fretboardpyro said:
Horror events have to be aimed at Adults, There is nothing to achieve but an angry parent in scaring a kid. If that parent happens to be me.... POOR POOR YOU! Some times i think the parks miss the point. I find horror mazes hilarious and the only thing i've thought a bit odd was the stilt walkers last year at altons scare fest. I see worse and far more intense things at death metal gigs to be honest.
Sorry to say this, but that's kind of complete bollocks. Horror Events HAVE to be aimed at the full family (If it's a Park doing the event). It's as simple as that. They need less Intense attractions through to Full-Blown In your face Attractions, it's logical. You have to provide something for the entire audience, otherwise, you'd have, as you mentioned, "..And angry parent in scaring a kid". But, the thing is, if that adult has let the child go into the maze/attraction, at the end of the day, its their own fault, nothing can change that. Just had to put that point across...
What scares you?
Spiders. BUT, this is a big BUT, if I see Spider's webs & fake spider's in Horror Mazes, they don't scare me, in fact, I couldn't be less arsed about them, but if I see a real one, I am terrified. Also, the fear of the unknown get's to me, and although people won't admit it, Darkness, everyone is scared of darkness if they're in a situation where they know something is going to happen, it's all your human senses kicking into over-ride.
What is your favourite horror film?
Probably, [Rec]. It was amazing, still is to be fair. It's tension building was fantastic, the story was simple, yet effective, the acting ability was great. The ending also put shivers down my spine, really, really worth a watch if you haven't already.
What is your favourite horror character?
Hmm, this is a tricky one, if it's one out of a film, I'd have to pick Mary Shaw. It's not a well-known character as say Freddie Kruger or Jason Vorhees. But she's absolutely terrifying, the scene in the film (Dead Silence) where she's on stage and picks that child out of the audience is really creepy. She's a very strong and scary iconic character. Speaking of Icon characters, if you're game for a bit of Halloween Events, you'll known Jack the Clown from Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. He really is one of the most awesome characters known to man. He's been recognised the world over and really added depth to Halloween Horror Nights - If you don't know anything about him, look him over, it's worth it.
Do you have any phobias? (If yes what?)
As I said before, Spiders. Also, I'm partly Claustrophobic (Which doesn't make sense in the line of work I'm in, I know), yet I LOVE the feeling of Claustrophobia in mazes. It's a trick you HAVE to add.
Do you think that animation can be as effective in the horror genre as film?
Um, it depends really, in terms of which sub-genre it's going into. Like, if it's a game, F.E.A.R shows that a game CAN be scary. If it's along the lines of Horror Movies, no, I don't think it can. Bringing me on to the final, a horror maze, NO, NEVER add animation, unless it's a projection effect or something, speaking from past experience, it doesn't work.
What age group do you think that a horror film or event would be aimed at? (Answer specifically about fright nights if you want)
As I said in the rant at the top of this post, It HAS to be based on families, otherwise it's a complete no-go. Ever wondered why they have different ratings on their attractions? It's not just because they think, "Oh, right, this attraction isn't that scary at the moment, so I'll give it a rating of 2/5", it's because the lower the rating, the more family orientated the attraction is, they have to do this, otherwise, they'll have a LOT of pissed of families.
What do you find scarier; gore, things that make you jump or a general creepy atmosphere?
I think you've hit the nail on the head with this one, it's VERY hard to decide whether or not to add gore into an attraction or not. Personally, I find it too easy to add gore to scare effects, I find a creepy atmosphere & more psychological elements to be far scarier then just, "Bang, Blood & Bye Bye" (as I like to call some of these attractions - If taken in the wrong way, I know it could sound VILE). But yeah, more Psuchological wins in this I think.
Hope this has helped you!
