We’ve had some questions about exactly what each role and phase of work entails. Here’s the best we can give you:
Volunteer Roles:
Scenic Painting – Painting scenery pieces with various techniques, often to create the illusion of a different material.
Prop Making – Working with various materials (wood, metal, plastic, and more) to create an object either for decor or actor’s use.
Set Dressing – Dressing a set entails decorating a set with props, materials, and decor type items to set a scene.
Acting/Scaring – We are a haunted house and people want to be scared. Acting may be in character, puppeteering or acting in video.
Construction – Actually building structures, usually from wood and foam.
Technical Craft – Making props that are specifically technical in nature – Special effects, lighting props, animated props, puppets.
Technical Crew – You wear all black and hide in the shadows, pulling strings and flipping switches in the darkness.
Event Production – “Front of House”. This involves crowd control and security, guest services and more.
Social Media – Take pictures, video and post them on our social media profiles.
Marketing – Helping to promote the Gothic Hills Foundation & Cemetery and the needs of the events.
Staff Management – Fitting into a category somewhere above, but also leading a team within that category.
Administration – Office & business-related tasks for Gothic Hills Foundation
Season Phases:
Spring/Summer – Midsummer Scream – April through August
We formulate a plan beginning in January, and begin to build and refurbish parts of our set and show in April. Typically we spend 1 weeknight and 1 weekend day per week working on building our new ideas for Midsummer Scream. Midsummer Scream load in, operation and return home is expected to be July 28-Aug 3rd.
Summer/Fall – Halloween Haunt – Late August – November
After a couple of weeks of rest after Midsummer Scream, we’ll start reconfiguring our haunt for use at our home location in Sylmar. This usually entails a bit of refurbishment, some new construction, and production of new effects that didn’t make it into the Midsummer Scream show. After closing performances, the whole thing needs to be disassembled and packed away for winter.