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HHN 25 Discussion

ForeverEvil1
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Coast
Coast

"I dont know how you guys are actually happy with this year or what they're doing". Maybe because we're fans of the event and like to have fun, and dont act ike we are some superior "fan" who is owed

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So, first time poster but long time reader. Here is my current theory on what might have gone down. I have no insider info and all of this is just pure speculation based on what I know happens with th

Dr. Jimmy
Dr. Jimmy

The word "historic" has been dropped a lot, and questions about this sort of thing have been asked. As I am the resident historian, I guess (because I'm old enough to be your Dad) I will attempt to go

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IheartNARWHALS Newbie

IheartNARWHALS

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I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the marketing. It's not awful. True, its not like it was in the past...but it's not the past. HHN has changed, they are looking at it like a business. So they are going to cater to the GP because that's where the money is. We're all going to the event and we're all going to have a good time. Marketing isn't for the people who come back every year. It's to draw new people in. And the videos they made give a mystery, mystery draws people in.

A&D try their best to appease the long time fans, but their reach is limited due to corporate. Appealing to a small niche group isn't profitable. Appealing to many is. So I'm not upset with the direction they are heading because I am optimistic. You guys should be too.  

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mmc Newbie

mmc

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For media appearances, It's all the same guy. In the park, they're lookalikes / soundalikes of the actor.

Thanks for that! So does the guy who appears in all the media ever appear at HHN or is it always lookalikes? 

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criticalanalysis Newbie

criticalanalysis

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HHN has changed, they are looking at it like a business. So they are going to cater to the GP because that's where the money is. We're all going to the event and we're all going to have a good time. Marketing isn't for the people who come back every year. It's to draw new people in. And the videos they made give a mystery, mystery draws people in.

Not sure why people are missing my point I've said over the years. As far as HHN there is no other event like it because it constantly puts out numerous brand new houses every year that will never be brought back. People do not want to miss this. Local haunts, even the top ones, don't change too much annually because they don't have the budget nor revenue of HHN. HHN is always going to do well unless the economy takes a hit.

It's the reason I don't want to miss it even though I am enjoying it less. I don't want to miss a house forever.

My father stopped going entirely because he said the vibe is gone.

But people will still go. But where they are missing out is merchandise sales and other word of mouth things. I've told people NOT to go at this point.

 

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Legacy Newbie

Legacy

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Thanks for that! So does the guy who appears in all the media ever appear at HHN or is it always lookalikes? 

It depends. The media performers will not appear in a "scaring" capacity. Only interaction. A few years ago they set up a Jack meet and greet near Jaws that was the real Jack. In 2002, the real Caretaker would work the queue to Screamhouse.

But of note, I'm fairly certain this year is a new Jack.

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WannabeIcon Newbie

WannabeIcon

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Yes on a new jack or "jacks"...universal held an audition to find new and backup jacks for hhn...i wanted to go through the process, even wrote a monolouge for the character as asked...but was unable to attend on night held, plus i was probably too short for the role listed at looking for guys 6+ ft tall and im only in 5'9-5'10 range.

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Guest kiwisoup

Guest kiwisoup

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What did the audition process accomplish then? Just a formality??

They still need Jacks for the actual event. For the houses, streets, show...one person can't be in multiple places at once. It's like Santa and Santa's helpers, lol.

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HHN Explorer Newbie

HHN Explorer

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This year's Jack is the original Jack from 00. 

 

Corrected the year. 

 

The actor who plays Jack also does Beetlejuice sometimes. At one point was Bill in the Bill & Ted show. His name is James Keaton, I'm friends with him on Facebook.

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Guest kiwisoup

Guest kiwisoup

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The actor who plays Jack also does Beetlejuice sometimes. At one point was Bill in the Bill & Ted show. His name is James Keaton, I'm friends with him on Facebook.

I checked out his Twitter after someone posted to his Dead Yourself pic and was surprised at how many roles he's played around Universal:

For HHN, he's played Jack the Clown, The Director (not the main one), and Eelmouth (Terra Queen's henchman), He's played The Grinch, Beetlejuice plus some of the other character's in that show, he has played Ted and several celebrity characters in Bill & Ted, plus he's played almost every male street character at some point...he's even been in the Barney show, lol.
 

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mystiquephreeq Newbie

mystiquephreeq

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What did the audition process accomplish then? Just a formality??

As was already stated, they still need in park Jack's. 

There is a difference between in park and film/commercial work. Those auditions also occurred after Jack was unveiled, if memory serves. 

The reason I enjoyed the return of Jack is because it is THE Jack. I felt it brought back a sense of nostalgia and connection to past events. 

I've met the actor once out of costume (a week before he did the meet and greet opportunity), he absolutely amazing. I was very impressed by his ability to switch voices and I was very bummed that I would miss the chance to meet him as Jack. 

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YouDontKnowJack Newbie

YouDontKnowJack

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The actor who plays Jack also does Beetlejuice sometimes. At one point was Bill in the Bill & Ted show. His name is James Keaton, I'm friends with him on Facebook.

Sadly, I believe that he does not portray Beetlejuice as of the last refurb/update of the show. It's a shame. I never saw the old show in person, but in the videos I saw, he was a great Beetlejuice. I believe he now works somewhere in Diagon Alley.

Here's a video of him as Beetlejuice:

 

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StewieGriffin Newbie

StewieGriffin

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You're still attending. They're not marketing toward you because they don't need to. Believe it or not, the job requires research and demographic studies that influence who would want to go if they see certain things in the releases / videos.

 

About that sign, my eyes assumed it was in natural daylight but I'm not sure right now. They should start putting up the street stuff soon, right?

Street props will probably start showing sometime the last week of August. I think they are already placing some small lighting rigs as well.

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Dr. Jimmy Newbie

Dr. Jimmy

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I see the man was actually named. Apparently this is considered inappropriate or a violation of privacy or something? I don't know whether or not James would really mind. 

But as I have known him for many more years than I have known anybody at all on these forums (I first met him in 1991, he was working The Adventurer's Club at Disney's Pleasure Island. About a year later I started there myself and he trained me!) I will try to clear up as best as I can the confusion about the way he has and does play Jack.

He is an actor at Universal NOT a scareactor. There is a difference. He is considered talent, a professional actor as opposed to laypeople who take part time jobs scaring each year for HHN.

Thus Icons in scarezones like Jack and the others in Fear Revealed back in 2010 were scareactors. That being said, there is nothing to prevent someone who starts out scaring from later auditioning for a real acting role. And I believe one of the Fear Revealed Jacks from 2010 has done that.

James has played so many different characters for Universal I cannot possibly remember them all, even while working the Adv. Club with me back in the early 90's he was already doing Doc Brown and Beetlejuice. I'm not 100% sure but he may even have been Beetlejuice at Fright Nights.

He was the very original Jack in 2000. But there were others who also played the Clown that year as well. James was Jack in all promotional materials yes, but he did also appear in the park as Jack then on occasion.

In 2007 he was the main Jack for the Carnival of Carnage Show. I'm not certain if he did the Clown for the Arrival in 2006, but I believe he did.

In 2010 as I said he did not do Jack in the scarezones or houses, but he was there on certain nights for the photo op. i got my picture taken with him.

And this year he has played Jack for the video that you have seen. But the question is - will he play Jack in park this year? Most likely not in any house or zone that features the Clown, but if there is, as rumor has it, a Jack stage show this year, then yes he may very well be appearing in that.

As for what part he plays at Universal nowadays, well let's just say he has managed to really get ahead in his career!

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Guest kiwisoup

Guest kiwisoup

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I see the man was actually named. Apparently this is considered inappropriate or a violation of privacy or something? I don't know whether or not James would really mind.[...]As for what part he plays at Universal nowadays, well let's just say he has managed to really get ahead in his career!

I was confused by that bit as well. He seems to have a lot of pride in his work and posts a lot of old pics of him as various characters on his public twitter, especially Jack the Clown. His Facebook has had his profile pic as Jack the Clown and both use his real name. Maybe it ruins the mystery, but obviously we all know it's a person underneath the makeup and prosthetics!

Took me a while to get that clue, but I'm pretty sure I figured it out. I was dreading I'd never get it.

 

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mystiquephreeq Newbie

mystiquephreeq

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I know some actors prefer their identities to remain secret. Since I do not personally know him, I felt it best not to state his name. I was unsure of his preference, so felt it was not my place to name him. 

If we get a Jack show, I really hope I get to see him portray the character.

 

My biggest question about the show is will Jack have a Chance? And if so, will she be updated to match his look?

 

 

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Guest kiwisoup

Guest kiwisoup

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My biggest question about the show is will Jack have a Chance? And if so, will she be updated to match his look?

Well one of the locked pics is pretty obviously Chance's dress and it does look just slightly different...As for weather or not she's in the show I'd say it's probably a safe bet, but we'll just have to wait and see...

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JackTheREAPER Newbie

JackTheREAPER

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I definitely think Chance will make an appearance beside Jack whether it's in his stage show or the icon zone. And yes, I think she'll have a new, and updated look, just like Jack. In fact, I'm wondering if all the icons will  have significant updated looks for the icon zone.

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ghostdude Newbie

ghostdude

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I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the marketing. It's not awful. True, its not like it was in the past...but it's not the past. HHN has changed, they are looking at it like a business. So they are going to cater to the GP because that's where the money is. We're all going to the event and we're all going to have a good time. Marketing isn't for the people who come back every year. It's to draw new people in. And the videos they made give a mystery, mystery draws people in.

A&D try their best to appease the long time fans, but their reach is limited due to corporate. Appealing to a small niche group isn't profitable. Appealing to many is. So I'm not upset with the direction they are heading because I am optimistic. You guys should be too.  

Very well said.  Hit nail right on head.

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