Whether it is handmade or store-bought, we love a good Halloween prop. Who doesn’t? But we extra love it when a store-bought Halloween prop has been modified to make it even scarier and cooler!
That’s what Jerry Morse of Port Charlotte, Florida, did. As he was building-out an effect for his Darkness Falls Cemetery, he took a mausoleum and arch purchased from Home Depot and modified it with Hollusion Projection Material. Then, with a projection of the “Wicked Wraith” individual decoration from the Phantasms Digital Decoration Collection and some fantastic lighting, he was able to exponentially ratchet-up the creepy factor.
To be sure, there’s a lot more to see at Darkness Falls Cemetery – and we’ll get to that in a second. But we want to highlight how simple it can be to create a really dramatic effect with just a few modifications to props that you already might have. In this case, Jerry knew the 7.5-foot archway in this mausoleum prop would make a great screen on which to project a haunting digital decoration. It comes together flawlessly.
Each year, Jerry creates his Darkness Falls Cemetery to the delight of his Port Charlotte community, drawing visitors for the entire month of October. It is easy to see why – Jerry is a whiz when it comes to lighting, making every corner of his Halloween display look spectacular.
And we’d be remiss to not also mention another great prop Jerry created – this one hand sculpted. It is another mausoleum prop, nine feet tall, with Window Projection Material built into the center. For there, he can back-project all sorts of haunting digital decorations – here you can see the “Beckoning Beauty” individual decoration from Ghostly Apparitions.
Jerry uses a few Facebook users groups – like AtmosFX Fanatics – to help promote his display and encourage those who live nearby to stop by. But you can also see how active Jerry is with other community members – both answering questions and offering ideas. “I try to help people think outside the box with projection effects and lighting,” he tells us.
Clearly, Jerry, you have a ton to offer when it comes to creating dynamic lighting and effects in your Halloween displays – well done! We love what you have done with Darkness Falls Cemetery!
If you want to learn more about Darkness Falls Cemetery, or see more photos of Jerry’s work, check out his Facebook page here.
How is your Halloween display coming? What new innovations are you bringing to your home or office this October? We want to see them – as do countless other Halloween fans! Send us your photos and videos using this easy submission form!
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All photos, videos and GIFs in this article were photographed by Jerry Morse. Thanks Jerry!
