Engineered Fear Productions is a haunted attraction production company that consists of actors, designers and artists, who have all been working together for the last ten years in the Halloween industry. The production company was formed in order to open up a haunted attraction in October of 2016 in Baltimore City.

The company’s vision is to provide entertainment-dark, macabre, and horrific, but entertaining above all else. Engineered Fear Productions was founded by Joe Hudson, engineer and entrepreneur from Silver Spring, Maryland.

Joe Hudson

Joe Hudson has managed haunted attractions for more than ten years, designing and building entire haunted attractions from the ground up. He also works as a mechanical engineer at an aerospace engineering firm, but his true passion is all things Halloween. He has researched and toured many of the largest haunted attractions in the nation, from haunts with 10,000 guests per season, to haunts with more than 10,000 guests per night. More importantly, he has cultivated a network of extremely talented and creative haunt industry specialists.

What about this project are you most excited about?

A few year ago we built a brand new event and nearly the entire staff took ownership of their scenes. Everyone was actively engaged in the design and decoration of the event and everyone poured their heart and soul into it. At the end of each night, we would recap and share stories, and you could tell how proud everyone was of what they had built and what they’d accomplished. I look forward to helping build this same atmosphere at the Baltimore event, cultivating collaboration among the whole staff to create an incredible and terrifying event.

What got you interested in Halloween or Haunted Houses?

I was introduced to haunted attractions at 6 years old when my mom convinced me to go on a haunted ride in Ocean City, MD. Going through, I was too scared to even open my eyes, and I cried the whole time. Each summer we would go to Ocean City, and each summer this place would terrify me. One year, I finally mustered enough courage to keep my eyes open, only to realize that all the horrific things I had pictured in my head EVERY summer were, in actuality, much worse in my head. That’s when I realized the power of the imagination and fell in love with Halloween.

Thomas Wingate – Operations

Mr. Wingate has over 9 years of experience working and managing haunted attractions with Hudson, and over 4 years working as an archaeologist.  He has traveled extensively with Hudson to evaluate other haunts around the US including the annual Haunted Attraction Convention for the last 3 years. Wingate graduated from the University of Maryland in 2008 with an Anthropology Degree.

What about this project are you most excited about?

I really love our location and I cannot wait to work with such a creative team to bring this old building back to life.

What is your favorite part about haunting or Halloween?

The most fun part of working at a haunt to me is watching the scenes develop. There’s only so much that can be prepared beforehand and it is inevitable that some scenes just don’t work as well as you’d pictured them in your mind. But every night you tweak. Sometimes you’ll get an actor that has a brilliant idea for a new character or bit. Someone moves a lighting fixture, a piece of furniture, adjusts the fog. Night after night the scene gets better and better until you’re left with this amazing product of countless people’s creative, organic input. The scenes sort of grow and take on a life of their own. By the time Halloween rolls around some scenes fit like a worn pair of boots and you can’t imagine how it could have ever been done any other way. Then in November you take a deep breath and buy new boots.

Patrick Rigiel – Safety/EMS

Patrick Rigiel, aka Captain Action Pat, is a Baltimore area Firefighter and Paramedic by profession and a super hero that saves others by fixing everything on his off-hours. Also a graduate of the University of Maryland, Rigiel’s ability to apply his handyman skills in creative engineering endeavors makes him an essential member of the team.

What about this project are you most excited about?

I take a great interest in Baltimore’s history and architecture. I love seeing this city being resurrected bit by bit. I’m psyched to be saving this building and turning it into an attraction that will entertain thousands of people.

What is your favorite part about haunting or Halloween?

I love that Halloween gives everyone an open license to use their creativity to turn themselves and their environment into whatever they want. And of course, face their fears.

What’s your Favorite Horror Movie?

I love anything within the zombie genre. If I was forced to pick one, I’ll go with the first one I ever saw, “Night of the living dead” (1968)