Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Are We Too Creepy?
When working on props and design concepts most of us ask the question (even if subconsciously) “Is this TOO scary?” Really it all comes down to knowing your audience and how they’ll react to your display or walk-through. Typically I stay away from gore in my work and displays but I don’t tone down the creepy for anyone. When I work on stuff I let the art take control and whatever gets built gets built. In the end if my house is too scary skip it and move on to the next one. You stop in for candy at your own risk.
Personally (and I’ll probably get some hate mail for this) I think this generation of parents coddle their kids way too much. Earlier in the year I read a great article over at Grimvisions which addresses this – and I’m in total agreement with it. I believe a little fear is a good thing especially when it’s a safe fear such as a movie, tv show, or a simple Halloween yard display. Children should be taught to face their fears and not to run from them or pretend they don’t exist. The key is all in good parenting. Kids need to be taught the difference between whats real and whats fantasy. Are there real monsters in the world? You betcha! But they don’t look anything like the Hollywood creatures or what we put out in Halloween displays. In fact real monsters look just like you and me. And the real scary part? You never know who they are. Stranger-Danger is an IMPORTANT lesson for all kids.
Display still too scary? I think Pumpkinrot sums it up best in his latest blog posting:
I think parents play a critical part of the night. If your kids are old enough to go out in packs with their friends, they’re old enough to see fake corpses rising from graves, fake hangmen, and fake blood and gore. If your kids are still pretty young and might be a bit traumatized by images of corpses in bondage or distress, you can simply pass up the house and move to the next one. It’s probably even easier than monitoring what your kids watch on TV. On Halloween night, a parent is pretty much in full control of their little one. Not trying to dodge responsibility either. It’s just me exposing the relationship that exists between yard haunter and parent/chaperone. Parents are our safety net.
