Haunting Tools

By Michael J. Chaille

The haunted attraction industry has a very short time to impress guests. The season is painfully short; lasting maybe 6 or 7 weeks. Having your show up and running for every possible moment is more important than ever before. Guests who stumble into rooms that are not operational, with effects that are down, or scenery and props that have not been repaired give few second chances to the event. Whether you are gearing up to install a complete attraction or just handling the operations of the event, preparation and the tools you select could make your job a lot easier.

In April 2001, Universal Studios Hollywood hired my company, Ghost Ride Productions Inc., to fabricate and install the majority of the effects for their new MUMMY RETURNS haunted walk through attraction. The plan was to re-purpose the recently closed Marvel Mania entertainment restaurant building located in the park. The facility had well over 10,000 square feet spanning four diverse levels, including a loading dock and exterior façade queue. One of the toughest challenges with this installation was the expanse of area that this facility covered and the elevation changes for our team to make from scene to scene. Main concerns were the distribution of tools, security of the tools and safety in such a large and unique space. The event was scheduled to operate seven days a week. Having enough of the right tools at each scene would be tough And I worried about the safety of others and myself. I envisioned staff members climbing around in tight spaces dragging a toolbox or techs running up and down ladders with pliers under their chin. I knew I needed a solution.

Typically a centrally located tool crib would be set up, and carts would be used to transport materials and tools to site locations. With one elevator and several sets of stairs, it was obvious that these elevation changes and the project scope were going to change the way we distributed tools. Toolboxes were obviously out, as a toolbox was something you had to carry, it had to be locked up when not in use and ladder work meant constantly making that trek for the forgotten tool. Carpenter bags or standard tool pouches were also out of the question because of their bulkiness. Bags offer very little security from tools falling out, are easily overloaded and get cluttered fast. Another concern was traveling through the park. This meant possibly interacting with park guests. We would have to shed and secure the bags before leaving the site. As I thought about options, I realized that we could do about 80% of our work with about 20% of the tools in the box. The goal was to reduce the amount of tools needed to get the job done and find a tool pouch that was big enough to hold all the tools. Above all, the tools needed to be organized and able to be secured from falling out.

CARRYING CASE

While on a movie set I had noticed a black, slim, tier-pocketed pouch used by the lighting crew. Very similar to an electrician's leather tool pouch, but this one was black cloth and it had a cover flap. The addition of this flap hid the tools from sight while keeping them secure.

I found a similar pouch at a local rigging shop. The pouch is made by RAGS BAGS and similar ones can be found by SETWARE . The pouch comes in two sizes and is perfectly suited for the haunted industry. Here's why:

TOOL SELECTION

We came up with four categories in tool selection. Electrical, Hand Tools, Lighting and All-Purpose. These are only suggestions, and are what worked best for our conditions. Feel free to change, augment or substitute whatever gets you through your event.

Always try to buy the brightest tools available for low light conditions and easy identification. Ideally every tool handle should be a different color for fast retrieval. The pouch flap covers the tools completely and will keep them out of site of guests when not in use. Don't forget to mark all your tools and NEVER LOAN THEM OUT. The quickest way to lose a tool is to let someone borrow it. If you want your kit to remain complete, send the "tech-in-need" to the toolbox to root around for a loaner tool.

ELECTRICAL

Electrical work can be tricky, especially if you need to test if an extension cord is hot or why some electrical element isn't working. With all the cords that run through dark attractions, you will be reaching for this little tool almost as much as a screwdriver. We call this a TICK, but the technical term is AC voltage detector. About the size of a Sharpie pen the FLUKE brand is the one we use. This device tests the presences of AC voltage and is non-conductive. At about $20.00, this lifesaver has no buttons, no moving parts and no wires. Just touch it to the side of an extension cord, outlet or AC electrical fixture wires and you can safely test if the device has voltage. A few years back, while prepping a haunt for the show opening, we were notified that all the effects were not working. A quick check with the TICK declared the presence of AC voltage and yet the effects would not work properly. To say the least, this was very confusing; the electricians declared all power was available. After some tense moments and tracing back the power we discovered that the power service had been run through a dimmable control board and an electrician was requested earlier to dim all lights to make the event scarier. Subsequently the effects were only receiving about 80% of the required power needed to function. Lesson learned: Voltage detected many not mean voltage required.

A good pair of crimpers is also handy. 3M have a pair of crimpers that can also cut bolts and strip wires. I like these bull nose type better than the needle nose.

HAND TOOLS

The hand tools we chose are mostly common and thus, will not need much explanation. Remember to adjust your tool pouch contents based on the operations that you are working. Installation kits might vary from Technical operations kits. Some tools may not be safe to bring into a guest occupied, dark attraction under any circumstances.

The hand tool that you will be reaching for the most will be the multi-bit screwdriver with double sided bits. With the tip removed, it can also be used as a socket driver. Five tools, one pocket in the pouch. Resist the temptation to get the models with additional bits or compartment handles. The solid handle is better and strong enough to knock things around in the absence of a hammer. Besides, the fancier 6 or 10 bit driver tip models have parts that are much smaller and easier to lose.

Next, pick up a small, folding Allen wrench set and a small set of both Crescent wrench and Channel locks. They should be about 6" to 8" long. Best to choose the smallest wrench that can grip the largest nut found amongst your effects or sets. A good utility knife with replacement blades should be inserted into the tightest, and deepest pocket of the pouch. This cutter is indispensable for installations, but might be best left out during guest operations for safety reasons.

A small pair of needle nose pliers can twist wires and grip items larger size pliers will damage.

The last items in this category are scissors and cutters. An inexpensive pair of plastic handled scissors is great to cut free hair clips and pagers from the tight grasp of camo netting. You may also want to pick up a small pair of KLIEN scissors, which have a few notches for fast wire stripping. These cut wire amazingly well and will be the last pair of all-purpose scissors you will need to buy. The last cutter is called a shear cutter and they are very similar to diagonal cutters or wire dikes, except smaller. This tool is great for cutting away burs, soft wire or flush cutting zip ties in the field.

LIGHTING

Portable light is critical in a dark attraction and several factors come into play. Size is everything. The smaller the better, but don't forego power for a pocket sized light. The best light is the Scorpion brand 5" with xenon bulb. (I keep this in a separate belt pouch). This unit can deliver 6,500-candle power for over an hour. Scorpions use lithium batteries and these can get expensive during the season. I recommend getting the more expensive rechargeable unit. The rechargeable unit will pay off in the long run, so just buy it now. This is a high output, tactical light, and is very bright. The rubber-coated body is great for gripping with your teeth when a hands free moment is needed. These lights start at $70.00 and go way up from there. Go to www.streamlight.com for more information and dealer locator.

Always have a back up. That means picking up a mini mag incandescent lamp or one of the new stylus light pens with LED bulb. Both are great for general and back up use when a huge flood of light is not necessary. Think about your use before you purchase colored bulbs. While a red bulb glow conceals your work, it will be tough to discern wire colors in a controller or panel box when in the field. The final light accessory is an option, but is now standard in our tool kits. About a year ago Petzl came out with a super bright LED headlamp that is much smaller than a pager. This lightweight, bright headlamp is so small and throws such a wide path of bright white light that you will soon forget it is on your head. This was a great alternative to setting up light tripods and running cords through sets during installations. Batteries last a very long time with the LED element. The LED has a bulb life of over 100,000 hours. You can live without this, but it makes life a whole lot easier.

ALL PURPOSE

The all-purpose category consists of tools that you are always reaching for or wish you had. First - a Black Sharpie pen and a regular ballpoint pen.

The second is a small opaque paint marker. This type of pen comes in various colors and can write in wet or dirty conditions and is best used on black backgrounds where a Sharpie fails.

A few small gauge screwdrivers for adjusting small electronics come in handy when larger tips won't fit. I usually carry two types; one is called a "greeney", or "tweaker". This slotted driver has a very fine tip and works great to adjust small electronics or terminals on circuit boards. The other is a pen type mini driver with four bits and a clip. Its length can be used as an extension handle driver for narrow areas.

While not mentioned until now, you will undoubtedly be using some sort of cordless professional screw gun on the work site. A spare 6" and 3" Phillips and Slotted head extension bit for a screw gun are good to have just in case you drop the one you are working with or someone swipes the one in your screw gun. Next to these bits, tuck in an extension drill bit for drilling through multiple 2"x4" studs and tight angles. A ¼" bit is a good size for general use.

The "Monster Hook " is another handy accessory that works as a partner with the tool pouch. It is a cordless drill hook that clips to your belt. You may not need to carry a screw gun all the time, but when you do, this hook keeps the gun close to your body and frees up your hands. The hook can be found at any hardware store these days.

How you arrange the tools are up to you, but the important thing is that just about everything necessary to make a quick fix is attached to your belt securely. This complete set will run you about $250. It may sound pricey, but you probably have a lot of the tools already. Just get the pouch and replace the specialty items as you go or as your needs develop. This is one of the easiest and best ways to keep your installation and operations staff efficient, safe and looking professional. Knowing that the pouch has all the tools within arms reach and exactly what's in the kit will give your team more confidence on the job and become more prepared to tackle anything that comes up. Most importantly, this system will reduce the walks back to the toolbox. Best of Luck with your events!

Michael J. Chaille, Founder and President of Ghost Ride Productions, Inc. (GRP) has been developing and designing dark attractions products and operating themed events professionally since 1995. GRP has produced custom Halloween themed work for Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa and Williamsburg and developed products for Rubie's Costume Co. Inc. Michael can be reached via email at info@ghost-ride.com or write to: GRP 6047 Colfax Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91606