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 Recreated the 2-1B Droid from The Empire Strikes Back

VanOaksProps walks through a detailed scratch-build recreation of the 2-1B medical droid head from The Empire Strikes Back, combining a scaled 3D-printed model with a real vintage microphone shell as its foundation. The build integrates custom greeblies, metal strip details, and coaxial connector hardware to achieve a convincing screen-inspired look. Finishing techniques include acetone vapor smoothing, layered metallic spray paints, acrylic weathering washes, and a simple LED circuit for glowing eyes. The result is a showpiece prop that balances accuracy with creative problem-solving.

VanOaksProps· 20,033 views

DIY Star Wars Control Panel with Lights!

13:11

DIY PropsAdvanced

DIY Star Wars Control Panel with Lights!

VanOaksProps walks through a detailed replica build of the iconic red Death Star door control panel from Star Wars: A New Hope. The project spans the full production pipeline — from scaling reference parts and large-format 3D printing to seam removal, priming, and advanced painting. Weathering techniques give greeblies a convincing galvanized-metal look, while vinyl decals, reflective accents, and functional LED indicator lights push the result toward screen-accurate quality. The finished piece is positioned as a display-worthy, theme-park-caliber prop suitable for haunt set dressing or serious Star Wars collections.

VanOaksProps· 4,838 views

Making a C-3PO Bust for New York Comic Con #nycc

9:05

DIY PropsIntermediate

Making a C-3PO Bust for New York Comic Con #nycc

VanOaksProps walks through the construction of a display-quality C-3PO bust built from 3D-printed parts sourced from free Thingiverse models. The build covers surface prep with filler primer and multi-stage sanding, a multi-layer metallic paint finish, and the integration of acrylic light-panel material and LEDs for glowing eye inserts. Beacon Adhesives products are used throughout for assembly, with the finished piece destined for display at New York Comic Con.

VanOaksProps· 9,619 views