Halloween 202423 images by Frances O’Sullivan
“I’m always reminded of the John Waters quote: ‘Wake up in the morning, think something crazy, and sell it in the afternoon,'” says Frances O’Sullivan. “I think this kind of describes what this time of year is like for me.”
Halloween is a busy season for O’Sullivan. Each year, the artist and director combines her signature high-camp charm with horror tropes to create a series of creepy images featuring a cast of bizarre and unusual characters. From the most glamorous zombies and 50-foot women to the flesh-eating Betty Cooper-esque vampires and bathroom-locked mermaids in The Shining, O’Sullivan’s characters are drawn from the worlds of cult film, art, and literature. , but twisted into something unique. Different for her and always different from each other.
“The goal for me has always been to create worlds that don’t look like each other,” she says. “We want the audience to feel like they’ve stuck their face in six different screens in a movie theater. The main objective is to have fun and celebrate unconventional beauty. This has always been the case with this series. I think it will be the basis of
This year’s characters are as diverse and wide-ranging as ever, from a pin-up cactus to a pair of legs to an homage to a scene from Wild at Heart. While there’s plenty of blood and gore, there’s also humor. Camping and fun. “I love that Halloween isn’t all about horror and that I have the freedom to express myself in any way I want, which is definitely a common thread with all of my characters,” O’Sullivan says.
This year, in addition to images, she’s adding a video element to the Halloween world, offering short, hyper-stylized glimpses of the scenes captured in the images. These videos signaled a shift in thinking when fleshing out the world, with O’Sullivan focusing on narrative rather than just aesthetics, and fleshing out the characters’ backstories more. “Instead of just creating a window to the world, we created a doorway with nowhere to hide,” she says. Here she talks to Dazed about this year’s characters, her creative process, and not taking things too seriously.
You’ve been doing Halloween series for years now, where do you start when planning the look for each series?
Frances O’Sullivan: In a way, I’ve been doing the Halloween series since I was about nine years old, but I just didn’t publicize it. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve found a way to share it and let it form a life of its own. As for the planning process, I try to fuel myself by consuming as much classic camp horror as possible in the months leading up to it. Then, when it comes time to start writing the characters, they already kind of exist.
Can you tell us a little about the character you created?
Frances O’Sullivan: Most of the characters I’ve played this year have been sitting in my back pocket for a while, which always tends to be the case with this series. For example, the inspiration for one movie came from a painting by a great artist named Amber Carr that I’ve been obsessed with ever since I saw it a year ago.
In general, this series is definitely an outlet for my frustration with overindulging in my favorite movies. I’ve always wanted to create my own version of Diane Ladd’s “lipstick” scene in Wild at Heart. Because when I was a kid, I was scared as hell. I fell in love with the soft pink color palette, the blonde wig, and the absurdity of it all. And I will use any excuse to attack myself.
Your aesthetic is always very appealing, but this year it feels a little scary – have you been leaning more towards the horror side?
Frances O’Sullivan: I think it depends on your definition of attractiveness. Photographing Lana Rose as a living cactus felt like one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever photographed. When it comes to movies, I certainly felt it was best to lean completely into traditional horror tropes for some of them. But no matter how much I try my hand at the horror genre, I think there’s always a little bit of humor involved. I think the worst thing you can do is take yourself too seriously.
There’s also a video element to the Halloween series this year. Can you tell us about that? How was the shoot?
Frances O’Sullivan: It was very difficult, but it was also a lot of fun. Everyone who helped make this project a reality was truly amazing at their work, and the sense of accomplishment and collaborative elements on set were great. I like working on these projects as a way to remind myself why I’m doing what I’m doing. I realized that if my creativity was only used in the context of work, I would hate working. So, I give myself the space to be a kid again and still figuratively put on a little show for my family in the living room.
Lana Rose’s character. Director/Photographer: Frances O’Sullivan, Talent: Lana Rose, DOP: Benji Berkowitz, Makeup Artist: Nika Tan, Makeup Artist: Yunchi Ying, Hairstylist: Sarah Wood, 1st AC: Angela Kwak, Set Design: Ilana Portney Preston, Gaffer: Sean Chow, Line Producer: Joe Mascall, Production Assistant: Jamie Dolan
Cindy Kimberly’s character. Director/Photographer: Frances O’Sullivan, Talent: Cindy Kimberley, DOP: Simon Knox, 1st AC: Kit Baker, Make-up Artist: Nimrit Kaur Bhogal, Hairstylist: Sarah Wood, Wardrobe: Lucy・James, Wardrobe Assistant: Henry Tom Burnett, Sound Design: Jack Lindsay
Trixie malicious character. Director/Photographer: Frances O’Sullivan, Talent: Trixie Malicious, DOP: Simon Knox, 1st AC: Kit Baker, Make-up Artist: Nimrit Kaur Bhogal, Hairstylist: Sarah Wood, Wardrobe: Lucy・James, Wardrobe Assistant: Henry Tom Burnett, Sound Design: Jack Lindsay
John Foley character. Director/Photographer: Frances O’Sullivan, Talent: John Foley, DOP: Simon Knox, 1st AC: Kit Baker, Make-up Artist: Nimrit Kaur Bhogal, Hairstylist: Sarah Wood, Wardrobe: Lucy・James, Wardrobe Assistant: Henry Tom Burnett, Sound Design: Jack Lindsay
leg character. Director/Photographer: Frances O’Sullivan, Talent: Frances O’Sullivan, DOP: Simon Knox, 1st AC: Kit Baker
