costumes.com needed a fun way to showcase its most popular Halloween looks, so we turned the familiar “Top 10” countdown into a classic late-night talk show. Hosts introduce each selection before revealing the costumes onstage, transforming a straightforward product roundup into an entertainment-driven showcase. Two versions were produced, featuring adult and children’s costumes.
The creative idea was bigger than the budget—which was essentially nonexistent. With a studio, two co-workers and some creative problem-solving, I built the production around the visual language of a classic talk show.
The hosts were filmed on green screen behind a makeshift desk, while I designed and built the surrounding talk-show environment in 3D. Post-production transformed the minimal physical setup into a complete studio set. Even the curtain reveals required some sleight of hand: when the practical curtain wasn't large enough for the shots we needed, I created digital set extensions to complete the illusion.
For the children’s edition, we recruited kids from the families of friends and co-workers. The result turned limited resources into part of the challenge: creating the scale and personality of a television production largely through design, VFX and post-production.