Kurseddragon
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Posts posted by Kurseddragon
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6 minutes ago, wow said:
I go to Great America's Haunt every year with my friends. Most of the mazes aren't scary, but that Roadhouse one and the scarecrow one will get ya. Care to spoil the new mazes there?
I believe the website has been updated. Lol. I asked for Toy Factory. He listed Toy Factory characters that were open. Then asked if I could act, but I said I'm bad at improv and was like "how about zombies" and I was like "zombies are fine" and then he put me as Swat zombie in Zombie High, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND. but, seems like a really minimally ran event so far.
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Can you just post the powerpoint here? k thx
/s
Anyway. If anyone in NorCal wants to scareact/just an easy-to-get job. California's Great America is hiring Haunt Talent like it's nothing. Basically anyone who shows up gets hired if they're available. Lol.
I'm a little disappointed in their casting, tho.. They put me as "SWAT zombie" but like.. I'm 100 pounds 5'5, so idk what they were thinking? Literally sitting right in front of the dude who casted me there. Lol.
Whatevz. As long as the costume fits I'll be fine.
There was also constant "___ just isn't as good" since I told them I worked at Universal/been to Knott's. Like every other sentence, basically. Turns out everything they have here is recycled from Knott's. Lol. SO THAT'Z KOOL.
Streets were filled. Gonna try to be friends with one of the supervisors there and hope someone drops out and he can move me in. Seemed like he wanted me there and it was guaranteed had there been a spot open. Also there's no audition process WHICH IS SUPER WEIRD.
Sorry that was all off topic. ):
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You guys are pointlessly arguing like it'll make any difference to the actual event. It won't. Pretty much the end of story regardless of who's right or wrong.
And there can't be a show at Animal Actors. When it was used as a break room for a short time, we couldn't even touch the stage 'cause it fucks with animals during their show.
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I don't think more mazes would help, tbh... A bigger nightmare behind the scenes for multiple reasons.
On another note, I've applied to some other haunt I didn't know existed, so I might be scareacting again this year.
There's also another place, but it's volunteer work, and I need money, so that's backup for now. ):
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10 hours ago, WESKER69 said:
Scareactors with epic timing.... which I've gotten to see the past 3 years (for the most part) since I moved out here, especially last year...
HHN should be trying to be more innovative & experimenting. Its stuck in its gimmicky old ways (most of that is due to Murdy). Orlando suffers the same thing, but it has at least tried new scare tactics & effects. Other haunts take it to the next level. I've been attending the event for 12 years, so I have no issue with pointing out its weaknesses, while also praising it where it deserves. If I'm hard on the event, its because I know it can do better.
I agree. HHN was the first haunt event I went to as a kid and maybe that's where I have the bias, but it is also pretty good; however, after visiting other events in following years and seeing them use different tactics, I'd always hope HHN would add them. But Murdy has claustrophobia and other excuses and so while he's there, it probably won't change. Universal also has a lot more to lose by risking things since it's such a large company, people always looking for shit to complain about, so keeping it to a minimum, that's obviously working, isn't exactly stupid on their part either.
Completely off topic. I'm up in NorCal. Looking for haunt events. They all seem to suck. Was gonna go to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, but that shit got like 1.5 stars in like 600 reviews. Lol. Other events are like 3 hours and I can't find much information about it. I'm not opposed to trying them, but I'd like to go with friends and idk how that's gonna be since they all start in the middle of the school year. No event seems to start in September, which would be before school starts. So that's sad. ):
There is one event that seems to be the most fitting, since it actually runs throughout all of October. I might even volunteer there, but I don't think it pays. :\ Dead Time Dreams is what it's called. Looks ok, I guess. I'll probably at least visit it even if I don't volunteer. Can't get into my haunt spirit up here. ): But I'll probably drive back down to HHN the last weekend it runs.
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1 minute ago, WESKER69 said:
Correct. We're instead getting an ORIGINAL "Halloween" themed zone instead. Honestly, its not a big deal. They'd probably rather wait for the sequel to come out (hopefully next year) & do a maze for it instead.
And to be fair, this year's SZ is just "The Skoolhouse 2.0" (well 3.0 if you count 2012's Traditionals), only this time they get to use "Sam". The ONLY thing i'd complain about, is the serious lack of jack-o-lanterns we'll probably see in our Upper Lot scarezone that is "Hell-O-Ween".
I'm gonna hold off being disappointed just on the off-chance that I work again next year and that I'll be cast as Sam... Also the fact that I might not even be able to visit this year.
Otherwise I'mma be more disappointed than my entire 2015 working experience.
Also that sounds like a very minimal efficiency use of Sam/TrT franchise in general.
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Wait so Hollywood gets nothing from TrT?
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39 minutes ago, YokedSlayer said:
Got placed in pool, im a bit confused on why becasue im 6'2 and at orientation scott said he is still looking for 6'0 and above scareactors. Was it just random placement? Also anyone have experience in pool? what its all about and such
I've ended up in pool more than I have a permanent role. In some ways, I prefer it. Some days, not so much. Luckily for you, Alien Vs. Predator is gone because they had some short people filling the Alien role and apparently that was the worst costume of all time. You'll probably get placed in interesting roles every night and eventually get placed permanently when a spot opens up.
And they put people in pool automatically for the specific reason of knowing others will drop out or call out every day so you're the back up. Doesn't necessarily mean you're bad, either.-
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1 hour ago, LetsMakeBiskuts said:
This year I will be portraying the character of... terror tram unloading/front chainsaw!!!
Out of curiosity, did you ask for that spot over scarezone? Or just had the feeling you'd get placed there?
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29 minutes ago, dereksdominance said:
Damn hearing all of this drama and disorder behind the scenes breaks my heart! I really wanted to audition next year since I'll be moving closer to Universal but I've dealt with enough work chaos to know that this may make me think twice. I have even more love and appreciation for the scareactors now because along with the general struggles of the maze (exhaustion, heatstroke, unruly guests) you face even more crap behind the scenes! I really hope Universal pulls it together this year and those awful supervisors get fired.
Well, like I said, my worst year was a friend's favorite year. So much so he didn't want to go back because he didn't want to spoil the way he remembered it. Everyone's experience varies. Still don't regret doing it.
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You'll have a chance to visit other mazes at some point. They just got way more strict on the days they let you in, even if it's just you and you're not trying to let any guests in with you. Which makes it slightly less enjoyable being a scareactor. But you'll have a chance to see them all, guaranteed. If you're lucky, you'll even get sick of it (I didn't, but it's possible) because you've seen all the mazes so many times. And if you're cast in a specific maze, you can just go in that as often as you want; even if it requires not going through the main entrance. (; I wouldn't worry about not being able to enjoy the event as your reason not to work there. Two different things, but you can have both.
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2 hours ago, kingundisputed_ said:
I've seen Kursed perform and he's great at it. HHN has become so much more business-oriented and favorite-based in recent years than it was when I first started working there and I don't have a problem making it public. For example, TWD in 2015 was nothing short of a big hot mess. It was the highest rated and most anticipated maze of the year, not the mention the largest maze they've ever done. One would think that, under these circumstances, the people put in charge of such an endeavor would have a certain amount of haunt supervisory experience. Instead, the supervisors were all completely new and, while they did the best they could, it wasn't enough. That maze was the worst to work in. It was over-heated because there was no ventilation due to its size, scareactors were disciplined for ridiculous reasons (for example, a friend got in trouble for leaving his spot to report that a guest had hit him, which is exactly what you're supposed to do), and the prestige of the maze itself far overshadowed the well-being of the scareactors. The icing on the cake came when it was decided that TWD, which was already the early entry maze, would have an even earlier opening time without adjusting the call times or pay rate of the scareactors. We were doing more work without recourse and getting in trouble with the supervisors because we couldn't make it through makeup in time to get to set for opening. People were fired over it. It was very demoralizing and I'm glad that I was moved to a different location after spraining my ankle.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade or diminish anyone's excitement at having the opportunity to work there, but I suppose it's good to know what to expect.
I tried to get out of being a Concrete Walker the same day I received the paper, before even knowing what it was. I ended up doing it for preview night and then moved to pool afterwards. The amount of times I was sent back to TWD (and ironically Concrete Walker), was actually ironically hilarious. Not only did I try basically everything to not do the role (and not just because I didn't want to do it, I had some [albeit fixed over time] reasons to not be able to do the role; still forced and ended up there). There was one supervisor, whom I'm sure you're aware of, who just caused so many problems him/herself. The power-hungry, condescending manner he/she carried out was so ridiculous. He/she did not like me from day one because I said something that he/she took offensively, when I meant it as literal as I possibly could. Only to find out he/she held onto that for the entire event after being pulled aside for not doing something properly (I forget what it was) and when I asked if there was anything else, he/she brought up whatever I said at the start of the event. That's fucking ridiculous. Luckily enough, being a pool member, even if I was cast as a regular zombie, I usually didn't have to (or at least to my recollection) deal with the heat problems that I know was terrible for other actors. As fucked up as it is from a moral standpoint, I'm pretty sure they said set times or some shit could change at their discretion and I wasn't directly affected by that change so I can't complain as much as others. But that shit was fucking ridiculous. People were dropping out of the maze like crazy if I remember correctly. And yeah, the favoritism aspect they (the casting directors/supervisors) carry is so bad, and blatantly obvious.
I talk a lot of shit about the event, because glaring flaws really bring it down from the behind-the-scenes portion of it. But I've also had some of my greatest moments in life in general there, which is why I keep returning here, and to the event as a guest, and even have the passion to talk/complain about it. I'll probably go back providing where I'm at in life in the future allows me to, at least to give it one more chance. But they honestly are doing a good job at making the event worse as a whole by not providing a comfortable scene for the scareactors both on and off set.
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4 minutes ago, JonaMar said:
Elaborate?
Apparently I suck, which is fine, but every time I asked to do something on a night it's available, I was basically ignored and watched other people with the same stature take my spot. No one told me why or what to do to be given a chance. The only people who paid attention to what I was doing were people who had no power to give me a chance. Repeatedly placed in some of the worst positions. Every time I asked to be moved somewhere after Terror Tram closed, they basically made sure other people got it and not me. Basically made me feel like a nuisance rather than an employee. Never given a chance, really. The casting director in 2014 complimented my energy and placed me in a specific area because "I'm good at it" and the next year I'm apparently garbage and deserve to be ignored. It's demoralizing even passed a scareactor standpoint. And it wasn't even just me this was happening to. So basically I wonder if I were to have auditioned again, if they would've remembered me from 2015 and be 'not good enough' in their eyes. Which again, is completely fine, but not the way it was carried out with 0 direction and just ignored. I'd literally rather them be like, "We need stronger people in that role," than them being vague in their responses and watching others get the role. I also don't think I'm that bad; by no means great, but not that bad. Not compared to other people I've seen...
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It's kool hearing all these iconic stories aren't well known by everyone here. Makes me feel just a tiny bit more special.
I remember them closing the Bill & Ted show, if I recall correctly, I hated it that year. I thought it sucked compared to previous years and only like one joke made me laugh, but even I was disappointed that it was shut down. The show could've so easily been rewritten for that scene and fixed by the next weekend, but it was just gone completely and never to return. Pretty sad. That was the same year with the Mexican superhero too, I believe, and I feel like race is more of a touchy subject than homosexuality. But people want money/to be offended, so there goes that.
I also used to go out on my break and watch the barker make fun of people, but two 14 year olds cried and ruined a huge part of the event for thousands of other people, literally forever.
The dialogue thing became such a huge deal. I was cast a survivor on terror tram and they were like "Here's a list of the things you can say, and ONLY this." and it was literally just like "No." "Help me." "Save me." and minimal shit like that. There were literally like a total of seven lines consisting of one to two basic words and they were like "Do not go off script." That's so depressing.
And just to add onto the props thing. Besides chainsaws, there is no rehearsal. I'm way too small and weak (and probably shitty) to do chainsaws. But I feel like, for new people especially, the lack of direction is one of the most difficult parts of this job. My first night was so uncomfortable, and though I didn't have a prop, I was just so confused. Anyway, if your role has a prop, they just give you it and you go out and start scaring with it. And they just trust you not to hit people with it. It happens, though. I prefer scaring with my hands. I definitely feel like I have way more control and can get really close without hitting people.
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I would be curious to know what happened, if you were comfortable enough to tell. I don't mind if you'd prefer not to; especially it being basically none of my business having not even worked that year.
If there was drama (and I know there was), I know of several people who were denied returning because they personally were the main source of the drama. It wasn't so much an email saying they weren't allowed to come back, but they did not receive the yellow ticket, which was (I think) pretty difficult as a return actor being as all you had to do was run around the room for 30 seconds.
Honestly curious to know if I would have even gotten back had I auditioned last year/this year based on the way I was personally treated in 2015.
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For those who worked last year (and this is prob a bad question to those who are new and excited), but how was it? Was it ran as bad as it was two years ago? I recall talking to a previous maze supervisor who changed to a general supervisor because of how bad things were going in his opinion. Even he claimed how unfortunate it was for the event to be ran so poorly in probably the most amazing line up to date for HHN Hollywood (pertaining to general runnings but leaning into the fact that 75% of the cast was new people and they didn't hire a lot of veterans). Other friends (on the one night I visited) were claiming it was much more strict and there were dumb rules and drama, etc., was as bad if not worse than it was two years (I bring up two years ago since it was the last year I worked there and I fucking hated it).
Wanting to know other people's opinions on last year, though, since everyone's experience could be different and also what are your expectations on rules and strictness, etc.?
I will again not be returning this year. Still going to school in Northern California. Might not even be able to visit this year, all depends on my schedule.
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I have not been keeping up with HHN just like I hadn't last year (Although I visited the last weekend, don't know if I ever mentioned that).
But I saw a post of Orlando's having SAW and then looked up that we might/probably will have it too and am disappointed...
Also disappointed at the lack of signature usage. (;
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I'm disappointed I moved to NorCal.
I can't seem to find any haunts close enough to the Santa Cruz area where I can work and go to school. ):
I might not even be able to visit HHN unless opening day is like.. Really early September.
And I can't even see the new Walking Dead attraction. ):
FeelsBadMan.
EDIT: Oh. My 1500th post exactly on a random day I decide to say hi.
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NVM I GOT A CUP.
But I also still need a Cucuy shirt from 2013...
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Yeah, black and blue stripes horizontal. If you were on the last tram, and saw me at the very, very end. I had an axe.
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I did end up staying for the final tram. In fact, I actually did about a 2 hour set from 10:30 to nearly 12:30. Going absolutely crazy. I feel like if you went through the final tram, it would have been hard to miss me. Being just a crazy guy with only blood on his face and a shaker can (or possibly an axe at the very end).
I was honestly happy to get this spot, only because I was with a friend whom we both had the same desire to do some of the craziest and stupidest shit with it being the last night. Also, it was a bit easier on tram since it's such an open area and not really watched over as commonly.
Regardless, we (my friend and I) had a lot of people watching us. Apparently the maze host lead supervisor asked our supervisor if we were actually just pool people.
Was a fun way to end it, but honestly, the closing was kinda stupid. Really awkward. I was hype since I was placed near the very end, but when the thing actually got to us, it was just halted for a while. Idk.
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I'm on tram tonight. (Fitting for the last night). I just got blood on my face. You can find me in War of the Worlds with a striped hoodie and a shaker can. Being a total idiot. I recommend coming through.
I'm having fun and it's a fairly open area. You can probably stick around a bit and watch if that interests you. My se times are 8:30-9:30. 10:30-11:30. And maybe at midnight, but I doubt it. . I may or may not stick around for a few extra minutes per set.
I'll check my phone every break just n case. -
I didn't think the crowds were that bad from my experience. And I was pretty up in their faces for extended periods of time too. o.o But those seem like spread out instances that you just happened to show up at all of them to.
Also, where'd you buy your shirt and chain? The store inside the park was closed when I went before the event started, so I went to the one on City Walk, but it wasn't 70% off. And they barely had shit. D:<
Also, I think Tmrw was in Walking Dead. I saw him for a brief second.
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I saw Freak too. But I was on set. I followed him down the Walker trailer. He definitely acknowledged my existence, so just letting you know, that was me.
I was super excited to hear it was only 6k people projection. Thought it would be an ez night. And not that I disagree with their choice of letting in very small groups at a time. It made the night feel just like any other night, if not worse, 'cause there were multiple six second breaks, versus random like full minute breaks (that happen for whatever reason) and almost forced scareactors to scare every single group, rather than skipping a few people here and there (which could be necessary for various reasons).
While I had fun, it was actually really tiring for such a slow night. D: But I'd do it again tomorrow. I'll just take like six ibuprofen.
There's also another place, but it's volunteer work, and I need money, so that's backup for now. ):
HHN 2017: Insidious: Beyond The Further
in HHN 2017: Houses
Posted
I actually can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but your signature is gr8 for the irony of this post regardless.