SLEEP PARALYSIS: CHARACTER DESIGN

Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon that is massively unnerving.


I have based a character around this phenomenon, a character that derives from the hallucinations encountered in sleep paralysis. She is a female demon (succubus) that haunts and seduces the sleeper.

Still from film: Painted Skin (2012) 

Inspiration for such demon derives from a traditional Chinese folktale about Huli Jing (fox demon). She is a shapeshifter who, when is strong exists as a beautiful young woman but must survive and protect her beauty by absorbing human souls. Like a vampire, Huli Jing stalks and seduces men/women in the night, stealing their breaths to feed her hunger.








Part of my plan for this series of images is to also capture the effects of sleep paralysis on the sleeper, such as terror, suffocation and silence.

Author's own concept illustration

I have illustrated an image that I envision for the shoot, the victim appears to be choking on the flowers representing the immobilisation of speech during sleep paralysis. Make-up is simple, blushing red cheeks an red lined eyes, the hair is styled as though it has been wrapped around the subject's neck giving the impression of suffocation and restraint.

Mood Board:

Below is a face chart I created for the look that I envision for the demon. The main focus of this look is the hollowed out eyes and long bottom lashes. The lips are chapped to create a 'hungry' effect, although I may remove the blood dripping from the centre of the lips to avoid it looking too macabre. 

Wig Purchased

For hair I have a purchased a long silver lace front wig, since the same model will be portraying both characters (the demon and the victim), a drastic change in hair will give a clear separation of both characters. Also, since the makeup and styling is dark, lighter hair will give the images more dimension. Long silver hair will also give a magical and fairytale feel to the look.

The hair will need to be styled according to the models face shape, and I will experiment with it by leaving it down and pairing with flower hair ornaments or pinning it up to achieve slightly different looks in the series.













Styling wise, for the demon character I have bought this beautiful floor length lace dress. The black drop will be black and with pin point lighting the dress will merge into the background but I thought the lace peek-throughs will add delicate detail. The model I have chosen is also tattooed on the arms and legs so I purposely chose a dress that covers those areas.

Although sleep paralysis is a terrifying experience, I do not want to create macabre imagery. Inspired by films such as Woman in Black and Crimson Peak, the aim is to capture this nightmare with a filmic aesthetic with a touch of softness and romance as seen in the works of Tim Walker and Paolo Roversi. 

Above: Paolo Roversi Editorial

This shoot will be shot by myself. Time will be tight because I have to do everything by myself which is a first. The photographer that I had planned to work with for this project is unavailable and I don't want to rely on someone I have never worked with before. It will be a challenge to shoot by myself, however I feel that this will be a good experience for me to strengthen my organisation, time management and photography skills.