Actors double as setup/strike crew ?

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly on November 12, 2009 at 3:18pm

I have been an actor in two different attractions, one amusement park, and one small farm. The amusement park I'm sure has liability issues with who can do the construction. They're more likely to get sued. The farm-run attraction had a couple folks that had been around a couple years that helped with behind-the-scenes stuff. I would love to be more involved in the planning/set-up/teardown process. I'm pretty handy with a drill. I think it might give (some of) the actors an added sense of investment in the quality of the show, not letting others (actors/customers) destroy props, etc. if it's their hard work that would go to waste in those instances. But that might just be my own sensibility. I think the best situation would be to hand-pick the people that would care about the process and not just throw crap together or goof around.

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Permalink Reply by Pig Man on November 12, 2009 at 4:12pm

At the Haunted Hydro all our construction is done by the monsters and Crazy Bob himself. I believe budget limits the skill level professional carpenters cost too much but its a haunted attraction not a palace it doesn't got to look pretty.It is also a labor of love becoming one with the illusion, I think its great to get involved with the creative process and imagining what kind of creature or fiend I could be in each room and how the scare could be worked. We have a maintenance team to take care of issues while the house is open but I definitely prefer the acting. I don't know someone can build the haunted house and not play in the world they helped create. We work at it year round for those glorious weekends in October, I'm glad its over to get some rest but I miss it already.

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Permalink Reply by Telfore on July 29, 2010 at 11:55pm

My observation has been as long as it is a labor of love it doesn't matter if it's a crew or the actors. The actors will become just as good as a crew especially if they are working on it regularly and go to the conventions. The crew if they don't have 20 other projects but work on being the best will produce wonderful work. Crew you usually have to pay wages...some haunts can do this. Actors you pay: in paying for them to go to convention, recognition, honor among peers, spending time with them, and being their friend (so much of this is very simular to a religious ministry). (Which why i never understand why a church doesn't have a haunt ministry ;-) You pay for good work in one way or another...the question is what can you afford? What kind of Energy (money, time, honor) do you have to pay? It is all a negotiation.

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