25 Days to Go..!

Afternoon,
The fact that there are only 25 days to go before our first live evening became very apparent today. With the clearing up from our weekend gigs and all hire equipment returned, today has been a planning day for some of the final scene layouts and the opportunity to put schedules together for the build at Tulleys Farm. A huge amount of work has already occurred, with marquees in place and containers into the corn field, it is now the job of the Twisted Technicians to make them come alive.
Twisted Maze is well underway and some fairly substantial changes have already happened to the Cellar, but a few more are also planned. This will be the fifth season for the Cellar, so it is due a small facelift and i am sure the changes will be appreciated.
The Hayride is also having a few new tricks put in this year, so watch out for those, i will not reveal the plans just yet. Hell-Ements is also having a small revamp and a new sound track is going to be put together in the coming weeks. So that leaves us with the Creepy Cottage staying as an old favourite with proposals for some new lighting and the Field of Screams....or newly named for 2013 as Woodshock. A twist on the field being the aftermath of a festival, there are some firm favourites being adapted and some new concepts for the field, this is going to be a lot of fun to build.
We are also having a new element this year, live entertainment in the form of a stage area, this will be a first for the site and a huge amount of planning has gone into make this work for this year, logistics, bands, location and access as well as all of the technical requirements.

So i will Leave you with the short trailer for this years event, and post the updates as they happen.

                        

The weather is turning, Autumn is coming and so is Halloween.

Ian

Media Pack

Good Morning,
The new website is live, there are a few teething problems with the media pack which is being dealt with right now, so i thought i would put in a preview of the new flip book on here, and if you would like to take a look at the new site please visit www.funfear.co.uk

brochure

Corn Maze

Good evening,
As some of you may well know, the corn crop in the UK was not great last year. Many of the farm parks who rely on this for both summer fun mazes and obviously the much more interesting corn mazes for halloween suffered very severely with the lack of growth.
So as we were collating pictures in the office earlier, a few appeared from last years crop. i have laid them side by side, and the difference is astonishing. The good news is clear....this year we have a canvas to work with.

Ian

Halloween Build in Full Swing.

August is drawing to a close at an alarming rate. The Halloween bug has bitten and all the crew are firmly into the swing of design, creating and installing for the fast approaching pinnacle of our year.

With plans being sent all over the country, the administration is certainly beginning to take its toll on my brain..! The designs we have been given to work on are amazing, and with potentially 8 new attractions to build before the first week of October, we really do have our work cut out for us.

New emergency control panels and lighting designs as well as custom sound tracks and effects will certainly fill up the next few weeks.

FunFear have been developing and fine tuning our new DMX programmer as well as some new LED fittings. Production is in full flow and we will be taking delivery in the coming days of the new units. We have utilized a reliable proven LED unit, that is robust and dimmable to create one of the most discreet fittings there is for haunted attractions. This is going to be added very shortly to our ever expanding product lines and in a choice of popular colours. Approximately 300 will be used this season in different attractions and we will put up some pictures to show the effects in the coming weeks.

Recent Projects
In the last few weeks we have been busy building a few of our Emergency Control Panels. Below is a small video that we put together showing a brief outline to the build process. The panel featured here is a custom build and design for a customer in Phoenix, AZ. it was a great challenge and obviously a little different in respect of wiring colours compared to the UK. It incorporates a brand new solid state sound store from the same people who supply our usual card readers, but this has a small built in amplifier and easily provides a simple show solution as well as evacuation track.


 

A New Paint Job
FunFear were asked to carry out a technical refit recently, obviously not a problem, new sound system and a complete overhaul of their lighting system as well. It was decided that the old lighting units were not really going to make the grade and so a decision was made to replace them with newer more efficient Led units. The unit was agreed on and we offered a custom programming service to boot. Only fly in the ointment was a small suggestion of colour matching the current decor. So it was a strip down and full spray job and refit, to be honest i had my doubts but the end result was excellent, a very discreet functional unit that looks like it belonged and had been in place for many years. Final testing and programming will be carried out on Thursday, i will post some pictures of the results, until then take a look at the paint work below.

Ian

2013 The second Quarter

June already !!!

This year is just flying by, it seems I have very little chance to sit and catchup on even the simplest of tasks. So what have FunFear been up to? Product testing, designing all sorts of crazy stuff, building amazing attractions..??

Well actually spring cleaning, not the most "Rock n Roll" or technical of terms but yet one of life's necessary evils. I have actually seen the colour of my desk for the first time in months and that is actually the truth! It has been long overdue. A complete restructure has been carried out and some major changes to our equipment storage and workshops. With new products coming in it has been a perfect time to actually throw out some of the crap that we just seem to hoard! Although it is believed that if something is broken we can still salvage parts from it and is often the case, we don't seem to discard the bits we don't need! Well that has been sorted and a very brutal approach and for now a system appears to be in place. With new flight cases, storage system and more racking I think we have it cracked.

So what else is new? The new website is in its final stages and being tested, there are a few nice touches and some additional information on there. Blog links to current stories will also be accessible direct from within the site. With a downloads page being added and a much more streamlined approach we are happy with the progress to date. We have also added a few tweaks to the current site and and testing the downloads page on there right now, so please feel free to have a look at the media pack that we have added as a PDF brochure. www.funfear.co.uk

Projects, well there are a few in the mix right now, our annual projects obviously taking up the usual time at this point in the year. Ensuring both staff and equipment are on site at the right time can be a logistical nightmare at times, but always interesting.

A complete re-design of one of the attractions for Tulleys Shocktober Fest and a revamp for several others is filling many hours currently. Sourcing props and designing both new lighting and sound systems as well as coming up with something new is always a great challenge. The new designs for Tulleys are already turning into lots of fun, I think it is a great concept and really looking forward to seeing this one come to fruition. Below is one of the teaser pictures for the new attraction.

Several other very interesting builds have come our way but at the moment I am afraid two of those attractions are under tight wraps and awaiting official launches and press release. So news will be released at the same time via this blog and Facebook pages.
However work is continuing to produce an amazing lighting system for a very unusual product called wovin wall. Although it is already possible to light this product, we have been approached to create a spectacular display and have risen to this and pictures will follow of that installation upon completion.



 

Happy Halloween

Scared senseless! Photos show terror on faces of Halloween revellers as they enjoy theme parks' most frightening attractions

By Bill Mouland
PUBLISHED: 21:50, 30 October 2012 | UPDATED: 12:45, 31 October 2012  

Faces contorted with terror, lungs bursting with screams of sudden fright, the Halloween party-goers hysterically embrace the theme park slogan 'Be prepared to be scared.'

As Allhallows Night – sometimes known as the Festival of the Dead – seizes Britain with its ever stronger grip, these are just some of the people who have paid to be afraid.
Over two nights in the ever longer run up to October 31 – now worth more than £300m a year and Britain's third most lucrative festival  after Christmas and Easter -  our photographer captured these images of customers who have paid up to £40 a head to have their hair stand on end, their hearts beat faster and their wits rendered witless.

Don't look now: A Halloween reveler gets what he has paid for as gruesome-looking character screams at him in the darkness on the Sanctuary attraction at Alton Towers

According to one consultant counselling psychologist yesterday, the desire to be frightened out of one's skin derives from our caveman ancestors who lived their lives entirely on the edge.
'They were not a confident bunch,' said Dr Michael Sinclair, clinical director of the City of Psychology Group in London. 'They were trying to survive in a new and threatening world. They needed to be on high alert all the time so they started to question their environment.

'If they saw a wild animal, for instance, they had no reference point for it, so they would tend to think the worst – their minds racing with the worst case scenario. They needed to fight or take flight.
'Anxiety has been developed as a protective mechanism ever since. It's like wearing a suit of armour – although it feels uncomfortable we are in a heightened state of protection. We know something is there, but we also know it's not real. We also get a feeling of togetherness and social acceptability.'

Surprise: A woman holds her hands up in fear as one of the actors at the Xtreme Fright Night at Twinlakes theme park in Molton Mowbray

No escape: This woman closes her eyes as a hire hand lets out a surprise high-pitched scream in the darkness

No turning back: Screaming, jumping and clinging onto each other in fear Halloween thrill seekers in The Sanctuary attraction in Alton Towers

Nerve-wracking: According to one consultant counselling psychologist yesterday, the desire to be frightened out of one's skin derives from our caveman ancestors who lived their lives entirely on the edge

So that, claims Dr Sinclair, explains why thousands of people line up at this time of year to experience the 'terrifying scare mazes' (part of the £39.50 entry ticket to Alton Towers in Staffordshire) or the 'Farmhouse of Fear' at the otherwise docile sounding Twinlakes Park in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
'We have a couple of attractions – Punishment and Pie Factory – where people cannot stand any more and we have escorted them out,' said Dave Rose, a marketing assistant at Twinlakes which is transformed at this time of year into the venue for Xtreme Fright Nights (£14.99 to £22 a ticket, depending on when you want to go.)
Punishment, according to the blurb, pushes punters into a dark simulation of a military boot camp where the screams of the participants are only matched by those of the actors bussed in to create the scary atmosphere.

Covering up: As Allhallows Night – sometimes known as the Festival of the Dead – seizes Britain with its ever stronger grip, these are just some of the people who have paid to be afraid

Lucrative: Now worth more than £300m a year, Halloween is now Britain's third most lucrative festival after Christmas and Easter

Anxiety has been developed as a protective mechanism since cavemen. Although it feels uncomfortable it puts humans in a heightened state of protection

According to promoters revelers at Punishment in Melton Mowbray are plunged into a dark simulation of a military boot camp where the screams of the participants are only matched by those of the actors

'Suddenly you are plunged into darkness,' promises the advertisement. 'The floor creaks with the sound of slow moving footsteps as the prisoners climb high into the castle. Climbing higher and higher you reach a stone step. Screams of pain can be heard ahead.'
The theme park has also forged a macabre link with the otherwise innocent Melton Mowbray pie in an attraction that somehow blends Sweeney Todd with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre under the title The Pie Factory.
'Make your way through the gory pie factory and witness horrific happenings,' urges the blurb. 'Watch your back and try to escape with your limbs intact.'

Twinlakes has forged a macabre link with the otherwise innocent Melton Mowbray pie in an attraction that somehow blends Sweeney Todd with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre under the title The Pie Factory

Entrants are advised to wear sensible footwear, beware of strobe lighting and leave mobile phones, cameras and loose change behind

'It's like watching a horror film through your fingers. However scary it is, you know you are not really out there in the wilderness'

'Going to these places is a kind of stimulation. It's why people bungee jump or jump out of planes. It's thrill seeking and some people have to have it in their lives'

The fact that it all comes with advice to wear sensible footwear, beware of strobe lighting and leave mobile phones, cameras and loose change behind is all part of the comfort blanket that no harm will really come of you.
'It's a safe risk taking because it's not actually a ghost that's going to get you or scare you to death,' says chartered psychologist Ros (correct) Taylor. 'Deep down you know you are play acting and that you can go home afterwards and everything will be OK.
'It's like watching a horror film through your fingers. However scary it is, you know you are not really out there in the wilderness.
'Going to these places is a kind of stimulation. It's why people bungee jump or jump out of planes. It's thrill seeking and some people have to have it in their lives.'

A participant at Extreme Fright Night is given a scare by a bloody-faced man

Faces of fear at Xtreme Fright Night, but just why do people pay so much money for the pain?

As one reveler appears to run for cover at Twinlakes another turns away in fear

Gangnam Style..

I featured a few of these videos on the blog last year, this one is well worth the watch, especially with the popularity that the track has achieved this year. As of October 23, 2012, the music video has been viewed over 530 million times on Youtube...!!

When Home Haunting Goes Wrong...!

Evening,
I just had to share these pictures that i found on the net. Now the home haunting market has not quite reached the shores of this island, however as i travel to the states on a very regular basis i am more than aware of the passion and huge amounts of time and money that goes into producing some amazing creations and attractions in their own right. I have spoken at length to some of the owners of phenomenal home haunts, and i kinda get it. Below are some pictures of what appears to of happened when it goes wrong, check out the site they came from here.

Xtreme Fright Nights

Good Morning,
So the dust has settled and the comments are being read through on what was an amazing first night at Twinlakes Park in Melton.

The 13 nights of fright have begun, Xtreme fright nights at Twinlakes is officially under way.

Final checks and tests, briefing of the staff and actors, last minute tweaks and focusing, make up and costumes, radio checks, sound systems.....there was no more time, 7pm and the gates opened.

An amazing amount of people had somehow appeared whilst i was finishing off in "the pie factory", the que lines were already in place and the anticipation was very apparent.

My team could do no more, except listen to the reactions as the first guests came running from attraction exits, laughter, swearing, relief but most importantly screaming.....its what it is all about!!!

Both "punishment" and "the pie factory" appeared to be the hard hitters and the comments were just excellent, a moment to be proud of the work that has been done throughout the park and to really appreciate that this slightly crazy industry that we are in has such a demand from thrill seekers and people who just enjoy being scared out of their wits. 

Amazing, just amazing is the best thing i can say, the evening was a great success. Deemed as a preview night, we see this first night as the "dress rehearsal" it is the opportunity to finally test the product in anger and take the information that we glean to improve the rest of the event. This is an invaluable chance to witness crowd behavior, how staff act and work under pressure and also any tech issues that have chosen to raise their ugly heads.

I must say it has been a pleasure to put FunFear's name to this event, it has been challenging at times, frustrating maybe, having technical issues that i may of overlooked in the planning process but luckily always seem to find an answer for, but ultimately pride in our work.

The team at Twinlakes have been a pleasure to work along side and we have been welcomed and respected in all aspects of this build. Twinlakes have had no fear in asking questions, requesting guidance and advise at times to ultimately achieve the best event that they can, it is never a hardship to explain or advise in these situations and i feel that this constant thirst for knowledge will lead them to achieve one of the biggest Halloween events in the UK.

A huge thankyou to all of my crew who have worked on this project, and also a thankyou to the team at Twinlakes, with the welcoming attitude rarely found "down south", the hospitality and constant stream of tea has been exceptional. Many thanks and very good luck with the rest of the season.

For any information on this event please check xtreme fright nights

Ian 

What a Week..!!!

Good Evening,
well it has been a very interesting week so far, with Tulleys Farm Shoctober Fest having its preview night and the attempt at the zombie world record on the 6th of October, and Twinlakes Xtreme Fright nights preview on the 13th of October we have been very busy.

So preview night at Tulleys. An excellent night, to be fair we have probably never been so prepared and in good shape as we were on this occasion. The Twisted Technicians had worked in probably the worst conditions we have seen for five years to deliver another first class event.

With the new attractions requiring complete design rethinks in both electrical distribution and lighting not to mention the sound design..!! a plan was hatched and even with the adverse weather conditions providing interesting building conditions, a show was slowly coming together.

New sound designs and upgraded playback systems were installed in the hayride, a completely new sound edit for the trail of terror, which did take some time but after a few teething problems.....we were ready.

As with every year we welcome views and reviews, one of the first written this year is by Scaretours feel free to read here.....Scaretour Review

In between times another crowd were descending upon us........zombies....lots of them, the attempt at the zombie world record.

A great addition to a preview night, a little confusing at times though, having to distinguish between the guests in the park and the creatures that live in the park..in the dark corners of the cellar..!!

So was the record broken.......sadly no not on this occasion however i do believe that next year there is a chance, below is just one of the many press stories that covered the event.



So back on the road, i am getting very familiar with the journey up the A1 to Melton Mowbray.
with still many aspects of Twinlakes Xtreme Fright Nights to complete there was no day of rest for us.
Two of the Twisted Technicians had been up ahead of us for a few days and were installing sound systems and speakers into the new Punishment attraction and the Pie Factory.

Progress has been excellent and we are in very good shape throughout the attractions, the next two days are all about finishing touches and special little treats for the unsuspecting visitors to the 13 nights of fear at Twinlakes Xtreme Fright Nights.

Check out the preview video for them below.




More news to follow after Saturday.

October 1st...5 days to go...!!!

Good evening,
October is upon us and all the Twisted Technicians are slaving away to finish the installation at Tulleys Shocktober Fest. With only five full days left before we go live and the Zombie world record attempt occurring on the same night we still have a lot to do before completion.

As I have mentioned previously, our regular visitors will have something new to experience, with some serious modifications to several of the attractions. I can assure you that there will be something for everyone.

Twisted.....major changes, new theme, new clowns, new sound tracks and some new surprises...good luck...!!

The Trail of Terror.....brand new for this year, a dark psychological journey.....!!!

The Hayride....trust me this is going to be a vast difference from any other year with different twists and turns alongside some of the old favorites.

The Cellar....what more needs to be said. Be prepared for one of the most intense scare attractions currently operating in the UK.

Hellements.....following the first year success of this maze (Screamie winner best new attraction 2011) Hellements is back and ready to lead you through hell and back.

The Creepy Cottage.....even this is going to provide some new surprises..!!

On a passing note for now, have a look at the new video from the Experimentals....2012

Quick Update

Morning, just a quick update before we head out on the road again.

Yesterday was a very interesting afternoon, a site visit at Wellington Park, the idea to create two new attractions that can run for both the daytime visitors and some crossover into the evening. The plan for them is to go live on the 27th October so watch this space for updates on that.

Tulleys Shocktober Fest is being reconstructed with some very new twists this year, and the Funfear crew are well into the build for this, with new ideas, lighting and a few Twisted Technician surprises to come. The regular visitors of the park will be very surprised with the changes, which will offer a very different feel over previous years.

Changes to the Hayride, two brand new mazes, Twisted and Trail of Terror, a few little tweaks in other places too. I will say no more at the moment, except there is a lot to do before the first live night on 6th October..!!

The 2012 official trailer.



Xtreme fright nights, Twinlakes Park. There is so much to say about this one. we have installed, built, modified to suit this project, still lots to do before opening night on the 13th October. So many great ideas, it was almost a shame to have to cap the limit of the attractions we could of built here. But work has been going on for a while now and lots of progress has been made. With existing spaces being converted, reconstructed, and modified as well as some new space to create the attraction Q lines, the attractions and tech rooms.

With Chaos and Dungeon pretty much completed, we have started work on the Pie factory...!
Power is in throughout the attraction, both low voltage radials and mains, an emergency shutdown system installed and the whole attraction completely wired for sound.
Lighting and theming is the plan for this week as is installation of a sound system into Punishment and if we get time this week a small peppers ghost trick using Hallowindow.

Have a look at their website,

www.xtremefrightnights.com

Cellar Visitors

Good Morning, just a short post on the events of yesterday. Our visitors arrived in West Sussex to be greeted by both sunshine and Stuart Beare.

Coffee and refreshments coupled with a very relaxed opportunity for questions and quizzing was to be followed by a guided tour of the haunts that we have at Tulleys Farm and an explanation of the infrastructure and layout.

Imagination is clearly required at this time of the year, as there is very little that is intact and running. Firstly the hayride, with the sun beating down it was a pleasant walk around the route, we explained the designs and bared our souls to some of the tricks that are used throughout this attraction at Halloween. The field of Screams was going to take a lot more imagination though, with the whole field still in its earthen colour it is hard to picture the terror that will ensue in a few months time. the concept was explained and the containers that house some of the permanent fixtures stood rank and file visible to inspect.
Curtains again impossible to recreate at this time of year, but is a concept simple enough in design and location.

The Cellar was waiting though, with a call from our resident makeup artist and creature tamer, it was ready to go. Lights, sound and the gaggle of cellar creatures, we led our guests to a fully functioning attraction. With safety explained and everyone having removed sunglasses and other items that could get lost they set off....

It is a very strange experience, standing listening to the screams from within whilst enjoying the sunshine, this is not a normal thing, it is usually dark, occasionally raining and there is very seldom the luxury of just standing still whilst we are live in October.

The actors were excellent, they were ensuring there was no escape, luckily our acting crew for yesterday were all familiar with the space and used it to the best of their ability and gave a great insight to the intensity that is "The Cellar"

A lights on tour was given and some explanation in to the safety features and procedures that we employ in this attraction, being able to evacuate, quickly and efficiently in any circumstance is of paramount importance.

So what was left, well creepy cottage, not at its best, but Hell-Ements was something that is easy to explain, demonstrate and create some of the experience even at this time of year, clearly it is not the full show, but by introducing the hoods that became so famous last season, a little bit of the show can be recreated.

The reception was excellent and a real pleasure to have the opportunity to showcase with a no pressure atmosphere, a great day. Well done once again to our resident cellar creatures, James Lawson, Sam Jarrett, Harry Bright, Samuel Chamberlain, Anthony James Foruria and makeup artist Alex Vlcek

The Screamies 2011

The wait is nearly over for the nominees of the screamie awards for 2011. With less than 24 hours to go this industry will come to recognise the hard work and effort that has gone into producing first class award winning attractions. However, with new catogories introduced this year, it has been a pleasure to see smaller attractions being recognised for the ingenuity, innovative ideas as well as flair and phenomenal passion.

So although the wait is nearly over, we at FunFear wish all nominees the very best of luck.

Ian and all the twisted technicians at FunFear.

The Travellers Rest.

Firstly apologies for delays in updates. After returning from Germany, another road trip was on the cards, this time however it was to Scotland. So incorporating some business and pleasure i was off once again. Excellent time, people were welcoming and the food and accommodations superb. I will certainly be returning. I will put a few links at the bottom of this post to a couple of hotels.

But now i am back for a while, with projects looming in the distance and shows in St Louis and Pittsburgh beckoning i have taken a time out to bring the blog up to date.


So an eventful time was had in Frankfurt at the Christmasworld show. A variety of collections were on display to see at the exhibition hall Messe Frankfurt. A vast complex housing Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2012, playing host to 87,000 visitors this year from 155 countries. Christmasworld was our destination and i have to say it was vast. With every aspect of Christmas covered from wrapping to gift ideas, the trade stalls were heaving with both modern and classic decorations of all kinds. Everything from baubles and stars to classic table decorations. Fireworks and lighting as well as every possible shape and size of artificial Christmas tree.
We were in search of the latest LED technologies and it didnt take very long before we found some very innovative new products. LED curtains, extendable string lighting of all designs, fibre optics to name just a few. It is amazing to see the way in which LED lighting is being used from everyday items such as artificial candles to fully integrated controllable DMX systems featuring video and lighting effects.
It was also clear this show was an excellent outlet for many other seasonal decorations, covering Easter and Halloween not quite on the same scale as Christmas but noticeable never the less.
A great few days and many miles covered, we discovered, talked and investigated the products we require. Time very well spent, an education and experience that i thoroughly enjoyed. More pictures can be found on Funfear facebook page here

Ian

Links

Nordic Hotel Offenbach.

Best Western Edinburgh Capital,

Balmacara Mains Guest House. Check their facebook page here

Nevis Bank Inn.

Pumpkins and Google collide.

This is for those guys out there that don't use Google, a bit of fun and creativity,

Halloween Light Shows.

Found these on youtube, thought they were interesting. Most of these use a system called Light-O-Rama. have look at these when you get a few spare minutes.

For those Michael Jackson Fans



And Techno fans



And for those rock fans...try this

2.8 Hours Later

So we have been following the progress of 2.8 hours later, and very pleased to see the success of such a phenomenal game being played across so many of our cities. With London running this weekend we thought we would post a link and a video from their site. So if you have never seen this have a look and enjoy, excellent footage. www.2.8hourslater.com

2.8 Hours Later from SlingShot on Vimeo.

Screamie Awards 2011

So Halloween events are in full swing around the country. As with all things these days there are awards for everything, and guess what Halloween events have there own too.....The Screamies.!!
So do you a favorite? Well the Screamies are all about what you think, your vote counts.
The catorgories this year are as follows.

• Best Seasonal or Halloween Family/Daytime Event (large venue)
• Best Seasonal or Halloween Family/Daytime Event (small venue)
• Best Seasonal or Halloween Evening Event (large venue)
• Best Seasonal or Halloween Evening Event (small venue)
• Best Seasonal or Halloween Scare Attraction/Maze (large venue)
• Best Seasonal or Halloween Scare Attraction/Maze (small venue)
• Best “New for 2011” Seasonal or Halloween Scare Attraction (large venue)
• Best “New for 2011” Seasonal or Halloween Scare Attraction (small venue)

If you would like to vote, head over to the Screamie Awards website and cast your vote.

The Screamie Awards