No one really knows how far the Brooding Butler, the Fortune Teller and the Ghost Bride have traveled to reach your doorstep, but here they are — and, oh, do they have stories to tell! The three characters from AtmosFX’s Halloween Hosts Decoration Collection are designed to engage an audience – trick-or-treaters, neighbors, even the Halloween crowd in your driveway. So, what are some clever ways to position these characters? We have some ideas for you.
Paul Connolly of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick, built a mesmerizing crystal ball featuring the Fortune Teller.
Props that Draw a Crowd
Halloween Hosts Decoration is slightly different from other AtmosFX Decorations in that it contains longer stories and moments of audience interaction. Because of that, you’ll want to display these characters in places where people can gather, like your front porch or driveway. The characters of Halloween Hosts are also great for prop mode displays — which is sure to draw an even larger crowd to your home.
For instance, Halloween Hosts has a mode optimized for the AtmosFX 3DFX Form, a mannequin-like inflatable prop. When you inflate the 3DFX Form and project the decoration onto it, it looks as though a once-inanimate mannequin has come to life. Place one on a walkway leading up to your house, or near the sidewalk, and we are certain people will stop for a listen. And better yet, if you set up three 3DFX Forms, all three of these strange souls will engage with each other, creating a truly unique experience.
Another great prop mode effect: Make a crystal ball. Halloween Hosts features individual decorations optimized for the AtmosFX Decorating Disc (more on this below). That means they come cropped in a circle – and just the disembodied head of each character. That, in itself, makes for some stunning displays. But when you project it onto a DIY crystal ball, you’ll have created something everyone will talk about. How to make one? Check out this step-by-step article.
One last thing about prop displays. Remember that you can easily add trigger effects to the displays using the Sprite Media Player with Motion Sensor. When an approaching trick-or-treater triggers the motion sensor, the 3DFX Form or crystal ball will appear to “wake up” and begin a conversation.
Don’t Forget Other More ‘Traditional’ Displays
Yes, the prop mode displays are sensational, but so too are more “traditional” display modes – as if any AtmosFX display could be considered traditional!
Window displays are a common way to display any AtmosFX Decoration, and Halloween Hosts is no different. Just place Window Projection Material in a front-facing window, project onto it, and watch people gather outside! Don’t forget to enable a speaker on the outside so that everyone can hear the dialogue. Similarly, surface projections on any wall, indoor or out, work well. A garage door is a great place to display the three characters, because people can gather around in the driveway and hear what they have to say.
We mentioned the AtmosFX Decorating Disc earlier in the article and, in particular, the circular mode that only features the character’s disembodied faces. Those disembodied faces look especially mysterious when projected onto decorating discs and hung from a tree or clothesline, or even in your window. You can also go smaller and display those same faces on a tablet in TV/Monitor mode – just cover the tablet with some Hollusion Projection Material or (other gauzy material) to obscure the tablet’s shape. You’ll mystify everyone with a strange shrunken head.
And speaking of Hollusion Projection Material, hang it from a tree, arbor or eave and the Halloween Hosts will materialize when the night becomes dark. Make sure to hang the material so that it nearly touches the ground – your characters appear to be walking on earth. Or, hang it up high and project just the heads – think Wizard of Oz – to create an extremely ominous and foreboding effect.
And this is only the beginning – these three Halloween Hosts are both mesmerizing and versatile. There’s end to how you can use them.
How do you use Halloween Hosts to celebrate the scary season? We want to see it! Send us your photos and videos using this simple online submission form and we will post some of our favorite examples!
How do others use Halloween Hosts? Check it out here!
David Sloan of Katy, Texas, had quite a surprise for trick-or-treaters after he created a DIY crystal ball that features the Fortune Teller from Halloween Hosts Decoration. Read more about it in the AtmosFAN Hall of Fame.
There’s a lot to see at the Rohr Manor in Murrietta, Ga., yet the surface projection of the three strange characters from Halloween Hosts certainly holds its own.
Jason Dove turned his Aiken, S.C., home into a stunning cemetery, featuring a terrific archway that features a Hollusion projection of the Ghost Bride.
Check out how these and other AtmosFANs have decorated with Halloween Hosts and other decorations in the AtmosFAN Hall of Fame!
