-tall monster that pops out from a tombstone, these guys are the leaders in the animated effects industry. Imagine a wolf lunging from a painting at your guests as they enter the room, blood dripping from an animated vampire’s mouth and a half-eaten corpse flopping around on the ground. These are just a few ideas from the more than 30 new effects Scare Factory designs each year. It only takes one good icon for your event and all the rest of the pieces fall into place.
The second item I try to achieve is the soundscape. Music can change the mood of your event on a dime. From scary to whimsical with the flick of a CD, music is intimately tied into the heartbeat of your event.
Early on, decide with your client about the style of music. These songs will be the gateway into your client’s mind. Each track shows you how far you can push the Halloween threshold, and more importantly, gives you an understanding of what your client wants. The last thing you want is skeletons jumping out of a skull-covered piano for a client expecting “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” or worst yet, the reverse.
For more whimsical events, I tend to recommend a dancing tombstone and ghost show. The same system that allows people to “dance” Christmas lights can make ghosts and tombstones shimmy. Many classics like “Monster Mash” and “The Munsters” lend themselves very well to these types of shows.
On a small budget, you can easily create unique Halloween effects, making your event stand out from the rest. Halloween is the one time of year people want to be shocked and disgusted — and there never seems to be too much of a good thing when it comes to that.
About the author: Warren K. Kong
Warren K. Kong is creative/technical director for Orlando, Fla.-based Chameleon Designs LLC.
Contact: warren@chameleonorlando.com