Photo by Warren Scott Allyson Mae Byrley of Brilliant, left, one of two co-directors for an independent film being shot at the Wells Township Haunted House, discuss a scene with cast and crew during a break from shooting Saturday. To her right is Casey Nestor, a fellow haunted house volunteer and one of a handful of writers for the film.

BRILLIANT — For many years volunteers behind the Wells Township Haunted House have produced a Halloween scare for area visitors, remodeling its rooms each year to create new scenes of terror and assuming the appearance of various demons, killers and spooks.

But they have gotten an early start this year after an independent filmmaker approached them about using the house for the setting of her next project.

Titled “Ghost House: A Haunting,” the film involves a spookhouse whose operators are more than they appear.

Filmmaker Renee Ebert said after moving to this area from Lisbon, Ohio she visited the spookhouse because she heard positive things about it.

And she was inspired to recruit its many volunteers to work, on screen and behind the scenes, for a low-budget horror film.

Ebert had drawn upon a volunteer cast and crew for “Werewolves from Outer Space,” a horror science-fiction film with a deliberate camp approach currently in post-production.

She said such projects give talented amateurs hands-on experience in movie-making and a credit they may use if they choose to pursue a career in film.

Sean Norman, the spookhouse’s volunteer coordinator, said, “She and I talked and I said, ‘I think we can accommodate what you want to do.'”

Still, he’s been impressed by the amount of effort involved in making the film.

“The haunted house itself is a big production, but this is a whole other thing,” Norman said, adding, “It’s pretty cool.”

Among the Wells Township Haunted House alumni involved is Allyson Mae Byrley of Brilliant who, with Jordan Morris, is serving as co-director of the film.

“This is a blast,” she said of the experience, which also has allowed her to put to use skills she learned while earning an associate’s degree from the special makeup effects program established by horror movie makeup artist Tom Savini at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pa.

“All of this feels surreal,” said Casey Nestor of Steubenville, who is among a handful of writers who met for a couple of months at Byrley’s home to develop a script.

Nestor said he and the other writers added to an outline from Ebert characters who have appeared at the spookhouse. At the same time, changes were made to the spookhouse to accommodate Ebert’s story.

Among them is a scarecrow character who will be incorporated into the spookhouse this fall.

Nestor is among many serving in multiple roles for the film, appearing as two characters who encounter each other, thanks to some movie magic.

He said making a movie with many friends is a dream come true.

Also responding to a casting call posted on Facebook were members of M.A.U.L., or the Mobile Actors United Legion, a Cincinnati-based group that dons assorted grisly guises to “entertain” patrons of various community haunted houses while also promoting an anti-hate and anti-bullying message.

Ebert said shooting at the house will continue each weekend through July except Easter. She said plans call for it to be shown at various venues rented for that purpose, beginning in Columbus around Halloween and for DVD copies of it to be sold through a website to be established to promote it.