The Screening Room

The Halloween Video Library

A curated, searchable archive of the dark craft — DIY props and animatronics, home-haunt walkthroughs, makeup, lighting, fog, and effects. Every film embedded from its creator, organized so you can actually find what you need.

I Visited a Real Cemetery to Build Better Halloween Tombstones

VanOaksProps takes a research field trip to Charlotte's historic Elmwood & Pinewood Cemetery to study real tombstones, monuments, and statues as direct inspiration for Halloween yard haunt builds. The creator analyzes architectural details, weathering patterns, moss and lichen growth, and stone textures, then explains how each element could be recreated using accessible, budget-friendly prop-making methods. The video serves as both a design inspiration tour and a practical breakdown of techniques including XPS foam carving, Monster Mud, and fabric draping. It's an unusually grounded approach to Halloween prop design, rooted in real-world observation rather than guesswork.

VanOaksProps· 6,484 views

DIY Animated Floating Phantom / Flying Crank Ghost HALLOWEEN Prop

11:05

DIY AnimatronicsIntermediate

DIY Animated Floating Phantom / Flying Crank Ghost HALLOWEEN Prop

This tutorial walks builders through assembling a Flying Crank Ghost-style floating phantom using a previously covered motorized overhead animator as the driving mechanism. Simple, affordable materials — fabric, a styrofoam head, faux hands, and fishing line — are connected to the animator's moving stations to create a smoothly levitating spirit. The result is an eerily lifelike animated ghost prop well-suited to home haunts, yard displays, or indoor haunt environments. It is intended as a companion build to the channel's separate Overhead Animator video.

HALLOWEEN DIY & HOW-TO Props & Special Effects· 10,434 views

15:40

DIY PropsBeginner$5–$20

Make a Sheet Ghost mask

Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates how to transform a basic plastic skull mask and fabric into a convincing sheet ghost mask with genuine scare factor. The build is flexible enough to serve as a wearable mask or a static prop head, making it a versatile addition to any Halloween display. By simply swapping the color palette, the same technique can be adapted into a scarecrow character, giving builders multiple looks from one core method.

StiltbeastStudios· 21,065 views

Flying Crank Ghost - Animatronic Halloween Prop

6:28

DIY AnimatronicsIntermediate

Flying Crank Ghost - Animatronic Halloween Prop

This Hauntcast video walks through the construction of a classic Flying Crank Ghost, a beloved animatronic Halloween prop known for its eerily lifelike floating movement. The build uses a motor-driven crank mechanism paired with a lightweight wire armature made from coat hangers and foam bones, all draped in flowing tulle fabric. A wood-and-aluminum frame provides the structural support needed to suspend and operate the ghost. The result is a compelling, budget-conscious animatronic suitable for home haunts and yard displays.

Hauntcast· 12,549 views