His Creativity is Going to Haunt You

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Make STEAM Work For You

(Photograph courtesy of Jeanne Escher, and used with permission.) "Godfather of Haunting" Leonard Pickel knows exactly what will make you jump. He's been creating haunted attractions--and leaving patrons screaming with fear and delight--since his college days. In the process, he's revolutionized the haunt industry. Leonard, who has a background in architecture, is the owner and designer of Hauntrepreneurs Themed Attraction Design and Consulting. which he founded in 1987. Through Hauntrepreneurs, he uses his professional background in architecture to design new haunted attractions, consult with haunt owners and come up with workable business plans to make a haunt profitable. His career has included starting Haunted Attraction Magazine, which he edited for fifteen years. He also owned and operated the largest haunted-house manufacturing company of its day, in the late 1980s. And in 2004, he began sharing his expertise, through eerie education. That's the year Leonard founded "HAuNTcon". "HAuNTcon", an acronym for "the Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Conference", is the nation's first haunted-attraction trade show and conference. The show offers three days of tours of haunted attractions, educational seminars and "make and take" sessions for haunt creatives. (The next "HAuNTcon" happens in January, 2018 in New Orleans.) Leonard shared the story of his career, offered some insights on what makes a haunt work (and what doesn't), and discussed the changes and trends he's seeing in the haunt industry. On this edition of Over Coffee® you'll hear: How Leonard first became interested in creating haunted attractions; The ways haunt technology has evolved, since he began designing haunted houses; Resources he recommends, for anyone designing a haunted house; The business considerations involved in running a haunted attraction for profit; What makes a good haunted attraction; Whether anyone's managed to scare Leonard (who tours haunted attractions worldwide)! The techniques behind a good haunted-attraction scare; The trends Leonard's seeing, for the haunt industry of the future; His thoughts on augmented reality and virtual reality for haunts; Some of the subtleties that make a haunted attraction work well.