# burned at the stake



## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

I will also be very interested in seeing/hearing from any haunters who've incorporated a burning at the stake tableau in their displays. I've long wanted to do witches burning a priest on a pyre of Bibles, although given that a church school backs up our new property, I don't know whether I'll ever work up the courage to do so.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

BlueFrog said:


> I've long wanted to do witches burning a priest on a pyre of Bibles, although given that a church school backs up our new property, I don't know whether I'll ever work up the courage to do so.


What is so wrong with that? You would simply be welcoming them to the area and helping to promote their cause


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

BlueFrog said:


> I will also be very interested in seeing/hearing from any haunters who've incorporated a burning at the stake tableau in their displays. I've long wanted to do witches burning a priest on a pyre of Bibles, although given that a church school backs up our new property, I don't know whether I'll ever work up the courage to do so.


what's a tableau? if it's what I think it is, then I've seen one


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

"Courage" or lack of respect for your neighbors? I KNOW freedom of expression is a great and wonderful thing, I might know this better than most, but I also live in a small town and like to remain living in this small town. 
I too have had some radical ideas and have actually completed many of them in my house during the last 26 years.
I do have a large number of people who like a more "Adult" tour , which I can do if everyone in that group are consenting adults and realize I am entertaining them versus trying to pervert them or coming on to them!
As time passes some of the more radical ideas that you did not try might fade as your other accomplishments take the lime light.
We all like to be "noticed" and do our ideas . Just weigh the consequences but at the same time be not afraid.
Before I began working on my house a local Preacher who I thought highly of and respected had to see me.
"Now , Jim, you aren't going to use "Skulls" in your motif and decorations are you, because a skull means death and evil and poison."
"Sorry Padre, I believe "Skulls" come from God. Because without them, we would be "Jelly-heads".
See hauntedravensgrin.com see the picture of the front of the house. See the huge skull (not photo-shopped). It is a big steel skull AND the exit from the house for many years,"Puked out on the parking lot, regurgitated on the roadway!"
I honestly know of no one's life ruined or drastically perverted by the big steel skull that probably took me 250 hours to build.
The Preacher moved away a few months after he talked to me .


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I have always wondered if some religious people "See" a haunted house as their competition? Don't many sermons try to "Scare" people into being "Good"?


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## lizzyborden (Sep 17, 2009)

Sounds like an interesting idea! I'd love to know more too.


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## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

Just this season someone had posted a thread about building a platform for a scare where a witch is being burned at the stake. Their actor would then jump down off the platform to scare the TOTs.

Can't remember who built it though.

Edited: Here we go. It was member DavyKnoles who posted the thread: http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/131485-my-witch-burning-stake-prop-finished-works.html


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

The one I saw had three wood poles lashed together like a teepee. Then there was a female mannequin/dummy hanging from it by her hands which were tied together. She was hanging over a fake fire. So you choose...burning witch or torture porn. I'm thinking of doing something similar and putting a tombstone that says: "Witches Be Crazy" in front of it


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Another method is to have the platform elevated and as everyone's attention is focused up there, someone runs out from under the platform screaming. This was done with a beheading scene in Rich Hanf's haunted house. It seemed to work very well.
Focusing people's attention where you need it to be really frees up the scare opportunity. Coming at them from any direction becomes a possibility.


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## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

Hmmmmmm... would be interesting to give a charred body the "hot coals" treatment. Make a body from chicken wire over pvc, insert lights, cover with great stuff and do a little sculpting to enhance features and the charred look. Kind of like those freaky little burnt kid things in Silent Hill.


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## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

They were called the Grey Children...


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

I forget where I saw this, but I recall somebody once using a Pepper's Ghost setup to superimpose fire on the actor in their "burned at the stake" scene.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

When "Silent Hill " came out (the movie) The Ravens Grin was maybe the only haunted house open in March. They sent me tees, newspapers, posters advertising the movie , which I gave away as instructed except for one tee and one of the larger posters.
The funny thing was ,in the Silent Hill newspaper was a picture of downtown Silent Hill and it looked as if it had been taken just 100 feet from my house!
Mount Carroll, Ill has the same 1855 store buildings , arranged very closely to the actual town they used to make the movie in Canada.
There actually is/was a town like Silent Hill that had/has underground fires burning that cannot be extinguished,so everyone moved out!
A man coming to my house from Minnesota was stopping there after he saw Ravens Grin.
I think that burning town might be in Penn.?


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## TheGraveyardCareTaker (Aug 1, 2009)

Rclsu13 said:


> Has anybody ever done a "burned at the stake" scene? I was just thinking about it and that it could be a very powerful scene with the right actor/actress. If I get the chance to do it,I'd have a few victims at the stake burned to a crisp. I'd char corpse a skelly for this. For the embers I'd use the glowing coals TUT. The main focal point would be a live actress at a stake screaming bloody murder. She's be surrounded with those huge flame pots that blow using fans. What do you guys think? If anybody has pulled it off please post pics.
> 
> Rich


Sort of.. my theme this year was witchcraft, so I had some staked bodies and heads as if the witches had flipped and they were the ones executing the townsfolk. I originally had planned on there being a burnt body, but with the Walgreens skeletons being discontinued, I just opted to use a zombie prop instead of a corpse. Dressed it in a cheap pirate costume from Amazon that looked settler/Puritan-ish. Chained him to the post at his neck and had his arms tied.


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

After talking with friends, this idea has really flourished and may be a theme for our future haunt. He told me about this product called Fauxfire, if the prices are doable this will really set this scene apart from anything I have ever seen. From what I understand the machine spits out steam, and the lights under it color your "flames" whatever color you want. Check this video out and try not to drool.


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

Have something like this on the already burned stakes.









and then have this under it.









Im loving the ideas that are coming from this. We talked about telling a whole story with this, dungeons,sceance, torture, trials, and cemetery. Even telling the other side of the story, like the accused witches house, covens, etc...


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

Rclsu13 said:


> After talking with friends, this idea has really flourished and may be a theme for our future haunt. He told me about this product called Fauxfire, if the prices are doable this will really set this scene apart from anything I have ever seen. From what I understand the machine spits out steam, and the lights under it color your "flames" whatever color you want. Check this video out and try not to drool.


Wow, wow, WOW! That is the most fabulous faux fire system I have ever seen. I am speechless. Judging by the rental price it's probably not financially viable for home haunters (quite likely not even most pro haunts) - YET!


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## xxScorpion64xx (Oct 15, 2011)

I like this idea, very interested in seeing what develops


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

Yeah it's quite expensive. But, I'm sure it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility some of the members here could have a really good attempt at making their own!


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## princeofdarknessMikeW (Jan 30, 2009)

I could tell how to really do it cool almost movie style, but it wouldn't be cheap. BUT if you did it this way, you would probably have the police called and they check it our to see if you were really burning someone. This how to do it Hollywood style, and only my opinion but I do film for a living so if you really want to make a splash I tell you how to do it. To be honest, this could be a 50/50 either way. The effect would be something out of this world. You would be the talk of the town. This is the same way I am doing my bike display this year. (See my Graveyard Bike Post). However it MIGHT be just TOO much for some people. But in my world of film REALISTIC is the only way, do it right or dont do it. So heres my suggestion if you want it.

I would set up 3 stakes... One with a dummy on the left. You could do the burning coal thing underneath him. Set stones and chared wood (Use real wood). Not sure if you can have camp fires were you are, we do, but if you search around you could probably find some. If not a good dusting of flat black would work on real logs, sticks ect. The effect you want is that the body is already burnt, this is your LEFT dummy on the stake. I suggest you gte a cheap skeleton, you can find these at Target for about $15 or so, after Halloween its even cheaper. Use some expansion foam, this you can find at any Home Depo, Lowes or were ver its about $10 or so a can. Do NOT use alot, it expands. Maybe test some on a piece of carboard first. You should shoot it inside the rib cage and let it do its thing. A Body thats burt does NOT burn down to the Skeleton, it takes alot more heat than a fire. Cremation is over 2000 degrees. beleive it or not it takes alot of heat and fire to really burn a body to nothing. So the foam will act as a natural bunt body. Dust this with some black paint, and a little touch of Dark red, to get your effect right. This will be you first dummy on the left. You can have some burning ambers by his feet. Remember hes tied to a stake. The fire is about out. Use orange/yellow and red Chrtsmas lights, Take out the white and blue and green ones haha. Hide them under the logs. A piece of clear plastic or even colored plastic gift wrap will add to the effect. (I personally would buy one of those glow logs, but to save you money you can do it this way.

You can do the same thing for the Dummy on the right, or just leave a stake up with no dummy like your looking for the next victim. This works good when theres a crowd, and you have an actors trying to grab someone saying your a witch you must burn. Scars them to death haha. Dont have them grab no one you dont want a law suit haha...

Your Effect and main show piece is the center. Now you want these about 4 feet apart so people can see the whole thing. [] [] [] 

For this is get expensive, pending you budget. You can pretty much do it the same way as the dummys, but you have a real actor/ girl tied to the stake.
Set it up the same way...Now you can do this two ways...You can have yourself or an actor with a real flame torch. Tiki Torches work well. You just want the flame, Tiki torches take oil not a big deal...They cost about $10 (You only need one torch) This will be lite and REAL fire & flame. KEEP it away from people, children and who ever, this is only for an actor or adult to hold him or herself. DO NOT have them set the person on fire this is an act, and only for people to see them holding thats all.

The key is the fire machine. Fire machine are not cheap, but its what we use in Hollywood when we cant have an actor go through real flame, or the stunt person not doing the stunt in a fire suit, so we use false fake fire. This is NOT the generic Silk flame / with lights and fan you can buy at your local Halloween store. Although you could use that if your budget is tight... 

The SCENE: You do NOT want your people real close to this effect, you also want this effect in a dark area, by a forest, lots of trees, and it has to be done when its fairly dark, not too dark but not at 11am in the morning haha...or wall in your back yard. If you have a wall cover your wall or fence with black cloth, sheets DARK/ black is best this brings the effect out better...Peopel should be about 10 feet from this. Make sure you have actors or people keeping them away from the effect. Next when the croud has gathered, have your actor with the torch say we are burning a witch, she must die or whatever you want to do or say.
The girl is screaming, saying Im not a witch blah blah blah...Now you have thier attention. THIS WERE THE GOOD PART COMES IN! Your actor with the real torch walks to the victim, he will walk to the back of the stake, and ACT LIKE, hes taking the torch to set the logs on fire. HE WILL KNEEL DOWN ON ONE KNEE, HE DOES NOT SET THE LOGS ON FIRE lol haha. What he does when he kneels down, is act like hes putting the torch to the wood behind her, hes really turning on the fire machine. The fire machine looks real and produces FAKE fire that look like the real thing. YOU WILL NOT notice the difference between this and a real fire flame, or fire. EXCEPT this is NOT hot, does burn wont hurt you and you can sleep on it forever haha, but to the naked eye, it looks like HELL!
This is used from Fog Haze, NOT FOG theres a difference, with special LED lighting.

There you go..This is what a fire machine does I own one and this is the fire that comes out my caket when my motorcycle revolves around the coffin on a turn table for my motorcycle display. Same thing used in this effect. If you cant get one of these or its too much then the silk flame would work, but its nothing like this...

The machine is hidden with the logs ect, you can build up around it, BUT DO NOT cover the top because the fog mist and lighting has to show to make the flames work. Its black so it be hard to see, this is put behind the stake as close to it as possible. (I would do a Run through to see how you want the effect).
This what it looks like. I live by them myself, this is how we would do it if we were filming a burned at the stake scene. I know I do film work and produce film for a living haha.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxB7vF6qc84 These come in 4 or 5 foot sections...


Hope that helps - Now again if you cant buy the machine which its not cheap I can show you how to do it cheaper and get near not the full professional effect but near the same effect. Just email me [email protected]

Someone already posted about the machine. Yeah thier expensive. Plus they come from the UK..They ship to the US but because of the patent are not made in the US...

Not to fear, what you see is what you can make. again I can show or even tell you guys here how its done. It wont work quite as good as the professional machine, but it will work for what you are doing. And really for about $200 you can come really really close to that effect. Its not hard. Mike


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

Got a video of one you have made? Be interested in seeing what you've come up with.


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## princeofdarknessMikeW (Jan 30, 2009)

No I haven't done anything with being burned at the stake. I dont really do home haunts anymore, we do film and film FX and special effects. It was justa suggestion. If you watch the film Back Draft, you can some of the faux fire used in the movie. I will be doing my motorcycle display display this year with the fire machine. When I do it for a show, I will take pictures and a short video.


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## mejess68 (Mar 24, 2012)

Wow there are some really amazing things in this tread, I almost feel inadequate adding to this but here goes, we made some flamed bodies for a micro haunt at work. I used stillbeast's technique and added some fluorescent paint and ended up with this.....


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## princeofdarknessMikeW (Jan 30, 2009)

If anyone wanta to make fake fire without the "Genric Use of a silk or fabric flame and light, or those cheap halloween ones, I can post here how to do it. This again is NOt the fire machine but its damn near the same for about 3K less in price. For about $100 you can make near real fire its not hard. Let me know I post how to do it for you guys..


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## mejess68 (Mar 24, 2012)

princeofdarknessMikeW said:


> If anyone wanta to make fake fire without the "Genric Use of a silk or fabric flame and light, or those cheap halloween ones, I can post here how to do it. This again is NOt the fire machine but its damn near the same for about 3K less in price. For about $100 you can make near real fire its not hard. Let me know I post how to do it for you guys..


Post post post, we will follow


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## princeofdarknessMikeW (Jan 30, 2009)

That picture looks great by the way. The fire machine I talk about is a professional machine, they come in 4, 5 or 8 feet sections. But they are very very expensive, they are also ONLY done in the UK... For about 4K you can own a 5 footer - they use fog "HAZE" , lights and built in fan... This is what we use in film work.
Now most if not all of you can chalk up 4K for that thing. So you can build your own for pretty much nothing.

Heres how to do it... 1st you need a fog machine - The ones at Walmart/K Mart/Target will all work - There about $40 - $50 Note Halloween stores charge more (Spirit ect, there are same ones you can buy at Target for less) A better more watt fog machine is better..These are around $60 to $70 I suggest one of those.

You will need some fog fluid or HAZE! Note I stressed HAZE big difference - FOG HAZE you can by on line is better - than regular fog - Its about $10 or so more in $$$ but works better, if not fog will work but the effect wont be as good.

Next you will need a piece of PVC pipe I suggest 4inch but 2 inch works. You will need to drill holes in the pipe - DO NOT DRILL ALL THE WAY THROUGH!

Only one side [ o o o o o o o o o] These should be about 2 to 3 inches apart - 4 works but 3 is better - 2 is really two close. You will need to cap off one end of the pipe [][ o o o o o o o] this is so fog does not exscape through the other end and only comes out the holes..This why a better more watted fog machine is better it produces more fog or fog mist - Then conect the other side to the fog machine [][o o o o o o o o]( FM ) Then you will need flood lights. BUT LED WORK ALOT BETTER AND ARE BRIGHTER! More watts the better I suggest 100 watt for flood, but if you can use LEDS. You will need Yellow, orange and red. About 6 to 8 of them. They will have to be low to the ground and angled at the fog - You can play around with this in your house to get the right effect - Thats it. Its better seen against a dark background - Outside if its windy it wont work as well, it will work but not like in doors. If its not windy it will look cool. (NOTE - you do not want people too close so they see the effect 10 feet is about the right distance, 5 will work, but 10 is better any closer than 5 feet and they know how it was being done. You want it to look real and like someone is on fire. But thats all you need to do. Figure $60 for the fog machine, $20 for the Fog "MIST" - another $10 or so for the lights, and $5 for the pipe - your done. The machine is expensive because everything is put in there together, and you just add the fog mist and your good to go - but for ALOT less you can damn near do the same effect. It probably wont be as good as the pro one, you see on the Video but it will still work and do the trick. Try it - For $100 you cant lose -- Mike

This is the fire machine from the UK these cost about 3500 bucks plus shipping - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAkdfTT9FqU

Same machine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxB7vF6qc84

This is a home made one exsactly how I just told you how to do it - It done big meaning the pipe and holes are drilled apart more and the pipe is probably 25 feet, but you can do 3 feet, 4 feet or whatever you need

HOME MADE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bMpLOV0BhY just like I said how to...They use fog fluid, HAZE defines the flame better as in the pro machines but you can use either...Pretty cool lol Now start burning witches! LOL Hope that helps you guys out. If someone makes one post it.


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## Evil Elf (Jun 16, 2013)

That is so convincing it almost looks like it's on a screen. I hope I will have reason to try this.


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

princeofdarknessMikeW said:


> That picture looks great by the way. The fire machine I talk about is a professional machine, they come in 4, 5 or 8 feet sections. But they are very very expensive, they are also ONLY done in the UK... For about 4K you can own a 5 footer - they use fog "HAZE" , lights and built in fan... This is what we use in film work.
> Now most if not all of you can chalk up 4K for that thing. So you can build your own for pretty much nothing.
> 
> Heres how to do it... 1st you need a fog machine - The ones at Walmart/K Mart/Target will all work - There about $40 - $50 Note Halloween stores charge more (Spirit ect, there are same ones you can buy at Target for less) A better more watt fog machine is better..These are around $60 to $70 I suggest one of those.
> ...


oh wow, I REALLY like that. Its close enoufh that you get its supposed to be fire. Way better than the silk flames. Might have to try this in some capacity. Thanks for dropping this by, appreciate it.


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

mejess68 said:


> Wow there are some really amazing things in this tread, I almost feel inadequate adding to this but here goes, we made some flamed bodies for a micro haunt at work. I used stillbeast's technique and added some fluorescent paint and ended up with this.....
> View attachment 188197


That looks awesome!! Would love that in some sort of biohazard set, or industrial accident. Im going to rip it off btw lol is the body a blucky? or some other body form?


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## mejess68 (Mar 24, 2012)

Rclsu13 said:


> That looks awesome!! Would love that in some sort of biohazard set, or industrial accident. Im going to rip it off btw lol is the body a blucky? or some other body form?


Thanks, i made it for a micro haunt we did at work for an associate/family 5K tailgating contest we did a Haunted Boiler Room inside of 2 pop up gazebos. The body was done using a technique I saw stillbeast do in a video, basically wrapped a person with plastic wrap and tape. Then painted it with rubberized truck bed liner and then airbrushed the fire cracks. The head started as a foam wig head wrapped the same way then slit at the mouth and opened it enough to add a gaping mouth pocket.




























We actually did 2 of these, they we're done in several sections bottom half, top half, feet, hands and then the heads. The 2 volunteers were amazing troopers being wrapped like that was definitely not comfortable, so if you decide to do it make sure they are aware of what it's going to be like.


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## Rclsu13 (Aug 23, 2011)

Love it! Did you fill the body with anything? Expanding foam or newspaper? Or was the bed liner sturdy enough? I remember that video Allen did, I've saved darn near every one of them for future projects.


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## mejess68 (Mar 24, 2012)

Rclsu13 said:


> Love it! Did you fill the body with anything? Expanding foam or newspaper? Or was the bed liner sturdy enough? I remember that video Allen did, I've saved darn near every one of them for future projects.


The bodies were filled with plastic bags and scraps, you could do expanding foam but you would probably need to do it in steps so as to not blow out the form. I wish the spray liner was thicker but we didn't have time or budget to re-buy supplies so if I do it again I might try the leak seal or maybe the roll on type bed liner.


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