Ep 4. Ultimate Haunted Houses

In Making Monsters season 1 episode 4, titled Ultimate Haunted Houses, the team at Distortions Unlimited set out to create some of the most terrifying and elaborate haunted houses in the country. The episode begins with Ed and Marsha Edmunds, the founders of Distortions Unlimited, explaining the process behind creating a haunted house. They discuss the importance of storytelling, atmosphere, and special effects in creating an immersive experience that leaves visitors scared out of their wits.

To start the project, the team visits one of the most famous haunted houses in the country - The 13th Floor in Denver, Colorado. They meet with the creative team at The 13th Floor and examine the elaborate set designs and special effects that have made the attraction so popular. The team then returns to their workshop in Colorado to begin designing their own haunted house.

The design process is intense, with different team members suggesting ideas and discussing how to execute them. They consider everything from sound effects to lighting to makeup to create the perfect blend of scary and entertaining. The team decides on a theme - a haunted asylum - and begins building the sets.

The sets are massive and intricate, with every detail designed to create a sense of unease and fear in visitors. The team constructs a maze of dark hallways, complete with flickering lights, ominous shadows, and ghostly apparitions. They build a room filled with medical equipment and restraints, complete with lifelike animatronic patients and creepy sound effects. They even create a room with a giant, moving spider that drops from the ceiling.

As the construction process continues, the team faces a number of challenges. They struggle to find the right balance between scary and safe, ensuring that visitors won't actually be harmed by any of the special effects or props. They also face setbacks when it comes to timing and budget, with some aspects of the haunted house taking longer and costing more than expected.

Despite these challenges, the team forges ahead with enthusiasm and dedication. They work long hours, often staying up all night to finish a particular room or effect. When the haunted house is finally complete, the team celebrates with a walkthrough, testing out all of the special effects and scares.

The episode culminates with the opening night of the haunted house. The team is nervous, unsure of how visitors will react to their creation. But as crowds flood into the attraction and screams echo through the halls, the team knows that they've succeeded. They've created an unforgettable and truly terrifying experience.