Halloween Horror Nights 5 Final Cut – part one

By Dejiki on November 3, 2015 in Halloween Horror Nights, Theme Parks

Halloween Horror Nights 5 has ended its run of 14 incredible nights. We’ve got a lot more photos to share from the final weekend!

Behind the Scenes: The Last Weekend

During the final weekend (29-31 Oct) of HHN5, I captured some 1,500 photos from the scare zones. Some people may not know this: When doing ‘reportage’ photography at HHN, most photos are throwaways. There’s too much action happening in poor light, other people ruining the shot, ‘look’ not dramatic enough, and so forth.

Out of that 1.5k, I have 200+ decent images – but still many repeats due to alternate compositions, and then it’s further cut to about 90+. The original plan was to share them on Instagram during the final weekend, for something I’d call “HHN5 Overdrive” where a new photo is posted every 1-3 hours, but then it’s still too many. So I thought, why not post 2-3 a day? It’ll be Chinese New Year 2016 before I’m done.

So I’ve decided to just publish them in extended bonus feature called HHN5 Final Cut. The point of all this is to feature the other great moments, and performers from both casts. So I’m adding select photos from mid season, if they are not already used in the main features. Some of the photos are already on Instagram, but uncropped shots will be published here.

This is a thank you series to the performers, crew and the team that made this year’s event happen. 🙂

Weaved into the images are some ‘behind the scenes’ thoughts and random anecdotes. So enjoy – it’s a long 11 months to HHN6.

[Cover Image: Blood Moon on Fire, 30/10/2015 ]

Final Cut #1 – It’s Not Over

The Prophet is a lesser-known character that only appears in the Opening Scaremony. He warns the guests who come in early about the Blood Moon, and if you did manage to meet him, you’ll see that his look has subtle, bizarre detailing.

His ‘calculations’ were inked onto his arm and coat. But his journal is… empty.

Final Rising of the Blood Moon on 31st October. Hollywood was packed in mere minutes.

Crew members diverting the crowd away from Hollywood into Madagascar. It’s a skill.

I’ve always wondered what will happen if the guests just ignore the rope and run out before the Opening Scaremony. What would the park do?

Of all the icons featured, the zombie may have been the toughest role to perform. All those lunges and jaw-dislocating poses. This zombie does not appear in the famous haunted house, but we all know he’s patient zero.

‘Nurses’ could be found in every zone of the park, selling jello syringe shots and blood packs.

Despite being a scare zone, the crew is particularly strict at ConTERMINATED. Flash photography and any form of lights were not allowed. This would push cameras to their limits.

The blue lighting here is tricky for many camera sensors, so capturing in RAW format is ideal if you want to push the capabilities of your camera.

Halloween Horror Nights 5 FINAL CUT / ConTERMINATED - the butcher

Almost missed the opportunity to capture this performer, who is a famous park guest 😎

And then I met his counterpart too. What luck.

Halloween Horror Nights 5 FINAL CUT / ConTERMINATED - the victim in blue

These two photos were very dark and had overblown blues when previewed on my camera. After editing, all the finer details could be lifted out. So my advice for people who want to cover HHN – don’t delete anything unless you’re sure it can’t be saved.