Holidays Galleries

Halloween 2006 (061031) : These are some images from Halloween. Included are the cast from the time machine event. There are also some photos of an annual display on a nearby front lawn.

Halloween 2006 (061031)

These are some images from Halloween. Included are the cast from the time machine event. There are also some photos of an annual display on a nearby front lawn.

Updated: Nov 01, 2006 10:21pm PST

Halloween 2006 Time Machine : This year a group of us decided to make a Time Machine as a Halloween entertainment. We planned on a darkened, UV-lit, machine-theme entryway leading to the Time Machine itself. It would be a 4 foot by 4 foot room the victims/visitors would have to step up into. The room would be decorated internally with interesting electronic-theme stuff. At the time it is being entered the Time Machine would be held in an elevated position by a set of electromagnets. The room system would be installed on a wheeled base so that it could be spun around quickly. The pictures here show the construction of the Time Machine. There was, of course, more to the entertainment than just the Time Machine. A legend was created to explain why visitors seeking candy would have to go back in time to retrieve their treats, with just 30 seconds to find and get them. When the Time Machine was occupied, the room would drop about 2 inches and then be spun around to face a darkened, UV-lit, jungle-theme space populated with UV-makeup people. There were several areas, or "scare points" where the search for the candy could be interrupted. There was a flame thrower in the open area above this space that would jet a couple of seconds of flames for effect. When the candy was collected, the visitors re-entered the Time Machine, it was spun back around, and they were permitted to exit. While they were exitingl, the room was re-suspended by the magnets.

Halloween 2006 Time Machine

This year a group of us decided to make a Time Machine as a Halloween entertainment. We planned on a darkened, UV-lit, machine-theme entryway leading to the Time Machine itself. It would be a 4 foot by 4 foot room the victims/visitors would have to step up into. The room would be decorated internally with interesting electronic-theme s ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2006 2:01pm PST

Cory Christmas 2006 : Inspired by putting up lights at our house at Thanksgiving, Cory decided to decorate his home with lights. Of course, he added controllers and connected them to a computer. Then he selected appropriate musical numbers and programmed the lights to accompany the music. Finally, he added a local FM transmitter so viewers could hear the music. Most nights Cory and Ashley set out a table with hot chocolate and cider. They made an arrangement to accept donations for the Children's Hospital at UC Davis.

Cory Christmas 2006

Inspired by putting up lights at our house at Thanksgiving, Cory decided to decorate his home with lights. Of course, he added controllers and connected them to a computer. Then he selected appropriate musical numbers and programmed the lights to accompany the music. Finally, he added a local FM transmitter so viewers could hear the mu ...

Updated: Dec 31, 2006 9:23pm PST

Halloween 2007 - Deal or No Deal / Trick Or Treat : This year's Halloween activity started with 11 Halliburton-style cases being donated to the cause. That inspired us to create a Deal Or No Deal type set, the Trick Or Treat version. We also had an infrared light and two IR video cameras donated, which inspired the dark tunnel entry/exit. The battlebot guys created a second-generation flame thrower to add some punch to the event. Combine that with an enthusiastic cast of aquatics athletes from Homestead High School and the event is complete.

Halloween 2007 - Deal or No Deal / Trick Or Treat

This year's Halloween activity started with 11 Halliburton-style cases being donated to the cause. That inspired us to create a Deal Or No Deal type set, the Trick Or Treat version. We also had an infrared light and two IR video cameras donated, which inspired the dark tunnel entry/exit. The battlebot guys created a second-generation f ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2007 1:58pm PST

Halloween 2007 - Brent Ross' Mountain View Display : Brent Ross, who has been doing Halloween displays at his parents' house in Mountain View, CA, won $50,000 this year from fearnet.com for the presentation shown in a video entered into the competition. The presentation of the prize winnings was done on the Today show just before Halloween. These are a few pictures to give a flavor of the display. The haunting was written up in the San Jose Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_7337706?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_7331179?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

Halloween 2007 - Brent Ross' Mountain View Display

Brent Ross, who has been doing Halloween displays at his parents' house in Mountain View, CA, won $50,000 this year from fearnet.com for the presentation shown in a video entered into the competition. The presentation of the prize winnings was done on the Today show just before Halloween. These are a few pictures to give a flavor of the ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2007 3:11pm PST