Supplies, Volunteers & Performers
Get Involved In Central Alberta's Most Fatal Attraction
Background
The committed people who have a been a part of the Zed Haunted House for over 20 years have learned from the best in the industry. We've evolved from a spook house for kids in 1990 and brought it to a full 10-day theatrical production attracting more than 6,000 people annually. We are now a registered member of the IAHA (International Association of Haunted Attractions) and subscribe to the best practices in the entertainment haunt industry. With our many years’ of success, we feel there is nobody better qualified to bring quality Halloween entertainment to Central Alberta. You are invited to become a part of a professional production that strives to deliver the most quality and entertaining experience to all who visit us during the Halloween season.
Putting on such a complicated production is a year long process. We are governed by a volunteer committee, are organized by the Youth & Volunteer Centre (yvc.ca) and encourage participation by local Central Alberta Boys and Girls Clubs (add link). In addition to our core teams, 150 plus community volunteers annually contribute more than 2,500 hours annually, plus numerous community partners and businesses contribute in kind support of more than $30,000, making the Zed Haunted House one of Central Alberta's premiere fall attractions. What follows are some of the more crucial contributions we are seeking for this year. If you can support this worthwhile cause then contact us or submit the attached form to be on our volunteer contact list. Its never too early - Welcome to the Team!!!
For more information about the Zed Haunted House see our About, More, News and Previous Years pages.
Supplies Needed
While we have three large trailers of walls and equipment and our current sponsors have been tremendously generous, each year's theme requires some extra supplies (all donations and discounts will be considered)to complete our vision of a terrific haunt:
- A fork lift to move heavy items from the c-cans and delivery into back of building. (Sunday Sept 30, first week in Nov.)- donated by Cooper Roofing with thanks!
- A scissor lift to take down existing items left by the previous tenants. Ceilings are too high for a typical extension ladder. - donated by Hertz Equipment Rentals with thanks!
- Mansion Furniture: if you've got an extra chandilier, grandfather clocks, framed ancestor paintings, an elaborate dining room table, old silverware kicking around we'd could put it to good use!
- Costumes in good condition (capes etc.)
- Steel: new or used, almost any length will be accepted!&
- Black Material: used for scene backdrops.
- Construction Materials: specifically 2" X 4" lumber and 4' X 8' osb
- PVC pipe: is always needed for character/prop construction
- Sump pump: (new or used) in good working condition - donated by Princess Auto with thanks!
- Pond liner: (new or used) with no leaks - donated by Cooper Roofing with thanks!
- Assorted wall coverings: (panel boards, imitation old wood or brick, weathered window frames).
- Old style décor: accents of all types.- donated by CATS with thanks!
- Sound equipment: new or used, in working order.
- Lighting equipment: new or used,in working order.
- General Halloween: seasonal accents and decorations.
- Camouflage netting:minimal damage.
- Wooden crates: of all sizes.
- Power drills: new or used, with battery chargers.
- Skill or Table saws:: new or used in working condition.
- 30” to 46” flatscreen television or monitor: new or used, with battery chargers.
- Small dvd player: new or used, with battery chargers.
- 6’ stone columns real or imitation.
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2012's Special Requirements':
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed in a variety of roles and positions. Some of the roles include ...
- Calling all Haunted House Alumni! We need guides, performers and extra volunteers who are over the age of 18 for our special, late night Midnight Madness from 11pm -3am (includes prep and shut down times)
- Welders: we've got a special project that requires a few hours of a welder's time, and hopefully also their workshop over the first two weeks of October.
- Projects sub committee: Thank you, we have a full committee in place for this year..
- Set-Up: 20 people who will commit 2 weeks in early October to construct the haunted attraction
- Performers:40-60 people who commit 6-12 evenings during the event in a actor or character role (see more below)
- Seamstress: one or two people to assist with costume creation, repair and maintenance
- Operations Support: (10 people an evening, who assist with attraction support in areas such as security, supervision, maintenance, ticketing etc.)
- Ticket Sellers: 2 people per evening are needed and many dates are still available, and we will take name for back-up/last minute calls for front of house support
- Traffic Guides/Parking Directors: 2 people per evening
- Outside Security 1-2 people per evening
- Take Down: A crew of 15-20 people who commit 2 days November 1st & 2nd to take down the attraction and put into storage
So You Want to Perform in a Haunted House
It’s a lot different than you think it is . . . Guaranteed!!! To the average customer, a trip through the Haunted House may look like total chaos . . . Ghouls, Monsters and Zombies all jumping out at them when they least expect it . . . Flashing lights, fog and smoke, blaring soundtracks and blood curdling screams . . .it seems like all hell is breaking loose!!!
That is no accident. The environment is a tightly choreographed show with each actor doing their part, much like the individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle coming together to create the big picture.
It’s not easy to do!!! It’s physically demanding and mentally exhausting. It requires focus, timing, concentration, self-discipline, commitment and the ability to take direction. Although our customers are having a blast, you may well be assigned to play the same part night after night. Chances are that you’ll be in some weird costume, wearing special make-up, covered with some combination of blood, slime and oozing guts. Remember . . . this is show business.
Look at it this way . . . think of your favorite entertainer you like to watch on TV or video. It doesn’t matter. When you go to see them in concert, you expect to see a good show. It doesn’t matter to you if it’s the last stop on a year-long world tour. You want your favorite songs played fresh, with energy and excitement as though it were the first night of the tour, not the last. It doesn’t matter if that band played that song 1,000 times before, you want it played the right way . . . don’t you? Well guess what? Haunted House customers feel the same way about their scares. They don’t care if this is the 100th time you’re jumping out of that trap door, or if you’ve pulled the starter on the chainsaw 700 times over the last four nights; they deserve a great show!!! That’s what they’re there for and why they are paying their money.
However, if you understand all this “show biz stuff” going in, if you have the qualities we just talked about, if you want to act, if you like Halloween and the Horror genre, and most of all if you’re young at heart and want to entertain and scare people . . . then you will hardly believe that you are actually having so much fun. As with most things, this job is what you make it and many people have had a great time doing it. We are the face of Halloween in Central Alberta, and we are committed to that responsibility.
Note: All persons interested in becoming performers must be a minimum of 14 years of age, and must attend an in-service training program and auditions on location.
Performers' In-Service Training Dates 2012
- Sunday, October 14th at 4:00pm
- Monday, October 15th at 6:30pm
Performers' Audition Dates 2012
- Tuesday, October 16th at 6:30pm
