Halloween Horror Nights 2024 Clue Cheatsheet (USH)

[Freak]

So I'm going to take the initiative to try something new. MikePat on the speculation thread was super helpful to lay down a list things that Murdy posted he is working on this year. When Clive said to "take notes of what he's saying", it sparked an idea: As the year goes on, the longer the speculation thread gets, the more likely clues and hints Murdy post about get either buried, or mixed up with other info. So to keep this from happening, why not organize a list of clues that Murdy have given out?

I did this many years ago during spec season for HHN back in the days of Horror Nights Nightmares. I kinda forgot about it since then, but I think it's time to bring it back for Inside Universal! Of course as the season goes on, the list of clues will be organized accordingly. Although it's up to the mods to decide what's best or even if they want this thread art all, the only criteria that qualifies as a clue to be posted here is whatever Murdy posts/says. This will also greatly benefit the Orlando folks for speculation to help figure out shared IPs. Remember this is not another speculation thread. Just a thread to keep track of clues Murdy has shared. Nothing more. I do intend for posts to stay updated for clues. Again, those are my expectations for this thread, but it's ultimately up to the mods to lay down the rules. Just trying to have a thread to keep us updated on the clues Murdy has given.

So here's what we have so far:

General Clues:
-No repeat coming to the T-Pad location next this coming year.
-John Murdy mentioned on Twitter a meeting in a super secret location for a super secret meeting with a super secret person about a super secret property for 2024
-The theme for Terror Tram has already been decided
-In response to “So will T-Pad act as a “returning house location for the next few years?”’ Murdy replied: “No, it’s not gonna be for 2024.”
-As of Jan 28, it is currently “TBD” whether or not there will be a show in DWT this year.
-6/2 IP/original split

House #1 - Original
-91 pages of treatment
-Some of Murdy's research included “Borax,” Quonset Hut Design,” “Cryogenic Freezers,” Bible verses from “Proverbs,” and “Sir Galahad.”
-For the Bible verses, he specifically read Proverbs 16 18-20
-Clue: “Former Borax Mine”
House #2 - IP
-107 pages of treatment
-"My longtime creative partner Chris & I settled on the high concept last night…now I have to hit the books!"
House #3 - Original
-“Have to hit the books.” At 22 pages in, Murdy hasn’t gotten to the facade.
-106 pages of treatment
-Things researched in writing this treatment included a specific type of flower, rusted old wheelbarrows, a famous tree and an old man’s obsession.
-“Yeah, it’s about gardening.”
House #4:
-120 pages of treatment
House #5:
-132 pages of treatment
-“The research alone is gonna give me nightmares!”
-“Of the 18 years I’ve done HHN, (and the 111 house treatments I’ve done) this might be the darkest, most disturbing, and potentially scariest one!”
House #6:
-78 pages long of treatment
-IP house
-“Finished the treatment to house #6 for HHN 2024 at USH. Came in at a sprightly 78 pages. Moving on to house #7 on Monday. Have a great weekend Boils & Ghouls. My weekend goal is to get my daughters to watch “Little Shop of Horrors.”
House #7:
-97 pages of treatment
-When asked if this was original or IP: "Depends on your definition of that"
-When asked "Is this an IP original like TCM: Blood Bros?", he replied "Probably". So possibly an "IP original".
-"I spent a lot of time researching the Illuminati symbol and other triangular shaped symbols."
-"I spent a lot of time researching a real place that's 'history' is mostly fiction."
House #8:
-“I researched something at the Guggenheim museum for the last thing I was writing…”
- It is an “IPOriginal”
-When asked to describe the house in one word Murdy said “It’s not a nice word to say out loud”.

 

[Jaden]

Great idea! But shouldn’t the title be 2024 instead?

 

[Brian G.]

Remember this is not another speculation thread. Just a thread to keep track of clues Murdy has shared. Nothing more. I do intend for posts to stay updated for clues. Again, those are my expectations for this thread, but it's ultimately up to the mods to lay down the rules.

I want to just highlight this. We're going to keep the thread open because it's worth keeping tabs but we also don't want it to turn into another spec thread like Freak stated. If it comes down to that, we may have to lock it.

 

[Viator]

House 3 is done, at 106 pages!

 

[Viator]

Good to bring up (found the link by Sephiroth on the TPS and HHN'Reddit servers), but House 2 is a High-Concept IP.


High-Concept houses have been stuff like Chucky.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

Good to bring up (found the link by Sephiroth on the TPS and HHN'Reddit servers), but House 2 is a High-Concept IP.


High-Concept houses have been stuff like Chucky.

I dont wanna rain on any parades but I think when he says "the high concept" it less means the IP itself is high concept, and more that they settled on the overall tone and story they want to tell within the house, like the high concept you'd see on a published study or something that succinctly summarizes the overall concept.
Usually basically like a paragraph that in this case would be something establishing the setting and primary players, like mentioning chucky, the high concept of that would probably establish the concept of Chucky taking over the haunted house based on his movies, something like Scarecrow might outline the dustbowl elements and the scarecrows as a threat, etc.

 

[Viator]

I dont wanna rain on any parades but I think when he says "the high concept" it less means the IP itself is high concept, and more that they settled on the overall tone and story they want to tell within the house, like the high concept you'd see on a published study or something that succinctly summarizes the overall concept.
Usually basically like a paragraph that in this case would be something establishing the setting and primary players, like mentioning chucky, the high concept of that would probably establish the concept of Chucky taking over the haunted house based on his movies, something like Scarecrow might outline the dustbowl elements and the scarecrows as a threat, etc.

Murdy actually went into that--for him, a High-Concept house is a house that requires an intensive and high level of care being placed upon it. Scarecrow and the research into the Dust Bowl, and the concept of Chucky taking over a haunted house seem to fall into these.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

Murdy actually went into that--for him, a High-Concept house is a house that requires an intensive and high level of care being placed upon it. Scarecrow and the research into the Dust Bowl, and the concept of Chucky taking over a haunted house seem to fall into these.

He did state under that post that the high concept was the main theme or idea of any house, and that all houses they make have intensive research.

Not trying to make it a debate or anything, just don't want us all barking up the wrong trees as far as speculation goes, since High Concepts are a pretty standard part of any treatment, since you have to communicate to other teams specifically what your theme and idea are in a quick and easy bit of text.

 

[Legacy]

It’s a good example of different phrases having different meanings to different audiences. For the designers, “high concept” is an overview. It has a specific, technical structure and purpose.

However, “high concept” does a broader, non-technical definition that editorialized a concept itself. For example, “yetis attacking a camp” is fairly low-concept. It requires little deeper understanding to get the concept. Conversely, “musician sells his soul to become famous and is dragged to hell” requires way more effort to “get.” High concept.

Point being, Murdy could be carney-ing the phrase.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

It’s a good example of different phrases having different meanings to different audiences. For the designers, “high concept” is an overview. It has a specific, technical structure and purpose.

However, “high concept” does a broader, non-technical definition that editorialized a concept itself. For example, “yetis attacking a camp” is fairly low-concept. It requires little deeper understanding to get the concept. Conversely, “musician sells his soul to become famous and is dragged to hell” requires way more effort to “get.” High concept.

Point being, Murdy could be carney-ing the phrase.

Think you’ve got that backwards

 

[Viator]

It's that time again for another clue update!



House #4 clocks in at over 120 pages, with Murdy now working on House #5 (and that it has research that is seemingly giving Murdy nightmares)

 

[Brian G.]

Nightmares, eh? Must be doing a house on the Spec Forums.

 

[Viator]

Nightmares, eh? Must be doing a house on the Spec Forums.

He had fun with that vlogger kill with Chucky--now he aims to take his rage out on us.

 

[saint.piss]

Posted this in the spec thread but thought might as well share it here too. So excited for whatever this ends up being!

 

[Freak]

I’ve been falling a little behind on trying to update the cheat sheet because life, and I also don’t have Twitter. Any recent tweets that Nurdy have out giving hints in the houses? I will do my best to update the cheat sheet this afternoon.

 

[Viator]

Yup! House #6 is 78 pages long, and the main thing he has specified with it is primarily "IP".




Additionally, the use of DreamWorks Theater is apparently "TBD".

 

[Freak]

Yup! House #6 is 78 pages long, and the main thing he has specified with it is primarily "IP".




Additionally, the use of DreamWorks Theater is apparently "TBD".

Thank you Alex!

Just updated the cheat sheet!

 

[saint.piss]

 

[Freak]

Thank you! Just updated the clue sheet.

 

[Viator]

Adding context to "Depends on your definition"--seems House #7 is IP-Original!

EDIT: Adding more in--there are two additional clues!