Video Tag
Every video tagged “home haunt” in the library — a focused slice of the Halloween archive.
586 videos
VanOaksProps breaks down how the iconic Haunted Mansion changing portrait illusion works and shows how to replicate it at home. The effect relies on a perforated vinyl scrim technique — credited to Kirk Higgins and CalHaunts — combined with Arduino-controlled LED switching that alternately illuminates two layered images. An Arduino Nano drives the lighting transitions while a DFMini MP3 module adds synchronized sound, and the creator provides a downloadable sketch, images, and audio files to get builders started quickly.
This tutorial walks viewers through building a realistic shrunken head prop using minimal, inexpensive household materials. The technique relies on paper mache principles with toilet paper and glue to achieve convincing texture and form. The finished piece is versatile enough for Halloween displays, home haunts, curiosity shelf arrangements, or film and video production use.
Distortions Unlimited celebrates Dick Van Dyke's 99th birthday with a tribute to the entertainer's decades-long love of decorating his home for Halloween. The video highlights his use of Distortions monsters, props and animatronics since 2012, along with the studio's visits to help set up his display. It frames the beloved actor as a self-described 'big kid' who delights in scares and monsters.
Distortions Unlimited presents its 2024 lineup of Halloween props and animatronics in this catalog-style showcase. The video highlights characters such as the towering Banshee, Scarecrow Wrath, Frankenstein's Experiment, Alien Spider, a Raptor dinosaur series, Invasion of the Saucermen, the interactive Dr. Quantum, Scare Wolf Legend, and the JET Alien. These USA-made pieces target home haunters, professional haunted attractions, theme parks, and collectors.
Distortions Unlimited — the professional Halloween prop and animatronics company — documents their annual tradition of helping legendary entertainer Dick Van Dyke set up his home yard haunt, this time in celebration of his upcoming 100th birthday. The crew brought out several 2025 props including the new Xenovore animatronic and the Giant Talking Head to dress up the display. It's a warm behind-the-scenes look at a decade-long collaboration between a Hollywood icon and one of the Halloween industry's most respected prop makers.
This video tours Menefee Manor, an elaborately decorated residential yard haunt located in San Antonio, Texas. The display features a large collection of animatronics alongside live scare actors delivering unexpected scares throughout the walkthrough. The 2024 edition of this free neighborhood attraction appears to be a standout Halloween destination in the San Antonio area.
VanOaksProps walks through the complete build of a motorized floating candelabra Halloween prop using a wiper motor, PVC, aluminum tubing, and a thrifted candelabra. The motor drive creates a convincing hovering illusion, while a PWM speed controller lets builders fine-tune the motion. LED flicker bulbs finish the effect with realistic candlelight. The project is well-suited for cemetery scenes, home haunts, or professional displays.
Distortions Unlimited showcases Bolt, a commercial-grade Frankenstein's Monster animatronic designed to jolt to life with aggressive, thrashing movement that simulates an electric shock scene. The prop is built for high-impact startle scares and is suited for a range of venues including professional haunted houses, dark rides, theme park attractions, and ambitious home haunts. Distortions Unlimited is a long-established name in the haunt industry, lending credibility to the prop's build quality and performance. The one-minute showcase highlights the prop's dramatic motion and horror scene potential.
Distortions Unlimited showcases their Frightronic line of moving, animatronic Halloween doll props in this short product highlight reel. The creepy, lifelike dolls are designed to unsettle guests at yard haunts, home haunts, and professional dark attractions alike. Distortions is an established haunt prop manufacturer and retailer with a reputation for high-quality electric fright props, having been featured on the TV show Making Monsters.
This tutorial walks DIY haunters through building a convincing floating, animated candle illusion suitable for both indoor and outdoor Halloween displays. The build combines basic crafting techniques with a reindeer (deer) motor to produce realistic levitating movement. The channel is known for step-by-step guides that help hobbyists achieve professional-looking results on a home-haunt budget.
Distortions Unlimited founders Ed Edmunds and Tom Cassidy unbox and assemble the Jack Widow, a new 2022 giant Halloween prop that fuses a black widow spider with a jack-o-lantern design. The prop features poseable bendable legs, a detailed hourglass marking on the abdomen, and two built-in LED lights for an eerie glow. Handcrafted from latex and foam over a metal armature, it is designed for durability in home haunts, yard displays, corn mazes, or professional haunted attractions.
GMHaunts covers the full Spirit Halloween 2024 animatronic lineup reveal, with a focused look at the Carnevil-themed collection. The video gives Halloween enthusiasts an early preview of what retail animatronics will be available for the upcoming season. At roughly 24 minutes, it offers a thorough walkthrough of the newly announced pieces before they hit store shelves.
Distortions Unlimited showcases their giant Haunted Tree prop, a professionally handcrafted Halloween decoration standing approximately 9.5 feet tall — or up to 10 feet with arms raised. Built in the USA from latex, foam, and metal armature, the prop ships in five modular pieces for straightforward setup and compact storage. Poseable arms and fingers allow custom positioning, while an included LED flame bulb illuminates the glowing eyes and mouth for dramatic effect.
This tutorial walks through building a ghostly animated statue prop using a deer motor and carefully designed lighting to create a convincing supernatural optical illusion. The result is a prop that appears to come to life, making it suitable for indoor spook houses, home haunts, or outdoor yard displays. The video focuses on the concepts and mechanics behind the illusion rather than a strict parts list, making it accessible to creative DIY haunters.
Distortions Unlimited showcases a lineup of their premium hand-crafted animatronic Halloween props in this short compilation reel. Featured pieces include Lullaby, Exorcism, Gravebuster Barb, La Llorona, Jack Attack, and Mother — each designed to deliver impactful scares for home haunts, yard displays, corn mazes, and professional haunted attractions. All props are manufactured in the USA and branded under the Frightronic and Shocktronic lines. The video serves as a product highlight rather than a tutorial or walkthrough.
VanOaksProps presents a compilation of five pirate-themed DIY Halloween props, each originally covered in its own dedicated video and condensed here into a single 36-minute step-by-step guide. The five builds — a rum bottle, a haunt lantern, handcuff shackles, a treasure chest, and a junk-sourced oil lamp — are designed to be affordable and accessible for home haunters and party decorators alike. Each segment is timestamped, and links to the individual source videos (with full material lists) are provided in the description. Together the props create a cohesive high-seas atmosphere suitable for yard haunts, home haunts, or Halloween parties.
Ed and Marsha Edmunds of Distortions Unlimited go behind the scenes at Dick Van Dyke's legendary home haunt, helping set up professional-grade props and animatronics for his annual neighborhood Halloween event. The 2018 celebration featured an elaborate live show directed and performed by Dick's wife Arlene Silver, blending song, dance, drama, and marionette puppetry with themed characters from Hocus Pocus and The Little Mermaid. Special guests including James Cameron in Frankenstein SFX makeup added to the spectacle. The video offers a rare peek at how a celebrity-scale home haunt combines professional prop manufacturing with live theatrical performance.
Nightfright is a female zombie animatronic prop from Distortions Unlimited, the professional Halloween manufacturer known from the TV series Making Monsters. The prop is fully electric and falls under Distortions' Frightronic line of animated Halloween characters. It is designed to work across a range of settings including yard haunts, cemetery scenes, haunted attractions, and Halloween parties.
Affliction is a 2021 animated Halloween prop from Distortions Unlimited featuring a demon-possessed girl who spins her head around while seated on a bed or table — a clear nod to classic exorcist horror. Sculpted by renowned creature artist Jordu Schell, the piece is described as being built from high-quality materials suitable for home haunts, Halloween parties, and professional haunted attractions. The short showcase video highlights the prop's eerie movement and detailed sculpt as part of Distortions Unlimited's broader 2021 new-release lineup from a company with over 40 years of monster-making experience.
This short showcase from Distortions Unlimited highlights "Heartless," an all-electric Frightronic animatronic prop featuring a gory, burst-from-the-chest heart effect. The figure shakes when plugged in and includes its own accompanying soundtrack. It's presented as a ready-to-use scare piece for various Halloween settings.
This short clip showcases Grandma, an electric animated prop from Distortions Unlimited's Frightronic line. She rocks in her chair once plugged in and includes her own accompanying soundtrack. The prop is geared toward Halloween displays, professional haunts, and home haunters looking for a ready-to-run figure.
This compilation from Distortions Unlimited celebrates the creativity of home and yard haunters across North America, showcasing several standout displays that incorporate Distortions props and animatronics. Featured haunts include Thornhill Woods, Dunnett's Dark Lair, and a yard haunt from a decorator with over four decades of Halloween experience. The video wraps with a collage of builds from a wide community of haunters, highlighting both large and small-scale displays. It serves as an inspirational showcase of what dedicated home haunters can achieve using professional-grade animatronic props.
Poison Props showcases their 2016 home haunt on Poison Oak Street, featuring seven brand-new animatronic props set up over two days. The lineup includes standout pieces such as a Grim Reaper, Pumpkin King Lunger, two coffin jumper variants, The Well, Man Eater, and an Exhumed Coffin Lunger. The video gives viewers a walkthrough-style look at how these professional-grade props come together in a residential haunt environment. It serves as both an impressive display and a showcase of Poison Props' product range in action.
Distortions Unlimited showcases their 2021 Zombie Killer Frightronic animatronic prop in this short product reveal. The all-electric figure features a motorized arm that stabs up and down, bringing a zombie-apocalypse survivor scene to life. It ships with an audio download and is suited for home haunts, themed yard displays, or professional haunted attractions. The prop is manufactured in the USA and reflects Distortions Unlimited's focus on durable, high-quality haunt-ready pieces.
