Michael Faust, creative director of House of Torment, joins The Boogeyman to discuss his journey from horror-obsessed kid to haunt industry leader. They dive into his Face Off experience, creating unforgettable haunted attractions, and the controversial Haunt Hub platform. Michael also shares personal stories about addiction recovery, paranormal encounters, and what it takes to lead a successful haunt team. From an early encounter with Freddy Krueger that left his shirt slashed to creating his first monster character "Sergeant Graves," Michael reveals how childhood fascinations evolved into a career in horror. He candidly discusses his appearance on Face Off Season 4 (including a hilarious psych evaluation story), his journey to sobriety, and the philosophy behind running one of America's premier haunted attractions. Michael shares the creative process behind House of Torment, explaining how he balances pushing boundaries while creating entertainment suitable for diverse audiences. He emphasizes the importance of character development over gratuitous gore and reveals how team culture makes or breaks a haunt's success. The conversation takes supernatural turns as Michael recounts chilling paranormal experiences both from childhood and within House of Torment itself. Check out @realmichaelfaust and @houseoftorment for info on new events! Don't forget to subscribe! It helps us out a ton and only takes a few seconds of your time. Go check out Warming Trends, the company that built the amazing fire centerpiece on our set! https://www.warming-trends.com Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:10 - Freddy Krueger Slashing Incident 00:03:09 - Early Creative Storytelling Pursuits 00:04:36 - First Monster Creation 00:05:32 - Brother's Influence and Face Off 00:06:35 - Face Off Season 4 Experience 00:08:10 - Psych Evaluation Story 00:11:26 - Post-Face Off Career Opportunities 00:12:18 - Joining House of Torment 00:14:14 - Creative Process as Haunt Director 00:15:53 - Team Collaboration 00:17:14 - Personal Transformation and Attitude Shift 00:18:50 - Overcoming Addiction and Finding Purpose 00:20:21 - Balancing Horror Boundaries 00:22:31 - Character Performance in Haunts 00:23:45 - Valuing Customer Feedback 00:24:55 - Haunt Hub: Industry Controversy 00:29:00 - Dealing with Criticism 00:31:06 - Would You Rather? 00:33:58 - First Childhood Paranormal Experience 00:37:45 - Paranormal Activity at House of Torment 00:40:58 - Near-Death Experiences and Sobriety Journey 00:45:35 - Navigating Life's Dark Moments 00:46:40 - Building Positive Culture 00:49:15 - Leading by Example in the Haunt Industry 00:52:11 - Biggest Mistakes as a Creative Director 00:53:50 - Most Memorable Night at House of Torment 00:56:00 - Controlling Chaos in the Haunt 00:59:00 - Commitment and Passion #HorriblePodcast #HouseOfTorment #HauntedHouses #FaceOff #HauntHub #HorrorIndustry #CreativeDirection #ParanormalExperiences #MichaelFaust #HauntLife