Two weeks ago Halloween took over Los Angeles at the second annual ScareLA convention. The convention was held at the Reef design center. The convention is not just horror, but is home to everything Halloween. They had dozens of booths on the show floor featuring makeup tools and other items that a haunt would need.

Lots of Haunted Mansion items were on display as the fantastic dark ride was celebrating 45 years over the weekend.

Dapper Cadaver had a booth featuring many of their professionaly made props.

A very cool exhibitor were the Terror Trucks, a trailer with a maze in it. We went into the Cold Storage maze and I was very impressed. A great use of screens and effects for such a small footprint.

 

   

A very cool “Elevator” was on display. This was a simulated elevator car placed on pneumatic air bags that acted as the motion base as you fall down the elevator shaft.

Our friends from Dstar Photograph had a booth set up and were taking photos for free.

On of the coolest exhibiters featured a “Virtual Maze” using the Oculus Rift. This was my first time using the augmented reality headset and it was incredible. Very responsive and the parallax effect was very effective.

We saw the Halloween Horror Nights panel put on by Universal Studios Hollywood. John Murdy, Creative Director and Chris Williams, Art Director of HHN. They brought out film legend John Landis, director of An American Werewolf in London and many other films. They announced that American Werewolf in London was coming to Hollywood as a maze. This maze was received very well when in opened in Orlando last year.

The most exciting panel was Garner Holt: I was a Teenaged Haunter. Garner Holt and Doug Barnes of The Season Pass podcast took the stage as we looked back at Garner’s in-depth connection to haunts.

First known picture of Garner at Disneyland.

Garner Holt Productions has worked on the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay for both Anaheim and Tokyo. They recently built all the audio animatronics for Mystic Manor, the fabulous trackless dark ride at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Very cool schematic of the hidden show action equipment that make Albert the monkey “walk” up the stairs.

I hope you liked my look back at ScareLA. I had a great time and Rick and Johanna from Theme Park Adventure did a FANTASTIC job. I can’t wait to go back and see the convention next year!!!