Haunt Auditions Are Back!

[socalMAN123]

Hey everybody!

So I was reading through UltimateHaunt.com, which is a fan site for Knott's Halloween Haunt, and they seemed to have recieved some information from the park that has caused quite a stir in the Haunt community.

 

If you are reading this, you know that Ultimatehaunt.com is pretty much a fan-based website covering the history of Knott’s Scary Farm’s Halloween Haunt. With that said, Ultimatehaunt.com has been asked by members of the Knott’s Berry Farm Entertainment Department to get the word out to the "monster" employees of Knott’s Scary Farm on an addition that will be taking place in anticipation of the 2009 Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt season. Ultimatehaunt.com will without question, help Knott’s Berry Farm get this information out to their “monsters” and we thank Knott’s Berry Farm with entrusting Ultimatehaunt.com to spread the word.

 

There have been numerous questions raised (in the “monster” community) about the comeback of “auditions”, which are taking place for the monsters this year. Many of the monsters of Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt visit Ultimatehaunt.com and this is an opportunity to answer some of those questions and shed some light on these auditions. Please note the following information is VERY much subject to change, so if you are a monster of Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt, please keep that in mind.

 

Firstly, the auditions are currently scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 12th, 2009 (sometime probably in the afternoon/evening). The auditions set to take place this date are SOLELY for Street Talent only. Maze monsters who wish to transfer to a Scare Zone for the 2009 season will have an opportunity to audition for the Scare Zones during their rehire (the date at this point for REHIRE has not been set). You will be notified via U.S. Mail for both the audition and rehire.

 

Personally, I think that it this is a great idea and will give some of those monsters that have kind of faded over the years to renew their character and freshen things up a bit. I fully support this desicion and only think it will bring positive effects to the Haunt. Seeing each monster with their own individual character impresses me and will only add to the scare factor. Well, how about you? What do you guys think about bringing the auditons back?

---Brent

[FitchCoaster]

I love that auditions are back for Haunt. Hopefully this weeds out the talent that aren't quite "there". This definitely raises the standards for incoming street talent as well for existing street talent. I think it's awesome that they are encouraging for character development. The most admirable thing about some of the vets in the streets are how they back their character up with a back-story. It gives each monster a personality, so you aren't seeing the same monster over and over again, just with a different costume.

 

I can't believe we're already talking about auditions and rehire! Soon enough, opening day is going to be here! I'm already in my "Haunt '09 spirit" (actually, I have been since Haunt '08 ended)! I can't wait.

[socalMAN123]

Yeah I agree with the fact that some actors actually take the time to create a backstory and develop their character more. It's what, in my opinion, puts Haunt above other haunts.

---Brent

[Wes]

What are they gonna jump out and tell your their life story now?

[Rollerman87]

I'll be curious to see the difference then. There were some great Street monsters this year, and no auditions, but then again, they've been around for awhile. So yeah, just wondering about how different it really is.

[Jew]

1. It's awesome that they are so afraid of HHN.

 

2. Depending on how the audition process works, this could either go really well or really bad for the park. Not many of the monsters are actually actors! Many of the monsters you speak of that have created their characters, made their own costumes, etc. are just really good at sliding/scaring/harassing. Acting is foreign to them. A good friend of mine who can be considered a "famous" monster told me "crap man, I might not do Haunt this year if the auditions are serious! I can't act!" For me personally, I've spent 6 years in mazes busting my ass...and to be honest, I've never really "acted." But I haven't heard a single complaint either, since I was always inside busting my ass making guests scream/cry/laugh.

 

3. Don't place all the blame on the lazy monsters. The management of knotts have been enablers. They let the lazy talent problem spiral out of control by letting politics play such a huge role in how things are done behind the scenes. I'm not even sure auditions are going to solve the problem, as the people who will be doing the auditions are the same ones who have been picking all those horrible monsters for streets in the first place! Just as one example...they dropped the 5-years in a maze requirement before you could get streets so they could hook up all their friends, family, people who work build (it's well known that's a shortcut to streets), and so on.

[ghost007jas]

Honestly, it's going to take a LOT, and I mean a hell of a lot for this event to up Halloween Horror Nights for me.

 

Brent, I know we've hashed this out over AIM millions of times, but I still just can't get excited for this event! The last time I went the lines were long, it smelled like pot, the mazes weren't scary, the monsters were out of character, and it was friggin expensive!

 

I just... have no legitimate reason to go back. Not when there's a WAY better even just down the freeway.

 

Just my two cents, hope I'm not pooping the party too early this year;).

[FitchCoaster]

1. It's awesome that they are so afraid of HHN.

 

2. A good friend of mine who can be considered a "famous" monster told me "crap man, I might not do Haunt this year if the auditions are serious! I can't act!"

 

Taken from ultimatehaunt.com:

"They will not be looking for Shakespeare-trained actors but will be focused primarily on YOUR character/monster and how you define your character."

 

I do see where you're coming from, but the park isn't looking for actors, they're looking for uniqueness and personality.

After some thought, I imagine that all the back-stories of the monsters are more important to the major Haunt fans and really mean nothing to most people. Speaking from my perspective, as a big follower of Haunt and some of the monsters there, reading some of these back-stories makes the event more immersive for me. I understand that most people don't read these and to them, the monsters with the most complex back-stories can appear as just another monster. I'd think it would be easier for the talent at Universal to be creative with their characters because their stories are given to them.

 

I've never been to HHN so I'm not comparing it to Haunt, I'm just saying what I think. However I can't wait to one day go to HHN, sounds like it's awesome!

[Jew]

^Question for you: have you worked Haunt before? I don't think you can really understand how much of a negative effect this could have upon Haunt unless you have worked there.

 

The majority of the street monsters have a nick name, pick their own costumes (since Knott's themselves are the ones who make almost every costume the same!!!), and just go out and have a great time. Many of them don't have "back stories" or play a character. But they are still awesome monsters.

 

Knott's is risking alienating a lot of their best talent with this audition process if it is not handled correctly.

[FitchCoaster]

No I haven't, and again I do see what you're saying. I see a lot of monsters out there that do just "have fun" without back stories.

 

This has really made me think. I still completely support the auditions because I like when the monsters set up a character for themselves, but now that you have brought this up, it's made me wonder if it's worth it asking this from EVERY monster in the park.

 

Here's where I'm torn: if they don't have auditions, it's better for people who don't have a 'developed' character, but there are no chances of having an improved immersive experience. But as I said, these back-stories only really contribute to true fans of the event. If they do have auditions, it could be better for the fans, but not necessarily the monsters.

 

Interesting.

[ghost007jas]

I think that the auditions will be great I'm that they will get the employees more 'into' the event, which should make a more immersive event. However this is only one small step towards fixing this event.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Is Knott's really thinking about Haunt in the beginning of April? Wow. During Haunt Orientation last year someone made a joke how it starts earlier every year and that next year (2009) it would start in July. He wasn't far off...

[socalMAN123]

Knott's is risking alienating a lot of their best talent with this audition process if it is not handled correctly.

But that is assuming right of the bat that the auditions will be handled crappily. You know they did auditions ten years ago and many people would say that was when Haunt was in its prime. I think that the auditions shouldn't be as much for street monsters as they should be for maze monsters. That's where I and most people find that Knott's is lacking. You'll be walking through a maze and some of the monsters will be on fire, but then you see the ONE monster with a shaker can that steps in front of you and yells "BOO" that ruins the entire maze for most people. I think auditions would either push these people to get better or remove them from the event completely. I am personally a HUGE fan of maze monsters, but when we get that one person who thinks it would be a cake walk to scare every night and then run out of energy by the end of the first weekend, that's what brings down a maze for most people. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's just what I think.

---Brent

[ghost007jas]

While I see what you mean, I don't think the "atmosphere" in any of the mazes was ruined for me by a bad scarer, however I think their "Scare Zones" could REALLY use some work. That's where you see monsters talking to guests, and to each other, and that ruins the "magic" if you will, for me.

[Jew]

^^^The maze designs are nearly finalzed by March. I'm sure they have already started constructing new props/figures already.

 

^^It's not a stretch to assume the auditions will be handled poorly. Trust me. 10 years ago there wasn't auditions. It was more like 15 years ago...before Cedar Fair ownership.

[Electerik]

What are they gonna jump out and tell your their life story now?

 

I'm thinking I could be a really cerebral werewolf. Like, if there's a full moon out, I'll be all hairy and crazy and jumping around and stuff. But then, on the nights when the moon isn't full, I'll just look like a regular guy walking around. Maybe I'll seem a little off, though--which will be much more effective and creepy than lunging out at people. And if anyone talks to me, I'll sadly whisper, "I'm a werewolf," and shed a single tear.

[socalMAN123]

It's not a stretch to assume the auditions will be handled poorly. Trust me. 10 years ago there wasn't auditions. It was more like 15 years ago...before Cedar Fair ownership.

Yeah that's true, it's Cedar Fair they can screw anything up haha. I know I'm not saying that the auditions are going to go perfectly. But I do think that they will be organized and very similar to the older auditions.

 

Jake is it wrong to talk to a monster if they stay in character the entire time? Never once have I talked to a monster have they strayed outside of their monster selves.

---Brent

[ghost007jas]

I don't believe that the monster should be saying anything - it's trying to eat you, not talk about how kick ass the maze is, right?

 

That's just how I feel about it, though!

 

Just to prove that I have had experience with this before, here's my experience with the Haunt monsters.

 

When I went to the event last October, I was walking through one of the weaker mazes, I can't remember which now (Not Cornstalkers, Quarantine or the Asylum - these were all excellent) perhaps the Texas Chainsaw Massacre style maze?

 

Anyway, one of the monsters recognized a buddy from school (Or from some such place) and shouted out "Hey (Insert name here) how ya doin buddy!?" in the plainest, most unmonster like voice you could imagine. He goes up, gives him a hug and they start talking about the event. In the maze. I dunno, that just screams "bad show" to me!

 

Jake "Looks forward to more long Haunt discussions with The Brentster" Sundstrom

[socalMAN123]

Anyway, one of the monsters recognized a buddy from school (Or from some such place) and shouted out "Hey (Insert name here) how ya doin buddy!?" in the plainest, most unmonster like voice you could imagine. He goes up, gives him a hug and they start talking about the event. In the maze. I dunno, that just screams "bad show" to me!

Yeah, that is TERRIBLE. Honestly, I would've been very astonished to see that happen in front of me. I think I poorly worded my reply, I meant to imply that if a monster is talking to a guest, like playful banter or something similar, then what is wrong with that? Are monsters not supposed to not have any personal reaction with the guests rather than getting within inches of their faces? Even though I've never been to HHN, I'm SURE the monsters there talk also.

---Brent

[ghost007jas]

I don't think that monsters should be talking unless it fits the story of the maze. Screaming "Got you!" or some such banter.. It just doesn't work for me. I think that because Halloween Horror Night's mazes have a unified story (as opposed to a lot of monsters running around 'X' setting) they "stay in character" more often. Ya know what I mean?

 

That's just how I feel though.. apparently the thousands of people that were packed into Knott's feel otherwise. Or perhaps they were just in it for the pot that was being passed around? Who knows!

 

You gotta come to Horror Nights with me this year bro, just so we can finally have both seen both events!

[socalMAN123]

I think Knott's is working on the story more and the themeing more, bringing it back up on top above all other Halloween events. I know that is has slipped down considerably, but I love it for what it is and improvement is welcomed. However, I think that what the Haunt monsters have going for them is that they are just classic, they know what works, and it continuously impresses me that they can find so many different ways to scare.

 

If you can get me a ticket to Media Night I'll go. You need to come to Haunt on a non-crowded night with me, it is a completely different experience than what you seemed to have been having.

---Brent

[ghost007jas]

I don't get scared at Haunt, but I don't jump at every thing that moves, so maybe that's my problem .

 

Oh I see, you just want me to be your ticket whore? I thought we had something special man!

 

The way I see it, if they can't perform on a busy night, than they're just not giving it their all.

 

Maybe I'm too damn picky though!

[FitchCoaster]

^ I actually think they perform damn well on busy nights. I think though, on less-crowded nights, the talent really shines. It's so much more intense when there's not much of a crowd.

 

Call me crazy, but I actually like the interactivity from the monsters at Knott's. By no means do I think that a monster should break character in the middle of a maze to 'have a chat', but I love that fact that some monsters interact with the guests while still remaining in character. I know some people that actually get even more scared when a monster tries to speak to them!

 

What I do think Knott's really needs to improve on though is the monsters that DO break character in the middle of a maze. Once while going through a maze last year, right after a scare, a talent said in a regular, non-intimidating voice to another talent, "Hey, I'm getting tired. Cover my spot!" That totally ruined the atmosphere for me. It's things like that I don't want to see.

[socalMAN123]

You think someone can give their all every single night working four nights of Haunt a week and their regular jobs at the same time? You really are to damn picky.

---Brent

 

EDIT:

Call me crazy, but I actually like the interactivity from the monsters at Knott's. By no means do I think that a monster should break character in the middle of a maze to 'have a chat', but I love that fact that some monsters interact with the guests while still remaining in character. I know some people that actually get even more scared when a monster tries to speak to them!

You're not crazy, I feel the exact same way! I think it adds something else to the event and makes you appreciate it more as a whole and makes you appreciate the monster individually.

[ghost007jas]

I think that they need to put on their best performance when they have the biggest crowd.

 

I also think they need to crack down on the drug use at the park, it was a little ridiculous. If you're gonna do it at home, whatever, but don't bring it to the park.

 

Hm, personally I just don't think any verbal interactivity between the monsters and the guests (other than growling, snarling, or talking in a way that enhances the atmosphere of the maze) is a bad show. It just makes me feel too comfortable in the maze!

 

Also, they should try letting in smaller groups of people into the mazes at a time. It's much less scary when it's "The Line Maze" as opposed to a group of people just endlessly wandering through... Anyone who has been at the front, or the back of a group knows what I'm talking about!