Russ, a scare actor at a haunted web screen park in Memphis, shares his experience and insights into haunt acting. He discusses his favorite Halloween memory, how he got into haunt acting, and the importance of acting in a haunted attraction. Russ also talks about his pet peeve of actors with big egos and the challenges of finding something to do during the off-season. He emphasizes the importance of improvisation and making people uncomfortable rather than just scaring them. Russ shares tips and tricks for haunt acting and the differences between acting inside the haunt and in the queue line or midway area. In this part of the conversation, Russ and Sydoney discuss dealing with fog in haunted attractions, audition tips, their favorite horror movies, and the dynamics of the haunted attraction industry in Arizona. In this conversation, Sydoney and Russ discuss their experiences in the haunting industry and share their thoughts on Halloween Horror Nights. They talk about the importance of passion and dedication in haunting, the difference between haunts driven by love and those driven by profit, and the impact of restrictions on actors' performances. They also touch on the significance of legacy and the sense of family within the haunting community. The conversation concludes with a reminder to prioritize mental health and seek help when needed. https://qrco.de/beJjEa
takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:07 Favorite Halloween Memory
05:51 Duration and Challenges of Haunt Acting
09:46 Dealing with Egos in the Haunt Industry
12:00 The Role of Improvisation in Haunt Acting
15:23 Challenges of the Off-Season for Haunt Actors
17:08 Acting Inside the Haunt vs. Outside
19:54 Creating a Positive and Supportive Environment
22:56 Tips and Tricks for Haunt Acting
25:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
31:07 Dealing with Fog in Haunted Attractions
35:07 Tips for Haunt Auditions
50:05 Favorite Horror Movies
53:28 The Dynamics of the Haunted Attraction Industry in Arizona
01:01:40 The Importance of Passion and Dedication in Haunting
01:06:30 The Impact of Restrictions on Actors' Performances
01:09:14 Legacy and Family in the Haunting Community
01:16:22 Prioritizing Mental Health in the Haunting Industry
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Sydoney Banks (00:00.746)
Alright, hello everybody and we're here with Russ and we're going to talk to him today. He's a haunter. So first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Russ Wilbanks (00:10.844)
Hi, my name is Russ. I'm a scare actor at haunted web screen park in Memphis, Tennessee. And I've been haunt acting for about 19 years now.
Russ Wilbanks (00:25.884)
It's a long time.
Sydoney Banks (00:28.814)
Yeah, that is that is very long. I'm almost at that point not there yet, but I'm almost there
Russ Wilbanks (00:34.702)
Yeah, I've like been hon -acting like more than I've had. You know, reunions. Almost as long,
Sydoney Banks (00:44.886)
Yeah, yeah. Favorite... That's cool. Alright, next question is favorite Halloween memory and why?
Russ Wilbanks (00:56.284)
favorite Halloween memory? I think the thing that got me in sort of into scare acting was I was too old to trick -or -treat and this is like probably 96 something like that and my dad thought it was a good idea to you know those 90s ghosts that that made the doodoo you know that sound
Sydoney Banks (01:23.616)
Yeah. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:25.238)
So we put one of those in there and then it was a basketball, put a sheet over it and then in the garage we had a string and it would over the tree and I would drop it on kids where they were trying to get snacks and stuff on Halloween.
Sydoney Banks (01:46.35)
That sounds fun.
Russ Wilbanks (01:51.45)
Yeah, I think that was the catalyst of me being a haunt actor, I think.
Sydoney Banks (01:54.574)
Yeah, you kind of answered the next question, which was how long you've been haunting for, and you told us 19 years, which that's quite a long time.
Russ Wilbanks (02:07.036)
Yeah, it was an accident too. So like, down in Memphis there's a courthouse called 201 Poplar and that's where, you know, all the... that's the big prison and everything. So when I was... I got a ticket from, you know, speeding or something. I don't remember exactly what it was because it's been so long ago. And...
Sydoney Banks (02:10.711)
He
Sydoney Banks (02:28.589)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (02:34.662)
I had to go down there and pay a ticket and I was scared that I was like gonna go to jail or something for getting a ticket. I don't know. I was young. so we went down there and I was too scared to go down there. So I stayed at a friend's house and that night he was volunteering at a haunted house, which is the one I'm at now. It had a different name back then.
Sydoney Banks (02:44.826)
You
Russ Wilbanks (03:05.282)
So I did it one night and I've been hooked ever since. So you can thank the police for me being here, I guess.
Sydoney Banks (03:16.546)
And then that kind of leads into this next question, which was, tell us more about the haunt you're at, and why this one.
Russ Wilbanks (03:26.108)
the, well, I did the one I'm at now, for one year and then it was like, had a, youth villages or something, that's a nonprofit and they were like too strict for me. Cause like I, I'm, you know, I'm a very, I'm sure you saw my, my videos that I'm very aggressive.
Sydoney Banks (03:54.796)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (03:54.936)
So they don't like me being aggressive. So I was always getting in trouble for making people fall down and know, scaring the crap out of people. So I like, I can't deal with this. This is too restrictive. So I went to another haunt and then that one lasted about six years and then it got bought out.
Sydoney Banks (04:10.744)
You
Russ Wilbanks (04:25.484)
I have been, went to several others. I went to every haunt, I think in Memphis except one.
Sydoney Banks (04:32.386)
Hmm. Yeah, it's hard trying to find like the perfect fit for the individual.
Russ Wilbanks (04:34.736)
And then there's...
Russ Wilbanks (04:40.572)
Yeah, but like now they got rid of the few villages and They've allowed me to be way more creative like the whole thing with my character that was my that's my idea
Sydoney Banks (04:54.704)
it's cool.
Russ Wilbanks (04:56.188)
Because before I got there, that scene was just, you know, the bathroom scene and everybody had on pants and typical Asylum gear and they allowed me to make it my own little thing.
Sydoney Banks (05:14.2)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (05:19.8)
Wow, that's pretty cool. So how long have you been at the haunt you're at now?
Russ Wilbanks (05:24.636)
So once 2005 and I think I returned in 2018 so what eight years? that what eight years? Yeah, yeah and then yeah so I've been everywhere.
Sydoney Banks (05:46.574)
One of those traveling actors, at least until you find like the perfect fit. That's good. So how important is acting in a haunted attraction?
Russ Wilbanks (05:51.28)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (06:05.605)
I can't... I guess it's like mid tier because like you know if...
Let me see... That's a tough question, because the people in the front are just as important as the actors and the behind the scenes people are even more important than that. The people that build it.
Sydoney Banks (06:16.578)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (06:23.382)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (06:28.13)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (06:33.052)
I guess... kind of important, you know? That's a tough question, I'd have to think about that more.
Sydoney Banks (06:38.561)
You
Sydoney Banks (06:44.066)
Yeah
Okay, we can always come back to that. And then I have, is the biggest pet peeve you have about acting in haunted attractions like yourself or even others?
Russ Wilbanks (07:00.38)
My biggest pet peeve is the thing with us, reason in the industry, especially the Q -line actors, they have this huge ego that I do not like. And I don't understand why they have it. Being inside is the same thing as being outside. The only difference is your
Sydoney Banks (07:13.824)
Sydoney Banks (07:25.763)
Yep.
Russ Wilbanks (07:30.012)
time with the customers. People say you can't reset in the outside. Yes you can because there's always new customers coming in. They haven't seen what you did before. So saying you can't reset, that's a lie.
Sydoney Banks (07:36.77)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (07:45.452)
Yeah, that's true. So you guys have some of the same problems we have down here in Arizona, because we have egos as well. So that's good to know that's kind of an everywhere thing. Hopefully.
Russ Wilbanks (07:58.49)
Yeah, I don't think it is that... You know, mine, because I probably have like the biggest reason to have an ego when I don't have one. Because, you know, I have one multiple, you know, words in my heart and some national ones and I just... I don't...
Sydoney Banks (08:18.935)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (08:24.816)
I cheer on actors that are haunt just as much as they cheer on me. I don't like egos. There's no reason to have an ego because you know, you really do this what maybe if you're lucky eight weeks and then the rest of year nobody gives a crap about you. So there's no reason to have an ego because you know.
Sydoney Banks (08:49.197)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (08:53.852)
Because I mean to me this is like a huge part of my life.
Sydoney Banks (09:00.802)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (09:03.036)
I just can't stand anybody with egos and like the hardest part of acting is
Russ Wilbanks (09:18.84)
is finding something else to consume like your passion. Like taking out the rest of the year. Acting to me is easy. The hardest part is finding something to do with the rest of the year. That's the hardest part.
Sydoney Banks (09:23.477)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (09:29.954)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (09:37.312)
Yeah, yeah, I agree. That is, that's tough. Because you go from being really busy and then having nothing for several, several months. That is really hard.
Russ Wilbanks (09:46.264)
Or just finding something that takes over the passion that you have for acting for the rest of the year. I don't know, I just feel real empty and sad.
Sydoney Banks (09:52.44)
Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (09:59.916)
Yeah. There's a lot of people who go through, they call it post -haunt depression, which is like once the haunt season's over, there's a lot of haunters that go into like a depression because of like what you're saying of missing it and not having anything to like, like you said, put that towards or do something that's similar. So yeah, I could agree with that. There's a lot of people who go through that.
Russ Wilbanks (10:24.86)
Yeah, we don't even have anything around the Memphis area to cover it up. Like a detox or something. This year we are getting a horror convention in November. So we're getting our first ever horror convention. We got some big names. We got Jason from part 6 that's gonna be here. The original...
Sydoney Banks (10:35.681)
night.
Sydoney Banks (10:39.905)
that's good. That's good.
Russ Wilbanks (10:55.248)
guy who plays a screen that ghost face and some others so that's gonna be cool
Sydoney Banks (10:58.456)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (11:02.284)
That's good. Well maybe more will come in your area than if that one does good. But yeah, that is, that's tough. I can agree with that. So how important is improvisation, would you say, in a haunted house?
Russ Wilbanks (11:09.574)
Yeah, this head sucks.
Russ Wilbanks (11:18.908)
the most important thing because like if without improv you have basically have nothing like you just have like boo scares and then like okay I can do my little
Sydoney Banks (11:33.495)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (11:39.93)
For those of you don't know, I have a TikTok and if I take the diaper down, that's a shock value, but then that's only like three seconds. My room is pretty big, so without my improv, my scenes aren't gonna last like three scenes and then I suck.
Sydoney Banks (11:47.192)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (11:59.438)
Yeah, yeah. So yeah, improv is pretty important because I mean you have to, especially like when you're new and you're scaring you can't just like stop and stand there because then that kind of just cuts the whole illusion of like it being realistic.
Russ Wilbanks (12:15.844)
And then like crazy stuff happens too. Like, like, you know, like, somebody vomiting in your scene and then like, you know, pretend to lick it up or, know, or, once how, how graphic can you get on this podcast?
Sydoney Banks (12:18.616)
yeah.
Sydoney Banks (12:27.779)
You
Sydoney Banks (12:36.173)
We can always say that this one's a little bit more graphic than our usual ones.
Russ Wilbanks (12:42.241)
Okay,
So, one time, let's see if I remember this good, I said it on another podcast, but one time, somebody said, I said I was gonna, I said I was gonna get him or something, he said, yeah, can eat my ass, like that, and I was like, okay, yeah, I can, I mean,
I it's not that kind of party but it can be and and then he goes and then he came in that was I was doing like two scenes because the other guy was gone so I got him I got him again and then and then I finished my my seat my thing and I said I said well it is that kind of party how about 96 where I fire on your face
Sydoney Banks (13:15.628)
Ha ha.
Sydoney Banks (13:38.926)
no. Yeah, you get some customers that say some dumb things and sometimes they should watch what they say. You never know what the actor may say back or do.
Russ Wilbanks (13:53.85)
Yeah, just... god, just... yeah, and then there's like... I was freaking out this girl and then she said... And then she said I was gonna... I might give her a heart piece or something.
Sydoney Banks (14:10.751)
Oops. gosh. What people say. yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (14:16.016)
Yeah, cause I had an electric toothbrush and then I was like trying to pretend I was gonna put it in like in her mouth or something after I like scratched my kinda scratched my butt with it cause I have a diaper, I have it on two things and like I'm not really scratching my ass but you know have a diaper on and then you know I put it up by her and she's like, you're gonna give me herpes?
Sydoney Banks (14:23.201)
no.
Sydoney Banks (14:28.695)
You
Sydoney Banks (14:35.704)
You
Sydoney Banks (14:41.23)
I had all the fun.
Russ Wilbanks (14:48.226)
So how is your Han acting like season going on so far?
Sydoney Banks (14:55.822)
It's just now starting to pick up so a lot of the hunts here are just gonna start in September 13th ish. That's like the earliest they're starting the one that I am The one that I'm starting for it. We're just now starting to set it up and stuff and So that one's gonna begin like the 20th So we're just yeah, just putting finishing touches. It's just now starting to pick up and get crazy so Whoo
Russ Wilbanks (15:05.763)
I'm jealous.
Russ Wilbanks (15:23.12)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (15:23.694)
It's like the stressful part the fun part isn't here yet
Russ Wilbanks (15:27.748)
Yeah, I gotta wait till the fifth
Sydoney Banks (15:30.7)
Jeez, that's a whiz.
Russ Wilbanks (15:32.828)
I know it sucks, but I'm going to Halloween Horror Nights 16 -20 so that'll help.
Sydoney Banks (15:38.719)
that's cool. You're gonna have to let us know how that goes.
Russ Wilbanks (15:43.45)
I guess I'll do videos if they don't get community guidelines for walking. don't know.
Sydoney Banks (15:52.27)
That should be fun though.
Russ Wilbanks (15:55.674)
Yeah, I come back when you start. So yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (15:58.582)
that's cool. Well, you'll for sure have to share a video or something with us. That sounds like fun. Or at least let us know how it goes.
Russ Wilbanks (16:08.464)
I've never been to Halloween Horror Nights, so I guess I'm in for a treat. But I'm looking forward to the water part more than I am.
Russ Wilbanks (16:20.636)
Cause I haven't been to a water park since we had one here in the 90s. I think it closed in 92. So that was the last time I went to a water park. So I'm more excited about that than, than the haunt, but.
Sydoney Banks (16:25.838)
okay.
Sydoney Banks (16:33.664)
I could see why that could be exciting then. I think you'll have fun with the whole thing, but yeah, that sounds fun. So my next question is, what is the difference between acting inside the haunt versus outside in the queue line or midway area?
Russ Wilbanks (16:36.027)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (16:52.636)
I've done both. I wouldn't say there's a big difference. The only major difference is your time with the customers and you have to rely more on improv.
Sydoney Banks (17:08.269)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (17:10.84)
and then there's the whole sliding thing if you could do that I can't do that anymore because I got bad knees
Sydoney Banks (17:19.628)
Mmm.
Russ Wilbanks (17:23.272)
I don't think there's a really a huge difference. Because like I said you can still reset and you're outside.
Sydoney Banks (17:37.826)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (17:39.612)
You can I just think the biggest thing is is improv and and You could do running gags out there There's a there's a lot of things extra you can do some some haunts I worked out you could you could get inside the car or you could get on the car
Sydoney Banks (17:51.703)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (18:05.846)
cool.
Russ Wilbanks (18:07.356)
There's not much difference at all, really. I mean, would you say there is?
Sydoney Banks (18:15.66)
I think there's like a big misconception of like the people who are in Midway or in line outside areas are like more important, which I don't think that's true. I don't think they have a bigger, better... because I mean, it doesn't really matter. It's like if you go through and there's a character that really freaks you out or something that stands out, that's what you're gonna remember. It's not if they're outside or inside. It's just gonna be... and everybody's different, you know, what might creep you out or something you like.
Russ Wilbanks (18:25.977)
No.
Russ Wilbanks (18:37.094)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (18:45.44)
might be different than what I like. might like, you know, that character more and I might like that character, you know, another character.
Russ Wilbanks (18:51.28)
Yeah, that happens all the time.
Sydoney Banks (18:53.505)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (18:56.508)
some people like me more and then there's you know there's a bit of reviews were somebody like somebody else that you know and even said his name and and their do review and everything and i don't i just don't like that they go for it
Sydoney Banks (19:08.738)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (19:19.136)
No, I agree. I agree. I try to squish that as much as possible. Especially if I ever have an upper management position or I try to get rid of that because it brings the whole team down and it makes a... I don't know what you'd call that. Kind of like a hostile work environment. Because then you have people who think that they're better than others and...
That just brings the whole fun environment down and like you said, we don't have that long to do it. So might as well have, you know, a lot of fun, encourage each other and yeah, then yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (19:54.086)
Then the whole competition thing and then there's the whole ego clashing thing. But some of it, mean, that's good at certain things. Like sometimes we had an actor that works at another Haunt Owl, but like he scared, like the bra off of a woman, her bra popped off. And I was like trying to beat that,
I scared a shirt off a guy so I was like, that's brawl shirt. I couldn't beat him but I mean I tried. yeah, mean competition is good and then it could be bad. just depends on the toxicity. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (20:26.018)
Hahaha
Sydoney Banks (20:38.358)
Yeah, it's like friendly competition is good. Yeah, it's like as long as it's encouraging one another. But yeah, when it's when it's the bringing down like, I'm better than you and it gets hostile, then it's like, no, it doesn't, it's not fun anymore. It's like, no guys, come on. It's just, you know, it's almost like you're as good as your worst teammate. So you want to try to all be at that level of excellence.
So instead of like bringing each other down, you know someone struggling, give them tips and tricks and help them bring them to that level instead of bringing them down.
Russ Wilbanks (21:13.958)
Yeah, but I don't -
I struggle with the tips and tricks thing because sometimes you can give... I don't really give tips and tricks that much really anymore unless they specifically ask for it because...
Sydoney Banks (21:31.053)
Russ Wilbanks (21:34.268)
because most of time it's just wasting your time especially as you know that most people don't even make it past the first week.
Sydoney Banks (21:43.756)
Yep. Yep. That's true. I'd say - I guess I'd say be selective then with that. Like, if you notice there's a youngster or somebody who actually is trying and you know that they could use the help, but yeah, I get what you're saying too. Sometimes it's like a lost cause. Or they think they know it all, so even telling them anything, it's not gonna - you know, you can't - it's not gonna do anything.
Russ Wilbanks (21:48.335)
Ar Arb
Russ Wilbanks (21:52.059)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (22:09.402)
I mean, I don't really understand, as far as, like, haunt, acting, and, like, the bar is pretty low.
Sydoney Banks (22:17.196)
Yeah. Yeah?
Russ Wilbanks (22:19.366)
because like I scared the crap out of people during our Valentine's haunt with Spongebob memes.
Sydoney Banks (22:23.085)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (22:27.374)
I could believe it.
Russ Wilbanks (22:30.492)
Like, it started off with a... We were talking about candy and off from a candy... AHHHH! goes, I don't want candy! And then the residents are like... It's our haunted house, like ghost house kind of thing with the spirits and all that kind of stuff.
Sydoney Banks (22:41.326)
you
Sydoney Banks (22:56.92)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (22:58.316)
is that the walls are really close together so we could all hear her and wishes that no i don't watch out for it and we all and units that went chocolate you know like but that you know the sponge bombing well
Sydoney Banks (23:13.324)
Yeah.
You'd be surprised what scares people, really. Anyway, and like you said, it's a lot of fun.
Russ Wilbanks (23:20.518)
You
Russ Wilbanks (23:24.389)
Yeah.
We all want you to somewhere chocolate. Chocolate? Who's got chocolate? Somebody said chocolate! She goes, no, no, I don't have chocolate, you heard me wrong. I wrote chocolate!
Sydoney Banks (23:27.352)
Whoa!
Sydoney Banks (23:42.19)
I would say that when people do things like that together, it is pretty creepy. Because it doesn't happen often. A team effort is good.
Russ Wilbanks (23:55.664)
Nah.
Yeah, dude, we got some amazing actors. Like, good as the videos I am, I don't think I'm the best actor at my haunt. You know how other haunts are... They bring up the twin thing? We actually have two sets of twins that are haunt too.
Sydoney Banks (24:24.332)
Mm
Sydoney Banks (24:27.583)
that's cool. Wow. That's pretty cool.
Russ Wilbanks (24:27.708)
Like actual twins.
So if we wanted to do the twin thing, we could actually do it. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (24:36.428)
Do it. Now that's scary. that's fun.
Russ Wilbanks (24:42.948)
I got out of love on that thing. I just can't wait till the fifth. Man, this is gonna be so much fun.
Sydoney Banks (24:45.07)
It sounds like it. It's exciting. So can you share any tips or tricks with us? Just little nip bits or anything?
Russ Wilbanks (24:58.884)
So I think the best thing is to... Don't worry about scaring people, just worry about making them uncomfortable. I don't think you should worry about scaring people, just focus on making them uncomfortable as you can because if you make them uncomfortable then you can make them laugh. You can scare them.
Or you can just leave them in a state of, I don't like this.
Sydoney Banks (25:31.525)
That's a good tip.
Russ Wilbanks (25:31.62)
the it because i like i like that one like the best you know i did my default is for my main character is just get grossing people out but like that's why and when i pulled a diaper dot you hear me go because it that sound you know may it makes people uncomfortable that's why i make the service is not to be you know
Sydoney Banks (25:51.471)
Yep.
Russ Wilbanks (25:59.404)
sexual or nothing it just that sound just you know brings about like bad thoughts like if I pull it now yeah it's really sexy
Sydoney Banks (26:02.124)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (26:09.229)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (26:14.78)
That's what I strive for is just to make people uncomfortable, but like that's harder to do in With certain characters like voodoo like you like that's Food like voodoo is like a weird thing and especially you know with the climate we're in yet I don't you know with you know the
Sydoney Banks (26:29.698)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (26:43.728)
blackface or whatever and you know you gotta be careful with that
Sydoney Banks (26:45.527)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (26:49.154)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (26:51.814)
but I don't know, feel like the voodoo thing is hard. Christmas, was always real... Christmas is hard. Doing scary Christmas is hard, people are over the whole scary thing, it's like, Christmas is really goofy.
Sydoney Banks (27:04.696)
you
Sydoney Banks (27:12.002)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (27:13.786)
like even like if you think about the the crampus that that movie that's a really good for you it's not really it's not really scary you know with the whole like christmas tree things are ornaments and their talk is that's a good for you
Sydoney Banks (27:19.416)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (27:30.797)
Yeah.
Ha!
Russ Wilbanks (27:36.046)
So like, I've already had a hard time with Christmas and Voodoo, but I mean, everybody's not strong at everything, but...
Sydoney Banks (27:45.888)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (27:48.272)
Well, that's another thing about outside acting though too, is I feel like you should be good at everything. Like, I don't...
Russ Wilbanks (27:57.604)
Like, if you're good at outside, but you struggle with a pop -up thing, are you really that good?
Sydoney Banks (28:13.748)
Yeah, well you want to push yourself.
Russ Wilbanks (28:14.512)
Because you should... Because I think... I think... Sometimes like restricting yourself makes you better too. Like if you just do like a pop -up scare and you only have like a second, that also like can benefit you outside when like that perfect moment comes and you only have like a second to react.
Sydoney Banks (28:23.8)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (28:37.934)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (28:40.537)
I think you have to be good at everything, when you're good at everything, then... I mean, not good at everything. I struggle with...
Sydoney Banks (28:48.472)
you
Russ Wilbanks (28:52.214)
If I have a really short scene, I struggle with that because I need time to get inside your head.
Sydoney Banks (28:54.296)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (28:58.616)
Yeah. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (29:00.952)
So I'm still working on it, but I try.
Sydoney Banks (29:05.89)
Yeah, well, and that's the thing is like everyone's gonna have their strengths and their weaknesses. And like, I think I agree with you, it is good to try to be good at everything. And especially like build upon your weaknesses and stuff because also if you're good at everything, and let's say someone like you, when you said someone was missing or someone can't come in, you might have to fill in for somebody or maybe even double up.
And if you have those skills, then you're a good fit for that. they might use you or need you more because you can do multiple things.
Russ Wilbanks (29:40.188)
Yeah, I've had to do three ruse before.
Sydoney Banks (29:44.952)
Wow, that's crazy.
Russ Wilbanks (29:47.26)
It's hard, but you But like you just go from one to the second room, and they just follow them into the other room Yeah
Sydoney Banks (29:54.678)
Yeah, into the rooms. I mean, in a way it's fun, because you have more time with the people, but it can be energizing, because after a while, especially depending on how many people go through, how long your nights are, after a while it wears on you. It's like, my goodness.
Russ Wilbanks (30:07.642)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (30:13.403)
Yes, think cardio is like very, very important. It especially helps with like, if you have good cardio, then you don't have to drink as much water too.
Sydoney Banks (30:23.446)
Yeah, only add water is really important too. That's a good tip is make sure you have and drink water before and after and during. That's important a lot, especially in Arizona, but probably where you're at too, but anywhere if you're going into acting. Yeah. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (30:26.981)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (30:37.366)
i think more in arizona cuz like you it's like two hundred or two hundred three hundred degrees
Sydoney Banks (30:43.359)
Yes, but I would just say anywhere like as a common rule have water bring a water bottle Just you never know just have it. You don't want to dehydrate That's not a fun thing
Russ Wilbanks (30:53.404)
Just get a bucket and pour it on you.
Sydoney Banks (30:57.63)
Well, yeah here, yes, you probably probably a gallon is great Most haunts here provide water, but you still probably want at least to have your own bottle
Russ Wilbanks (31:07.324)
What's the coldest it gets in Arizona? Like 70?
Sydoney Banks (31:12.974)
I don't know. Pretty much like our average - I know like one year we did a Valentine's Day haunt and it was like 60 something. But I mean it was so cool. Yeah, it was so cool though because the smoke or the fog, it actually stayed for a long time and like we never have that because usually just, you know, evaporates really fast. So like it looked so awesome. I was like, I wish it was like this all the time. But it's not.
Russ Wilbanks (31:23.373)
It's hard.
Russ Wilbanks (31:41.98)
So how do you deal with the fog? How do you get around that? Some scenes need fog to work.
Sydoney Banks (31:43.673)
Go ahead.
Sydoney Banks (31:52.652)
Yep. It's a lot of the times it's like a lot of people use fog chillers down here or they get like those industrial size foggers. Another thing that I know that you can do is like you can use obviously different types of fog like I know we use froggy fog which is pretty good and it lasts a lot longer than other fogs. That's what we do. I don't know what other hunts do but...
Russ Wilbanks (32:16.208)
Yeah, there's just like one specifically for it being like low to the ground. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (32:19.638)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, like I know when we do our swamp, we use their swamp fog and it pretty much fills up, you know, fills up the area and it stays, you know, it stays quite a while and we'll just have it run when it needs to. So yeah, for us, it's a little bit harder, especially if you want like the ground fog, you're probably for sure gonna need, you know, at least a fog chiller or one of those big industrial machines that they use.
Russ Wilbanks (32:26.947)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (32:44.952)
my, I love the swamp scene, my god I had a traumatic experience with a spider doing the... Because there was like... In our voodoo scene, there was like a group coming at me and at same time a spider was coming towards me. And it was like, it was big. And I'm scared shitless of spiders.
Sydoney Banks (32:51.564)
no.
Sydoney Banks (33:04.704)
no.
Russ Wilbanks (33:09.016)
So, like, I came out of my scene, I came out of the fog early, like the, out of the little laser swamp thing early to get away from the spider. I, like, I hold it as much as I could, but it was about to crawl me, I was like, fuck this.
Sydoney Banks (33:23.246)
That's the thing with those is you don't know what's in those Especially when they do it well like you don't know what's underneath the fog. That's what I mean. Those are really cool effects They really are Because you never know
Russ Wilbanks (33:35.217)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (33:38.66)
Yeah, but I could see, I'm under the fog and I could see it coming to my right from under the facade of the little log cabin or whatever and I was like, shit.
Sydoney Banks (33:42.03)
You
Sydoney Banks (33:46.886)
no.
Sydoney Banks (33:50.592)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (33:57.126)
That... That was scary. And it was big too. my god, but what if I like picked it up and I threw it at him? my god, that... But then they get... What if they get bit? Then they're just like,
Sydoney Banks (34:04.398)
They probably wouldn't like that. geez. So it was a real spider. my. my goodness. a real one. yeah, yeah. I probably would have been running too. I would have been like, no.
Russ Wilbanks (34:15.684)
yeah no no it was a real no i'm not talking about like a fake one i'm talking about like a real spider yeah
Sydoney Banks (34:30.574)
Yeah, with us, hopefully, you know, we have rattlesnakes and stuff. Hopefully we won't see any of those. But yeah, spider and nope.
Russ Wilbanks (34:40.06)
Dude, if y 'all ever got like a snake or something, I'd be like running torn to malice in the other direction like, no, thank you. Like, where did Rusko, he left his, there's a snake. We gotta go 30 miles away and pick him up.
Sydoney Banks (34:47.598)
Yeah, those are pretty scary.
Sydoney Banks (34:56.11)
Yeah, yeah, I'm the same way anything like that creepy crawlies no, thank you So what are the auditions like where you're at?
Russ Wilbanks (35:02.682)
Mm -mm.
Russ Wilbanks (35:07.478)
I really just depends on on the haunt most of them are You just do like the interview and fill out paperwork and then later they train you I think that's how most haunts out around here do it I don't think like you know like 17th door and how they do the whole or HHN they do the auditions how to do the auditions and
Sydoney Banks (35:23.224)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (35:34.21)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (35:36.944)
I don't think any of that work store is gonna help you because you gotta go in the fire to figure out if you can do this or not. So like you can do, pretend I'm a clown with spikes in my feet or whatever all you want, but that's not gonna help you when you're in front of a guest. You go through the fire and figure out if you can do it or not.
Sydoney Banks (35:45.005)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (35:58.721)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (36:04.652)
Yeah. Do you have any tips for auditions? Like, if anybody's interested in auditioning, do you have any tips or tricks for them?
Russ Wilbanks (36:15.376)
Go go all go all out. Don't don't hold back. Whatever you're thinking of saying just Just say it Unless I guess unless it's cuss word I Mean, I mean don't do the cuss words Although I did that one time
Sydoney Banks (36:26.862)
Hahaha
Sydoney Banks (36:34.84)
you
Russ Wilbanks (36:39.156)
and i think you probably do good if you just make your people uncountable like make them uncountable yeah just maybe like be real creepy and pretend you're a serial killer i don't know like just do that to be in character the whole thing i was just kidding i'm not really like that
Sydoney Banks (36:47.532)
Like you said, uncomfortable.
Sydoney Banks (36:57.933)
You
Russ Wilbanks (37:07.663)
I don't know,
I just go... just go all out if you're... if... if you hold back and if... if... it's... it's real hard to say,
But if you don't go all out and if you feel like you're not making a fool out of yourself, you're doing it wrong. You gotta make a fool out of yourself because that's what they want to see anyway. If you're capable of making a fool out of yourself, if you're capable of looking stupid because that's what it is. You're just playing, you know, dressed up and being goofy and scaring people. That's what they want to see. They just want to see if you're capable of doing it.
Sydoney Banks (37:36.077)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (37:50.466)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (37:56.246)
Yeah, I would agree with that. I'd probably say like, yeah, one of the top tips that I would tell people is kind of like what you said is just you have to go and open -minded and kind of just let it go. Like, don't be nervous or if you are, yeah, if you are nervous, use your nerves, you know, use that energy because that's what a lot of, like he said, the haunters are looking for is to see if you're open, if you're willing to at least try it or do it. If you're just going to stand there and be like,
Russ Wilbanks (38:09.084)
Don't be in your head.
Sydoney Banks (38:26.05)
you know, and you're really nervous or scared, that's gonna not necessarily help you.
Russ Wilbanks (38:31.982)
But standing out is only going to help you if you want the bigger roles. They always need people because there's going to be a ton of people that quit. So they could always use you for like, they always have those big giant, a lot of the bigger ones have those big giant puppets things like, know, monsters that come out. You could do that. You could do blackout where you just come out, drop panel things. They're always going to need people.
Sydoney Banks (38:38.701)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (38:43.139)
Yep.
Sydoney Banks (39:01.752)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (39:01.816)
And so anybody can do that. as far as standing out, that's only going to help you if you want the bigger speaking roles.
Sydoney Banks (39:10.592)
Yeah, it depends on the position that you're wanting. Yeah, if you're wanting something that is a little bit lower key, there's tons of things they can put. And I mean, there's lots of little backstage things. And every, like I tell people, every part is important. Even if you think it's not, every part is important because it all is the oiled machine. And everybody needs every part.
Russ Wilbanks (39:13.638)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (39:31.96)
Yeah. And if it wasn't important, they wouldn't be getting on your ass if you missed a scare.
Sydoney Banks (39:37.76)
Yep, true. It's true. Because it all works together. Because even if you have like a drop panel or a puppet, it all has to happen. It all has to be timed and everything for it to work.
Russ Wilbanks (39:40.902)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (39:49.722)
Yeah, and if you miss your scare, then there could be like two or three, like if we're short, could be like two or three rooms where they see nobody. And then they'd like, where's all the people?
Sydoney Banks (39:58.006)
Yeah. Yep, and that does not look good for any haunt. It does not. Then they're like, they must be having a bad season since there's only three actors in the whole haunt, so you don't want that. We've had a couple times where we've won it, and we've gone and we're like, did we only see like five people? It's like, I think so.
Russ Wilbanks (40:02.49)
Nah.
Russ Wilbanks (40:19.216)
We had good success I think last year with Jeremy the owner, raised the prices and it made for like, you know, less of the crazy, you know, riffraff and stuff. And it made less people come in too. So we were able to retain like the most we've ever had last year.
Sydoney Banks (40:29.916)
okay.
Sydoney Banks (40:37.612)
Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (40:47.224)
That's good.
Russ Wilbanks (40:48.252)
because we didn't like, we're the hell out of everybody with as much people coming in. So that was, that seemed to work very well, because like usually we start out with 100 and then by the end we're like down to 40.
Sydoney Banks (40:53.528)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (41:06.05)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (41:08.06)
And then last year we still had like around 80.
Sydoney Banks (41:11.982)
that's good. That's really good.
Russ Wilbanks (41:14.2)
so and really helped because like on the with the scare factor we were number three and the and the nation last year according to according to the scare factor which you know it doesn't you know mean a whole lot but like you know it felt i mean it did feel good and and your boy and your boy here got a whole paragraph on him
Sydoney Banks (41:21.858)
that's good.
wow.
Sydoney Banks (41:29.891)
you
Sydoney Banks (41:35.682)
yeah, mean, any recognition.
Sydoney Banks (41:40.808)
that's awesome! Congratulations! Alright so my next question is, do you have any tips for haunters who are looking to start or grow on TikTok? Because I know that's kind of where we met you.
Russ Wilbanks (41:59.74)
Russ Wilbanks (42:05.308)
I think TikTok wants like the tips thing, they want you know the whole voiceover thing, they don't really want videos of you, well I don't know if they want videos of you scaring people anymore because me just walking towards people is a community violation.
Sydoney Banks (42:31.214)
I can't believe that.
Russ Wilbanks (42:37.404)
I think I'm going have move to scoops or youtube or something because I don't know how I'm do my character this year. All my videos are getting like 5 views because of their all content violations. So I would say just do...
Russ Wilbanks (43:03.334)
do voiceover work like you know the whole you know how people at sinker do means and and do tips and to people about haunted houses and do a lot stuff if your character is a little bit controversial like kind of like mine or kind of night i don't say controversial but like kinda risky risque
Sydoney Banks (43:08.502)
Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (43:18.283)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (43:25.75)
Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (43:31.618)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (43:33.128)
I wouldn't do any scare acting videos. I think that's what TikTok wants. I don't even know if TikTok is going to last. I think it's going to get banned on the 19th. I know that the hearings are going to start on the 16th this month.
Sydoney Banks (43:37.484)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (43:52.386)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (44:01.54)
So we'll see what happens with that, I think that's what TikTok wants. Cause they're so strict on... But I think if you do, you know, general scare acting, then I don't know, cause then I've, my videos where I haven't done that, they got taken down for bullying. It even, yeah. and also drugs.
Sydoney Banks (44:06.294)
Yeah, it seems like it.
Sydoney Banks (44:30.645)
gosh.
Russ Wilbanks (44:31.896)
And I don't know where the... I guess if you think a drug is a toothbrush... I guess...
Sydoney Banks (44:36.43)
gosh.
Russ Wilbanks (44:39.552)
I I I don't, cause I just scare them with a toothbrush and then that's still, that's the only thing I have in my hand is a toothbrush and it's gotten violated for drugs. So I can't, I can't figure that app out for the love of me. So I think you just have to do what I said or else you're just gonna, you're gonna get community violations.
Sydoney Banks (44:47.298)
gosh.
Sydoney Banks (44:58.04)
God.
Yeah
Or like you look for another platform. That's too bad.
Russ Wilbanks (45:06.894)
Yeah, yeah.
because like sliders on on tiktok cannot make it because like slider Jesus he keeps getting banned so he's moved to Facebook because he keeps getting he's getting banned twice now for for safety you know safety hazards or extreme things just sliding on his knees I guess because of the sparks and stuff so sliders keep getting banned
Sydoney Banks (45:28.578)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (45:35.758)
Mmm.
Russ Wilbanks (45:39.714)
So I think that's what they want. You can't really do anything else because it's just too strict. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (45:47.914)
That's too bad. Yeah, so I guess kids don't do drugs. Don't brush your teeth. I don't know. I don't know what to say about that.
Russ Wilbanks (45:58.678)
Yeah, I think that's scope. That's a dangerous drug.
Sydoney Banks (46:03.488)
gosh. Alright, my next question is do you have any scary sco - like scary stories that you've had in a haunted attraction or anything to share with us?
Russ Wilbanks (46:15.388)
Yeah, the first year I came back to Haunted Web, which is what, 2018, I think it was, I was outside sliding when I could still do that. And me and somebody else who's no longer there, we scared a kid so bad he called 911. Like, he for real called 911. And the other actor had to get on the phone with the
Sydoney Banks (46:28.673)
You
Sydoney Banks (46:36.6)
Gosh.
Russ Wilbanks (46:45.734)
deny one to an operator and tell him that it was okay, he was just in the hall in house. that the police just walked in and didn't come. And then what's funny is every year since then somebody keeps threatening to call the, like an actor, not an actor, but a customer will threaten to call the police. You've seen, I think you've seen the video where
Sydoney Banks (47:08.586)
gosh.
Russ Wilbanks (47:13.584)
you know that the kid that kiss and twelve of all the police and you see now and then you so get that's like every year since then somebody always threatens to call the police on
Sydoney Banks (47:20.141)
Yeah.
Ugh.
Sydoney Banks (47:30.178)
That's nice. geez. Right? That's what I say. you're not getting the police called on you, then you know, something's up. Hey, we used to do a home haunt like every year and every year, both the neighbors on the side of us hate us and they call every year. So like, I knew every year the police were coming. So they'd come in like, hey, officers, how's it going? They're like, hey, we're back.
Russ Wilbanks (47:32.22)
I must be doing something good.
Russ Wilbanks (47:40.156)
Yeah, did you did you really even try?
Russ Wilbanks (47:53.295)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (48:00.448)
It didn't get the response that the neighbors wanted so they would always get mad and they're like, and they're like, they're not breaking any laws. They're not doing anything bad. They're like, good luck this year.
Russ Wilbanks (48:10.3)
this
Sydoney Banks (48:15.66)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (48:33.706)
It depends on the neighborhood.
Russ Wilbanks (48:36.9)
Yeah, he's in a rich neighborhood, so guess.
Sydoney Banks (48:40.312)
Cause I know like the HOA's here, You can't do it if you have an HOA here. They usually won't allow it. But yeah, we just live in like an older neighborhood. But yeah, the neighbors on both sides of us hate us, so. They always call - and it was like on the stupidest things too. Like one year they called saying that we were having a huge block party. And it's like - it was like what? And even the police came and were like, this does not look like a block party. This looks like a haunted house. And I was like, it is.
was just stupid things all the time and then one time a neighbor called and was like, their car is in the middle of our driveway and it wasn't. So... All fun.
Russ Wilbanks (49:19.404)
haters. I see why the head of block parties all that screaming.
Sydoney Banks (49:24.302)
Maybe, I don't know. But they're just, they were just dumb. And then we had a neighbor who'd literally call her friends just to come and park in front of her house. I'm like, whatever, she was so stupid. It's like whatever. So yeah, I can get that. they're whatever. Well we're not doing it this year. This year we're actually helping another person so I'm not too worried about it but...
Russ Wilbanks (49:27.386)
Yay, yay.
Russ Wilbanks (49:40.233)
Tell him I said go fuck off.
Sydoney Banks (49:54.24)
I know one day we'll be back so they're gonna be like, great. So my next question is favorite horror movie and why?
Russ Wilbanks (50:05.35)
Jaws. Does that count as Some people consider it a thriller. Yeah, my argument to that is, okay, if it's not a horror movie, why is the soundtrack considered a horror
Sydoney Banks (50:11.084)
No, no, no, I would say it's a horror movie.
Sydoney Banks (50:21.324)
Yeah, it's in a lot of, yeah that's true. Like a lot of the, when you get like those soundtracks of like all the horror music, Jaws is one of the ones, yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (50:29.486)
It's in there. Yeah. so it has, I think it has the per - it's the perfect, if you care about the characters, that has the greatest, I think, probably monologue in the history of cinema. The, that USS, the Apples speech.
Sydoney Banks (50:40.29)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (50:49.688)
Hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (50:52.34)
and the chart looks really cool and
It... The first two were really good and then it real goofy.
Sydoney Banks (51:07.702)
Yeah, most of the time that happens. That is a good movie though, and it's cool too because you see from the shark's perspective and stuff. That's a good movie for also just cinema history itself.
Russ Wilbanks (51:21.293)
What is your favorite?
Sydoney Banks (51:23.626)
I don't know that's a good question. I don't know if I really have like a favorite favorite. I like Jason Just because I can agree with like how he was picked on stuff as a kid
Russ Wilbanks (51:37.03)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (51:37.992)
And I could totally see my mom killing people that were picking on me. I mean, I could just see that. But yeah, I don't know if I have like a favorite favorite. I mean, this isn't a movie, but I'd say my favorite horror movie would be Thriller, which is not horror movie. But I do like The Night of the Living Dead, which would it it was based off of. So I guess I'll go with Night of the Living Dead.
Russ Wilbanks (52:01.596)
the remake or the original
Sydoney Banks (52:04.13)
The original. I like the slow zombies.
Russ Wilbanks (52:10.118)
I like the... I do like the remake more though. I do. That's kinda... That's kinda blasphemous but...
Sydoney Banks (52:14.86)
I think they're both good.
Hahaha!
Russ Wilbanks (52:22.332)
But also another blasphemous thing that I like is I like Halloween 2 more than I like Halloween 1.
Sydoney Banks (52:29.774)
I don't judge.
Russ Wilbanks (52:32.156)
Because it's it's it's the same. I mean, it's basically the same movie but like a more I think it has better kills and than the first one But the first one is more suspenseful though
Sydoney Banks (52:44.6)
Yeah.
Yeah, that's true. I don't know, they make so many too and then you forget and they all just become one giant movie.
Russ Wilbanks (53:00.028)
I can hear a doggy dog.
Sydoney Banks (53:01.974)
Yeah, my dog wanted to come join me. He's a pit. What are you doing? okay. I guess he really wanted to be a part of the interview. Alright, so the next question I had was where can we find you on social media? And what platforms do you have?
Russ Wilbanks (53:05.02)
You can't tell you got
Mmm.
Russ Wilbanks (53:27.868)
You can find me on TikTok, haunted web monster, for how long, I don't know.
I'm surprised I haven't been banned already. got so many community violations. We'll see how those appeals go. I'm on YouTube, haunted web monster 2 on there. I just started posting on there. I got banned once, probably get banned again.
Sydoney Banks (54:02.51)
Yes.
Russ Wilbanks (54:05.96)
and then i just made a scoops account which is s c oopz i think that's how you spell that my videos are doing good on there i've got three with like a thousand views so they're doing good on there do you think i should just do since i'm i don't know if i can't i can do
Sydoney Banks (54:23.214)
That's good.
Russ Wilbanks (54:35.716)
my scare acting maybe just do tips maybe or I don't know because I'm not sure what I'm gonna do about this year
Sydoney Banks (54:45.954)
That would be smart, because I mean, especially like newbies or even experienced hunters, we're constantly looking for ways to better ourselves or even like information to send our actors. Because I mean, not all the time do we have time to like train everybody. So sometimes it's nice to have like resources to send. So it's like, yeah, if you had little videos or anything to help.
Russ Wilbanks (54:58.458)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (55:10.619)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (55:10.802)
then they can just send them and be like, check this out, know, here's these links or whatever. So just to give them tips and tricks on how to be better actors and stuff.
Russ Wilbanks (55:18.748)
speaking of getting better, I just bought a mini smoke machine to put in my diaper.
Sydoney Banks (55:32.15)
Okay, I've heard about those, yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (55:33.988)
Yeah, so I'm gonna pop holes in. I tried this last year. It would work in the queue line, I don't know if it'll work this year. So I put the smoke machine, the mini smoke machine in the diaper. So when it looks like I fart, it like I smoke coming out my butt.
Sydoney Banks (55:46.99)
Hmm. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (55:54.392)
interesting. Yeah, you'll have to let me know how that goes. That's pretty cool.
Russ Wilbanks (55:59.674)
I've tried that before but people couldn't see the smoke coming out of the diaper because of the lighting. You know how things work with the light and then without the light it doesn't work.
Sydoney Banks (56:10.54)
Yeah, some lighting. Yep. Yeah. Well, depending on how close you are with the haunt people, you could always ask them too for like, hey, could you give me a little bit of light here? Or whatever to do that trick. Just depends.
Russ Wilbanks (56:29.082)
Yeah. But that's for... and I'm also gonna bring back the Nutella on the plunger this year too. I think I'm gonna bring that back. So... So that... Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (56:30.016)
You
Sydoney Banks (56:40.118)
okay. Yeah, that's pretty gross. Yeah, I think that would help if you did little videos or anything on tips or tricks or even if you kind of showed how some of the stuff you do, I think they would like that and that would do really good. Because also there's public that just likes to know how things work or how things are done too. And then if...
Russ Wilbanks (56:56.187)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (57:04.867)
Yeah. What did you... Can I ask you a question? Just as somebody who... What did you think when you first saw my videos? Like, when you... Like, did you... Well, thought, what's wrong with this guy? Or...
Sydoney Banks (57:08.941)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (57:16.151)
I liked them.
Sydoney Banks (57:21.57)
Well, I mean, there's something obviously wrong with me, because, you know, I do podcasts on haunted houses and stuff. So for me, it's just like when I see people doing things that I like or similar, I'm like, that's cool or whatever. So I'll follow them and I'll share their videos and stuff because I'm trying to promote the industry. Yeah. So it's like when I saw you, I was like, that's cool. So I was like, like, share, you know, and then I'll watch anything that's new that pops up and stuff. So I didn't think anything and I didn't know you were
Russ Wilbanks (57:40.016)
Yeah
Russ Wilbanks (57:45.136)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (57:51.524)
having that much trouble so that really that's sad.
Russ Wilbanks (57:55.045)
Yeah, I see you like repost like everything so yeah, you're not you're not kidding when you promote the industry I keep getting yeah
Sydoney Banks (58:02.808)
Well when I try...
Russ Wilbanks (58:07.216)
God, yeah, well, mean, we all always appreciate you, know, promoting everything as much as you can.
Sydoney Banks (58:17.42)
Yeah, and I mean I try to promote like, as you know, who I can and, you know, different people. And I try to promote things that I know that are true or good haunts because I know there are some like, especially here, I don't promote the ones that I know here for sure that are not really the best. Especially like when it comes to treating actors and stuff. Or even their customers, I don't like to promote.
kind of behavior I would say I guess. So I try to promote who I think is fair or you know good.
Russ Wilbanks (58:48.732)
How is the Arizona scene? Do y 'all get along? are y 'all ultra competitive? Or don't really work with each other? Because that's how Eddie is here.
Sydoney Banks (59:00.11)
Here it's like 50 -50. So we have like a handful of like home haunts who've gone pro that are pretty cool and they're pretty nice to each other. They have like overall a good vibe and help one another. And then we have a couple of pro haunts and they're very anti -helping and they're very like, they keep everything close to the chest and everything's a big secret and they don't want to share anything. They don't even like give free tickets out for promotions or anything like that or even like invite
podcasts or any - they don't do any of that. Like, they're very hush hush and like, their stuff is always the same. They don't do a lot of change or anything, so it's - it makes no sense.
Russ Wilbanks (59:41.496)
I I can understand some of it. I don't... Like the camera I use, I don't want to give that away. So then, you know, next thing you know, there's a bunch of haunters. Because like right now on TikTok, there's not really any of me that's inside showing every scare that they get.
Sydoney Banks (59:43.724)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (59:49.581)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (59:55.884)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:00:03.021)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:00:07.149)
yeah, and I get that.
Russ Wilbanks (01:00:08.39)
But if I release the camera I got or whatever, then there's a bunch and then I get lost in the loop. Even though I'm about to get banned so it don't matter.
Sydoney Banks (01:00:13.996)
Yep.
Yep.
Yeah
Russ Wilbanks (01:00:22.511)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:00:22.574)
Yeah, so it's just, I mean here, I don't know, it's just, it's kind of a 50 -50. So it's like we do have some really great haunts that are helpful and then we have some that are very toxic and not helpful. it's just eh. Like some of us are slowly trying to make the industry better, especially here, and like make a difference and make it a little bit more friendlier to one another. So it's just what it is.
Russ Wilbanks (01:00:50.63)
myth.
I mean, yeah, should keep some secrets to yourself, but if you all work together, then they'll all come see everybody.
Sydoney Banks (01:00:56.888)
Yeah. Yep.
Sydoney Banks (01:01:05.868)
Yeah, and that's - yeah, I mean like, most people who go to haunted houses go to more than one. Because... they like it.
Russ Wilbanks (01:01:12.644)
Hmm, when I'm seeing on Facebook is now I don't think that's true. I think most people just go to one
Sydoney Banks (01:01:20.322)
Well, it depends. I mean, because your hardcore fans will try to go to more than one. But I mean, if you can only afford one, then yeah, they're gonna try to pick whatever the best one is for their buck. So, it just depends. But I mean, I just, I wish we could just be more helpful to each other than hurtful.
Russ Wilbanks (01:01:24.048)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:01:38.959)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:01:40.44)
Kind of like the whole ego thing. I think that's also a part of it. it's just... Meh, whatever.
Russ Wilbanks (01:01:47.376)
Yeah. Screw everybody and there you go. If they get a big ego, tell them that I've had the police come... Try to beat that.
Sydoney Banks (01:01:51.148)
Yeah, exactly.
Sydoney Banks (01:02:00.779)
Exactly. I don't get people, but whatever.
Russ Wilbanks (01:02:07.802)
Yeah, screw him.
Sydoney Banks (01:02:09.582)
So I mean, it's just what it is. But I mean, like, we have some really good ones here that are really nice, and we even have a couple of organizations here that do little classes and meet up and do some little things here and there. So it just depends. What about you all?
Russ Wilbanks (01:02:26.726)
well and now it's pretty much just
I was super competitive, some of us are friends, the actors are friends and everything but as far as the haunt working together, nah. That's not gonna happen.
Sydoney Banks (01:02:45.602)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:02:55.042)
Yeah, that's too bad.
Russ Wilbanks (01:02:57.444)
And a of them are just in it for the money, not really for the passion. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:03:00.777)
Yep.
Yeah, that's like the big ones here. We have two of them and they're owned by the same company. And they're just in it for the money. It's really sad. And you can tell because you can tell the difference between the haunts that are here because they love doing it and the haunts that are just in it for the buck. Like you can go through them and you can tell right away because just by the like how the show is but also just the actors alone will tell you just how they act and stuff. It's kind of sad.
But, hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (01:03:36.708)
I also hate haunts. I judge haunts based on how good the actors are. Like I don't care about how pretty your scenes are, just how good like your actors are. Because when I go to HHN, I'm not going to care about how pretty your scenes are. Did I think your actors try? And if I don't think they try, then I'll give...
Sydoney Banks (01:03:47.51)
Yeah, yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:03:58.05)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:04:05.996)
Yeah, that's kinda how I am.
Russ Wilbanks (01:04:07.13)
I'll get... Yeah. For what I'm seeing on YouTube, I don't think I'm gonna like HHN. I don't...
Sydoney Banks (01:04:14.624)
It seems very rushed nowadays and it actually seemed like it's very... From the video that I saw that... what are they called? I'll get the name. But the video that I saw that going through was like a lot of mouthing and stuff and it was like really really fast scares. So I was kind of... even I was kind of like, mmm, I don't know about that.
Russ Wilbanks (01:04:34.811)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:04:39.616)
I mean, like, yeah, the sets are cool and stuff, but like, there was a couple of actors you could tell they were really good, but it just seems really rushed. And I know that's because they have huge lines and stuff, but...
Russ Wilbanks (01:04:50.396)
The thing is, that really bothers me about HHM, they have really really talented people, but they are restricted by how strict they are. They don't allow them to shine. Because specifically, I really liked the Exile Bros that were at Magic Mountain.
Sydoney Banks (01:04:56.61)
They do.
Sydoney Banks (01:05:04.258)
Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:05:17.218)
Okay.
Russ Wilbanks (01:05:18.392)
and they were so good and now they're at HHN in Hollywood and they're stilt walkers and like nobody is like you know outside you know nobody they're restricted by Halloween Horror Nights at Orlando and they stood out so much because of their personalities and everything at
Sydoney Banks (01:05:40.055)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:05:47.138)
Six Flags Fight Fest and then I haven't heard anything about them, you know since because they're not allowed to talk They're not allowed to do anything just you know Walk on the stilts and you know do the little lunge or whatever.
Sydoney Banks (01:05:48.899)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:05:57.549)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:06:01.558)
I think that's the hard thing about Holly, their HHN. I think that's the hard thing about it is because, and especially now since they do so many of the movies, like you know, they do all the movies now, that it's literally, they're just mouthing the words and they're just, it's like the same thing over and over. They're just doing the same thing over and over. So I kind of feel bad for the actors too, cause you know, like that kind of gets boring after a while.
Russ Wilbanks (01:06:30.138)
Yeah, and then they have multiple casts and so like, my god, that would kill me having to leave.
Sydoney Banks (01:06:37.612)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:06:42.268)
I struggle going to the bathroom because when you were in the bathroom you could get the greatest scare in your life and then you missed it because you went to the bathroom.
Sydoney Banks (01:06:51.926)
Yeah, yep. Me as a bastard, I'm the same way. Yep.
Russ Wilbanks (01:07:00.092)
I will like... my god if I had to go to number two that's the worst. Cause then you might miss it for like five or ten minutes. I'm like come back like people are like, you already took a break? Like dude I came... I'll be come back and done. I'll get like a cookie and or something and be like, like two minutes and like, did you go on your break yet? Yeah. Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:07:06.732)
Ha
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
He
Sydoney Banks (01:07:24.96)
Yes, I already won. I won. I won, I won.
Yeah, I'm the same way, because it is, like you don't want to leave because it's like I know the minute I leave, like the best group is going to come through. So yeah, you have to feel bad for some of those guys. I mean, I'm sure it's like fun. I'm sure there's perks about it. But just from the video that I saw, I just kind of was like, where's like the fun in that? Because literally, it's like they just pop out or they do their little math thing like, I'm blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then they go back and then they do it again. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:07:55.93)
And then they're all so blind too. Like they can't see who they're scaring so they made me scared the crap out of a little kid and they were, ooh, I didn't mean to do that.
Sydoney Banks (01:08:03.404)
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think if you're gonna do Halloween Horror Nights, I think the best area would be the Midway, because I think then you have a little more time with people and you actually get to be a little more free. But I think the Inside scares, I think it is a little bit more... I think that'd be difficult. Probably. Probably. I would say probably, to be honest, Nutsberry Farm would probably be better for the Inside.
Russ Wilbanks (01:08:20.432)
I wonder if that's coveted at Halloween Horror Nights. Yeah. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:08:30.972)
my god, that's a dream. That's a dream. I really wanted to go. I really want to go to Halloween Horror Nights. Because that's, that's when I was learning how to scare at that. That's that those are the actors I look up to and they all of them are retired now. Except, except I think one, Char Mayer. You know, she said she did that, the art of the scare documentary.
Sydoney Banks (01:08:33.292)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (01:08:37.942)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:08:49.356)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:08:55.256)
Hmm.
Sydoney Banks (01:09:00.002)
huh. Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:09:01.602)
She's like the only one that's still acting and she works at 17th room. got to talk with her. I did this other podcast and I got to talk with her. She's a huge inspiration. I wanted to check out Not Scary Phone. That's on my bucket list.
Sydoney Banks (01:09:14.072)
Now that's cool.
Sydoney Banks (01:09:19.618)
That is awesome.
Sydoney Banks (01:09:27.222)
Yeah, same. That I think, and see what I've heard, like in the last couple years is they've really, really, really kicked butt over Halloween Horror Nights. Like, Halloween Horror Nights is cool for like, the sets and the storytelling and stuff, but not Sperry Farm with the acting and the originality. Mm -hmm. So that's what I would say is like...
Russ Wilbanks (01:09:43.868)
Their actors are so good.
Sydoney Banks (01:09:51.5)
That's where I would want to go, I think, over Halloween Horror Nights, just because I think I would be more impressed with the acting and I'd be a little bit more disappointed with just that.
Russ Wilbanks (01:09:59.004)
Six Flags Magic Mountain acting is very good too for what I noticed. It's more, it's like I think it's from the Exile Bros. inspiration over there. I think it might be little bit kind of goofy maybe. But, but my, that man they are interactive.
Sydoney Banks (01:10:05.42)
I've heard that too, yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:10:21.378)
Mm
Sydoney Banks (01:10:30.011)
I think that I think that's the coolest part too is interactive haunts are a lot of fun But yeah, I don't know you'll have to you'll have to for sure Let me know how Halloween Horror Nights goes or if you feel like that's kind of how it was was just like repetitive
Russ Wilbanks (01:10:43.772)
I'm gonna get so much hate though if I start hating when I leave the world.
Sydoney Banks (01:10:47.85)
It's not hate, it's just being honest. I mean, I'm sure you'll love it just because it is what it is, but you might be a little disappointed in like, probably at least like the delivering of the acting. I mean, it's still gonna be cool, because I mean the makeup will still be cool, and you probably will see some pretty cool actors still. It just might be limited because of, you know, like you said, what the restrictions are.
Russ Wilbanks (01:11:08.976)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:11:14.373)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:11:15.586)
But I mean, like I said, from the video I saw, you could tell some of their actors were really good. It's just they don't have a lot of time, which I get, but it's like, mwah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:11:20.238)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:11:27.132)
What keeps popping up on my TikTok feed is that one girl doing Megan and she's like on that little platform and she cannot leave the platform that would kill me. And all she can do is that little dance, that little Megan dance. Dude, that's gotta suck so hard. you're used to traditional... I couldn't handle that. I'll probably quit.
Sydoney Banks (01:11:32.045)
Mm
Sydoney Banks (01:11:37.058)
Yeah, Little, dance.
Sydoney Banks (01:11:48.054)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:11:52.014)
Yeah, I would be too. I'd be like, I don't know if I could do that. Just gotta it's gotta be weird like I don't know. That's just weird
Russ Wilbanks (01:12:01.116)
And then like you're Megan, which she can't talk to.
Sydoney Banks (01:12:06.719)
Yeah. That's just weird. You're like me, I'm like ugh.
Russ Wilbanks (01:12:12.412)
This is this is a hater podcast right now Jesus Christ
Sydoney Banks (01:12:16.686)
I'm just being true. I mean like I said it was cool. It's just I I feel for the actors I wonder what how they feel that's just what I wonder it's like cuz I don't know it's just like when you find like if they find a good victim and They can't go after them like what is that like it's like that has to be very hard It's like an itch you can't scratch you're like
Russ Wilbanks (01:12:32.218)
Mm.
Russ Wilbanks (01:12:40.636)
Yeah, that's what I'm most interested in seeing when I go over there, because I'm most pro... I'm going over there with my family, but I'm going be going there the second night probably by myself. And I'm probably going to spend more time in the streets and see if they really get somebody like what they do. I think that's... I'm going to a lot of fun just seeing what happens.
Sydoney Banks (01:12:43.97)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:12:58.925)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:13:03.276)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:13:10.032)
Like what they do, like do they have to cut off or do they, can they really dig in? And if they dig in, yeah, and if they dig in, do they get in trouble?
Sydoney Banks (01:13:11.693)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:13:16.79)
Yeah, what the restrictions are, yeah.
Yeah, that's a good point. You'll have to keep us updated on that. That sounds interesting. I mean, I'd still love to go. But I just wonder. As a hunter, I think that would be really hard for me. I don't know.
Russ Wilbanks (01:13:23.185)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:13:26.694)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:13:42.466)
If we agree on stuff, you must, you gotta be a badass actor.
Sydoney Banks (01:13:46.126)
I try. I try. I always try to be humble, but I try to have fun and I try to be the best I can. That's all you can do. Like I always told people around me, it's like if I ever get an ego, please tell me because that is the day I'm going to slap myself because I don't ever want to be that. Because I've lost a lot of friends to that and I don't ever want to be that. So nope. So what you're talking about, I know exactly what you're talking about.
Russ Wilbanks (01:13:55.622)
The The Goat
Russ Wilbanks (01:14:16.464)
I heard on the last podcast I had to ask you question. When you said that the haunt acting like saved you, like what do you mean?
Sydoney Banks (01:14:19.244)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (01:14:25.166)
So when I was in high school, I was bullied really, really, really, really bad to the point where I was pretty much gonna take my own life. And then I came across, well, pretty much my mom took me to a Halloween store that had a haunted house in it. She made me do it. I didn't want to. And she made me do it. She was with me, because I was underage. was only 15 when I started, so she had to be with me. And I kind of just fell in love with it.
Russ Wilbanks (01:14:29.329)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (01:14:32.805)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (01:14:39.675)
Hmm.
Sydoney Banks (01:14:52.812)
learned it wasn't as scary as I thought. And once you're inside, you know, the haunted attraction, you learn like all the little, you know, like the tricks and kind of like where the scares are and stuff. So you're not as afraid. So, cause I was really afraid as a kid. So I overcame that and I just, I don't know. It was like, kind of like when you fall into place. So it's like, I found my home away from home and now I just do it because
Russ Wilbanks (01:15:19.536)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:15:22.102)
I love it and I'll...
Russ Wilbanks (01:15:22.704)
Was it like the family thing of it?
Sydoney Banks (01:15:26.38)
Yeah, mean, family does it with me. My dad still haunts with me and my mom does a little bit, but I mean, like, I made a family within the haunted house. yeah. Yeah. So it's like, yeah, my family, my actual family, at least my mom and dad are. And then I made a family within that, which I still talk with the guy that I first worked with. He doesn't have the haunt anymore.
Russ Wilbanks (01:15:32.251)
Russ Wilbanks (01:15:37.168)
Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant,
Sydoney Banks (01:15:52.642)
But I still talk with him and I knew his kids when they were like itty bitty and now they're all grown up. So it's like I've been, you know, a part of their lives for a very long time. So yeah, it's pretty cool. It's like I said, haunting is very, very powerful for lots of reasons.
Russ Wilbanks (01:16:09.946)
Yeah, when you said you like that haunt is no longer there, you feel like you still, this is to me, but do you feel like you still carry on like the legacy of that old haunt?
Sydoney Banks (01:16:22.284)
yeah, yeah. I cannot, like it - I mean it's where I learned everything I learned, so it's like it's it's part of me. I can't not - not have it. Even if I tried to get away from it, it's there.
Russ Wilbanks (01:16:38.618)
Yeah, that haunt that I left to go to the new one, like, it no longer exists, but I feel like I still carry on, like, as long as I haunt, that haunt still... Yeah, that haunt, I still represent, even though I represent Haunted Web, I still represent Nightshade Manor, the haunt that I worked at. also, there's...
Sydoney Banks (01:16:42.882)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:16:50.508)
Yep, it's a part of you.
Sydoney Banks (01:16:58.818)
Mm -hmm.
Russ Wilbanks (01:17:08.518)
There's Keith that does behind the scenes and there's another guy, forgot his name there. All of us have won awards at the new haunted whip. So that tells me that we were gonna be one of the baddest haunts in the country because all of us have won awards. We still carry on the legacy.
Sydoney Banks (01:17:11.906)
Mm -hmm.
Sydoney Banks (01:17:23.234)
Yeah, that's cool.
Sydoney Banks (01:17:33.25)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:17:38.728)
of you know nightshade manner if if haunted web goes on i will still carry the legacy of haunted web and plus nightshade manner and and i i don't i don't know i just because everybody put blood sweat and tears into the into that haunt and then i feel like like i embody that that haunt and
Sydoney Banks (01:17:40.664)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:18:05.574)
try to keep its legacy alive and somebody hey you know when asked me asked me about you know haunting I always bring up nightshade manner I always bring about haunted web and you know all you know the haunts that I've worked at you know that are no longer here
Sydoney Banks (01:18:07.971)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:18:13.452)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:18:24.128)
Yeah. And I'd say depending on how big of a part of you it is, actually like really becomes a part of your story. Like just yourself. You know, just depending.
Russ Wilbanks (01:18:39.664)
Again, like nobody else like really when I try to understand make people like talk about this like nobody else understands
Sydoney Banks (01:18:47.49)
Yeah, no, I get it. I get it. Because it is, like, I think, especially for true haunters, people who been doing it long enough, it's like there is like one haunt, whether it's your first one, or there's a certain one that you work at, and it like, it changes you. And it stays with you because there is just something about it. And usually it is your first one, unless you had a really bad experience.
Russ Wilbanks (01:19:02.118)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:19:11.163)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:19:11.704)
But it sticks with you and it kind of like molds you kind of into the haunter you become and then that's what you take with you wherever you go. It's kind of like the foundation of, and then you build upon it every haunt you work at, you you learn something from it, you take it.
Russ Wilbanks (01:19:20.368)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:19:28.576)
or learn some from the people that work it and then carry on to another haunt because I'm sure at some point Haunted Web will go down and then god and then I don't know what I would do I'd probably work at the other one that Brooks there and then and I was starting to not getting paid for a while because I don't think they pay
Sydoney Banks (01:19:31.138)
Yeah. Yep.
Sydoney Banks (01:19:46.786)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:19:58.355)
Aww, yeah I hate that.
Russ Wilbanks (01:20:01.254)
Dude, I... But I honestly probably don't get paid, because I... I spend all my money on my mask edition.
Sydoney Banks (01:20:06.678)
Yeah. Yup, yup. Yup. Haunters, I mean, even when we do get paid, do we really? Cause you know, you spend it right back on stuff like new knee pads, gloves, costume, you know, props, whatever, gas to get there. It's like, but yeah, when they don't pay, when it's volunteer, it's even more rough. Cause then you're actually spending the money that you do need. So yeah, I get it. I get it.
Russ Wilbanks (01:20:32.762)
Yeah.
But yeah, like the last year I bought a... A Jason Goes To Hell bust. And that was $400 and that was all of my haunt money.
Russ Wilbanks (01:20:55.729)
We're dumb. We're not.
Sydoney Banks (01:20:58.574)
Last year I bought a mask for the haunt I worked at because I didn't want to do the makeup every night. So I got one of the immoral masks. It was on sale but it was still like five, six hundred bucks.
Russ Wilbanks (01:21:10.118)
Those... Yeah, those are cool, but man, those eyes are big.
Sydoney Banks (01:21:14.478)
Yeah. So I wear - but I mean, it worked out though because I got to wear it every night so it's not like it wasn't used, it's just - it was a big expense right away that I probably shouldn't have done but, you know, whatever. So yeah, I get it.
Russ Wilbanks (01:21:32.184)
yeah, I bought that Windingo one from Immortal. I wore that all year for like the butchers. The slaughterhouse when that was open. if you opened your mouth too big on that Immortal one, the mouth would rip. I found that out. I ripped it the first night. Shit. That was like...
Sydoney Banks (01:21:41.186)
Mm
Sydoney Banks (01:21:52.589)
Yeah.
Yeah, you have to be careful.
Russ Wilbanks (01:21:57.596)
That was a $100 or no, it was a $900 mask and it drifted first night.
Sydoney Banks (01:22:02.655)
Yeah, you have to be really careful because the haunt I worked for they had a couple of their own and one of the guys I worked with his the mouth was starting to rip on his and I know like I had a hole on the top of mine I was like how the hell did even happen? So I had to patch it and stuff But it's like yeah, whenever you wear those you have to be like super careful kind of with What you how you put them on and stuff you have to be really careful
Russ Wilbanks (01:22:15.44)
Mm.
Sydoney Banks (01:22:29.506)
But, you know, whatever. It was better than having to do makeup every night.
Russ Wilbanks (01:22:35.086)
yeah just I black yes yeah
Sydoney Banks (01:22:36.84)
Mm -hmm But yeah, I totally get it. Look at what you say. We spend, yeah, even if you get paid you spend it on stuff
Russ Wilbanks (01:22:47.93)
this year's gonna suck though. Cause I didn't... Do you take dates from your regular job? Do you take dates off to haunt? Yeah, I don't have that luxury this year. I open at night and I'm gonna have to go to work like four hours later. I'm gonna have to tail down and beat easy of the dirt. Yeah. Cause I'm gonna have to...
Sydoney Banks (01:22:58.55)
Yep.
Sydoney Banks (01:23:14.85)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:23:17.414)
go to sleep four hours later and that's gonna suck.
Sydoney Banks (01:23:18.829)
Nah.
Yeah, well my job's kinda weird, cause I'm a stagehand, so... It's kind of like, yeah they offer you jobs, you know, and so you can say yes or no, so it depends on like... Obviously if they do it on the weekends or when we're open I can't, but if they do it on the weekday or, you know, whatever, so it just depends, so it's like, yeah I'm gonna have to turn down a lot of things, but...
Russ Wilbanks (01:23:26.252)
that's not the best.
Sydoney Banks (01:23:43.67)
I don't know how... I don't know. We'll see. Also, it depends on how tired and like other things that I have to do, because you still have to do laundry and stuff, so... We'll see.
Russ Wilbanks (01:23:56.986)
Yeah, and I work at the post office, so... Yeah... Yeah... They don't allow you outside life in there, and don't give a damn about it.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:00.226)
that's a good job.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:08.064)
Yeah, that's true, but it is a good job. I mean in Arizona now because it's too hot but
Russ Wilbanks (01:24:11.182)
Yeah.
Yeah. Well, I'm - I'm a clerk, so it don't - if you wanna threaten me -
Sydoney Banks (01:24:17.806)
okay, so you don't even,
Russ Wilbanks (01:24:21.082)
No, we stay inside with air conditioning.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:24.349)
nice. That's fun.
Russ Wilbanks (01:24:27.068)
We just have to deal with weird first amendment people that are really weird to come in with video cameras and try to piss everybody off. That happened a month ago.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:39.85)
That's fun.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:45.632)
jeez. Yes.
Russ Wilbanks (01:24:47.706)
Yeah, he pissed off the people across the street and they were gonna whip his ass bad.
Sydoney Banks (01:24:54.907)
I don't know what the world's coming to.
Russ Wilbanks (01:24:55.782)
Yeah.
And then he tried it at my main post office. He got, yeah, he pissed off those old people and they call it a cost of five minutes, he got arrested. So that's some good karma, because he made fun of me when I was at my job. And then to hear about him getting arrested put a smile on my face.
Sydoney Banks (01:25:07.886)
Damn.
Sydoney Banks (01:25:19.214)
Hey, when you get what you sow, you know, they save. Yeah, reap what you sow.
Russ Wilbanks (01:25:25.914)
Yeah, that's a good karma right there.
Yeah, it's Pongcast sponsored by Karma.
Sydoney Banks (01:25:40.982)
No one will listen to it except the people who like karma. No.
Russ Wilbanks (01:25:46.013)
We're all honours for going to hell anyway, so it don't matter.
Sydoney Banks (01:25:48.684)
No, yeah, I've been told that a lot. Alright, so the last question I had is, is there anything you'd like to share with us before you go? Anything about haunting, or yourself, or anything?
Russ Wilbanks (01:25:51.846)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:26:06.86)
So, our haunt we've had a couple of people commit suicide. So, just beware of your mental health. Now, that's actually been three. So we had somebody last year that was...
on acting and then the middle of the season he killed himself so I'm really just sad when it happens because you never see it coming so if you
Sydoney Banks (01:26:50.616)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:26:55.312)
you know if you feel down just talk to somebody or you know every talk to somebody at your haunt and
Sydoney Banks (01:26:59.266)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:27:05.097)
I'm sorry to, to, you know, to be a Debbie Downer at the end, but...
Sydoney Banks (01:27:09.218)
Well no, this is actually a really good point. It really is because, like I said, things happen, people get sad, sometimes you feel like you're alone in things, and trust me, I've been there, I just talked about it briefly. But yeah, like he said, if there's help out there, if you're close with somebody in the haunt industry, or anybody you know, reach out to them.
Russ Wilbanks (01:27:34.876)
We have two awards that are named after them. So we have the George Bikini Award, which is our MVP. And then the Aaron Westbrook Award, which is for our Front of the Line people. Both took their own lives.
Sydoney Banks (01:27:44.857)
that's cool.
Russ Wilbanks (01:28:02.764)
I don't think any, I know of any other haunt that has like a more system like ours. it's, have like a wall of fame, you know, for people who really put in work into our haunt.
Sydoney Banks (01:28:11.128)
That's cool.
Sydoney Banks (01:28:19.769)
That's really neat.
Russ Wilbanks (01:28:21.238)
We have like wall of fame and then we have all these awards that we give out like actual like awards or they take it to an award place and they have it plaited and everything.
Sydoney Banks (01:28:33.839)
that's nice.
Russ Wilbanks (01:28:35.991)
And yeah, we.
Yeah, we don't want to have to make any awards after people's names. Yeah, so...
Sydoney Banks (01:28:45.954)
Yeah, you don't want anymore. Yeah. No, that's a good thing to bring up, for sure. Yeah, if you're feeling sad or if you know somebody that is, for sure get help. Because your life is worth living. Even if you feel like it isn't.
Russ Wilbanks (01:29:02.03)
And then it really affected everybody at our haunt. Because that year, next year, his family came in and was like, I was doing the three haunt. And then his family came in and said, yeah, you're doing a good job. I really, I miss George. And then that really bummed me out and kind of, you know.
Sydoney Banks (01:29:06.198)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:29:26.285)
Yeah.
Russ Wilbanks (01:29:32.124)
I thought about that for like 10 minutes and it made it... I struggled to act when I was thinking about it. So yeah. So yeah, I'm sorry to bring up...
Sydoney Banks (01:29:35.052)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:29:43.362)
Yeah.
Sydoney Banks (01:29:50.582)
No, no, no, that's fine. I get it. Well, we appreciate it and we appreciate the time that you took to talk with us and all that. We might have to set up another interview with you just to talk about how all of your, you know, the season went and how your trip went with Halloween Horror Nights and all that.
Russ Wilbanks (01:30:10.652)
I'm gonna say it's gonna 0 out of 10.
Sydoney Banks (01:30:13.326)
So you have my email and stuff now, so yeah, we'll just set something up
Russ Wilbanks (01:30:14.884)
it yet yet that that work it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's
Sydoney Banks (01:30:22.899)
Well, we won't say that yet. We'll see.
Russ Wilbanks (01:30:28.976)
We'll see, we'll see.
Sydoney Banks (01:30:29.888)
Yeah. All right, well thank you so much and have a great rest of your day.
Russ Wilbanks (01:30:33.02)
It was very nice talking to you and and You should maybe take... see if you can like talk to Char or something. I don't know, she's on Instagram.
Sydoney Banks (01:30:44.748)
Yeah, for sure. If you know anybody, for sure. Yeah, send them my way or let them know.
Russ Wilbanks (01:30:52.078)
I I'll tell her to maybe send you an email or, I don't know.