Halloween Haunts fan mail

It’s so rare I get fan mail – I thought I would highlight this comment from LisaH, which was made in response to my Halloween alerts 2 post, made back on Halloween Day 2006:

Hi Steve
I loved your Halloween Tour video I saw on YouTube. The quality of the shoot was better than most people get at night. Grimmstone was very inspiring! Do you have any video of HHG? What are your plans this year? I hope you tape House of Restless Spirits, Haunted Hill, and No Name haunts. Please let the camera linger a little longer on specific sights so we can better absorb them. There was something at Grimstone that needed narrative as I couldn’t figure out what it was, so maybe describe sights briefly. I very much look forward to seeing more video from you–thanks for doing it!

Well, Lisa, as a matter of fact I do have footage of HHG (i.e., Hallowed Haunting Grounds); unfortunately, the effectiveness of that particular haunt came from its strategic use of darkness to intrigue the eye and make you linger while your vision adjusted, only gradually revealing details previously hidden. That’s a long way of saying the video does not do the live presentation full justice, but you can see my best attempt in the fourth part of my 2005 Halloween Haunts Odyssey video, which you can find on our Hallowed Haunting Grounds page.

As for this year’s plans, I will hit all the ones you mention, and hopefully get video as well. In fact, I have video shot last year at the House at Haunted Hill and the Haunt with No Name Yet; I plan to get that stuff edited and posted before those haunts open at the end of this month.

As for letting the shots linger, that’s tricky. I already thought I was being too indulgent in my editing, letting things linger too long. I do try to describe images that need some clarification, with subtitles if not with actual narration. I’ll try to do better this year.