DIY Halloween Sound Effects

Can you imagine on Halloween going to the Haunted house at Disneyland or Disney World and walking into a quiet haunted mansion. It would not be the same. A Halloween environment needs to be spooky if it is to be authentic. These days it is easy to make yourself several series of sounds effects tapes that can scare the bejeezus out of anyone. There is almost nothing you cannot accomplish with the resource of the Internet and use of a home made Foley.

What you need is temporary use of a computer and access to the internet. On the internet you can download all matter of sound effects. Some of them are just downright perfect for Halloween. We rigged our house in Washington last year with motion activated lights and motion activated sound effects. You just cannot believe the look on kid's faces when they ring the doorbell and hear 15 seconds of heavy glass falling and breaking. Often they would turn to run away only to find two of our ghostly assistants blocking their escape; GOING SOMEWHERE?

Long playing tapes had eerie sound effects, such as loud crying in a tunnel and screaming and begging. The sounds effects set the tone for Halloween correctly. Creaking boards, breaking bones all help get the nerves of visitors on edge. It is not difficult to arrange and if you use a central speaker system it is very easy.

Before the Internet was so easy to use we used to make our own Foley stage for making sound effects. It was one of the most fun parts of Halloween night, taking turns operating the Foley. A Foley is a location set up with all the equipment needed to make various sounds. The movies and TV have been using Foley stages for decades. Part of the fun is figuring out what things can be used to make what sounds.

Potato chips on the floor make great sounds like someone walking through leaves in the yard. Bells, clanks and many other tricks are used as well. Some Foley artists use their mouths to make some sounds and are quite good but we rarely are able to do that and sound authentic.