Boneyard FX Giveaway Coming on Thursday

Longtime friend since 2005, Larry Bones of Boneyard FX has his sights set on you Deadites for loving RFR, and making us be here 6 years and counting with over 250 shows!

Coming this Thursday will be the BONEYARD FX – FX FACES GIVEAWAY!

For three weeks we will be running this contest with the WINNER to be announced with be the new owner of an All-New FX FACE from Boneyard FX!

Larry will ship the winners prize directly from his studio. We will have all the details, full line of photos ofg the choices of masks the winner may choose and more on Thursday. So stay tuned to the RFR Website for more and Show #252 when it officially kicks off!

Until Then Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away…

ABOUT THE PRIZE:
The New line of Silicone Fx Faces. They are Platinum grade silicone and come completely pre-painted. They also come with a 1 ounce kit of Skin Tite adhesive and .5 oz of Thi-vex thickener. It retails at $99.95 and they come packaged in the same fashion as our Foam Fx Faces. The Winner can choose their own choice of Skin-tite kit inside.

Sound Design 101 Part 1: The Anatomy of a Room

by: RFR Casket Crew Maestro Macbre

I’m Baaaaaaaack!  I know it’s been a while since I reared my ugly head, but I was finishing up my new album to be released in April!

With the spring right around the corner, you are no doubt preparing for your design and set up of next years haunt.  What better time to go over the basic resources available to you to achieve a professional sounding haunt!  As I’ve touched before in my previous posts, sound is very important in a haunted attraction.  So I won’t spend as much time on that as I do basic information regarding equipment, set-up, sound creation and planning.  It’s actually easier than you would think to sound like a professional haunt.  If you are a professional haunt, there are always ways to improve your set up!

In this first part I will go over the process of laying out a sound system and location of speakers.

The first principle in laying out a haunt is flow and scares.  With my company we often sit down first and ask the designer to “walk” us through the haunt.  Although it may not be built we can still get a mental picture of space, props and feel.  Some good questions to ask yourself and fellow designers:

Picture the room and imagine the set up with me.

What kind of sounds would I hear in this type of area?

You are standing in the entrance to the room.  To the left you see bookshelves askew.  They would shake and cave in as you walked by.  The organ would then play blowing smoke and flashing lights as two “Statues” came to life and lunged at you.

What action or cue sounds are needed?

The action started with the organ blaring and vibrating.  This caused the book cases to vibrate and fall.

What will I need?

All of this only used two speakers and one prop controller and one sensor.

The “Bed” of a creaky cavernous room was the preset loop on the controller.  The Speaker Located at the top of the room, angled to hit the entire room with sound. As the props (the Organ and Shelves) would activate the controller hit the cue triggering both controllers.

Where are the sources?

The Cue played the Organ through a Large Powered speaker from behind the organ through the right channel and the book cases through the left. Creating two different sound sources from one controller.

This is just an example of how I broke down this room.  Some are simpler and others may take more thought.  The same questions should be asked though.  Let’s take a closer look at the break down.

What kind of sounds do I expect to hear in this area?  

This is what I like to call a “Bed”.  A bed is an ambient looped track that creates a general overall feeling. For instance:

A Chapel:  Wind howling through the corridors, large room reverb creates the illusion of size and depth.

A Crypt: Closer Cavernous reverb and echo, with dripping sounds.

You get the point, these are often called ambient albums.  For examples of these check out “Gothic Nightmares”.

The bed will often sound distant but the closer sounds should sound as if they are close and crisp, this is where high quality speakers help.  This itself is a little challenging.  Finding the proper space may jump out at you, but often takes adjusting to make sure sound fills the entire space. The best way to plan for this is to look at the room highlight the path of the patrons, and figure that you want to point the sound right at them.  Ideally this is directly above, however that’s not always possible.  But aim high and save a space to roughly work with dialing it in.  Put it on your blueprints.  While you are leaving that space figure out where the source is and leave space to easily access that.  It may be in a neighboring room, control room or other space, but make sure you are able to access it with little exposure to patrons.  I will cover this more in part 2.

What kind of Cue is needed? What will I need and what are the sources?

The Cue needs to surprise your patrons, but also needs to make sense and come from an unobstructed source.  The human ear is very keen, if your prop comes from the left and your sound from the right, it would calculate in the brain correctly, meaning that it will seem cheap and transparent.  Placing a speaker for a scare is even trickier than placing a speaker for a bed.  Small speakers, unless powerful and clear will not come off well, I like to use studio reference monitors for these (I prefer guitar center, because of the pro coverage replacement plan, ask me for more info).  They are clear and precise.

These key elements should be focused on each room and always present in construction and design.

Transient rooms or hallways rely heavily on sound.  The same careful planning should be taken for those as well.  But with on important difference, the volume.  The volume in these go between areas will not only create the illusion of transporting to another area, but it will also mask the sound from the previous and upcoming room, fighting sound with sound.  The sources can often be shared to save money on players.

The needs are typically two monitor speakers, a boobox or mp3 player and a sensor.  The placement of these will be discussed more in depth in the next segment, but spending a little more upfront on good equipment will save you money and frustration in the long run.  Plan early and keep sound in mind with visual effects and props.  With this in mind you can have a haunt that you do not need to turn on and off every night one mp3 player at a time!  More on this in the next segment!

Until then, Sit back, relax and rot away!

 

Rotting Flesh Radio SHOW #250: Creepy Collection, Transworld, Twisted Woods, Virgil Franklin, Horror Fields and more!

SHOW NOTES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 2, 2012 SHOW #250

LISTEN NOW
http://rfrpodcast.com
or
RIGHT CLICK THIS LINK, SAVE LINK/TARGET AS
(saves it as an mp3 to your computer)
http://www.rfrpodcast.com/RFR_3_2_2012.mp3
or
SUBSCRIBE USING iTUNES
http://www.itunes.com
SUBSCRIBE USING ZUNE
http://www.zune.com
or
USING OUR FREE iPHONE or DROID APP – Search (RFRApp)

THIS WEEK’S SHOW NOTES:
Transworld is just a short time away and to get you in the Haunting mood Deadites we have CREEPY COLLECTION stopping in this week. Creepy Collection is going to give you hints to their ALL NEW item in the interactive Haunted House at Transworld, some new items and vendors for the upcoming Haunt Season and more.

In addition we have some attraction goodies for you as RFR Casket Crew’s Rabid Badger comes to us from two events in the HORROR FIELDS and TWISTED WOODS. The owners of these attractions talk with RFR about the event, highlights and what to expect in a good scare from their Haunts. And if that wasn’t enough we RFR Casket Crew Storm back with In A Haunt Minute, ranting as only a haunter can do and Master of the Ethermuse VIRGIL FRANKLIN comes to the show to announce a brand new huge project he is working on.

This week in Haunt Industry News we have information covering Dark Imaginings, Toxic Toons, The Darkness, Transworld, Mad Monster Party, Trick or Treat Studios, The Garage of Evil and more from the Haunt and Horror Industries this week.

So look at what the Bat Dragged in this week Deadites all you Fright Freaks, Haunters and Halloween Junkies, you can…
Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away to Rotting Flesh Radio!

THIS WEEK’S SHOW: LISTEN NOW BELOW OR
Right Click, Save Link/Target As To This Link: http://rfrpodcast.com/RFR_3_2_2012.mp3
(saves it as an mp3 to your computer)


PAST SHOWS:
RFR Rewind: Podcast Archives

Rotting Flesh Radio #249: RFR Kicks Into 2012 with HAUNTED PYRAMIDS, Deadites and more!

SHOW NOTES FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 23, 2012 SHOW #249

LISTEN NOW
http://rfrpodcast.com
or
RIGHT CLICK THIS LINK, SAVE LINK/TARGET AS
(saves it as an mp3 to your computer)
http://www.rfrpodcast.com/RFR_1_20_2012.mp3
or
SUBSCRIBE USING iTUNES
http://www.itunes.com
SUBSCRIBE USING ZUNE
http://www.zune.com
or
USING OUR FREE iPHONE or DROID APP – Search (RFRApp)

THIS WEEK’S SHOW NOTES:
It’s time to get your haunt on in the cold winter as this week RFR kicks it into the new year by bringing you the HAUNTED PYRAMIDS during this past haunt season. RFR Casket Crew’s Badger was on location Halloween Weekend and brings us all the Haunt Fun with interviews, the cast, crew and more from the Haunted Pyramids to keep you in the haunting mood as we gear up for Transworld.

In addition RFR Creator and Host Jonathan discusses Deadite Emails, Answers Questions Submitted, and more. There are all kinds of Twisted Goodies to keep you Rotting and Rolling as RFR is Back like the Walking Dead.

So as we continue to Rot Forward, Deadites and RFR are together again for the first time as so to put it all you Fright Freaks, Haunters and Halloween Junkies, you can…
Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away to Rotting Flesh Radio!

THIS WEEK’S SHOW: LISTEN NOW BELOW OR
Right Click, Save Link/Target As To This Link: http://rfrpodcast.com/RFR_1_20_2012.mp3
(saves it as an mp3 to your computer)


PAST SHOWS:
RFR Rewind: Podcast Archives

Legoland Florida Announces Events for 2012 Including Halloween Fun in ‘Brick or Treat’ Weekends

So all you Deadites, as the new year kicks into gear so does all the planning for theme parks, haunted attractions and more. One of those is also the Newest park out of Florida, LEGOLAND FLORIDA has now announced what it is planning for 2012 and especially for it’s One Year Anniversary in October!

To being, Legoland is going to host a Fourth of July event in the form of the Red, Brick and Boom event. This will have guests wearing 3D Glasses and show normal fireworks in the sky exploading as bricks. Now that is pretty sweet. There will also be March events with Lego Friends Weekends.

This will have games, extra activities, and a girls line of toys as well in connection with a daytime party.

Now comes the fun part for us haunters. In October they will have their First Anniversary and they will kick off the BRICK OR TREAT event. This will come complete for the family much like Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party and the Sea World Spooktacular where young and old can have Halloween fun.

The event will happen on Saturday and Sundays all October and features Candy, Tricks, Treats, and all kinds of Entertainment Fun. The event was a huge success when it launched in October of their opening year in 2011 and 2012 is sure to be a huge amount of fun as well.

Not like Disney World’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the event will not require a seperate admission. This is alot like Sea World’s Spooktacular where it is included with the day’s admission. I know that many haunters will love this, as much as we love the dark and scary, we also like to celebrate with are young children 2-12 in a family friendly Halloween style as well.

Now moving forward to Christmas there will also be December events like the Christmas Bricktacular with a Christmas Tree made from over 270,000 Legos, and also many Holiday Decorations, events, fun and of course, Santa Claus.

For more information about Legoland Florida and all the Lego Parks visit: www.LegoLand.com

MFP Kicks the Casket Off The Second Annual Home Haunters Website Giveaway

We here at Rotting Flesh Radio are always pulling for the under dogs, the small haunts, charity events and home haunters. With that said how would you like to have your own professionally done website created and designed along with an outstanding logo? I know, I know you don’t have the money for it, but what if you could WIN it!

“HOME HAUNTERS! Matthew Freyer Productions wants you to tell us why you have the best Home Haunt and deserve your very own website to show it off to the rest of the world. Your story can be as long as you’d like but remember, we are choosing the winners by how passionate you are about your Home Haunt. We also recommend sending us links to an existing website, photo album, YouTube channel or any other network that you currently use to brag about how insanely wicked your Home Haunt is. Get creative folks because this Halloween you could be the winner of a custom, professionally designed website that will show the world you are the ultimate HOME HAUNTER!

Last years Home Haunters Website Giveaway Winner was Dan Krein, creator, owner and operator of Souls of the Forsaken. Visit the Souls of the Forsaken website to get some inspiration and to see what we can do for your Home Haunt.

Please send all entries and questions to: contest@matthewfreyerproductions.com Entries must be received by 11:59pm Saturday March, 31 2012.

For more on MFP and the contest visit: www.MatthewFreyerProductions.com

Happy Birthday to the Dark Hearted EDGAR ALLAN POE

It may be cold in most places, but today we can open our black little hearts to remember the birthday of a true horror icon, Edgar Allan Poe. On January 19, 1809 the one and only literary author was born and from there he became a legend in the written word.

With a movie coming in 2012, and his works continually being made into short subjects, he is going to be around much longer than his death in 1849.

So in memory of a legend a Black Hearted Happy Birthday to the one and only Edgar Allan Poe

Courtesy of WIKIPEDIA (for more visit Wikipedia:
Born Edgar Poe, January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

He was born as Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts; he was orphaned young when his mother died shortly after his father abandoned the family. Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan, of Richmond, Virginia, but they never formally adopted him. He attended the University of Virginia for one semester but left due to lack of money. After enlisting in the Army and later failing as an officer’s cadet at West Point, Poe parted ways with the Allans. His publishing career began humbly, with an anonymous collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only to “a Bostonian”.

Poe switched his focus to prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. His work forced him to move among several cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. In Baltimore in 1835, he married Virginia Clemm, his 13-year-old cousin. In January 1845 Poe published his poem, “The Raven”, to instant success. His wife died of tuberculosis two years after its publication. He began planning to produce his own journal, The Penn (later renamed The Stylus), though he died before it could be produced. On October 7, 1849, at age 40, Poe died in Baltimore; the cause of his death is unknown and has been variously attributed to alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, suicide, tuberculosis, and other agents.

Poe and his works influenced literature in the United States and around the world, as well as in specialized fields, such as cosmology and cryptography. Poe and his work appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums today.

The MASK MAKER has arrived at CFX!

The makers at Composite Effects are at it again! With the creative style, product and technique that has made them a mask making force in the industry, they have now packaged it in a way that allows YOU to become the MASK MAKER!

The team at CFX has continued to make leaps in the mask making world and allow its’ customers to create their own design utilizing CFX’s skills, tools and high end mask materials to bring your haunt or event to life with the creation you specifically needed and designed!

“Do you have a great idea for customizations for a mask, but don’t know for sure how it will look it when put together? Do you want to get live price estimates for your wild alteration ideas? Do you just want to screw around with different ways of playing with a mask? Look no further, because the CFX Mask Maker is here NOW!

It includes the option to email CFX at the end of the process so you can get an official, final price quote on your new mask! So let’s see what you can make, shall we?”

To see the mask maker process and to see all the creations you can come up with be sure to visit the CFX team at: www.CompositeEffects.com

The Fright Factory Really Manufactures Terror!

by: RFR Casket Crew Jigsaw Jim

Greetings Deadities,

While traveling about Washington State on my annual haunt tour, I came across an excellent haunt in the town of Buckley, Washington. The Fright Factory presents a trifecta of chills and thrills which includes: a house with 8 rooms, an outside orchard with several sets and a 3rd house with 7 sets. They use a minimum of 28 actors but can accommodate 40 – 50 actors to scare the living crap out of up to a 1000 people nightly! Some of their sets really startled us (the infamous Clown Room and the Gallery of Serial Killers forced my friend to change his pants) and they change their themes every season. The Fright Factoryhas been in operation for 16 years in various locations but has been based at its current location in Buckley for the pat 9 years. Open every weekend in October and every week night before Halloween. Admission is $10 (but there’s a $1 off with a donation of a can of food to the local food bank). Well worth the price! Highly recommended to all Deadites. A special thanks to Dennis Wink for his fine hospitality and for producing a truly terrifying experience. 

For more information, visit their website at: http://www.frightfactory.net/

National Podcast Awards Daily Voting: Ride The Doombuggy and Help ROTTING FLESH RADIO Take the Win for Halloween Freaks!

Hey there Deadites,

Since 2005, you have been loyal Deadites, spinning RFR from the grave, visiting us at Conventions, Tradeshows, and more. And most of all, keeping The Mortician Rotting Away from the Morgue every week for the last Six Years!

Well it is because of you, ROTTING FLESH RADIOM is nominated in the national podcast awards at www.PodcastAwards.com.

Rotting Flesh Radio is the Only Haunt / Halloween Industry Podcast Nominated in the Annual Awards and this is because of YOU our Haunt Friends and Family.

So now it is time to take that ride in your doombuggy and V-O-T-E for ROTTING FLESH RADIO DAILY in the General Category. You have gotten us this far as both the Original Halloween and Haunt Industry Weekly Show and recognized in the National Podcast Awards.

Let’s see if we can show the world us Fright Freaks, Halloween Junkies, Haunt Lovers and Weirdos can take the top spot.

Spread the word Daily and THANK YOU DEADITES!!! Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away…

V-O-T-E DAILY:
Where: www.PodcastAwards.com
Who: Rotting Flesh Radio
Category: General Category