Scarecam 2012

Good evening,
Just a quick entry to inform you about this years scarecam. An updated version has been installed by our resident AV expert and is concentrated on the "Twisted Maize" here at Tulleys Shocktober Fest.

It is live every evening that the event is running and we have full screen option with four cameras.

To view this little bit of "fright entertainment" try www.scarecam.co.uk
 

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

The FunFear Update; Twinlakes and beyond...!!

Good afternoon, it has been a long time since my last posting I know. However , this has been due to the long hours and miles that have been put in over the past weeks and months traveling up and down the country for consultation meetings, projects and installations.

It could be said that the summer of 2012 has been one of madness with so much going on within the scare attractions industry, huge projects being planned and those that have come to fruition.

It is easy to see the reasons why this is one of the fastest growing industries within the UK.


There have been some new attractions from AtmosFear group, including Horror Camp Live, Overfarm's Panic attraction and G N G entertainments Project Fear
to name just a few to wet the appetite for the forthcoming Halloween season. I do apologize for not listing them all.



The launch of the Scare Network which brings together so many aspects of this industry also occurred this summer, which is an operator lead network providing all sorts of information from reviews to service suppliers. If you wish to read more please check out www.scarenetwork.co.uk



Funfear are currently working on the Twinlakes Xtreme Fright Nights project, providing ideas, technical knowhow and an excellent crew to carry out the installations.
We are installing brand new products as well as some tried and tested favorites. FunFear have also designed and built safety systems which provide quick attraction evacuation in the event of incident, with instant house lights coming on and audio warning to notify all guests.

This build has given FunFear the opportunity to consult with Twinlakes and try and offer both cost effective products, which provide years of service and low running costs, but with the potential to create great effects and open up a new set of attractions to a new audience in the Midlands.

With new attractions still to build and some complete facelifts of existing attractions, Twinlakes Park are certainly going to provide a family orientated theme park with a complete new feel for both the day and nightime.

With so much to offer this year, I do believe Twinlakes will ensure that there will be something for everyone throughout the month of October, with some of the changes providing a refreshing feel to their all year round attractions.

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