Hi kiddies! Here is my new photo project MONSTER PROM.
This project is an exclusive new commission for Sony UK. I was asked to create original photographs utilizing their new full-frame Sony A7 camera. After discussing a few different Horror concepts, I pitched this funny idea about creating fake Prom photos of famous Universal monsters as teenagers.
Virtually all Americans are familiar with the classic Prom photo – we’ve all seen them, most of us have even posed for them. I love Prom photos. I love the clunky handmade sets, I enjoy the merciless lighting, and best, the heightened theatrical awkwardness of the moment. Nothing captures the quintessential awkwardness of adolescence like the Prom photo. It is the final game of dress-up before entering the adult world.
Monsters are the perennial outsider. Did any of us ever feel more like ‘monsters’ than we did as teenagers? Bodies changing beyond our control – sprouting hair, developing acne, braces, bad haircuts. The self-consciousness of adolescence comes with the realization that the villagers could turn on you at any moment.
There is actually a long-standing tradition of teenage monsters in the Horror genre, starting with I Was A Teenage Werewolf and I Was A Teenage Frankenstein, both from 1957. Modern variations on the teenage monster movie include Carrie, Teen Wolf, The Craft, even Twilight. Wes Craven’s Scream could easily have been called I Was A Teenage Slasher.
A lot of wonderful people pitched in to help me with my teenage monster project.
My eldest daughter Arinna (from my photograph BABYSITTER) played the part of Frankenstein’s girlfriend. She did a wonderful job helping me cast my project, and recruited several of her friends to be models.
All of the girls’ hairstyles were done by my friend Nikki Moreno. Nikki is a fantastic photographer who specializes in retro Pin-Up portraiture with her company Vixen Pin-Up Photography. Not only did she do everybody’s hair, but Nikki was also a crucial photography assistant. She provided set elements, like the silver tinsel backdrop, as well as the lighting equipment we used. I could not have done this shoot without her.
Candy Cunningham – Nikki’s partner in Vixen Pin-Up Photography – did make-up for all of the girls. Here you can see her giving Wolfman’s date exaggerated eyebrows that meet in the middle.
KC artist Rod Zirkle, a graduate of Tom Savini’s school of make-up, did a great job airbrushing monster hands for the boys.
I staged this photo-shoot in my own home. Here, you can see Rod airbrushing Frankenstein’s hands in the middle of my living room, surrounded by teenagers.
As always, my trustworthy assistant Demian Vela was there. He helped assemble the set and hang cardboard stars. So did Chris, Candy’s boyfriend.
For fun, I shot 2 versions of Frankenstein – 1 with my daughter Arinna, and another with my daughter Shiva. They took turns wearing the same dress.
The real star of this project is my friend J. Anthony Kosar, and his special-effects team at Kosart Effects – Neil Viola, Scott Mitchell, Stevie Calabrese, and Matt Kapolczynski. This was my 3rd collaboration with Anthony. He also created the make-up effects for my zombie photo LAST STAND and my upcoming film BLACK LULLABY. My concept for MONSTER PROM required a minimalist set with flat lighting and dull static poses, so the visual focus of the project came down to Kosar’s monster sculptures. I gave him written character notes, but no drawings. It was ultimately up to Kosar how to visualize these classic Universal monsters as teenagers. I told him Dracula was like a boy with braces just after his Bah Mitzvah, combined with The Count from Sesame Street, but with the geeky confidence of Michael Anthony Hall in 16 Candles.
I suggested that Frankenstein be a combination of Herman Munster and Stan Laurel from Laurel & Hardy – that he was on the basketball team, and obviously in love with his girlfriend.
I had pictured my teenage Wolfman more like Ralphie from the movie A Christmas Story, with big eyes made even bigger with thick glasses. Kosar went another direction and gave me something closer to a feral Seth Rogen – an approach I loved – especially the animalistic eyes.
You might ask, ‘Why make sculptures? Why not use make-up appliances on real models?’ This was so Kosar would not be limited by the proportions and facial structure of a real person. This way the eyes could be further apart than a real person’s face would allow, a neck could be thinner than a real person’s neck, a mouth shape could be extended beyond the physical limits of make-up. I encouraged him to create stylized character designs, knowing they would be fleshed out with amazing realistic detail for my camera.
I met Kosar in a parking lot in St. Louis, roughly halfway between Chicago and Kansas City. There, he gave me the finished sculptures, too fragile and precious to risk shipping. This was the only time during the entire project that we were ever together.
I photographed the kids in full costume on my set, complete with hand make-up. Kosar even provided fake feet for the teenage Wolfman, played by Wyatt Zirkle, Rod’s 12 year old son. His plaid suit was made by my friend Celine Collins (she played the victim in JACK THE RIPPER) at her store MonkeyWrench Clothing in downtown KC. Wolfman’s date was played by Arinna’s friend Fee Pauwels, a girl I’ve known since she was in grade-school with my daughters. She did not enjoy the giant eyebrows I gave her one bit.
I photographed Kosar’s sculptures on the same set, under the same lighting, to ensure both parts would fit together seamlessly when combined in Photoshop.
Dracula was played by my 12 year old nephew Nate. Dracula’s date was played by Arinna’s friend Mary Burke. The height difference was important to me.
Arinna’s friend Andrew Gleason played the part of Frankenstein. 2 weeks later they really did go to a school dance together.
As always, my wife Jen assisted as well!
A special thank you to my sister Sarah. She added lace and roses to Arinna’s dress and shoes, and made all of the flower corsages for the shoot. And a big thank you to Kevin Kinkead at Boomerang in Westport, Kansas City’s best vintage clothing store, for giving me such a great deal on all of the fantastic retro clothes! And lastly – thank you to Margaret of London for inviting me to be part of this project!
See you next time!
