Flickering lights

Last minute tweaks are oh so fun.  Oye.  So Sam and I were trying to figure out if there was a way to get the lights over the letters to flicker.  Which is possible with the button on the timer, but a little awkward to do.  Then I vaguely remembered that I had a xmas foot switch that would be easier to manipulate.  Dug through some drawers and found it, hooked it up, and voila, instant flickering lights.  I would love to have the lights flicker one by one, but this is an easy low tech hack.  The foot switch is sensitive enough that you don't have to entirely turn them off, but just interrupt the power long enough to get the flicker effect.  And it has a cord that reaches right to the door, which is where Sam will be manipulating the curtain for some creepy hand and face stretching through the walls.  Between the lights, the wall, and Natalie hanging out a la Demogorgon when they come back out, things are looking like they're going to be super creepy!

Stretchable walls

One of the early creepy scenes from the series is when the walls have creepy things stretched out and reaching through.  So to attempt to simulate that, I've taken out the screen panel from the door and stretched some stretchable (18% spandex) fabric over the entire door.  The idea is to have someone behind the door and periodically reach out with their hands.  But admittedly this is an idea I couldn't really try out until the last minute as I didn't want the door to be set up like this for long.  So.  Tonight there will be experimenting.  I'm also going to look for a growling app or something.  I'm thinking Natalie might appreciate it as opposed to trying to growl dressed as a demogorgon.

Last carvings of 2018

I had a few carvings leftover from when I had done my mass gutting.  I went with both Stranger Things themes.  Zombie Pumpkins had an Eleven that worked well, and then for the other one, I ended up attempting something I had seen on pinterest.  They took the outline of the mindflayer, and then carved around it.  It made for an effectively creepy look.  And I think a little spookier than if I had just done a cut out mind flayer silhouette. 

Carving Night 2018

It turned out to be a nice warm night, and we didn't actually need all the thousands of blankets I brought out.  But that seems to be how it goes.  On the bright side, I now have tons of lovely smelling blankets (washed with the unstoppable scent bead things) for the winter.  Bonus.  Had a nice sized group, and had 3 carvers competing for the Trumpkin to smash, which was awarded to Melissa who did an amazing job on a new Zombie Pumpkin pattern this year, the tell tale heart.  Mom dressed up as Dustin from Stranger Things--the black wax over her front teeth nailed it.  I went as Joyce Byers, which made for easier carving and moving around.  We had a nice spread with much fewer leftovers, partly due to having the buffet in the living room with chairs--people were more apt to sit and chat with a plate of food and go back for more or graze.  So that may have to be a new thing.  All in all a fun night!

Stranger Things rises!

The porch/table cloth enclosure went up pretty easily.  I had a windless day and darted out to put it up.  I can work with rain, but not wind.  It went white on the outside (like the Byers home) and on the inside, the top was yellow, and the bottom a wood paneling/wainscoating tablecloth roll that I found.  It definitely looks much like the Byers living room.

Lil Dart

Original, side shot

Original, aerial shot

Decided to sculpt a little Dart for the porch details.  Somewhere I think we've got an old aquarium and I think I can set it up so that we can have a mini Dart display.  I used aluminum foil and wire for the frame, then covered it with oven bake clay that was leftover from the teeth.  I'm currently cooking it at 275 for 10 minutes and will see how it turns out.  I also found a glaze for sculpey in my supplies, so I'm planning on adding that as a last step to make Dart shine.  **UPDATE** Ended up cooking him for about 15 minutes, then let him cool for a solid hour, which seemed to be a good combo.

The Rift

One of the big features this year is a large entryway of the rift between our world and the upside down.  My idea to incorporate this is to make a styrofoam wall complete with lights underneath some foam, a bit like when haunters make ember props.  So to that end, I've gotten some led lights that can change color with a remote.  This was because I couldn't decide on red or green lights for the rift, especially given that there will be red lights up on the house.  I thought it might be too much red.  Anyway, these lights that change color were a nice compromise.  And they're super bright, so I don't have to worry about the green not being bright enough.

Kid review of 2018

One of the traditions I do is to listen in on some of the first impressions of the haunt from the school kids as they come home from school and it's all up.  It helps to gauge where I may have nailed it, or missed the mark.  And what things need clarification--what I think it obvious may be lost to others.

Here's what I heard with the door cracked open.

Parent: Did you guys figure it out? Kid: I think it's something from Jurassic park (?)

DEMOGORGONS!! DEMOGORGONS!! THERE'S DEMOGORGONS DAD!! COOOOOL!!
OMGOSH! WILL BYERS IS MISSING (insert squeal)

What is this even from?  Stranger Things!  You haven't seen it?!?

Ooooh, it's from Stranger Things!

THAT'S SO SICK!  That's from Stranger Things!  SO SICK! (kids still say this apparently)

Go up on the porch!  Oh, they have nothing (Wait for it young one...)

Those are the big monsters in stranger things!  That's sick

Looks like that monster from Mario brothers (?)

I wonder if they make them...are they made of cardboard?  if you only knew, kid

Look at that, it's like a venus flytrap!

That's awesome!

They're pumpkins!  Or no...cauldrons?  I mean...they're not not cauldrons...

Come see this!  Check out this setup!  Is that a fake missing poster?? A loooooad of kids were super concerned about the fake missing flyer.  I'd say a good 30-40% of them.

They make these.  They made a giant t-rex one time!  awww, Suzy, you're remembered!

What is that show?  It's really good, you should watch it (parent to another parent)

Look at this.  It's different every year.  Look at those plants!  If you touch it, you'll get stung.  STAY OUT! My kind of kid.

"Have you seen me?" (missing flyer) No, I think he's really missing! seriously, they were concerned.

There's keep out caution tape.  And missing poster signs, like for real. 

Pretty cool.  In a passing verdict tone.  I'll take it.  

Hawkins sign

A semi last minute project.  I had intended to do a welcome to Hawkins sign and put it in the front, but then I realized that at night you wouldn't be able to see it very well.  So I ended up taking a bigger piece and just putting it in the back.  Also helps people identify Stranger Things.  Pretty familiar way to do a prop at this stage.  Transfer the font via chalk paper, carve it out using the burning tool, paint the letters, dry brush over a different color all around them.  I liked how it turned out big and bold.  Two pieces of pvc got glued/taped onto the back and then put over rebar.  Makes a good prop. 

Mind flayer 'prop'

The mind flayer is one of those big bad villains that are a huge part of Stranger Things.  I wanted to have something that would bring it into the scene.  So I had the idea of casting a shadow of the mindflayer up onto the house.  Which meant that I needed a silhouette.  Clay of course was an option.  But I didn't want to mess around with all kinds of breaking issues.  So I went back to the good old instamorph.  I printed out a basic silhouette of the mindflayer, then with several reheatings, rolled out some creepy arms(?) and legs(?).  I'll spray paint him black so he doesn't stand out too much in the day.  I really like the idea of having a prop that doesn't appear until it's dark out.