Hollywood Hills Sanitarium, Savannah’s newest “haunted house,” premiers with a double-feature this weekend including an interactive, entertaining family experience (rated G) and a horror-filled haunted experience (rated PG-13) at Savannah Technical College (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA, 31406).

STC film production students have partnered with film students at Savannah Arts Academy to host the Hollywood Hills Sanitarium haunted attraction. Students have built sets, will create special effects makeup for horror heroes, and will star in the attraction.

The family-friendly experience includes a talking witch, singing pumpkins and fun for the entire family, starting at 6 p.m. The haunted nightmare rises from the dead at 8 p.m. starring horror movie icons with a psych ward of horrors, a haunted graveyard, a mad scientist, spinning vortex and more.

To find the entrance, turn left after the White Bluff entrance and travel toward the south/Hunter AAF side of the campus. Look for an ambulance with lights flashing.

Hollywood Hills Sanitarium will be open weekends in October. Cash and cards will be accepted at the door. Admission is $10 for the family attraction (G), which will run 6-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 6-10 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $15 for the horror show (PG-13), which runs 8 p.m. until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Proceeds will benefit student film projects.

Tickets will be discounted $2 for military with ID ($2), seniors (65+), or for a gently-used costume donation. Guests bringing a new full costume donation will receive a $5 discount for one ticket. Costumes will be distributed by Film Biz Recycling in conjunction with their costume drive.

Props and special effects were donated by Alpha Props, AtmosFX and Film Biz Recycling.

Film Production Training at Savannah Technical College

STC’s on-set production assistant program is offered in collaboration with the Georgia Film Academy. The program provides an introduction to the skills used in on-set film production, including all forms of narrative media which utilize film-industry standard organizational structure, professional equipment, and on-set procedures. In addition to the use of topical lectures and instructional resources, the course includes demonstrations of equipment and set operations as well as hands-on learning experiences. Students learn film production organizational structure; job descriptions and duties in various film craft areas; film equipment functions and protocols; how the various film craft related to one-another on a working set as well as how and why they all must operate in sync; and networking and self-marketing skills.

Apply now for spring semester to start the two-semester on-set film production assistant program. This program is open to adult and dual enrollment (high school) students.

The projected film industry growth in Georgia during the next three to five years will generate 3,000 to 5,000 new jobs, and the average earnings for jobs on set are $84,000 a year. That’s why Georgia has launched the Georgia Film Academy, a unique-in-the-nation, statewide initiative to prepare Georgia citizens for these high demand careers. Film production students, who are eligible for or receive HOPE Grant funding, may also be eligible for funding from the HOPE Career Grant.