ABOVE: Built from working Amish Horse drawn riggings, the mechanics of this elaborate “Haunted Horse Drawn Hearse” make this the real deal says Scarefactory’s Web site. The description notes: “tubular steel frame, wood & polyurethane body panels, and durable plexiglass windows complete with custom drapery treatments, combined with Old World Oak wheels with ball bearing inserts and street rubber, custom leaf springs, and a cast iron fifth wheel allow the proud new owner to drive the Ultimate Hearse in promotional parades or park it at special events… working prop into your haunted attraction. Each new owner receives custom ‘etched glass’ transparency of their design for the side glass.” BELOW: This Scarefactory creation is known as the “Undertaker Turn and Shoot” and is not as scary as some of the others offered. According to the Web site, the undertaker stands holding a shovel with his back turned and when activated he turns and then flies through the air 5 feet toward an audience. He is capable of jaw articulation for screaming and multiple head movements. Although these creations will not be used in the show, they are a fun addition to a haunted house.
Logan grad brings thrilling inventions to History Channel
LOGAN - "Could you have survived?" That's the question that a new History Channel series will ask each week, and Logan native Wes Hilton will help answer it.
In each episode of "Surviving History", a team of "thrill-seeking history buffs experiments with some of history's most amazing inventions," according to the History Channel's Web site, www.history.com . Hilton is the technical director of Scarefactory Inc. in Columbus, a special effects or "FX" business in the "dark amusement industry" that will recreate those inventions.
The History Channel "team investigates a different period in history, picks out five of the most ingenious devices, practices or weapons of war from that time period, and studies the history of how and why they were developed," the Web site states.
The series premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday, June 15. Each of the nine episodes is filmed at the Scarefactory and of those, Hilton appears in five.
Hilton never planned to go from Logan to "Hollywood" so to speak. At Logan High School, he spent time on stage with roles in the high school's drama productions. Following graduation in 1999, Hilton attend Ohio University's School of Theater for two years. It was the set-building experience he gained there that landed him a job with Scarefactory.
"I never pictured myself being in front of the camera," said Hilton. "We'll see how it goes. It's a strange situation having four cameras on you and not looking at them."
Now, in surreal moments, Hilton can find himself surrounded by those cameras during a taping of "Surviving History" or just as easily at the Playboy Mansion designing a haunted house when it's time for Hugh Hefner's annual Halloween party.
"Every now and then, I look around and say, 'Oh, this is what I do.' " said Hilton, who is the son of Roger and Rita Jones of Rockbridge.
At the Scarefactory, Hilton and fellow craftsmen will aid the show by surveying "the past to experience the most inventive devices and technologies ever created.
Using a variety of skills (welding, design, carpentry), the multi-talented [Scarefactory] team rebuilds elements from the past in an effort to better understand history," according to the description at www.history.com .
The Scarefactory is a full-service design and fabrication studio that specializes in creating haunted attractions and everything that goes into them. The company is known for its catalog line of animated characters, furniture, fixtures and props.
Hilton's job encompasses many areas, including oversight of electronics, pneumatics, assembly, testing and customer service. He also maintains the company Web site.
The Scarefactory Web site, www.scarefactory.com, states "We strive to research and develop over 30 new products each year in an attempt to provide innovation, not imitation, to the haunted attraction industry. [Our staff] meticulously handcrafts each and every piece we sell. We annually provide our products and services to more that 500 haunted attractions around the world."
In Sunday's premiere, "the Scarefactory's trek through history guides them to the macabre world of the Middle Ages." One member of the "Surviving History" team will explore the mythology of one of the most infamous torture devices ever conceived, the Iron Maiden. Another will test out a lesser-known tool of medieval punishment, the Iron Boot. In another experiment, a cast member investigates Ancient China's early use of gunpowder with "Rocket-propelled Fire Arrows."
Hilton said whether the series goes into production for a second season will depend on viewership, but he is optimistic. "The show follows "Ice Road Truckers" which got incredible numbers last week. It's the best lead in [to our show]. If we get a fraction of that, we'll be picked up [for another season]".
