Haunted House: the Art of Scaring, Makeup, and Costumes

Makeup and Costumes in a Haunted House

Part of acting in a haunted house, probably considered the main part, is makeup and costumes. All haunted house actors must wear a costume and makeup if needed. Makeup can range from simple face paint all the way to liquid latex and fake blood. Costumes range from simple outfits with a shirt and pants to full-body clown outfits. The cost of these things can vary, but considering how many actors you have, a lot of time and money goes into collecting costumes and makeup, not to mention the rest of your money going to electricity, food, and drinks for guests, workers, etc.

Workload and Multiple Roles

Some workers work more than one job. Sometimes you have actors who work in two rooms or even managers who work as actors. Haunted houses require lots of workers. You have to think about managers, actors, backup actors (for when others don’t show or get sick), and even the people who cook and sell tickets. If you have talented people, sometimes they can work multiple jobs or transition to different jobs on different nights.

The Struggles and Rewards of Being a Haunted House Actor

As an actor, you get extremely tired. People from the outside who just simply enjoy going through haunted houses may never understand the real struggle of a haunted house actor. Think of this; you work for hours a night, sometimes all the way until 3 am. You have to wear costumes that you sweat a lot in and don’t even mention the amount of actual work you put into perfecting your scare and doing it over and over. You’re always prepared for anything. If a group of people were to come into your room and you weren’t prepared, the whole illusion would be ruined. Always being prepared could also mean standing at all times, causing your feet to hurt a lot. Despite all of the downsides to being a haunted house actor, it’s worth it knowing you’re able to scare people, especially with a good scare.

Scaring Tactics and Dealing with Comedians in a Haunted House

Tactics for scaring groups are another thing to think about. You rarely ever want to scare the first person in the group; wait for the person in the middle. When the people in the front walk past and begin to think they’re safe and you won’t scare them, it’s the perfect moment to get the ones in the middle. The people who get scared within the group will then cause a scared reaction from the rest of the group, seeing as they aren’t expecting you to scare them. Occasionally, you’ll have people who tell you who to scare. They’ll tell you to scare a specific person in their group, or they’ll call out another person’s name. The best option, then, is to target them. Not only do you for sure scare someone, but you also satisfy the others who told you who to scare.

Sometimes, you get a group of comedians. The people who come through and clap for you or just stare and walk past; some even ask dumb questions or make comments. Some actors take these and use them to their advantage, answering someone’s questions with an ominous response or laughing back at the ones who laugh. This can also give the groups an even better visit.

References:

1. “The Art of Haunted House Makeup.” 

2. “Scaring Strategies: Tactics for Haunted House Actors.” H

3. Jones, S. (2021). “Behind the Scenes: Challenges and Rewards of Haunted House Acting.” Journal of Horror Studies, 15(2), 45-60.

4. Smith, J. (2020). “The Haunted House Industry: Managing Workers and Resources.” HauntWorld Magazine, 27(4), 32-38.

5. Williams, L. (2019). “Haunted House Operations: A Comprehensive Guide.” Haunted Attraction Magazine, 13(1), 18-25.

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