Haunt Theory: Static Props

I'm a static prop haunter. I've always been one. Until my site went live back around 2003, I never even knew there was a name for what I did. If your props move or have a spring-action mechanism which activates when they're approached or if your props are powered by compressed air cylinders, you're an animatronic or pneumatic haunter. If your props are made with tiny animal bones, you're a sociopathic haunter.

As a static prop haunter, my props are motionless. So I have to try to achieve a potential for movement - an appearance that my props are in a moment of rest, or waiting. I've found that the static props that work best are the ones that look like they've just paused for a second:

Corpses that just pushed out of the ground and are now surveying their surroundings...


Witches that are staring into a steaming cauldron thinking dark twisted things...


or a skeleton stretching out its hand seconds before the hand drops to the ground for leverage.



The static props that I've been most disappointed with in my display are the ones that end up looking like they're trapped in time - frozen in movement. That's a totally different animal than a moment of rest. It's like a photograph of a moving creature, rather than a creature about to pounce.

I think that's why I love scarecrows so much. They're motionless by their very nature. Hanging on their posts, waiting. And moving only when the wind blows.

Every Halloween, after I've set up the display, my father will come out and do a casual inspection of the haunt, "It's a shame you can't make these things move and put red lights in their eyes." I'm not about to explain to him that I'm a static prop haunter. He already thinks I'm a whacko.

Tableau Vivant

From Wikipedia: Tableau vivant (plural: tableaux vivants) is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move. The approach thus marries the art forms of the stage with those of painting/photography, and as such it has been of interest to modern photographers. The most recent hey-day of the tableau vivant was the 19th century with virtually nude tableau vivants or "poses plastiques" providing a form of erotic entertainment.

Never heard of this art form before a link was emailed to me with this photo.

It got me thinking about the life of the static prop haunter (me). Which pretty much makes my display a Tableau Mort.

Neat.

Thanks, Nina, for the cool (and creepy) link.

Flickr source.