Haunted Video Review Thursday

(Sorry about the photo, couldn't find a decent one online)

Halloween Animatronics 2

Pneumatics and Control Systems

Author: Dave Carr

Available through Halloween 2 Go for DVD purchase or direct download.

Last year I reviewed volume 1 of Halloween Animatronics and now it's time for the second edition.  At the first, Dave Carr point blank makes the statement that by the end of the video you will know if you want to incorporate pneumatics with your haunted attraction.  And he's right, after watching the video, I do NOT want to incorporate pneumatics within my haunt and that's perfectly ok.  My haunt isn't conducive to startle scares, it's not the Final Unresting Place Cemetery's character or theme.

Now the good news...you really need this video for the other goodies that he presents.

Some of the topics include:

• Basic Pneumatics
• Using Relays/Manual Activation 
• Trigger Designs
• Trigger Delay
• Timer Circuits
• Triggered Motion and Sound
• Microcontrollers for Pneumatics
• Silicon Skinning Techniques

Most of these topics can be applied to motor motion animatronics, especially the triggers, timers and relays. Mr. Carr does a splendid job explaining electronics in easy to understand terminology.  I would dare say that the average person could, with watching these videos and paying attention, build every prop demonstrated.  He explains things that well.


Should you dish out the dough to get this video?  If your haunt depends on pneumatics and electronics, then wholeheartedly YES.  If you have a haunt like mine which has one constantly hissing Trash Can Trauma and you're happy with it, still, this would be a good edition to your library in case you decide to change and there's plenty of information in there that you can still use.

I personally use Volume 1 more and I would recommend that you get the first volume before buying this one although this volume definitively stands alone.