FILES TO DOWNLOAD


Halloween Imagineering Guides

These texts are intended to give you some food for thought about the role of special effects, framing, and story in the creation of a better haunt. These short chapters are very basic, but may be enough to get the novice on the path to bigger things.


button How-to, part 1 button How-to, part 2 button How-to, part 3 button How-to, part 4


The following buttons access links to my do-it-yourself project plans. Some of these files are stored at Don Bertino's site, particularly the jpeg images.

The Flying Crank Ghost

fondly known as the FCG

NOTE: These plans have been updated as of 6/15/98


I am gratified by the growing number of individuals who have built our signature effect, and by their strong positive reactions to it. The ghost is a marionette with a mechanical puppeteer that produces amazingly lifelike (if that's the word to use in reference to a ghost) movements in the figure. I invented this mechanism back in 1981 for a store window display, and it turned so many heads that I eventually decided to go public with the details of its operation. No, it's not patented, and I have been asked by many people why I would let something like this out of the bag for free. The answer is that (a) I wanted to give a bit of the spirit of the season to the Halloween community, and (b) the process of getting a patent is far too expensive for someone with my limited resources. (My loss is everyone's gain, and that's a neat feeling.) Download these plans, which cover the original version of the effect, as it came about in 1981, and try it out for yourself! (The 'cute' version shown on the index page is described below.)


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Here's a 'cute' version of the ghost marionette for the FCG mechanism, more appropriate for Halloween displays intended for children. This was used for several seasons in the store display mentioned above, and stopped traffic continually. A number of people came in asking for the plans.


button cutefcg1.jpg button cutefcg2.jpg

The Grave Jumper

This is a simple device for making a figure's upper torso pop up from behind a gravestone, or out of an open grave. This is a good first pneumatic project, and it uses a simple, inexpensive screen door closer (working in reverse) as the actuator. (You can find other budget pneumatic techniques at the Halloween-L Archives, products of the fertile minds of the listmembers.) Gjump3.jpg (see button below) shows actual photographs of the prototype device, which underwent tests. It includes closeups of construction details, and is essential if you wish to build the project.


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By popular request, I've included an article on the use of Compressed Air, for those of you wishing to build the Grave Jumper, and needing more information on the basics:

Haunting With Compressed Air

Here's a brief primer on compressors, regulators, filters and actuators.

button air.html


The Grim Organist

Plans for a hooded figure which sits at a keyboard and plays, using two gearmotors for power. This effect is under construction by several test builders, and I include some plan revisions below, for those who want to join in the effort. If you build the organist, document your work and send it in, and you will be credited on the video and in the book! (Thanks go to Dan Oelke for the revised markups.)


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And the revised plans:

grimor1x.gif grimor2x.gif grimor4x.gif

ALF, the Lamp Flicker Emulator

A special effect, designed by my good friend Scott Rider. This simulates the slight flickering that occurs when a gaslamp is burning. It utilizes pairs of bulbs placed in close proximity, is adjustable, and can produce other flash effects as well. You may wish to visit Scott's site if you enjoy science fiction or anime... http://www.mcs.com/~syzygy/ (Old Crow's Clarke Anime homepage)


buttonText description buttonflicker1.gif

555 I.C. TIMER

Scott's version of the well-known event timer will drive a whole bank of relays, allowing you to switch just about anything on or off for a duration based on a switch trigger. To add more relays, you just add more switching transistors on the output. It's simple, inexpensive, and reliable.

button555timer.gif



More plans will be available in the future. Really! :-)


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