ROTLP INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL BAKER
Owner - Dan's Haunted House
DFW, Texas
We recently got a chance to chat with haunt owner Danial Baker. He talks about his haunted attraction, 'Dan's Haunted House' and taking haunting in a new direction. Here's what he had to say.
ROTLP: Firstly, Mr. Baker, thanks for taking some time to answer some questions for us. We always love meeting other haunters and getting to know them, tell us a little about yourself.
DB: Thank you for having me. I have been married for 20 years to a FANTASTIC lady and have 2 beautiful daughters. I am the kind of guy that doesn’t give a shit about what other people think.
ROTLP: What was it about the haunt industry that pulled you in? When did you know that you wanted to run your own attraction?
DB: The town I live in runs trick or treat hayrides every Halloween. Every year a friend and I would build a mobile haunted house on the back of his trailer. All of the kids in the neighborhood would go bananas about it and our kids would smile from ear to ear. This went on for many years. One year, a week before Halloween, my oldest daughter said that she wanted to “do her own thing”. I was bummed. I had a small smoke machine, strobe light and a tube of blood from our “normal” mobile haunted house in my living room. I rushed to Spirit and bought Dragon wings, I still have them, and was determined to be the best candy giver outer there has ever been.
I put the smoke machine on the outside of my door, remote inside, and placed the strobe by the door as well. I took most of the furniture I had in the living room out to the front yard and poured blood on it. I put on a belly shirt and dragon wings then poured the remaining blood down my face and over my hairy belly. As kids came up to the door I would scare the CRAP out of them. I was hooked.
ROTLP: How long has DHH been a part of the DFW haunt scene?
DB: DHH was new last year. The vast majority of our crew has been in the Haunt Industry for a number of years. I was a partner in a great Pro Haunt before but decided to go in a different direction.
ROTLP: What’s been the biggest challenge for you in running your own place?
DB: Great question, the business side is the most pain in the butt part. We all have these GREAT ideas of this and that however, there is always a City Council, neighbors and “laws” that must be followed if you want to “play”.
ROTLP: Let’s talk about themes for your haunt. In an industry where originality is dying quickly, you have one of the more unique themes that we’ve come across. Can you talk a little about why you chose Japanese folklore and where you drew your inspiration for that story from?
DB: I wanted to…Let me start off by saying I grew up on the “traditional” haunted house. I lived in Japan for almost 6 years. I have heard more scary stories and have been more freaked out during my time in Japan then I ever did here. People want to experience something that is outside of their “norm”.
ROTLP: Were there any reservations in choosing Japanese folklore as a theme?
DB: NOPE! Not At All. I have been blessed to have the best Crew ever who have hungered for something different. They dig it, my job is to make sure that they have fun, if they have fun people get scared.
ROTLP: What was the reaction from customers when they found out about the theme?
DB: Well, we have a unique approach in our marketing. I have the best WEB, SEO and Marketing people on the job. The funny thing is that when people heard that we were doing a “Japanese” themed haunt, I am sure they thought we would have a bunch of “ring” girls running around in black wigs, white faces and white robes. Not the case. We have many suits of Traditional Samurai Armor, Authentic Japanese costumes ( from Japan ) and the best fx people I know doing makeup. The reaction? HOLY FUCK…… this is cool as hell and a breath of fresh air.
ROTLP: How did you go about getting your actors to understand their roles within the confines of being true to the characters they were playing?
DB: So far we have found that the actors/actresses know the history of, not just our characters, but Japanese folklore. It has been overwhelming actually. There is a process we go through but, our actors have embraced it. The actors, when they speak, only speak Japanese. This season we will have a Japanese training course.
ROTLP: Two last questions on theme, how important is theme to you? Is it something you change from year-to-year?
DB: This theme is my bag, it will not change. While the “content” will morph every year, the theme is here to stay. There is FAR TOO much going on in the Japanese Horror world to stop. It would take YEARS…
ROTLP: Besides theme, what is the most important aspect to running a successful haunt?
DB: Your people. I do not run the haunt like a “family”. Most people who act in a haunt are trying to get away from their family. We are a crew. We come up with ideas. We discuss things. We, as a crew, have fun. The BS stuff, business what not, I take care of.
ROTLP: What do look for in an actor or actress when they want to work at DHH?
DB: We are a NO DRAMA haunt and we are 18 and over only. I would rather have 5 solid NO DRAMA actors over 18 acting than 65 teeny boppers with tons of drama. They must be open minded as well.
ROTLP: Where do you think the future of the haunt industry is heading?
DB: Well people love to be scared. That is a fact. I am not sure how to answer that. We do not follow Haunt Trends. How many movies about the Earth getting destroyed by asteroids do people really want to see?
ROTLP: What’s your one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to get into the industry for the first time?
DB: If you dig it, DO IT!
ROTLP: Last question, where can people find out more information about DHH?
DB: www.danshauntedhouse.com. We have Facebook and twitter and all that stuff as well.
Mr. Baker, thanks for taking time out to talk with us. We appreciate it and wish you continued success in the future.
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