It's Halloween Week at the Manor
Masterclasses

Learn the Dark Arts

Deep-dive series on Halloween techniques — fog effects, makeup, prop building, and more.

A long dark corridor with a single dim light at the far end casting a faint glow on the walls
Masterclass Series

Art Of The Jump Scare

The science behind why scares work, from the startle reflex to the uncanny valley, and how to use dread, darkness, and sensory deprivation.

3 parts
Several fog machines of different sizes lined up on a workbench in a dimly lit garage
Masterclass Series

Fog Mastery

A breakdown of heated fog machines, chillers, hazers, and dry ice setups, plus how to pick the right wattage tier for your haunt.

5 parts
A gothic centerpiece with black candelabra, dark roses, and a decorative skull on a dark velvet table runner
Masterclass Series

Gothic Tablescaping

Build centerpieces that look collected, not purchased, using candelabras, skull and floral combos, seasonal produce, and the right sense of scale.

4 parts
A dark room lit by overlapping purple and green spotlights creating dramatic shadows on the walls
Masterclass Series

Lighting Your Haunt

How color temperature, mixing, and the psychology of light color create mood and amplify scares in Halloween haunts.

4 parts
Lengths of gray plastic pipe stacked in piles on the ground at an outdoor construction site
Masterclass Series

Prop Building 101

Pipe sizes and weights, sun and cold, cutting and dry fit, primer, cure times and cement safety for PVC prop frames, plus why PVC never carries compressed air.

4 parts
A Bluetooth speaker hidden among halloween props with audio waveforms overlaid on the image
Masterclass Series

Sound Design For Haunts

Build a sound bed for your haunt using base, mid, and accent layers with proper volume balancing and continuous vs. triggered playback.

3 parts
Small weathered headstones on a leaf-covered slope under a tree in orange autumn color, some round-topped and some square tablets on bases
Masterclass Series

Tombstone Workshop

The parts of a gravestone, how real New England stones changed from 1680 to 1850, later cemetery styles, and our method for laying out lettering and transferring a design onto foam.

4 parts