KILLEN, Ala. — After taking a Shriek Peek of Arx Mortis' Deadwater Bayou, it's very easy to tell their scare actors go above and beyond the standard. Manager Kane Watkins said, "If we didn't have actors, it would be a really cool museum of really cool stuff to look at. But, actors are what really bring a haunted house to life."
It takes a lot of prep and time to bring a character to life. Head Makeup Artist Courtney Bryant usually gets on site around three and a half hours before doors open, ready to help more than 10 others get ready for the night ahead. "I'm one of the first people here on property and I just set up all the booths, make sure all the supplies are full," said Bryant.
It all starts with scheduling: where the actor is going to be placed on a specific night. "Usually, we'll start out and we'll ask where that person is going to go and that way we can kind of base their makeup in their specific area of the haunt," said Scare Actor Ryan Little, who mentions if someone were to be placed in the Greystone Academy portion of their haunted house, they would use a lot more black, brown and gray colors.
Creating a character requires details in all aspects. Bryant said, "One of the main things that will kind of throw someone off is someone's eyes in their mouth."
From custom eye contacts to unique costumes, they achieve just that on a nightly basis. "We really try to take in all aspects from head to toe to make sure someone is fully terrifying," said Bryant.
Arx Mortis is open every Thursday-Sunday until October 31st.