FREELAND — A spooky looking man stands before a class of newly deceased spirits.

“No, not like this,” he corrects his students. “You don’t want to startle them.”

“BOO!” he shouts, demonstrating the proper scaring technique. He then fades away into thin air, like any good ghost could.

Gordon Free of Freeland wrote, starred in, produced and edited the 45-second video. He posted it on YouTube.com and America voted.

Thousands of viewers loved the clip and cast enough votes for Free, a software engineer, to win his “dream job” at Disneyland. He was chosen from 20 finalists in a contest to be a butler for a day at the amusement park’s fabled Haunted Mansion.

From make-up and rehearsals to costume fittings in one of the world’s largest wardrobes, Free will serve as an honorary Disney cast member for the day.

In June, Free and three outstanding participants of the “Afterlife 101” class video — Free’s wife Laura and his two kids — will take a field trip to Disneyland where Free will go to work at the haunted house.

To win the contest, Free filmed the short video at the Intermediate School in Langley. The premise: A ghostly teacher must prepare newcomers to the afterlife for their spooky new job of scaring the living.

Many of Free’s ghost students were friends and family from the South End, he said.

“It was nice to just say, let’s get off our butts and do this,” he said.

But Free admitted his wife was the driving force who got his ghost going.

“I knew I wouldn’t follow through unless I told my wife. My wife was all about it and pushed me to do it,” he said.

While some competing videos stood out because they were very polished, Free said the judges liked his because of its creativity. You could almost say it knocked ‘em dead.

“What I was hoping was that after the judges have seen 15 versions of the same thing, they’ll remember mine,” he said.

He was right. While he didn’t get as many votes as some other entries — one had 70,000 clicks — Free scored high with the judges and was chosen April 18.

“I was thrilled when I found out,” he said.

“I was a little pessimistic about my chances,” he said. “In the end judges wanted to see entertaining videos and get an idea of the (contestant’s) personality.”

Free will have a full schedule once he arrives at Disneyland, though his family will get to enjoy the attractions at the park. But hours of preparation and training are a small price to pay to get a unique inside look at Disney magic.

“My dream would be to work the last shift and see after they shut down behind the scenes,” Free said.

Free’s passion for haunted houses isn’t something that happened overnight. He loves decorating for Halloween, and a few years ago he put together a haunted house to raise money for charity. It was a bit more professional than many visitors expected.

“I’ve always been intrigued by special effects,” he said.

As a Haunted Mansion butler, he will greet and welcome guests who enter the world-famous expanding room.

Free has special memories of that very room. One year the family visited Disneyworld just before Christmas and were almost alone in the haunted house because there were so few visitors at the park. The Haunted Mansion has been a family favorite for the Frees ever since.

“I’ve almost been there enough to remember all the scenes,” he said.

As a butler, Free will also act as a groundskeeper who walks “ghost dogs” outside and around the mansion.

In preparation for the trip, Free has been measured for his butler uniform. All that’s left to do is practice his evil laugh and a scary look. And perhaps finding a few devilish dog biscuits.

To check out Free’s video, go to www.careerbuilder.com/disneydreamjobs/view-winners.asp.