As Zoom continues to pervade every aspect of life, Halloween is proving to be no exception. Although there won’t be the chance to romp down St. Laurent in a pair of Dollarama bunny ears this year, you can still dress up and be festive. While not optimal, Zoom filters can add a whole new layer to Halloween costumes, providing students with a fun way to creatively “dress up” on a budget. Members of The McGill Tribune’s Student Life Section compiled some of their favourite DIY Halloween Zoom looks for students to try. 

Vaccine – Lucy Keller 

Talk about the prospect of having a vaccine for COVID-19 is unavoidable—whether it’s friends fretting over when it’ll be developed, or listening to the disastrous U.S. presidential debates about the vaccine, it has been the focal point of many recent conversations. While seemingly complicated, a waist-up vaccine costume is quite easy to make. Simply use an old white shirt and mark the dose increments to look like a syringe, and tape or glue grey construction paper on top of a winter hat in the shape of a needle. 

A Vampire from Twilight – Alaana Kumar 

A traditional Halloween vampire could be too simple for this unique Halloween. Luckily, Zoom filters provide the perfect opportunity to finally live out your middle school fantasies and join the cast of Twilight. Simply wear a v-neck white or black t-shirt, straighten your hair, add a snapback and pack on the body glitter. Make sure to put those Zoom backdrops to good use by placing yourself at a baseball field on a dark and cloudy day—oh, and use those Zoom sparkles, because you can never have too many. 

Abraham Lincoln – Alaana Kumar 

This year, Halloween falls during the U.S. presidential election campaign—talk about a spooky season! If you’re looking to get a little political, look no further than the U.S. president with arguably the most iconic style: Abraham Lincoln. Head to the craft store and get yourself some black markers and cardboard to fashion together a top hat, along with a fake beard. Don’t worry if the hat is out of the frame because as far as your audience can tell, you’re just that tall. 

News anchor – Leyla Moy

For this simple costume, lean into the limitations of your camera angle and the chaos of the 2020 news cycle. Wear your blandest semi-professional shirt and frame yourself from the waist up. Keep the background clear to add in a generic picture of a globe or a stock photo of the Montreal skyline. Throughout the night, swap your background out for images relevant to the conversation—or to really bring down the mood, take inspiration from the actual news and provide constant updates on world issues. 

Breakout Room – Katia Lo Innes

Nothing strikes more fear into the heart of a McGill student than being placed in a Zoom breakout room. Create an outline of a computer screen to poke your head through, and then attach two to three other similarly sized squares around you. In the respective squares, add people you wouldn’t want to be caught in a breakout room with, like an old hookup or your academic rival. To fully commit to the costume, only wear it for 20 minutes. Spend the first five minutes making awkward small talk, then go completely silent, blinking awkwardly. If anyone tries to talk to you, “turn off your camera” by running to the washroom to watch TikToks on your phone.