Make a graveyard something scarier?

[iHaunt]

I want to have a graveyard as part of my haunt because it is such an easy "room" to build. But just a graveyard is not very scary. I first thought of having an actor jump from behind the grave, but this is very cliche. I need NEW, fresh ideas. How can I use actors and such to make the graveyard scary in a NEW way? Any ideas would be great to share here.

Thanks,
VD

[DemonSlayerMau]

Well...maybe some fog would do the trick...some glowing eyes that may appear around the corner and give the illusion that they're watching you...

...and maybe a black cat scurrying across the grave yard could give a few jumps. Well, I mean an animotronic black cat or some kind of a prop. NEVER adopt a real black cat just for Halloween though. The real ones deserve a happy home all year round, and they are living creatures not decorations.

[iHaunt]

For tha to get to work in things that are associated with graveyards play an association game bats, rats, spiders, snakes, bugs, could be found in a graveyard. Grave yards contain grave diggers, werewolves, skeletons, zombies, corpses, skulls, everything etc. Also available, coffins, tombstones, mausoleums, grave stones, head stones, grave statues, vines, trees, etc all found at the cemetery. I'm sure I can find a way to make one of these things scary.

[jadewik]

The trick to a scare is to have something there that makes people feel threatened when they look at it. A lot of people are afraid of being buried alive...

The way I'd take a graveyard scene and make it "scary" would be to develop a story about a crazy grave digger who loves his job so much he likes to dig lots of graves... but he hates empty ones so much he fills them up with unsuspecting passersby. You'd just need what looks like an open grave... maybe one freshly filled (mound of dirt that you hear muffled noises/screams from)... Maybe a grave with a hand or torso poking out... all mixed within other, legitimate graves. Would these ones be unmarked or have "special" tombstones?

While people are distracted looking at the scene, you could have the gravedigger sneak up behind the group with a shovel.

You can even tag-team with the gravedigger and an undertaker/mortician... one distracts attention while the other sneaks into the crowd and giggles.... or... better yet... you could even have a plant in the group get "whacked" upside the head with the shovel and shoved into the grave while people are watching.

... just something to consider. That's the only idea I have for now-- first one to pop into my head. Give me a bit to think on it and I might come up with something else.

[iHaunt]

How about spinkle some fake blood on the ground? on the tombstone? grave stone?
I guess I can make some corpse and skeleton hands that look like coming out of the ground, you know?
Yes, I have some wooden coffins to place on the graveyard ground. With a life-size dead man inside the coffin with opening lid. I know they look very scary!

[jadewik]

Drat-- wish I could remember where I saw the plans for a partial coffin-- it's just the top portion of the wooden coffin. You set it on the ground and sprinkle a little dirt around the edges, and it looks like a coffin poking out of the ground. Vary the angle of the sides, it comes out of the ground at different angles...

If I find it again, I'll try to post the location.

[iHaunt]

Ok, if you do find it, then post the information "how to do" graveyard scene and I would really very much appreciate it.

[jadewik]

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween ... hread.html

[iHaunt]

Thanks for posting the link about the graveyard "how to make" stuff like that, also they do have awesome photos of graveyard scenes. I would make one like that for my own yard haunt display.

[MacPhantom]

Zombies. Hands down. Nothing makes a graveyard scarier than zombies wandering through it. If you can get a few mates together, do 'em up as zombies and have 'em wander and moan. Mind they go easy on the little kiddies, but anyone 12ish or older is fair game for being chased by the shambling dead.

Cheers,

Ian

[shanda]

The key is to focus attention on one direction and then surprise from another. Another way is to have something drop in. Have a prop suspended and have it drop in on unsuspecting guests. The screams come from the unexpected.

[adrian]

i think if you keep with the mood of "is there something watching me?" and "when is it going to get me?" that's what grave yards are about

[Halloweennut08]

I always set up my graveyard like this try and make it look authentic as you can, thats why I costumed made wooden tombstones and painted them really cool looking to look like withered stones. Fog machines, strobe lights , an electrical tree with a surge protector some 6ft Tall figures. And I think I do very well. Even though even if your tempted you half to be careful not to go to the extremes. For example if you need a nice balance try to cover wires with black tape or something so it looks like a grave yard not a planned one. And if you have only one smoke machine and you like strobe lights please don't go buy 4 to 7 strobe lights and set the up and make it look like a concert or really korny. Just fin a balance Just make things to where you're creep-ed out. For example this year I am planning on buying 2 more fog machines and making my grand total 3 why this may seem like a lot to get the look I want I have a huge front lawn and I have 2 strobe lights and a couple red lights, I will probably only get 2 more mini strobe lights.Hope that helped

[adrian]

hahaha you're completely right on the "concert" look on some grave yards lol

[adrian]

hahaha you're completely right on the "concert" look on some grave yards lol