Video Tag
Every video tagged “Allen Hopps” in the library — a focused slice of the Halloween archive.
360 videos
StiltbeastStudios' Allen Hopps walks through a foundational airbrush makeup application on a live model using Endura alcohol-based airbrush makeup from European Body Art. The lesson centers on understanding facial and skull anatomy as a guide for placing shadows and highlights convincingly, making zombie and creature makeups both faster and more realistic. This is the fifth installment in his ongoing Airbrush Basics series aimed at haunted-attraction makeup artists.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates a fast scenic painting technique to transform plain wall panels into convincing faux house-exterior siding for a black-and-white themed haunt set. Using everyday tools like a yardstick and square alongside spray paint and house paint, the entire process wraps up in roughly 45 minutes. The result is a striking architectural illusion achieved with minimal materials and cost.
Stiltbeast Studios' Allen Hopps walks through the complete process of creating a latex and foam master inside a mold — useful both for producing additional molds and for creating standalone foam-filled busts. The session was recorded live, so viewer questions are addressed in real time, adding extra instructional depth. Materials used include mask latex and an expanding rigid foam, both sourced from BITY Mold Supply.
This is part one of a multi-part recording of a set design theory class presented by Allen Hopps at the Midwest Haunters Convention. The session explores unconventional spatial design principles — described as an 'anti-feng shui' approach — applied specifically to haunted house environments. Hopps breaks down how intentional disruption of comfortable spatial flow can amplify unease and fear in guests. More content continues in parts two and three.
StiltbeastStudios walks through building or applying a Predator-style creature look under time pressure, likely for a haunted attraction context. The 74-minute runtime suggests a detailed, step-by-step process covering either prosthetic makeup, costume assembly, or both. Allen Hopps, known for professional haunt design and creature work, guides viewers through achieving a convincing Predator character ready for the haunt floor.
Stiltbeast Studios hosts an extended sculpting session focused on creating a Wednesday-inspired character piece, presented in a bingo challenge format. Allen Hopps guides viewers through the sculpting process in what appears to be a long-form live or recorded workshop running over three hours. The video targets haunted attraction builders and mask makers looking to develop professional-level character sculpts. The bingo format suggests an interactive or community-driven element to the creative session.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios presents a full updated walkthrough of his flat mold-making technique using readily available silicone caulk. The process uses common hardware-store materials — silicone caulk and dish soap — to create affordable, flexible molds suitable for Halloween prop and mask fabrication. This is a refined version of an earlier tutorial, offering a cleaner and more complete explanation of each step.
StiltbeastStudios' Allen Hopps walks through the construction of a foam ice armor costume piece suitable for haunted attraction performers or Halloween costumes. The roughly 30-minute tutorial focuses on shaping and assembling foam to achieve a convincing icy armor aesthetic. As with most StiltbeastStudios content, the build is geared toward haunt professionals and serious hobbyists looking to create high-impact wearable characters.
Stiltbeast Studios showcases the finished monster creations from their Monster Camp 14 workshop, giving viewers a look at the completed wearable creature builds. Allen Hopps presents the final products, highlighting the craftsmanship that goes into professional-level haunted attraction characters. The short showcase format gives both aspiring and experienced monster makers a glimpse at the quality of work produced during the intensive camp experience.
Frankenfrost is a feature-length workshop from StiltbeastStudios hosted by Allen Hopps, focused on building a Frankenstein-inspired Halloween prop or wearable piece. Running over three hours, the session dives deep into creature creation techniques suited for haunted house and professional haunt applications. The content blends prop-making and mask or costume fabrication into a comprehensive monster-building resource.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates a fast, approachable method for painting latex Halloween masks, showing multiple color schemes side by side to highlight how technique and palette affect the final look. Masks are base-coated in latex paint, detailed with acrylics, and finished with a protective coat of ArmorAll. Painting the same mask in different colorways makes it easy to compare results and understand how contrast drives a convincing finish.
Part one of a five-part series from StiltbeastStudios introduces viewers to the fundamentals of airbrushing for haunted attraction and prop work. The video covers how an airbrush functions, the role of the compressor, and the key differences between various airbrush types. It serves as a foundational primer before diving into more advanced technique videos later in the series.
Stiltbeast Studios' Allen Hopps demonstrates the process of foam-filling a mannequin to create a solid, durable haunted house prop. Filling a hollow mannequin with expanding foam adds structural integrity and weight, making it more convincing and resilient for haunt environments. The video is part of Stiltbeast's practical prop-building series aimed at haunters who want professional-quality results on a DIY budget.
Allen Hopps of StiltbeastStudios spotlights a product called WET by FrightProps, his go-to solution for achieving a convincing glossy, wet-look finish on Halloween props and masks. The short review explains why he made the switch to this product over alternatives for any application requiring a shiny, lifelike surface. It serves as a practical recommendation from an experienced haunted-attraction professional.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates a lesser-known fabrication method using sticky paper to construct a sturdy alien body prop for a themed area within a professional haunted attraction. The technique produces solid, reasonably detailed forms and serves as a practical alternative to more conventional prop-building methods. It's a straightforward, encouraging build that invites haunters of all skill levels to experiment with accessible materials.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios walks through the full fabrication process for a human-sized R.O.U.S. — the iconic Rodent of Unusual Size from The Princess Bride — as a haunted house prop. The build showcases a range of creature-making techniques with running commentary explaining the reasoning behind each step. This is a detailed, educational look at professional-level creature prop construction from concept to completion.
Allen Hopps of StiltbeastStudios delivers a lecture-style interview exploring the unique challenges of designing costumes specifically for haunted attractions. Unlike general costume building, haunt costuming must account for performer mobility, durability under heavy use, and how a design reads in low-light environments. The session is driven by audience questions, making it a practical, experience-backed conversation rather than a step-by-step tutorial. Viewers come away with industry-level insight into how costume design intersects with overall attraction theming and character performance.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates how to create fake ice, gore, and ectoplasm-style snot using simple, low-cost materials. The core technique relies on a classic school glue and borax polymer reaction, with Smooth-On tint used to achieve a range of color effects. The results are versatile enough for haunted house props, costumes, or actor makeup applications. This is an accessible project requiring minimal tools or experience.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios reveals an unconventional set design workflow he has relied on for over four years: using the video game Conan Exiles as a 3D pre-visualization tool for haunted attraction layouts. By building virtual versions of his sets inside the game, he can walk through and evaluate a space before committing to physical construction. The approach is praised for being intuitive, affordable, and surprisingly effective for professional haunt design. At roughly $40 on Steam, it offers a low-cost alternative to dedicated architectural software.
Allen Hopps of StiltbeastStudios delivers the third installment in his airbrush series, focusing on foundational airbrush skills for prop makers, set designers, and mask makers. The video walks viewers through a practical technique-refining drill and introduces the use of stencils as a versatile painting aid. Although released out of sequence — part three before part two — the content stands on its own as an accessible guide to improving airbrush control. The airbrush is framed as an essential tool across multiple disciplines within the haunted attraction world.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios walks through the process of crafting wearable EVA foam bracers, with an emphasis on how to develop and transfer patterns for armor pieces. He sources his EVA foam from Harbor Freight floor mat tiles, making this an accessible and affordable technique for haunters and cosplayers alike. The tutorial is practical and focused, covering the core patterning workflow that can be applied to other armor components beyond bracers.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates how to create a silicone life cast of a human head using Gel-10 silicone. The resulting mold is reusable and can serve as a master for producing multiple head duplicates in a variety of casting materials. This makes it a highly practical technique for haunters and prop makers who need repeatable, realistic head props.
In this follow-up tutorial from Stiltbeast Studios, Allen Hopps walks through the painting phase of constructing a sock mask. The primary technique featured is drybrushing, used to pull out surface details and add depth to the finished piece. This concise ten-minute video focuses entirely on the paint application stage rather than the initial construction covered in Part 1.
Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates how to fabricate a large set of professional-quality sculpting loop tools and rakes using everyday inexpensive materials. By repurposing wire whisk tines and coping saw blades bonded with steel epoxy putty, builders can produce more than twenty tools for a fraction of the cost of buying them individually. The resulting tools are suitable for both clay and paper mache sculpting in prop and mask making contexts.
