Ben Rojas of Bakersfield, California has turned his love for Halloween into a successful business creating custom props and decorations for the spooky holiday. Rojas, who has enjoyed scaring people since he was a child, got into Halloween making when his oldest son requested a Halloween party. Refusing to spend thousands of dollars on pre-made props, Rojas instead researched and learned how to make them himself.
Every year, around June, Rojas begins working on his custom creations, drawing inspiration from visits to Halloween stores. As his popularity has grown, he has already sold out of his creations for this season and has a waiting list for custom orders.
One of Rojas’s biggest pieces is a zombie walker, which is powered compressed air that moves the prop up and down. He carefully designs and programs the movements of different actuators to create a realistic and terrifying effect.
This Halloween has been Rojas’s busiest season yet, with five finished custom-made pieces. His work has even reached customers in states as far as Alaska and Maine. Rojas admits that scaring kids brings him more joy than giving presents, and he continues to enjoy scaring children to this day.
To stay updated on Rojas’s work, you can follow him on TikTok at @BakersBen75.
Definitions:
1. Props – objects used in theater, movies, or other forms of entertainment to enhance the authenticity of a scene or narrative.
2. Actuators – devices that produce controlled movement or motion in a mechanical system.
3. Compressed Air – air that has been pressurized, often used as a power source for various mechanical systems.
Sources:
– Bakersfield, KGET.
