Burtonites Blog (morbid_lydia): Alright, thank you for agreeing to do this, Alex. It's an honor to have you featured
Snuggably_Wonkable: No Problem!!
BB: Anyways, do tell me, your costume idea was, to say the least, unorthodox. What gave you the idea to do Pyramid Head?
SW: Well, I am a big fan of the Silent Hill Series, and my favorite character is Pyramid Head. He is just so intimidating! I was playing the part of the game where I am trapped in the same room as Pyramid head, and it just hit me that it would be so fun to be him!
BB: That's neat! Did you think immediately, "Crap, where am I going to get the material for that?" or did it come later, actually planning it?
SW: Well, it came later. I proposed the idea to my mom, who didn’t think I could pull it off. She said it was too impossible of a costume... Later on when I was planning it, I really realized how hard it would be...
BB: What materials did you use exactly?
SW: Well, I made two versions. The first one was made from Styrofoam with poster board over it and wire on the inside. I had started it one day on a whim, and when I was done, it wouldn't even fit through the door. I tried it on, and I couldn’t even really hold my head up, it extended for about four feet in front of me... far to big to walk around in, and I about took my sisters head of when I was turning around. So I scrapped it, and started another version, simply made out of reinforced cardboard and allot of pain and tape, this one was a lot smaller and ended up being the one I used.
SW: I ended up going Trick Or Treating this year, dressed as Pyramid Head. No one knew who I was, of course, But it was quite enjoyable to walk around it. Before that, me and my best friend walked around our neighborhood, frightening cars, and scaring the hell out of her neighbor’s five year old brother and sister. It was great fun. I think I freaked a few kids out on a passing school bus....
BB: Amusing! And now onto the actual contest: Did you feel at all intimidated entering?
SW: A little bit, I mean, I had never really entered a costume contest before, and I didn’t know what to expect. I get really nervous entering contests, no matter what type.
BB: We're glad you did though! Did you have any particular regrets after entering? Is there anything at all you would change if you could go back in time?
SW: I regretted the location of my pictures a bit. I wanted to take pictures in my dark basement, since I thought it would be more fitting. My sister who was taking the photos refused to go down there, though, so I had to deal with the kitchen. In the end though, I figured I would have to make do with what I could. It was hard keeping my dog out of the shots though. She seemed to like the smell of the fake blood.
BB: My dog does too, when I make it at home out of corn syrup. What did you use, corn syrup, or fake stuff in a tube?
SW: Corn Syrup, It was really hard though, my batch never seemed to get the right color, no matter what I did. My first few batches came out bright pink, which I did not expect at all. It seems that someone had placed the NEON food coloring in the wrong box...
BB: How many bottles of food coloring did you end up using?
SW: Well, certainly more than I should have. I made two large batches. The first one was the perfect color, but when I was outside splattering the butcher robe, My dog raced by me and I ended up spilling the whole container down my front. Ha-ha! My stomach was red for quite a few days. The second one, I used more caution, and it ended up working pretty well. I'd say abut one and a half bottles. I made it in bulk, since I can use it for my movies....
BB: Do you feel as though your love of costumes ties in to your interest in filmmaking? You also participated in the 2007 Golden Borton Awards, and won best costume.
SW: Certainly! In my films, In my upcoming films, I need to do a lot of make up effects and costuming. Making them is much better than buying them, since even if I buy it; I end up modifying it anyways. I am collecting quite a collection of clothes and fabric to redo/make a costume. My films hardly ever take place in modern day, so I always need to find a way to make the correct style for the film....
BB: Would you ever consider costuming or film set design? You seem to have an eye for details and crafting.
SW: Oh yes! Costume making would be wonderful, and something I would really love to look into more. I am a beginner in sewing, but once I get better, I might sign up to help with the costume making in our local Theatre.
BB: And last of all: Will you enter next year's contest? Do you want to join in the fun again?
SW: Definitely! It was awesome to join, and it was wonderful seeing all the costumes! Everyone did so wonderfully!
BB: That's great to know! Thank you for allowing us to interview you, Alex, it's been a pleasure.
SW: The pleasure’s mine!
