Horror Themed Photobooth?

September 7, 2011 12:59 AM

HorrorFilter: Trying to brainstorm a homebrew, DIY "photobooth" setup for a Halloween party in a month. Backdrop, props, maybe a set piece. Any ideas for something fun and easy (ergo, cheap)?

I'm wanting something that participants will be able to interact with, but possibly with a recognizable motif... such as a famous scene from a movie (such as a bathtub, and having a wig and fake knife on hand) or a movie poster they can put themselves into.

I'm not worried about the camera - they'll bring their own. The only constraint is that this would have to be kept in a relatively confined space - like 6' wide, and normal ceilings.

Please, brainstorm away!

posted by Unsomnambulist to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

have a platform that's painted on one side to look like the top edge of a tall building - then behind it is a backdrop that looks like a sidewalk covered in blood splatters. the camera is at the end of the platform, and people lie down on the platform and hold on to the edge so the picture looks like they are hanging from the top edge about to fall to the pavement.

the surface of the platform could also be painted with forced-perspective converging lines to add to the illusion of height

maybe you could even have a few different backdrops for them to choose what they are hanging above - water with sharks waiting, an endless tunnel, space, that sand pit creature from return of the jedi...
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:13 AM on September 7, 2011

Cheesy spaceship! Do a "viewscreen" with black cloth, spangles and styrofoam hanging planets "outside", with spaceship interior in front of it, cover a bunch of boxes in foil, glue colored bottlecaps on for buttons, and arrange like a control panel. Provide a bunch of raygun-ish things (water guns?), metering tools (weird kitchen tools maybe wrapped in colored cellophane?), bobbly antennae headbands (make or buy for like 30 cents at Claire's or a party store), pointy ears, viewing goggles (leftover 3d glasses) and so-on. Make sure people can fit "outside in space" so they can be suffocating and stuff while the people inside point and laugh or what have you.

For the added touch, if you have the software and skill you could 'shop people's photos with descriptive pulp sci-fi titles. Think arched thick yellow with red outline "THE VAMPIRE FROM OUTER SPACE!!!" or "THE CATGIRLS OF SATURN!", it would be simple to create an easily-edited type layer to slap on people's favorite shots.
posted by Mizu at 4:25 AM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Heh.. my first idea was to have a one-way mirror in front of them with a scary face in it that was only visible when there was a bright light behind it -- the equivalent of one of those "stare at this gif" jump scares. But then I realized it wasn't what you were asking about, but then I thought you should do it anyway, so there it is.
posted by empath at 6:42 AM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]