You have your character, you have your room, you know what to say, and you know the safety risks. Now, your first customer is walking into your room, and you’re about to have your very first scare. Are you ready?
Your very first scare can be nervous and exciting. That first time you get a reaction out of someone is priceless. However, the first person that does come through your room, there is a chance you won’t scare them. And that is just fine! You can’t and won’t scare everyone. Even seasoned veterans in the industry will tell you that.
But once you get your first real actual scare, it’s such a rush and you can’t wait to do it again. Depending on when your haunt starts, it might be a slow night. Typically there aren’t too many injuries or violent customers the first night, but never say never. Remeber to keep safe.
You’ll get some downtime. This is the moment to hydrate hydrate hydrate. Bring at least one bottle of water if not more. Typically the rule of thumb is the latter you think the night will be, the more water you should bring. Management typically wants you to stay in your area, but you’ll get a feel for the house and you’ll know when peole are two or three rooms from your own. Many haunters take the time to chat with their neighbors.
Chatting with fellow haunters is a fun way to tell about your last scare and the funny reaction you got! But, it’s also a good time to check in on fellow haunters and make sure they are ok. There should be a safety word for your haunt, but not everyone says it. Make sure your fellow haunters are ok. If someone is hurt, tell management and make sure the assistance they might need can be provided. Also watch out for heat exhaustion, and nausea. It can get hot in there early in the season, and sometimes the fog machines can be a bit much for some people.
The important thing though is to remember to have fun. Paid or unpaid, this is a passion. Some people only can do it for one night. If that’s you and you think scare acting isn’t for you, no worries! Its not for everyone and that is fine. However, if you catch the hauting bug, you may end up doing this for decades. I’ve known haunt veterans that have been doing it for over twenty years. You’ll get so many stories and make friends along the way.
For now, just enjoy your first night. You’ll be a hot sweaty mess at the end of it… and so is everyone else. This is your haunt family and you all can’t wait to tell each other all the scares you got. I’ve lost track over the amount of laughter and comradery I’ve had at the end of the night. No matter how you walked into haunt, you are part of something specail now.
The next couple parts of this series will be shorter as we are coming to the end. There are three or four more posts left I think for this 101 series. The next one will be on your haunts theme song.
Scare Acting 101: Part 5 Your First Night is marked with CC0 1.0
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