Halloween | Beyond the Shadows

Halloween...It's Almost Here!

I don't know about you but I have always been a big fan of Halloween. As a kid it was all about the treats, but now it's
the decorations, costumes, haunted houses and, of course, finding and creating the sounds that make Halloween celebrations
so much fun.

Halloween events and attractions offer a rich resource for sound designers, and as technology has changed from 4 to 16 track analog to an unlimited number of digital tracks, these advancements provide the opportunity to create more elaborate soundscapes and alternate options until just the right sound is produced to catch the listener's attention. Many thanks to Scott Ross for the use of his original song "It's Halloween".

Have a great October and fun Halloween.

Enjoy!

It’s Halloween | Beyond the Shadows

1981  AstroWorld's HalloWeekend
Voices: Fred Kennedy
Written & Produced by Lou Congelio for McCann-Erickson Houston
For a relatively green engineer, the most challenging aspect was the sound of Igor in the casket.
Recorded at Cook Sound Productions in Houston

1982  AstroWorld's HalloWeekend
Voices: Melanie Haynes & the late great Bill Young
Written & Produced by Susan Ellis for McCann-Erickson Houston
This spot was produced in the main studio suite at BYP;  beginning on the 4 track then transferring to 16 tracks for
all the voices, sound design, special effects and music. The mix was a challenge compared to what we do today, but listening
to it 40 years later, it's still a great spot.
Recorded at Bill Young Productions in Houston

2006  Terry’s Tire Town & Maze Valley Winery | Bigfoot
Voices: Jessica & TJ & Bill Ward
Written by Devon Miller
This project arrived just days before my daughter Jessica traveled to Africa for her 2 years of service in the Peace Corps.
She and her fiancee' (soon to be my son-in law) performed the opening scene. Bill Ward lent his incredible and sometimes out
of control talents for the rest of the spot. The opening sound design was recorded outside the studio, substituting our landscaping
for the sounds of the corn field maze. Days later employees of the Post Office asked what I really did next door.
Recorded at Audio Concepts Ira Rd. Studios

1997  The Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory
Voice: Scott Ross
One of the area's longest running and best known haunted houses in NE Ohio. The Haunted Schoolhouse occupied such an old building
that it gave you the sense that it was haunted, whether it was October or not.
Produced for Bruce Buchholzer Advertising
Recorded at Audio Concepts studios in the Merriman Valley.

2016 Fear Fair
The opening and closing features my daughters, Jessica & Elizabeth and much like the AstroWorld Halloweekend spot from 1982,
there's just something about juxtaposing young, innocent voices with the sounds and screams of a haunted house. I find that,
sets up a frighteningly fun spot.
Recorded at Audio Concepts Ira Rd Studios

2017  Halloween & History for Athens History Center
When I began this project my objective was to create a Halloween spot without a music track to tie it all together. While listening to elements from the Sound Designer’s Toolkit, I began to layer what I thought would be an interesting mix of sounds. Sampling different sound elements, adding a bit of foley, and after some research into what made Athens such a haunted community, the script seemed to write itself. Sometimes you just get lucky.
Recorded at Audio Concepts Ira Rd. Studios

It’s Halloween: