Here are some of shots of castle Riptopen. These pics were taken without the roof in place so as to provide enough light for the shots. Can you see the combiner glass?
Here is a shot of the glass combiner. I was very nervous during the transportation. If the glass broke, we wouldn't have a show. Glass was used rather than Plexi because it is less expensive and resists scratching.
Here is a shot of the Baron in the FX cabinet. The door was hinged for easy access. If you look closely, you can see the scrims in the cabinet. The scrims were hung using curtain rods.
Two black lights are used to illuminate the figure. Both lights are mounted on the right side of the cabinet. One is just above the Baron's head, and the other is above the left hand.
Here is the FX cabinet and the viewing area for the scenic hall. Just above the viewing window are two Radio Shack speakers which provide the background sounds. One soundtrack provides a combination of thunderstorm and wild animals. The second soundtrack provides the music with a Vincent Price evil laugh track dubbed on top. (In this photo, one of our helpers is caught eating on the job.) We have additional walls for other props that join the sides of the viewing port. These walls along with some layers of black plastic are used to conceal the FX cabinet.
Here is a picture of my accomplice Tom. He and I create all of the props used for the haunt. It is at his home that the haunt occurs. All this work for 2 to 3 hours of trick or treat. I estimate that 200 visitors came through that night. This estimate doesn't include those that came through more than once.
Here you can see the back of the cabinet which contain the color organ for the lightning effect. Directly above the color organ is a speaker that plays the thunderstorm soundtrack. The thunder causes the lights to flash to simulate the lightning. The blue light below the window simulates nighttime and forces the view in the cabinet.
Above: Here are some pictures of the Baron both in and outside the cabinet. He has hair on one side because that is all that will be viewed in the combiner.
Finally, here is a picture of the Baron and me. I thoroughly enjoyed this project. I found the it to be challenging, informative and a thoroughly rewarding experience.
Thank you for the plans, ideas and enjoyable year of construction,
-Tom Marchak
