Best of SL Halloween Host: Uccello Poultry
Making your own Halloween _______.
So you've had lots of fun exploring the various haunted houses, maddening mazes, and other spooky spots celebrating Halloween in Second Life this year and you say to yourself, “But I can make a better Halloween _______ than that!” Maybe you can, but it takes a bit of planning to bodge something together. Good thing you have a year for putting it all together.
First you need to sort out what kind of venue it will be. A so-called “dark ride” like you find in amusement parks? How about a walk-through haunted house or even a haunted forest? The assets you have will be your biggest consideration in this decision with land being chief among them. Fortunately, Janeforyou Barbara let me use a large chunk of her land and a few thousand prims to make my fourth annual Halloween treat, the Menagerie Isle Haunted House My dream is to one day use a whole region as the folks at Innsmouth do, but even if you have only a 117-prim, 512-square meter parcel, you can put together something great if you have great ideas. It all comes together with the decorating.
That's the where the theme comes in. Popping about Second Life this year, I saw a greater variety than ever before, but paying tribute to horror films was quite popular, especially zombie flicks. Even folks who usually don't go see the likes of Freddy, Jason, and their kin in theaters will, thanks to mass marketing, be familiar with the characters — so your intent is clear, but these themes might be so mainstream that their familiarity could decrease their impact. Think carefully about clever ways to incorporate pop-horror into your creations while seriously considering more traditional items like ghosts and skeletons.
This means you also need to think about the build itself. Get together with your team, or if you don't have one, frequently invite friends to give you a third-party perspective. This is my second year with a two-stage installation at Menagerie Isle: a pre-show walkabout in a decrepit mansion made by BailyMarie Princess and available in her shop at Abbey Island, every room decorated with spiders or ghosts or... well, I won't spoil the surprises. Then there is a dark ride through several themed tableaus that eventually ends in an eerie graveyard where anyone who survived can pick up a gift before running off. I used many commercially sourced items — ghosts, spiders, furniture, etc. — along with custom textures and items I made myself. Because I worked alone, I had several people look in to catch my mistakes, such as when the ride stopped at a certain spot if two or more folks were in the car at the same time.
Assets, theme, and build are the basic components. Post your ideas in the comments for what you like to see in a Halloween attraction, whether you are a builder or not. I’d also like to see your suggestions, with SLurls if you can, for what you thought were great attractions or places to shop. Don't be scared to post something!
The Linden Moles and the Bay City Alliance have a Hay Maze full of whimsical fun and prizes.
The Bewitched Haunted Dark Forest is a whole region of spookiness.
Shops can be attractions, too! The Isle of Ewe has dressed up for the holiday and the Meeroos have gotten into the spirit of things.
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