In My History of Halloween & Horror: Part I, I discussed my childhood and the ways my family fostered my love for all things spooky. In Part II I want to give an overview of my professional background. I am more than just an enthusiast – my jobs have given me insight into the inner workings of the film, haunt, and Halloween industries. Amazingly, I have made a living doing what I love. As a result I have acquired a vast knowledge base to help my eerie endeavors. I am a Halloween/horror professional!
I have always liked the phrase “movie magic”. There is something magical about sitting in a darkened room full of strangers, coming together through a shared experience. Films can transport you into a fantastic world that reflects the best and worst of society. They can help you to look through the eyes of someone whose life is drastically different from your own and grow in understanding. Being on a film set is also magical. A team of highly talented individuals come together for a shared goal of creating a unique world for others.
Following film school, I spent a few years dabbling in post-production. I honed my editing skills with the very non-horror “Prune Like a Pro” Youtube series, editing over 180 plant and nature-related videos. I also worked for two professional post-production/marketing companies, where I learned about the process of creating trailers and other marketing materials for film & television. My favorite experiences were learning how professional editors created marketing materials for the remake of Carrie, Full Moon Features films, and other scary fare. Although editing felt satisfying – like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle – I realized that sitting alone in a dark room staring at a computer for hours upon hours was not the job for someone as social as me.
So, I switched to the opposite side of the filmmaking process. I worked with the BlueCat Screenplay Competition first as a reader, then Competition Coordinator, and finally as their Social Media Coordinator. Spending my days reading hundreds of screenplays and learning from a top-notch mentor gave me new perspectives on crafting a script. There are so many talented horror writers from around the world, and so many amazing horror stories just waiting to be produced! I, however, am decidedly not a writer, and I wanted something more hands-on and collaborative.
You can’t get more hands-on and collaborative experience than on a film set. I love to be both in front of and behind the camera. Luckily, I have had ample opportunity for both! Check out some of my works:
Features:
Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb – Self
9 Ways to Hell (2022) – Director (“Gluttony”), Actress (“Gluttony”)
Who Was Buffalo Bill? (2016) – Director, Actress
Killer Party (2014) – Script Supervisor
Fable: Teeth of Beasts (2010) – Production Assistant
Shorts:
Not Pregnant (2016) – Actress
Safe & Sound (2015) – Actress, Writer, Producer
Under the Bed (2015) – Writer, Actress, Producer
Fade to Black (2013) – Actress
Goth Girl: Season 2, Episode 11 (2010) – Actress
Growing up, my Dad and I drove up to 7 hours away to attend horror movie conventions. From Chiller Theater in New Jersey, to local Buffalo-area cons, we went to every one we could, speaking to filmmakers and celebrities (and collecting autographs for the movie room). Additionally, we attended non-horror fare: toy train shows, air shows, toy collectable conventions, etc. I had a lot of fun attending conventions and always thought of them as nice ways to spend a weekend. They were just fun little diversions, and I never gave them too much consideration outside of that.
I never thought to volunteer for one until my senior year of college, where I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for Fangoria’s Trinity of Terror convention. I skipped a day of classes and got the cheapest hotel room I could find so I could spend the weekend working the event. The experience was electrifying. During the show I worked with the event videographer and interviewed Malcolm McDowell, John Waters, my childhood idol Kritsy Swanson, George Romero, and more. Unfortunately, the event is known in certain circles as “the best convention no one attended” so I never got the chance to work that event again.
Struggling to survive for a few years after college kept me from working for free again, but all that changed in 2013 when I stumbled across a Facebook page for a new upcoming Halloween convention right in LA (so no hotel room required). I sent them a Facebook message and a day later received a response. I didn’t know it then, but this opportunity would change the entire course of my life.
ScareLA was the “premiere Halloween convention in SoCal” (a tagline I championed from year-one) from 2013 – 2018. I started as an assistant to one of the event’s founders on the show floor. A month before the event I left my job at a post-production house so I had far too much time on my hands to prep for the event. My 50+ page event binder with every single detail about the event impressed management and the next year I was on payroll as the Exhibitor Coordinator. By year three I was a close assistant to both founders of the event – even working with them on projects outside of ScareLA.
Starting in 2016, I became the Exhibition Producer for ScareLA’s final three years. In addition, I coordinated the event’s Screening Room, showcasing filmmakers from around the world.
My co-workers and mentors at ScareLA instilled in me many key lessons that I still hold in my heart:
Until ScareLA, I had never even thought that the events industry could be a career path for me. I usually associated careers in events more along the lines of party planning, wedding planning, or catering. This event showed me that I could make a living creating interactive spooky experiences. After two years of ScareLA, I stopped looking for full-time film work in post houses or studios and decided that the flexibility and fun of the events world was the best fit for me.
ScareLA will forever hold a special place in my heart. I am very proud of the event we created and all the talented individuals we supported and highlighted during the years of the event. Our model has since inspired other events around the country.
Although one event may take an entire year’s worth of work to produce, to pay the bills, a person usually needs more than just one event. That variety is what makes the events industry so dynamic and exciting. It also allows me to constantly bring new techniques and ideas to all the events I work with.
I have been involved in a number of events and trade shows in Southern California – specializing in horror, Halloween, and cinema. Highlights include:
Screamfest is the largest and longest-running horror film festival in the U.S. I have been a proud volunteer with this festival since 2013. The event highlights horror filmmakers from around the world for 9 crazy days each October. They also host monthly Fears & Beers movie nights with classic horror favorites.
Recently, I have also been their Volunteer Coordinator. I oversee a group of 20+ horror film fans who work together to support the fest. It is a joy to have worked with such kind and dedicated team members for all these years. Plus I get to meet new friends each year!
Looking for something scary to watch? Check out their Youtube channel or read some of my past Film Friday posts:
Rounding out my experience in the horror/Halloween world is having worked in professional haunted attractions.
I spent a season with Delusion for their production of “Masque of Mortality” in 2013. Over the summer I helped build/paint/set up the venue and then worked behind the scenes for the finale room for the haunt’s limited-time run. This was my first taste of the professional haunt industry. I loved how it blended a haunted house and theatrical production. Watching how each group and performance was timed to allow actors to weave from scene to scene was awe-inspiring. I have heard that I can briefly be seen at work in the behind-the-scenes footage of Delusion in the special features of the Haunters: The Movie DVD. Let me know if you spot me!
In 2014 I was able to call Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s Monster colleagues while working at Universal Studios Hollywood as a House of Horrors Attraction Host. I enjoyed entering the lot every morning, donning a uniform with a Dracula or Frankenstein poster image on the back, and helping to scare the living daylights out of tourists. Adding little flourishes to the safety spiel was a highlight of my day: “Please remember to hold onto everything you do not want to lose while in the attraction – such as hats, glasses, loved ones…”
I also loved to tease the scaredy-cat of each group. They would typically cling onto someone at the back and as they entered the attraction, I would whisper, “Our monsters like the ones at the back the best”.
After working with Philip Hernandez at ScareLA, I admired his dedication to the haunt industry and the way he truly wanted to help haunters spread the word about their events. Philp’s Haunted Attraction Network is the leading news resource for haunted attractions. Reaching up to 100 million people, HAN informs, connects, and educates a wide global audience from enthusiasts to professionals. Since 2020 I have been a regular contributor to the website & weekly newsletter. You can also see me featured in a few of our videos (like Springtopia LA) and podcast episodes. Subscribe to the HAN weekly newsletter to read my weekly news updates.
My history of Halloween & horror has touched every aspect of my day-to-day life from family to friends to my career. I have experienced every facet of the industry – content creation, events, haunts themselves, and more. These experiences have given me unique insights into the industry, and help me to highlight the best of the best.This blog is an opportunity for me to share news, events, and more that promote horror and Halloween. I hope to bring together other like-minded fans and creators so we can become a unified community of the macabre and spooky. After all, I truly believe Halloween is not a holiday you celebrate alone. Stay spooky, and stay tuned for more on TheHorrorOfBeingEmily.com.
Emily Louise Rua on IMDB
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