by Scott Swenson

Over a year ago The Haunt Journal asked me to write a 4-part article called “Follow the Story”.  I was honored, thrilled and little nervous but I said yes. When I started, it was a challenge to generate enough content and then organize it into a coherent package that people would like to read. Apparently, it worked because, thanks to the popularity of that series, they have asked me to continue sharing my thoughts and experience in the pages of their publication. I am so grateful that they are giving me an ongoing opportunity to connect with industry professionals in this way.

This new column is called “Shining a Light….” Each quarter I will shine a light on a different element of the haunt industry as well as the related fields of atmospheric theatre and theme park entertainment. This new vista is inspiring and allows me to explore and share topics that will have a broader appeal and impact.

This first article will shine a light on sharing ideas and best practices.

On February 3rd of this year in Winter Garden Florida, professionals from every corner of the themed entertainment industry gathered to raise money in support of theme park and haunt icon, Robbi Lepre. Robbi has had some health issues recently and needs some financial support. Since she has given so much to so many throughout her career, it only was only fitting that we should come to her aid. The “Robbiween” event was simple (well, it looked that way to the audience…being part of the planning committee, I know it had its challenges): We would gather three panels of our friends to share their views and stories on specific topics.

The three panels were made up of people involved with Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, the design and installation of theme park iron rides and Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa (an event Robbi has been an integral part of since its inception). The panels filled quickly as the word spread about the event and its intended purpose. People flew in from across the country to participate. In addition to the information packed panel discussions, there was a silent auction and at the last minute, all the local panelists offered personal meetings over coffee to the highest bidders! Who wouldn’t bid on the chance to have coffee with Michael Roddy or creative whiz-kid Brian Morrow or theme park graphic artist Cindy White?  I know I did! The event raised a significant amount of money. Near the end of the night, I was sitting with Robbi, and she was blown away by the generosity of her friends, peers, and co-workers. She has given to others for so long that it seemed odd to her to be the focus of all this goodwill and charity. She looked at me and said, “If I can be the reason for all of these talented people coming together in the same room to reinforce friendships and make new connections, then I know I am still able to contribute to the industry. I may not be able to participate as much as I used to, but I can still make connections.” I realized at that moment the real power of that evening was in the people and the selfless sharing of information that took place.

When we share our thoughts and experiences, we raise the bar for everyone.

Why wouldn’t people share their ideas?

There are those people who believe that good ideas belong to only one person. There are those who also believe that there is a finite number of good ideas in the world. My experience has proven both concepts to be false. As a consultant, I usually tell my clients that my job is to come up with ideas and their job is to make decisions. If they don’t like my ideas, let me know, I probably have 3 or 4 more waiting in the wings. Even ideas that seem awful when first examined often prove to either have real merit under different situations or spark other great ideas in the future.

There have been so many times that ideas and concepts which seemed utterly ridiculous at first evolved into something extraordinary. The first haunted house I ever wrote was inspired by a challenge put forth by Elaine College, the former Vice President of Entertainment at Busch Gardens. She asked our team, “What kind of haunt would you create if you had no rules?” When working in a theme park, there are always rules. We spent more time focusing on what we couldn’t do instead of what we could. At first, the lack of restrictions was confusing. With strict parameters, the path is always clear. Unfortunately, it always leads to the same place.  Lift the restrictions, and you must make a path. It can be scary…it’s a good thing I was writing a haunt. When I was able to allow myself to leap over the guardrails of what we “couldn’t” do, I was able to expand the possibilities exponentially and the haunted house “After Hours: Club Muse” was born! (Google it…it was a pretty cool house back in the day!)

By sharing this process, I may have inspired someone reading this article to work a little differently the next time they need to create something. I have proven that this way of working does NOT belong to just one person and I am confident that there are enough good ideas out there to keep us all happy and prosperous.

When the tide comes in, all ships rise.

I have always been a strong advocate of sharing best practices within an industry. I realize that there are some proprietary processes and some intellectual properties that must be kept secret for competitive reasons. I do, however, suggest that you examine what is proprietary and what isn’t. You may think that you are the only company in the world that “seeds” social media with stories about your event or auditions for actors at your local university, but trust me, you aren’t. My suggestion is to share these ideas with your competitors and perhaps even pool your resources so that you can both benefit.

As the board president for our local professional theatre organization, Theatre Tampa Bay, I was always trying to find ways for the individual companies to work together. The board worked very hard to develop a website with an accurate and interactive calendar so that potential audience members could have a one-stop shop for all local productions. At first, there was some concern that this would steer guests away from certain theatre companies. They would much rather drive people to their website so that audience members couldn’t view the other shows offered at the same time. It soon became apparent, however, that not all theatre patrons want to see the same kinds of shows. The diversity within the professional theatre companies in and around Tampa could be used to build audiences for everyone. Also, by showing that we had a vibrant theatre community, we were able to draw significantly more media attention than each theatre could garner on its own. By pooling and sharing our resources, we all became stronger.

This is why I continue to teach seminars and sit on panels at various trade shows. This is why I am a member of organizations like IAAPA and HAA. This is why I continue to produce my podcast (I am inserting a shameless plug here…listen to “A Scott In the Dark: Periodic Podcasts for Haunters” at AScottInTheDark.com). These do not directly generate revenue for me. In fact, they cost me money. They do, however, give me a chance to share my experience while learning from others. I learn something new each time I appear at “HAuNTcon” or “Midsummer Scream”. I gather as much information at the hotel bar during “Transworld’s Halloween and Attractions” show as I can by reading a whole library of books. By sharing ideas, we improve the industry that supports us- it’s that simple.

Respect your local “Fan Boy” (or “Fan Girl”)

We all look up to someone. If you are in a position where you have people who want to know more about your work, please share what you do with them. If you want to learn from people who are more experienced, reach out to them but be respectful of their time and privacy. I have been involved with themed entertainment for over 25 years, and I have watched some of the most enthusiastic theme park fans develop into my peers and potential clients.

One of my friends was originally a frontline member of the Operations team at Busch Gardens.  He worked at one of the roller coasters to get his “foot in the door” of the theme park industry. He was always asking me why and how I did what I did. He paid attention to every detail of every project and often offered his observations and critiques. I would be lying if I said that his persistent enthusiasm didn’t get on my nerves from time to time. There were also times when I had to simply say, “I’m sorry, but I can’t share that with you right now”. As we both grew older and wiser, I saw that his enthusiasm was more than just that of a pesky kid. It was a passion.  It was a passion that I shared. I watched as he followed a life path of education and training that lead him to a very successful career creating and installing some of the most popular elements of theme parks around the world. This past year I got the surprise of my life when he asked me to write a recommendation for him. I told him that he never really worked for me, so I wasn’t sure what to say. He clarified what he was looking for. He wanted to help paint a picture of his journey and his growth. He wanted me to write a short description of the eager kid that I had helped along the way. I have never been so honored to write a letter of recommendation for someone I am now proud to call a friend.

Everyone needs to help train the next generation. By sharing our ideas and processes, we guarantee that the people who take over when we retire will keep the ideas moving forward.  They are the real legacy we leave behind. Its not the attractions we help design or the scripts we write or the haunts we dream up, it is the people we inspire, it is the ideas we share.

OK, I get it…now what?

So now that all of you have decided to drink the Kool-Aid and share your ideas, here are some forums that will be mutually beneficial to all involved. First, seek out and attend trade shows and seminars. I have already mentioned several haunt shows that take place throughout the year. MANY others are easy to find with a few keystrokes and a search engine. Attend these shows! Introduce yourself to the people who you find interesting. Listen to what they have to

say. The first show I attended when we were putting together the first Howl-O-Scream was the now defunct “Global Halloween Convergence”. It was filled with experienced haunters.  Many of them were home haunters who would never have the resources that a major theme park would have, but I learned so much from them! I learned the basics of scaring people. I learned that lack of funding is not an excuse for low quality. I learned that creativity could conquer almost any challenge. I learned that there are people out there who are passionate about what they do and it makes them do it better.

Find groups and local organizations on social media. The more you share, the more will be shared with you. There are groups for nearly every niche within the business of themed entertainment…and if there isn’t, make one. This costs absolutely nothing and puts you in contact with other like-minded folks. I belong to several Facebook groups and the amount of information shared is staggering.

When you have success with a new process or concept- share it. You will quickly discover that someone will take your idea and make it better, which ends up helping both of you.

My experience is that most professionals in our line of work are very eager to help and share. The recent “Robbiween” event was just one of many examples where professionals come together to educate and entertain while raising money for a good cause. A similar event that takes place in Orlando, Florida is the “Entertainment Designer’s Forum” which raises money for Cancer Research. If you find other events like these, please share them with me…I would love to attend them as well!

Until next time, keep dreaming in shades of fear!