Being a chick isn’t easy at times.  The makeup, the hair, “Do I look too dead in this dress?”  We’ve all been through it.  But one of the single most difficult things we come across in this world is how to effectively scare.  There you are, crouched and ready, itching to bare your fangs and send the kiddies screaming.  Then when the moment finally arrives, what happens when you leap from the shadows?  Blank stares, bored remarks or the ever popular “Hey baby, you’re hot.”  As flattering as the bloody flesh hanging from your mouth is, that wasn’t the reaction you were going for.  Sure, the stray clown or chainsaw can get a good number of people going, but what happens when you’re out on that haunted tree branch on your own? Alone, deadly and starving for that good, hard scare. 

Here are a few tips and strategies for you poor women out there who strive for the scream and sadly don’t succeed.  Sometimes, it’s just not safe for you to scare properly – after a few grabby hands or people backing you into corners, it’s hard to keep your nerve up, or to even want to engage people anymore.  It’s also just a matter of body shape, height and the way that women carry themselves that makes them naturally not as intimidating as men a lot of the time. 

So, the next time you’re skulking in the darkness, try these methods! 

1. Quiet and Creepy
   

Ah, sneaking up on someone in the dark.  There’s nothing better, is there?  But the next time you do creep up on someone, try this little trick to get those hearts pounding.  Just follow them.  Depending on the light level and the volume of people, use your best judgment to decide how close or distant you want to, but keep your focus on one of the last people in the group and go for a stroll.  Put on your best deranged stare, let those lifeless limbs of yours hang dead at your sides and just see where it gets you.  I’ll lay money that you’ll have a great reaction from the person you are focused on, even if they are only sensing your eyes on them. 

Think about it for a moment, what creeps you out more in a movie: the intense jump of a scare, or the strange little girl who won’t stop staring at the screen?  This method makes people more paranoid, on edge and in the end will make the planned scare up ahead get a larger reaction out of them then before.  

It also makes those long trips in the dark more terrifying, giving the patrons no time to relax between scenes.  Giving them a chance to breathe in between just makes it that much harder to scare them in the next room.  But if you keep them running, keep that adrenaline pumping from place to place, they will shriek harder than ever.  Feeling or seeing someone following you, blocking you in, makes people want to run like hell.  Wouldn’t you, if you thought you would never be heard from again? 

2. The Statue

This method is great for scenes, the spare lighted corner, or amplifying a fellow actor’s performance.  We’ve probably all tried pretending to be a prop, only to leap out and scare the pants off the poor unsuspecting patron.  But have you ever wondered what would happen if you went a direction with it? 

The best way I can explain this is think you are a robot or animatron.  Choose a position that gives your head a good range of motion that you can keep comfortably for a long period of time.  It is imperative that you choose a position that also keeps your line of sight unobstructed at all angles that you move your head. 

Your neutral stance should be with your head pointing towards the entrance to your scene or the direction patrons will be coming your way.  When a group comes towards you, they may not even notice you, which is fantastic.  Track them with your eyes stationary, only moving them to switch focus between people.  Track them by only moving your head as slow as physically possible, keeping your eyes still.  This is the goal. 

It keeps people guessing if you are real or not and they will be at their wit’s end wondering when you are going to jump out and attack them.  You can punctuate your performance by a jump scare, but a lot of your work will be done for you as the tension builds to the breaking point and they run shrieking.  Trust me on this one, my best scare of all time came from this tactic. 

3. The Victim

This is by far my favorite and most fun out of all my techniques I like to use.  It is also probably the most difficult to get to work.  The reason I say this is because for this one to work its smoothest, you really need to be aware of what is going on around you, such as what scenes are ahead and if they are compatible, and is most effective with a partner.  

VERY IMPORTANT: You must make sure you are with someone that you trust implicitly.  A good friend or someone who is a real professional is best.  This will ensure how believable the scare is.  Just pair up with someone who you feel comfortable with in close quarters and you trust with your safety.  A basic knowledge of hand-to-hand stage combat is also a great help and a wonderful tool in a scene such as this.  As fun as hitting and pulling someone’s hair is, there are ways to make it look real without risking actual injury. 

In this technique, you are playing the part of a victim rather than an aggressor.  Beg and plead with patrons to save you, to take you with them, to not go any farther or go in the next room.  You can work on many levels, from remaining stationary to crawling or even lying broken on the floor (just make sure you wear proper attire.)  Once they see you crying and sobbing for help, probably bloody and in pain to boot, hobbling with outstretched hands towards them, most people will run screaming. 

The partner comes into play as your torturer.  They are more of a classic big scary person, screaming at you, demanding you to be quiet and aiming to make you as helpless as possible.  This would be where the stage combat would come in.  Also, they would work as a form of safety system for you.  Since your goal is to appear weak, wounded and helpless, there is always a stray patron that might to try to jokingly carry you off to safety, try to touch you or even be so startled that you accidentally get hit in a moment of panic.  Your partner would work as a buffer between you and the patrons ever coming into contact, keeping you all safe. 

Solo Victim Variation: If you can’t find a partner to work with for whatever reason, you can still have a little fun with the victim approach.  Just err on the side of caution and try to choose a position that is well-lit and keeps you untouchable or at least at a safe distance for patrons.  And as always, make sure you have an easily accessible escape route. 

These three techniques are just a few ideas if the classic aggressive approach seems to be constantly bringing your scares up short.  The first two techniques are also great for nights when you don’t feel your best, you’re lost your voice or you simply don’t have the energy you usually do when haunting. 

Anyone can use these methods, even the most disgustingly grotesque men around.  These are just a few more options to use on the poor, unsuspecting public rather than the standard jump-and-boo technique.  To be properly effective in a haunt you have to find what works for you and your comfort level, not to mention your personality.  Give some of these a try sometime, adapt them to your liking or even come up with your own ideas or variations. 

So, whether you’re a gal, a ghoul or something in between, give your scare it’s own personal flair!