FRIGHT NIGHTS | Dive Into Haunted Adventures Today

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FRIGHT NIGHTS

SET BUILDER - SET DECORATOR

Fright Nights is a an annual special event hosted by Movie World on the Gold Coast The Event features several haunted mazes that I was fortunate to be involved with, working along an extremely talented crew, where we tasked with theming out 3 of the 5 mazes on site.

I came on board as a Set Builder and Decorator, focusing on building and dressing the rooms to suit the brief. Having a talented Scenic crew to work with assisted the process, knowing the finishing of each room would really bring the space to life. We worked long hours, over 2 months of work, with the feedback very positive, our attention to detail and world building was like nothing they had seen before at the park.

An abandoned, grimy room with green paint peeling off the walls, old damaged furniture including a tufted sofa, a small chest, and a dresser, cluttered with debris, dried sea stars, and dried seaweed. Tattered, dark curtains hang from the ceiling, and the overall scene appears neglected and decayed, giving an eerie, haunted atmosphere.

Carnival game booth featuring plush panda and unicorn stuffed animals on a wall, a yellow wooden box with numbered slots for game play, and a wooden top hat on the floor. Colorful signs and a clown face decoration with a thermometer-like scale indicating a 'You Win' zone are also visible.

HELLSHIP

‘Hellship’ was a sunken ship overrun by a sea witch, who had opened up a portal to hell.

The first maze I worked on, fitting out several rooms with additional structures in order for the scenic team to come through and overlay the entire maze with a concrete render and paint job to reinforce the sunken ship aesthetic.

A room designed to look like a military bunker, with olive green textured walls, vintage military equipment, and clothing items hanging on the wall, including a chair, a trunk, and various gauges and valves.

A Halloween-themed display featuring a circular arrangement of skulls and skeleton bones. A fierce lion's head with an open mouth is mounted at the top center, surrounded by white plastic or fabric tubes resembling spider legs or tentacles. The background is black with some construction materials and tools on the ground, and parts of a gray roller shutter on the left and a decorative mesh with skulls on the right.

An indoor space with painted walls featuring a tiger and other abstract designs. There are large drums, ropes, and wooden structures, suggesting an obstacle course or themed activity space. The floor is covered with dirt and debris, and there is a circular area with a person’s head barely visible, possibly part of a game or activity setup.

A room covered in thick green moss and mold, featuring a damaged stone fireplace with an open firebox and a pile of debris including a small sculpture of a dog, various broken furniture pieces, and an old, tilted chair.

Skinny human skeletons and skulls stacked and hanging in a dark room, resembling a haunted house or spooky display.

A room that looks like a set from a post-apocalyptic movie or a game, with walls covered in moss and dirt, and various objects such as pipes, wires, and machinery. There's a black box, some cables, and equipment on the floor.

An indoor old-fashioned boxing ring with red corner pads and a rope barrier, against graffiti-covered brick walls with words and designs painted on them.

An old, abandoned room with green walls and furniture, covered in moss and mold. There are damaged chairs, a fireplace with a broken mirror above it, and debris scattered on the floor.

A dimly lit room with rustic decor, containing green wood crates, large ceramic pots, and a branch decorated with black leaves hanging from the ceiling. The walls are textured with a reddish-brown color, and there are various objects and furniture scattered throughout the space.

The image shows an exit area of a haunted house attraction called 'Smiley's Mirror Maze.' The area is decorated with yellow and red metal posts, some of which have been splattered with red paint resembling blood. There are black walls and a checkered floor, with the walls and posts covered in murals and designs that give a creepy vibe. A sign above reads 'Smiley's Mirror Maze,' and there are black curtains hanging at the entrance. There is also some wood and other debris on the right side of the area.

Interior scene showing destruction with rubble, broken structures, and debris scattered across the floor, possibly from an explosion or disaster in an indoor area.

A storage room filled with skeletons and costumes hanging on racks. There are barrels and miscellaneous items, with some skeletons in cages and others arranged along the walls. The room has a dark industrial environment.

A room painted entirely in green with various old industrial or mechanical equipment, gauges, pipes, and hanging fabric strips, giving an industrial or steampunk aesthetic.

CIRCURSE

A prohibition dust bowl era travelling Circus is ransacked and burnt to the ground by a rival sideshow. However, many of the looters are still hanging around waiting to pick off anyone else daring to walk through the debris.

The ‘Circurse’ maze allowed for a of creative expression, telling the story of the ransacking and what evidence would be left behind. Burning piles of debris, broken cages, and heads on spikes were just some of the crazy ideas we were able to play around with.

Interior of a restaurant under renovation or construction with debris, chairs, and equipment scattered around, a mural of a world map painted on the wall, and a sign that reads "Big Belly Burger."

Inside a workshop or warehouse with wooden beams and ropes hanging from the ceiling, displaying various painted and weathered cloth banners or flags. There are barrels, a wooden cart, and various miscellaneous items scattered around, giving an industrial or rustic vibe.

Painted banner for a haunted attraction titled "Head of Medusa," depicting a mythological figure with a woman’s face and multiple snakes for hair, with mountains and a blue sky in the background.

An indoor space with a vintage-style pink and blue painted cart, plants, and wooden crates, surrounded by various objects including a chair, a green painted wooden surface, and a pair of rubber boots on the floor.

‘DC’EASED

A virus has spread amongst the cities of the DC Universe, rapidly infecting everyone. The Superheroes try to stop the spread, but many of them fall victim to the virus. A spaceship set to leave Earth in a last ditch attempt to save humanity, is commandeered by an infected Superman.

This Maze was based on a popular comic book run, which helped us visualise and build a consistent theme and style throughout the maze. A lot more time and effort was put into this flagship maze of the fright nights event, with approval granted from the theme park as well as the DC

A setup with various scientific equipment including a rusted metallic tank, hoses, gauges, and a cart holding smaller devices, with a background mural featuring circuitry and mechanical designs.

Indoor space with brick walls and graffiti art, metal fencing, a ladder, and construction equipment, including a yellow wheelbarrow and trash bin.

A storage room with animal cages and enclosures, including wooden and metal cages, some containing small animals, a feeding trough, and a sign that reads 'Eating Lion' in the background.

A cozy room with green walls, wooden bookshelves filled with books, a black ornate fireplace, and several chairs and a coffee table with decorative items. Portrait paintings hang on the wall, and there is a large silver duct on the ceiling.

Indoor exhibit of a natural landscape scene with painted walls depicting trees and water, a small tent, and various artificial plants and rocks with a bright overhead light.

An industrial-style room filled with old electronic equipment and control panels, lit with red and blue lights, with exposed ductwork and industrial piping on the ceiling.