By Paul Peterson
Halloween is a special day for just about everyone. That includes little kids who like to dress up like their favorite book or movie characters and go door to door getting candy. And adults who enjoy making the most talked about Halloween yard haunt displays in the neighborhood.
Whether you are fixing up your yard to be scary, having the Halloween party that people will talk about for years, or decorating your business or theater for the most scary Halloween ever, a great modern Fog Machine is the easiest and most impressive way to own Halloween in 2018.
Most people think of spectacular costumes or realistic display characters that will be especially frightening. Monsters, witches, ghosts, cemetery stones, pumpkins and lots of spider webs are mandatory. Add some colored lights, recorded music, and voices to your set and you will soon be hearing ooh's and aah's from every passerby.
Chances are you have done all that in the past and done it well. Now you're ready to take the one extra step that will kick things up a notch and make your Halloween set really come alive. You need a fog machine.
Fog Is Alive
Fog is always always about movement. It flows, grows, spreads, rolls, and creeps across your yard or floor. While your other characters and decorations may be static and still, fog is always on the move. It is literally alive with Halloween magic.
Fog machines have a long history in theater and movies. You will find them everywhere in TV. They're used extensively in live theatre and opera, concerts, nightclubs, and theme parks. Increasingly fog machines are also being used extensively in Halloween haunted houses, corn mazes, and other seasonal entertainment productions.
Fog gives your Halloween set mood and atmosphere. It is the easy to create special effect that gives your decorations and characters a big dose of added eeriness and fright.
Fog is particularly useful to enhance lighting. You can see a spot light cutting across the stage when the area is filled with fog. Colored lights can be used to make the fog have varying colors. Changing, moving lights within the fog is especially effective.
Fog can be dispersed to cover a wider area in height or be thick and blanket-like from anywhere from a few inches to a couple of feet in height over the ground. This gives your display or set the feel of classic horror movies where fog special effects were used extensively. Those movies play constantly on TV and cable around Halloween. Audiences are thoroughly familiar with the effect. It means frightening, thrilling Halloween at its best for just about everyone.
Today's Fog Machines Are Safe
The hazardous fog machines and fluids of the past are long gone. Today's machines and supplies are designed and manufactured to very high standards. Even inside enclosed areas, there will be no adverse effects to filling the floor with fog while guests thrill to the sight and feel of moving fog.
Fog machines heat up fog juice to about 450 degrees, then blow it out to spread across a space. The more wattage a fog machine has, the more fog it can produce. If you want a lot of fog, go for the highest wattage machine available.
Chilled Fog Machines specialize in creating thick blankets of dense fog that sits on the ground. In the past this was done with dry ice, but is now accomplished with moist air.
Haze Machines do a great job of creating less dense fog that fills the air. This is mostly used to help spot lights track through space and show colored lights more effectively.
Fog juice or fluid is most often a mixture of glycol or glycerin, mineral oil, and water. It is not harmful to adults, children, pets, or plants.
1byone 400-Watt Fog Machine
One of our favorites is this 400 Watt unit from 1byone. It is a capable and affordable fog machine with modern features and safety. 1byone is a leading manufacturer known for innovative design and solid construction. It works well meeting the demanding needs of professionals and will be just about everything you could want for home or general business use.
This machine puts out a light, unscented fog that is just right for indoor areas. Lots of people use it for weddings and stage productions. It is a great choice for your Halloween party and can even work well for impressive outdoor yard haunts.
Remember the more wattage your fog machine has the more fog it can produce. We like the 400 watt, but you may opt for the smaller 100 watt version.
This fog machine is easy and intuitive to operate. Glance through the instruction manual and you will be ready to go. It features a remote control that lets you manage the action from a distance. This is especially useful when you want to be the wizard behind the curtain in full control of your Halloween set or production.
Again, the 1byone is well made and quite durable. Take care of it and it will take care of you. You will enjoy many years of impressive fog effects. Just what your Halloween needs to turn up in lots of social media pics and videos. Play your cards right, and with a little luck and ingenuity, once the exponential power of social sharing kicks in, you could just find yourself well on your way to Social Media Superstardom, all thanks to your fabulous little fog machine.
ADJ Mister Kool II Fog Machine
This is a dry ice machine perfect for creating a thick blanket of eerie fog that spreads and rolls across the floor. This is one of the best of the best fog machines out there for creating Hollywood quality special effects perfect for Halloween.
Rather than using dry ice that can be hard to find, this Mister Kool II uses common ice cubes. Get a sack of ice from your supermarket or C-store and you're ready to rock. That combines with a water based fog juice to create beautiful thick "dry ice" style fog.
Its got a big chiller box that lets you load up to 4 pounds of ice cubes at one time. Combine that with the 12 foot long remote cord and control and you're ready to sit behind the scenes and create thick fog all night long.
It puts out an impressive 3,000 cubic feet of fog every minute. It's also fast. Turn the Kool II on and it heats up and is ready to go in just 3 minutes.
While the Mister Kool II is one of the very best for Halloween, you can also use it for weddings, dances, theatre, concerts, festivals, and everything else you do throughout the year.
Theefun 400-Watt Portable Fog Machine
This machine is ideal for the Halloween enthusiast who just wants some quality fog to enhance any display, set, yard haunt, or event. It even has a sturdy handle for carrying or to prop up the machine so it sprays fog at just the right angle.
The Theefun uses water based juice to create a nice hazy fog that quickly fills an area. While the fog isn't as big or dense as other machines, this one heats up and is ready to use in just 2 minutes. You're up and running in no time to fill the room or area with quality, healthy fog.
As the name portable implies, this fog machine is designed to be packed up, carried around, and easily used for lots of different occasions. It is made of aluminum so it's lightweight, durable, and will not easily rust or corrode. This is a great choice for keeping with your Halloween decorations to bring out and use each year. It makes a great long term investment.
Now Let's OWN Halloween!
Let's say you've got two events you want to knock out of the park this year: your mind blowing Halloween display in the front yard and the killer Halloween party you're famous for hosting every year.
The past couple of years you've impressed everyone with your intricately detailed static displays and real lifelike costumed characters. You also added lighting that gives reds, blues, greens with movement and extra eeriness. Now you want something more. Something that will take things to the next level. Something that will get everyone talking, raving, and pulling out their phones for pictures and videos. Something that's destined to go viral and take on a life of its own.
Clearly a quality, affordable, easy to use fog machine will let you easily own Halloween 2018. Whether you are creating a spooky haze with the Theefun 400-Watt Portable Fog Machine or going for a thick blanket of dense fog that recreates famous scenes from movies with the ADJ Mister Kool II Fog Machine, you will be miles ahead of the game with this remarkable special fog effect.
People are used to seeing fog used at major concerts, sporting events, and theatrical productions. They associate professional fog with major TV shows and Hollywood movies. Just imagine how impressed they will be when YOUR Halloween set features realistic, extra spooky fog. Friends will want to know what Hollywood special effects crew you hired to make your Halloween the finest and most intriguing in town. It will be up to you who you choose to let in on your best kept little secret.
Halloween is almost here. There is still plenty of time to choose your fog machine, place your order, and receive it delivered to your door. Take just a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the controls and usage. Then load up your machine with fog juice, turn it on, heat it up, and start pumping out the fright with the fog machine of your dreams. Your brand new fog machine will no doubt be the most brilliant addition to your life that lets you own Halloween in 2018.
Paul Peterson is with www.getfogmachine.com, the web's ultimate source for information and recommendations on Fog Machines. Check the site for expert reviews on the best fog machines to own Halloween 2018.