Here we are again with a collaborative storytelling: we formed a team of photographers who had to shoot sets from a selection belonging to a specific theme and build a single story or two distinct stories, but in any case, there should be something in common that could connect them in some way.

The set chosen was the new 3-in-1 31167 Haunted Mansion, just in time for Halloween!

We invited sarouxbastoux and toypoetry to tell us their story.

After many ideas and considerations, here is the story they created!

This is how the quest begins (by sarouxbastoux)

Our three friends, residents of the mansion, Velena the vampire, Victor the monster, and Arden the werewolf, are preparing for the children’s arrival on Halloween night. They want the house to be perfectly decorated so they can distribute lots of candy. Let’s go! We need pumpkins, a scarecrow, and anything scary.

As Victor goes to gather the candy into the baskets, he notices it’s gone. He knows this is the kind of prank Arden might come up with, but it’s not something he’d do on Halloween night. The kids are coming, and we have nothing to give them.

Our three friends set out to find the candy in the mansion. Perhaps we’ve moved it. They’re bound to be here. But after several hours of searching, it’s clear that the candy basket remains empty.

Velena then had one last suggestion. We haven’t looked at the attic chest, let’s go. But once they opened the chest, they discovered a model train and a note that read, “Choo! Choo! The candy train is late. But if you find the station where the ghost says hello…then the treats will be waiting for you at the end…”

The candy quest had just begun!!

Victor immediately guessed what the note was about. We need to get to the station where Mirra lives; she must know where the candy is. So here are our three friends aboard the ghost train, heading for the abandoned station.

Once they arrived, they saw Mirra the ghost at the edge of the platform waving at them. They were obviously expected.

Mirra gestured for them to follow him into the station. Without question, they followed. Once inside the station hall, they saw Timber the clown skeleton waiting with a suitcase at his feet. He seemed to be waiting for a train that would never come…

But maybe he’s waiting for us said Arden

Timber handed them the suitcase, they opened it thinking they would find the candy…but they only found a nautical chart with this note: “The next clue is not on the tracks…but in the waves and tides. Look for the king of the sea who wears a golden horn…”

And that’s how the quest continues … (by toypoetry)

With the clue they had received from the skeleton in the train station, the creepy crew boarded their ship and set out in search of the king of the sea.

‘Over there! There’s is something in the waves!’ was heard from the ship’s lookout.

And indeed, there in the waves swam the whale with the golden horn.

‘The whale carries the clue, we have to get it! Hey wolf, don’t let me fall!’

Lady Vampire opened the envelope. The clue read: ‘Near the house that ghosts adore, find me to unlock a gloomy door. In white hands I can be seen. Look out for what is slightly green.’ 

They hurried back to the Haunted Mansion. ‘Follow me’, the skeleton said. ‘I might know the keeper of this key.’

Between the gravestones near the house, the skeleton called out ‘Hi cousin’, and a bony hand appeared from ground.

“Let’s hope this is the door we are looking for.”

The door opened with a crackling sound, suddenly sparkling light illuminated the room. There it was! A treasure chest full of treats and candy …

Now they finally had lots of treats and candy to the children who came by, and so it turned out to be a very happy Halloween for everyone after all.

Behind The Scenes

sarouxbastoux

The main idea was to tell a story around set 31167 The Haunted Mansion. We wanted to find a common story and divide it into two parts to allow each version of the set to be involved in the story. Toypoetry wanted the Halloween story to take a lighter, more fun, and more colorful turn. And why not create a story with friendly monsters? I LOVE THE IDEA!!

For the “Behind the Scene” section, I decided to show you my composition for the photo with the ghost train. 

First, I chose to take the photo outdoors. Since we’re going for a lighter and cuter Halloween story, I decided to photograph during the day to highlight the shimmering colors of autumn and stick even more to the story. 

I always use the same decorative accessories. I have several at my disposal that allow me to compose according to the desired result.

Here are some pieces of moss that I easily find in the forest. I keep them for months. The advantage? They are reusable even when dry and give a realistic look. I add some artificial elements that can be found either in the modeling section of toy stores or in the nursery section at Christmas time. 

I also regularly use our bonsai trees, which are an excellent choice for background decorations. Even if they sometimes die (sniff), I keep them because they can be used in an autumn/winter setting or a spooky setting.

For the ground, I always use the same base, which allows me to adapt depending on the scene. A polystyrene plate (allowing me to plant tree branches or other decorative objects) that I decorate with cactus substrate. The substrate is thin enough to be used in a setting.

toypoetry

Stories in which ships also appear often promise great adventure, so I was very excited to take on the scenes with the ghost ship, one of the alternative builds of the Haunted Mansion. Right at the beginning of the story development, I had the idea that our heroes should encounter someone on their sea voyage whom they really wouldn’t expect. Gladly I found a sea creature extraordinary enough for this appearance.

For the scenes with the ghost ship, I wanted to try something new this time. Creating water using only the bokeh effect. For the background, I laid out blue cardboard and scattered a glittering garland and tinsel on top, which usually are used as Christmas decoration. Reflectors on both sides of the scene directed the light. The scene was actually lit with daylight, as the table is located near a window. Only an LED balloon light was used in the background of the scene. By changing the camera’s white balance to artificial light, the shots got a bluish, ghostly look, which I later enhanced during editing. But the bokeh effect in these images could not be achieved in just one shot. I took several pictures, focusing each time on different near or far spots in the scene. I then combined these in Photoshop using layer masks so that the blur became visible everywhere it should be.

For both locations in the story, the ship and the house, the background was the same: black cardboard, black mesh fabric from Halloween decorations, and a delicate gold table runner that added texture and light elements to the black. If you’re wondering about the fluffy stuff behind the Haunted Mansion, it’s a Halloween spider web, just taken out of packaging.

To light up the skeleton’s lantern, I used a tiny LED and again an LED balloon light for the pumpkin, and a few more of them for the scene where the monsters open the door. There, the colored bokeh sparkle also comes from the glittering garland mentioned earlier.

By working with the The Haunted Mansion Creator 3-in-1 set I can say it is really amazing. Each build offers many possibilities for creating spooky and Halloween themed scenes. It definitely deserves a score of 10 out of 10.