AI Halloween Ideas: A Guide to Photos and Videos

16 min

Three playful cartoon cats in witch, ghost, and pumpkin costumes, surrounded by Halloween candy and jack-o-lantern shadows.

You can use AI to try Halloween costumes, make a poster of your pet, or create a short scary video. Businesses can also make event posters and preview shop decorations. Here are ten AI Halloween ideas, with examples and suggested prompts to help you get started.

Many of these projects can begin with a photo you already have. You can change the outfit, add decorations, or put the subject in a new setting. The examples below show possible directions; you can choose other clothes, characters, and places.

Choose a Photo or Video Project

A photo works well when you want to show a look or a design. Try it for a Halloween profile picture, a pet poster, a party invitation, or a shop decoration idea.

A video works well when something needs to happen. You might change costumes, make characters dance, or let a ghost appear behind someone.

You can also start with a photo and add movement later. For example, make a Halloween portrait of your dog first, then use that image for a short clip.

Before you start, decide what you want to keep from your original photo. That might be your face, your pet’s markings, or the layout of your shop. Include those details when you describe the changes.

8 Halloween Ideas to Try

1. Make a Halloween Costume Change Video

Use a photo of yourself to try different Halloween outfits, then turn the changes into a short video. You could compare costume ideas or share a “Which one should I wear?” post with friends.

Start with a clear photo and choose the outfits you want to try. A witch, a vampire, and a skeleton are examples. You could also use a formal outfit, a game-inspired costume, or something you designed yourself.

The costume-change example uses a cape and hat to cover the view between looks. This gives the clothing change a clear place in the video.

English version of the Showcase prompt:

Show full prompt
9:16 portrait format, 12 seconds, ultra-clear 4K. Use only the boyfriend's first-person viewpoint throughout, with no cuts. The boyfriend is also sitting on the tatami, and the camera is at his eye level, equivalent to a 35mm lens with a wide aperture. Keep the focus locked on his girlfriend's face, with round, warm bokeh in the background. Give the camera a subtle breathing quality: it dips slightly when she tugs his sleeve, gently rises when she stands, and smoothly moves backward when she approaches. Do not switch to a third-person view or show the boyfriend's face, including in the mirror. His hands appear only briefly along the bottom edge of the frame.

The girlfriend is an adult woman around twenty-two years old, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, wispy bangs, a soft round face, light, fresh makeup, and a natural lip color. Keep the same face throughout; only her clothes change. She is worrying about Halloween and complains in a sweet, affectionate tone: she gently tugs his sleeve and looks up into the camera, speaking in a soft, sweet voice. Her manner should be cute, natural, and fresh, appealing to a Japanese audience without making her look childlike or exaggerated.

Limit the setting to a small Japanese-style room in a quiet residential neighborhood in Tokyo, about six tatami mats in size, with light-colored tatami flooring. It is not a hotel or an empty studio set. On one side is a warm-white shoji window; beyond its fine wooden lattice are blurred blue-hour twilight and distant streetlights. A low wooden cabinet holds only neatly arranged orange ribbon, a small pumpkin bag, and spare hair clips. An off-white paper-shade floor lamp stands in the corner, and a narrow wardrobe has light wooden sliding doors. A full-length mirror with a thin black frame leans beside the wardrobe. The wall has only one string of small pumpkin lights, glowing steadily without flickering. The main light is warm-white side lighting from the floor lamp. Cool blue twilight from the window gives the hair a soft rim, while the pumpkin lights create tiny orange highlights in her eyes. Use an overall low-saturation palette of persimmon orange, ink black, milky white, and twilight blue. Keep skin tones clean, with a slight soft bloom around highlights and fine film grain.

All three outfits are complete and appropriate. For the first costume change, use a cape to cover the camera. For the second, use the witch hat she has removed to cover the camera before revealing the new outfit.

Seconds 0–3: She is already sitting sideways on the tatami, both knees bent and her lower legs together, with both legs extending diagonally toward the side and front of the camera and her toes resting on the tatami. One hand supports her at her side, and her upper body turns toward her boyfriend. Her legs occupy the lower half of the frame and her face the upper half, both fully visible. She wears the first outfit: a loose orange cardigan, a white shirt, a short black skirt, white ankle socks, and a small pumpkin brooch on her chest. She lightly holds her skirt hem, puffs her cheeks slightly, looks up into the camera with a complaining expression, and softly says, 「ねえ、普通すぎない?」

Seconds 3–6: She first draws her legs back, then stands as the camera rises with her. She lifts a wide black cape to cover the camera, filling the lens with fabric. When the fabric drops, she is wearing the second outfit, strictly following image1: a black, pointed, wide-brimmed witch hat with a slightly bent crown, a purple hatband, a purple bow on the side, and a small orange pumpkin ornament. Her black long-sleeved dress has a square neckline, purple lacing on the chest, and a purple ribbon at the waist. The cuffs have purple ruffles, and the two-layer skirt reveals a purple lining underneath. She wears white mid-calf socks and black platform Mary Jane shoes. With both hands, she holds a small orange pumpkin bag decorated with a black bow. Standing in the center of the tatami, she takes half a step closer and makes a half-turn, but the wide brim falls over her eyebrows and eyes. She lifts the brim slightly, frowns with a disappointed expression, tilts her head toward the camera, and says even more softly, 「これも、なんか違うの」. The camera moves gently backward as she stands and approaches.

Seconds 7–12: She removes the black witch hat and brings its wide brim toward the lens. The black hat completely covers the frame, leaving only a ring of warm light around the brim. When the hat moves away, she is wearing the third outfit from image2: a short persimmon-orange capelet over a black dress, a thin black belt, and white mid-calf socks. A small paper-lantern hair clip sits at the side of her hair, and she holds a round pumpkin bag. She is no longer wearing the witch hat. She takes small steps toward the camera, looks down to straighten the capelet, then raises her eyes.

She slowly turns all the way around in front of the camera, with the capelet and skirt settling half a beat after her body. After the turn, she sits sideways on the tatami again, drawing her still-bent legs slightly back toward the side and front, bringing her face closer to the camera. With both hands, she gently holds the boyfriend's fingers as they appear along the bottom edge of the frame, gives them one small shake, leans her upper body slightly forward, and says with a sweet smile, 「これにしよ?ね」. Keep the focus on her eyes as the camera comes to a smooth stop, retaining both the blue twilight outside and the warm indoor light in the frame.

Use a live-action cinematic look, ultra-clear detail, and shallow depth of field. Skin texture, the weave of the tatami, and woven fabric must look realistic, without skin smoothing or a plastic appearance. Include only these three short spoken lines, with synchronized lip movements. No subtitles, no logos, and no horror sound effects.

To use the Showcase prompt with your own outfits, replace its two costume references and update the matching clothing descriptions. In that prompt, Image 1 and Image 2 refer to outfits. If you change the clothes, remove details such as the purple hat ribbon or orange cape that no longer apply.

You can also replace the room description with a bedroom, a party entrance, or a decorated street. Keep the cape and hat movements if you want the same transitions. If your outfit has no hat, change that second covering action too. The three looks are an example; for one before-and-after change, remove the final outfit section and its dialogue.

2. Make a Halloween Poster of Your Pet

Turn your cat or dog’s photo into a Halloween poster. Add a costume, choose a background, and give it a short title. You can share it, print it, or use it as a Halloween profile picture.

The Halloween pet poster example features a cat. You can adapt the idea for a dog or another pet, using clothes and a pose that suit the animal.

Silver Maine Coon in a black vampire cape on a Halloween poster titled The Midnight Count.

A vampire cape is one option. You could also try a pumpkin outfit, a witch’s hat, or a simple orange bandana. Use a photo where the face and fur markings are easy to see.

The Showcase uses Nano Banana 2.1 and a reference sheet showing the cat and its costume. You can start with those references and the prompt below. If you upload your own pet photo, change the pet and reference descriptions to match it.

Prompt from the Showcase:

Show full prompt
Create an elegant luxury Halloween editorial poster in a 3:4 portrait aspect ratio. Use the supplied reference sheet to preserve the exact silver Maine Coon's facial features, green eyes, tufted ears, long fur, and black brocade vampire cape with its dramatic crimson collar. Feature only one cat, seated regally in a frontal three-quarter portrait. Do not reproduce the reference sheet layout or its labels.
Art direction: restrained Gothic elegance, warm ivory paper, deep burgundy accents, subtle antique-gold detailing, soft cinematic lighting, exquisite fur and fabric texture. Use generous negative space, precise alignment, refined high-contrast serif typography, and a clear editorial hierarchy. Add a delicate ornamental border and a discreet crescent moon. Keep the composition sophisticated and uncluttered.
Render only these exact English words: a small top line, “ALL HALLOWS’ EVE”; a prominent headline, “THE MIDNIGHT COUNT”; a delicate subtitle, “An evening of velvet and mystery”; and a small footer, “OCTOBER 31”. All visible text must be English, beautifully typeset and clearly legible. No additional text, logos, or watermarks.

To make it your own, edit these parts:

Part of the promptWhat to change
“supplied reference sheet”If you are using one pet photo, replace this with “uploaded pet photo.”
“silver Maine Coon” and its listed featuresDescribe your pet’s breed or appearance, fur color, eyes, and ears. For a dog, you might write “golden retriever with brown eyes, floppy ears, and golden fur.”
“black brocade vampire cape with its dramatic crimson collar”Describe the costume you want. If it is not in your photo, ask to add it rather than preserve it.
“warm ivory paper, deep burgundy accents”Replace these colors if you want a different look, such as orange and black.
The four quoted text linesReplace them with your title, message, and date. Keep the instruction to render only those words.

For example, when using a dog photo without a costume, replace the second sentence with: “Use the uploaded pet photo to preserve the dog’s face, brown eyes, floppy ears, and golden fur. Add a black vampire cape with a red collar.”

Keep the single-pet composition and clear text layout if you want a similar poster. Check the face and spelling after generating. Save a version without text if you want to use the portrait in a video later.

3. Make a Halloween Dance Video

Create a dance clip with skeletons, witches, ghosts, or your own characters. You could make a solo dance or put a small group in matching Halloween outfits.

In this Halloween skeleton dance, the dancers change appearance when the lights switch. You can use that idea for an outfit change during the dance.

The Showcase prompt uses two group images: Figure 1 for the normal outfits and Figure 2 for the skeleton looks. It also uses a reference video for the dance. Replace both images if you want a new cast, keeping the same characters in the same positions in each image.

Prompt from the Showcase:

Show full prompt
16:9 landscape format, continuous single-shot, 3D Halloween animation. The shot begins with full-body views of all five characters; there are no breaks, cuts, or split-screen effects throughout the sequence. All five characters remain in the frame at all times, with their hats and feet kept fully visible. The boy in the pumpkin cape at the center serves as the visual focal point, while the others are positioned to his sides and behind him without obscuring anyone's face. The focus tracks the active movements, allowing for slight background blurring.

Camera movement must synchronize with the dance choreography. When the action or formation shifts to the right, the camera pans right to follow—avoid remaining static; the same applies to movements to the left, forward, or backward. The tracking movement should be distinct but must not cause the characters to drift out of the frame. Rapid zooms-in are appropriate for sudden bursts of energy, close-ups, or pauses on heavy beats; rapid zooms-out suit moments where the group disperses, jumps apart, or concludes a sequence. All zooming occurs within the same continuous shot via speed changes, not through jump cuts. Do not cut to a different shot when toggling the lights.

When the lights are on, the characters' faces, costumes, hair, heights, and positions must strictly match Figure 1. When the lights are off, they must strictly transform into the appearance shown in Figure 2: the specific skeletons, hats, tattered clothing, and red hair must be retained as depicted, with skeletal structures visible through the gaps in the clothing. Do not simply darken the image or switch to a different skeleton design. There are no changes to the characters or their positions during the light transitions, and the dance does not restart.

All characters should display natural, lively expressions—avoiding both blank stares and puppet-like stiffness. When the lights are on, expressions should shift with the choreography; characters may smile, look at one another or the camera, blink, and relax their mouths. Even as skeletons in the dark, they should remain animated—heads and shoulders swaying to the rhythm, and jaws opening and closing slightly with the drumbeats—while strictly maintaining the appearance from Figure 2. Body weight should be grounded, with natural follow-through on arms, capes, hair, and skirt hems, ensuring smooth transitions between movements.

The setting remains the outdoor night scene depicted in Figures 1 and 2. When the lights are on, the pumpkin lanterns and handheld lanterns cast a warm orange glow; when the lights go out, they instantly dim in sync with the drumbeat, shifting the primary illumination to a cool blue moonlight. The background remains a night sky featuring the moon and lanterns throughout.

The five characters dance based on the reference video, adopting only its rhythm, intensity, and dynamic flow; they should not replicate the live-action movements, costumes, or settings frame-by-frame. Each character retains a touch of their own lively personality: the boy in the center is more light-footed; the red-haired witch incorporates slight turns and hair-tossing; the tall character takes longer strides with natural joint movement; the sheet ghost is more airy and weightless; and the remaining character uses a slightly smaller range of motion. Everyone stays perfectly in sync with the beat. The camera follows the direction of the characters' movements rather than the original setting from the reference video.

The music is strictly synchronized with the dance. Accents such as stomps, pauses, arm flicks, and turns align with the bass drum beats, while claps or subtle movements fall between the beats. There must be no misalignment between the music and the actions. Lighting changes occur only on the heavy bass drum beats, never between beats. Upon a lighting change, facial expressions, movements, and camera motion continue seamlessly from the previous state.

Begin dancing with the lights on, as shown in Figure 1. Upon the next distinct drumbeat, the lights go out, and the five characters instantly shift to the pose in Figure 2. At the following distinct drumbeat, the lights come back on, returning to the Figure 1 pose. Continue alternating in this pattern with the drumbeats until the dance concludes. The final switch lands on a drumbeat, leaving the five characters frozen in the skeletal pose from Figure 2, maintaining lively expressions.

4K resolution, detailed 3D animation with clear rendering of fabric, hair, and skeletal structures; not live-action. Warm orange lighting when on; low-saturation cool blue when off. No dialogue, lyrics, or subtitles.

Then update the character descriptions in the prompt. If you use three characters instead of five, change the count and remove the descriptions of the extra characters. Keep the lights-on/lights-off instructions if you want the same costume-switching effect.

You can keep the scene friendly with bright colors and smiling characters, or use darker lighting for a Halloween party video. Add your chosen music when you edit the finished clip.

4. Add a Scary Detail to a Selfie

Keep yourself in the foreground and add something strange behind you. It could be a ghost in a doorway, a masked figure outside the window, or an extra person in the mirror.

Start with a portrait that leaves some background visible. Ask the image editor to keep your face and pose, then describe where the new detail should appear. For example: “Add a small ghost standing in the doorway behind me.”

You can give the photo an old camera look with direct flash and a little grain. Or keep the original lighting so it still looks like a photo from your home.

For a lighter version, make the ghost hold a candy bucket or wear a party hat. The same idea can work as a single post or a two-image carousel showing the original and edited photo.

5. Make a Short Halloween Horror Video

A short horror clip can begin with an ordinary scene and one unexpected change. Someone waits in an elevator. The lights flicker. A figure appears behind them.

This haunted elevator video uses a fixed security-camera view. That makes the background change easy to follow without moving between shots.

The original scene uses a passenger reference as Image 1 and an elevator reference as Image 2. The passenger stays in place while zombies appear during a camera glitch and disappear after a second glitch.

Use those two references in Omni Reference with Seedance 2.5 to start from the Showcase setup. Here is its original prompt:

Show full prompt
9:16 vertical aspect ratio, continuous single-take shot, fixed-camera elevator surveillance perspective, with the aesthetic of a realistic Hollywood horror film. The camera is positioned in the top corner of the elevator car; the camera placement, angle, and spatial layout strictly adhere to Image 2, with no zooming, panning, or cutting from start to finish. The frame is bounded by the metal walls with no foreground obstructions; the young woman remains at the visual center throughout, with her full body and mobile phone clearly visible, and the character blends seamlessly with the environmental lighting/filter. Zombies appearing during the malfunction phase are positioned only beside, behind, or at her feet; they do not obscure her face or upper body, nor do they replace her.

The young woman’s facial features, skin tone, and face shape strictly replicate Image 1; her hairstyle and color match Image 1 exactly (long, slightly wavy, light golden-brown hair), as does her outfit (loose grey top, dark wide-leg jeans, light-colored shoes). Her expression remains relaxed as she looks down at her phone; there is no significant change in her mouth, and the cool light from the phone illuminates the lower half of her face. The zombies have a realistic, gruesome appearance and appear only during the surveillance malfunction; the woman herself does not transform into a zombie. There are multiple zombies, varying in gender, physique, and positioning, moving slowly.

The setting is the modern elevator car from Image 2: dark metal walls, dark flooring, and the button panel on the right with the red floor display remain unchanged. The woman enters from outside the elevator doors (at the far side of the frame) and eventually leans against the wall on the right side of the frame. Lighting is primarily cool-white diffuse light from the ceiling; the metal walls show only faint reflections, creating an overall cool, slightly dim atmosphere. The overhead light strobes briefly during the malfunction but immediately returns to the original steady cool light once the malfunction ends.

Seconds 0–2: The elevator doors open, and the woman walks in with a natural gait; her hair and the hem of her top sway slightly with her movement, and she presses a floor button with one hand. Seconds 2–3: She walks to the bottom-right corner of the frame, leans her back against the right-hand elevator wall, and looks down at her phone. One leg is slightly bent, and she shifts her weight against the corner wall. The elevator doors close, the car remains stationary, and the red floor indicator changes to "2"; she does not look at the camera.
Seconds 3–6: The shot remains the same, but the surveillance feed glitches; scan lines, static, and brightness fluctuations appear. Once the flickering stops, the camera angle remains unchanged, and the woman’s position, clothing, and posture (looking at her phone) remain consistent. Suddenly, multiple zombies appear surrounding her (they appear instantly, without a gradual fade-in); some are even touching her body. She remains unaware, continuing to use her phone as before. Seconds 6–7: The image glitches and flickers again; the zombies vanish during the flicker, leaving no afterimages. Seconds 7–8: The feed returns to normal. The woman is alone in the elevator, still leaning in the same spot and looking at her phone; the walls and floor are clean, and the overhead light is steady. The shot holds on this quiet surveillance view.
4K resolution; retains slight surveillance-style grain while keeping the subject and elevator details sharp. Textures of skin, fabric, metal, and bloodstains appear realistic. Low-saturation, cool gray color palette; fixed wide-angle shot covering the entire elevator car. Audio consists primarily of low-level ambient elevator noise; brief static/electrical interference occurs during the glitch, followed immediately by silence. No dialogue; the visual quality is completely realistic.

You can change the scene by editing these parts:

  • The passenger: Replace Image 1 and update the paragraph describing the woman’s hair, clothes, and appearance. For example, replace “loose grey top, dark wide-leg jeans, light-colored shoes” with the clothes in your photo. Keep the instruction that the person does not transform.
  • The horror element: Replace “zombies” throughout with the figure you want, such as “ghosts in Halloween costumes.” Update their appearance and movement too, so the prompt does not keep describing zombies elsewhere.
  • The place: Replace Image 2 and update the setting, entry point, and standing position. For a hallway, remove the floor-button and elevator-door actions and describe someone walking in and stopping by the wall.
  • The ending: To leave a pumpkin lantern behind, add it to the appearance scene and change the ending. For example: “The figure disappears during the second glitch, leaving its pumpkin lantern on the floor.” Remove the instruction that the floor is clean, since it would conflict with the new ending.

Keep the fixed camera, the same passenger, and the two glitches if you want the original CCTV effect. Match the time sections to your selected clip length, and choose the output resolution in the tool; writing “4K” in the prompt does not set the resolution.

Check that the background figure appears and disappears without replacing the passenger. Change one part at a time so it is easier to see what needs adjusting.

6. Make a Pumpkin Reveal Video

Have a character or pet appear from inside a large pumpkin. You could use the result as a Halloween greeting or a short introduction for your character.

The pumpkin reveal example places the scene in a forest. Your version could happen on a porch, at a party, or beside your pet’s bed.

Start with the Showcase references and prompt. To change the person, replace the character reference and update the parts that describe the girl. To change the place, replace the forest description and the opening camera movement through the trees with details that fit your setting.

Prompt from the Showcase:

Show full prompt
A six-second, cinematic, first-person FPV tracking shot. Filmed with an 8mm ultra-wide-angle fisheye lens in a single, continuous take without cuts. The footage retains the authentic feel of FPV flight; rapid shaking, slight rolling, dynamic tilting, and high-speed weaving create a powerful sense of presence. Natural lens breathing, slight edge distortion, subtle vignetting, and realistic motion blur are preserved, lending the forest setting deep immersion and a fairytale-movie aesthetic.

The setting is a forest at night, with faint mist drifting in the air. Moonlight filters through the canopy, creating dappled light patterns, while warm orange jack-o'-lanterns illuminate the surrounding grass, mushrooms, vines, and wildflowers, crafting a dreamy Halloween atmosphere.

0–1 second

The video begins with an explosive burst of speed as the FPV camera surges forward. The camera shakes rapidly and rotates slightly while weaving at high speed through layers of trees. Thick trunks streak past on either side; a tangle of branches, vines, wildflowers, and tall grass repeatedly obscures the view before being swept aside by the camera's rapid movement. Leaves graze the edge of the frame, creating intense foreground occlusion, motion blur, and realistic parallax.

1–1.25 seconds

The flight begins to slow, and the camera stabilizes. The trees ahead part naturally, revealing the subject from Image 1 in the center of the frame. The camera drifts slowly forward; moonlight and warm orange light illuminate the subject, while the background forest remains softly out of focus, creating an atmosphere of quiet anticipation.

1.25–6 seconds

The shot transitions naturally to the girl shown in Image 2, maintaining the same continuous take.

The girl gives the lid of a giant jack-o'-lantern a firm push; the heavy lid merely wobbles slightly with a faint scraping sound but does not open. She pauses for a moment, stunned, before trying again.

This time, she uses both hands to grip the lid and heaves upward with all her might. Her brows furrow and her eyes squeeze shut, as if her entire face is straining with the effort. The pumpkin lid finally began to loosen, pushed open bit by bit by the girl; with one last burst of effort, she lifted it off completely.

As she struggled to open the lid, the camera smoothly rose about a meter, transitioning naturally from eye-level to a high-angle view. Warm orange light spilled out from inside the pumpkin, illuminating the girl's cheeks.

She tilted her head up and looked just off-camera; her eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled—a sweet, relieved expression—and she gave her head a gentle tilt, exuding a charming, fairytale-like aura. The camera maintained a subtle, floating, "breathing" motion.

Sound Effects:

Uses only synchronous ambient sound. Sounds include the wind; the rustle of leaves brushing against the lens; the sound of grass; the chirping of night insects; the creak of wood as the lid first wobbled; the continuous friction and soft, muffled thud as she pushed it open; the sound of the lid finally coming free; and the girl's sweet vocalizations as she exerted effort.

No music. No narration. No subtitles. No text.

The original action has the girl struggle with the pumpkin lid, lift it, and smile. You can keep that sequence or replace it with a simpler action. For a pet version, change the hand movements too—for example, have the lid rise as the pet pushes upward, then let it look around. Update all the related action lines so the prompt does not still ask the animal to grip the lid with both hands.

For a personal greeting, add your message to the finished video in your editor. Keep it short enough to read before the clip ends.

7. Make a Halloween Group Photo

Create a Halloween picture of your friends or a group of original characters. Give each person a different costume, or choose a shared theme such as witches, vampires, or a haunted school.

Use a group photo, suitable individual photos with permission, or character artwork. Decide on the outfits and background before generating the image. A simple setting, such as a decorated doorway, leaves more room for the people.

These anime characters in Halloween costumes offer ideas for the group’s look. The Showcase video introduces the three characters one at a time. You can borrow their costume theme for a still group portrait.

If you want to adapt the video itself, replace the character reference and edit each character’s appearance, outfit, and prop in the prompt. Keep the order consistent with your reference image. When replacing a pumpkin bucket with a lantern, update both the prop description and the action where the character holds it up.

English version of the Showcase prompt:

Show full prompt
16:9 landscape format, 12 seconds, a single continuous take showcasing cute Halloween characters. Each character stands in the center of the frame and rotates from side to side around a vertical axis. Normally, use a standard-lens full-body view with the entire head and feet visible. Only when the character turns to face the center should the lens become ultra-wide and the camera instantly push into an extreme close-up, almost touching the face, within the same continuous movement. The face fills much of the close-up, with the hat brim, veil, or hair slightly exaggerated around the frame edges, but do not distort the facial features beyond recognition. Immediately pull back to the full-body view after the action, then continue the rotation. No jump cuts or white flashes at any point. Keep the background softly blurred.

Strictly reuse the faces, hairstyles, outfits, and props of the three characters from the reference image, introducing them in order from left to right. The first is an elegant witch with long silver-white hair and purple eyes: an oversized purple-and-black witch hat, purple flowers, a black corset, white puff sleeves, and a long layered purple skirt. One hand may rest against her cheek while the other holds a pumpkin bucket. The second is a lively cat-girl with mint-green hair and cyan eyes: a cat-eared hood, an orange bow, a short black-and-orange cape and shorts, a crossbody pumpkin bag, and a dark cat tail. The third is a gentle ghost girl with long pale-blonde hair and purple eyes: a small witch hat, a white veil, a flowing white dress, a little ghost beside her shoulder, and a ghost lantern in her hand. Do not swap their outfits.

The setting is a clean, dark display platform with a ring of pale orange light at the character's feet and only blurred pumpkin lanterns in the background. Normally, use soft frontal lighting; during the extreme close-ups, the eyes and expressions must remain clearly visible.

The rotation speed should feel like a small ball swinging in the air, not a constant-speed turn. Accelerate from slow to fast after leaving the center, slow down and pause briefly near a side angle of about 60 degrees, then accelerate back toward the center. Clothing hems, hair, and the cat tail follow half a beat behind the body. Each character passes through the center twice, performing a different action in each ultra-wide close-up. Change characters as the camera pulls back at the end of the previous character's second close-up: the face, hair, and clothes naturally transition into the next character while continuing in the same direction. Do not stop in a static pose or dissolve into a different image.

Seconds 0–2: The witch turns to the center for the first time. The camera instantly pushes into an ultra-wide extreme close-up. She lowers the hand resting against her cheek and calmly looks into the lens, with the hat brim sweeping across the edges of the frame and a restrained smile.

Seconds 2–4: The camera pulls back. She swings quickly to one side, slows down, then accelerates through the center for the second time. In this close-up, she lifts the pumpkin bucket beside her face to display it, keeping a gentle gaze.

Seconds 4–6: As the camera pulls back, she naturally changes into the cat-girl, followed immediately by the cat-girl's first extreme close-up. She raises both hands beside her cheeks, curls her fingers into claws, opens her eyes wide, and forms a cute little circle with her mouth, pretending to be a tiger for the camera.

Seconds 6–8: After the pullback, she swings to the opposite side, then enters the second extreme close-up. This time, she extends one clawed hand toward the camera as if about to give it a gentle tap, draws the other hand back, and winks once.

Seconds 8–10: During the pullback, she lowers both hands and naturally changes into the ghost girl, followed by the ghost girl's first extreme close-up. She lowers her eyes, then gently raises them. Her veil drifts past the frame edges, the lantern lights her chin, and her expression remains quiet.

Seconds 10–12: After the pullback, she swings back to the center for the second extreme close-up. The little ghost beside her shoulder floats into a corner of the frame. She looks toward the lens and gives a very faint smile. End on this close-up.

4K, detailed and cute anime-style 3D animation. Use low-saturation purple, black, orange, and white, with shallow depth of field. The music is a light, playful Halloween piece, with accents only at each instant push-in. No dialogue, no lyrics, and no subtitles.

The finished image could become a party invitation or a group-chat picture. You could also make one portrait per person and share them together as a carousel.

8. Make a Short Halloween Story

Follow one person through several Halloween places. You could show them getting ready at home, visiting a street party, and meeting friends at a café.

A Halloween night walk connects a kitchen, a festival street, a café, and a ballroom in one continuous video. Its prompt gives each place a costume and an action.

Prompt from the Showcase:

Show full prompt
REFERENCE INPUT

@Image1 = the uploaded person. Preserve this person's identity, facial structure, skin tone, hair, apparent age, body proportions, and recognizable details throughout the entire video. The uploaded person replaces the original girl as the protagonist.

Do not de-age, gender-swap, beautify, clone, or morph the person. If the uploaded person is an adult, keep them visibly adult. Whenever the face is visible, it is unchanged. No masks over the eyes or mouth, no face paint that changes identity, no logos, and no readable text. Do not copy the background, pose, framing, or lighting from @Image1.

The protagonist must remain the same person in every moment. No duplicate versions of the protagonist. No workers, no uniforms, and no staff.

GLOBAL VISUAL RULES

Create a cinematic continuous walk through four connected Halloween places: a home kitchen, a festival street, a cafe, and a ballroom. The camera follows at a steady walking pace. No cuts, fades, dissolves, portals, teleportation, time jumps, or reset compositions.

Every scene has its own playful Halloween costume. A costume may change only while the body is hidden by something passing in the foreground, or at the top of a natural spin or jump the protagonist was already doing. The new clothes must finish that same motion: a cape completing the turn, a scarf settling from the jump, a hem landing with the step. No popping, flashing, morphing, or sudden wardrobe cuts.

NPCs are only two kinds. Cute little ghosts: small, round, soft white sheets with simple smiling faces, floating at knee height, playful and never scary. Human guests: every person in the background wears a different extravagant Halloween costume. No ordinary clothes, no workers, and no one operating machinery.

Festive Halloween at early dusk. Amber jack-o'-lantern light, violet sky, round string bulbs, candy colors, laughter, paper bats, pumpkins, and ribbons. Fun and lively, not horror: no gore, lunging monsters, jump scares, or dark abandoned places.

No readable text, subtitles, logos, watermarks, or generated writing.

15-SECOND TEMPLATE VIDEO — “ONE LANTERN NIGHT”

Use the shared template setup above.

[00:00–00:03] THE KITCHEN

START STATE — The protagonist, based on @Image1, stands in a small warm kitchen in the first costume: a playful black-cat look with a slim ear headband, a soft orange sweater, and a narrow tail belt. The face is completely clear. Pumpkin muffins cool beside a level glass of orange juice. One little ghost peeks from a teacup. Another hugs a muffin and drifts it toward the protagonist. The camera tracks backward at chest height.

ACTION — The protagonist gently boops the muffin ghost. The muffin settles back onto the plate, and the ghost tumbles in a happy loop. The protagonist picks up a trick-or-treat bucket and naturally turns toward the front door. A large pumpkin and the tumbling ghost cross the immediate foreground, covering the outfit for a moment.

CAMERA — Keep moving backward. The doorway and its pumpkin-lantern frame come into view without a cut.

END STATE — The body is still completing the same turn as the pumpkin leaves the lens.

[00:03–00:07] THE FESTIVAL STREET

START STATE — The turn finishes on a steep European street. The cat ears and tail are gone. The second costume is already in motion: a burgundy vampire cape with a high collar settles at the end of the same spin, over the orange sweater. The face is still bare and unchanged. The street is a lively Halloween parade.

ACTION — Every neighbor wears a different extravagant costume: a pumpkin knight, a candy-striped witch, a bat-wing coat, a mushroom hat, a starry jester. Little ghosts weave around their ankles. One ghost rides a balloon string and circles the protagonist. The protagonist gives the balloon a playful tap, then hops over a pumpkin painted on the pavement. At the top of the hop, the balloon ghost sweeps across the foreground and covers the outfit.

CAMERA — Stay centered on the protagonist. The hop carries them toward a glowing cafe door. No cut.

END STATE — They are landing as the ghost leaves the lens.

[00:07–00:11] THE CAFE

START STATE — The landing finishes inside the cafe doorway. The vampire cape is gone. The third costume completes the same hop: a soft pumpkin beret, a short black capelet, and a loose orange scarf settle from the downward motion. The face remains clear. The cafe is packed and cheerful.

ACTION — Guests in extravagant Halloween costumes laugh over pumpkin drinks. Little ghosts float between the tables. One balances a tiny cup. Another peeks from a table lantern and spins a cinnamon roll like a wheel. The protagonist twirls aside to let the cup ghost pass. At the height of the twirl, a pumpkin-bead garland swings through the foreground and covers the outfit.

CAMERA — Track beside the protagonist as the twirl carries them through the garland toward a heavy curtain at the back of the cafe. No cut.

END STATE — The spin is still turning as the garland clears.

[00:11–00:15] THE HALLOWEEN BALL

START STATE — The same twirl ends in a crowded Halloween ballroom. The cafe costume is gone. The fourth costume finishes the circle the body was already making: a short midnight-blue cape embroidered with gold stars flares out and settles, with a slim gold sash. The face stays uncovered and recognizable. No mask.

ACTION — Dancers in elaborate, mismatched Halloween costumes fill the floor. Little ghosts form a slow ring overhead and dip down around the protagonist. One small ghost catches the edge of the star cape and floats one dance step beside them. The protagonist completes that step, then looks up as the ghosts rise toward the lanterns.

CAMERA — Move with the last step and rise slightly, without cutting. Hold on the protagonist and the ring of ghosts.

END STATE — The star cape rests, the face is unchanged, and the ball continues around them for the final second.

AUDIO — Footsteps, a soft boop, muffin plate, balloon string, cafe cups, garland beads, shoes on a dance floor, distant laughter, and tiny bell-like ghost hums. A faint diegetic waltz is heard only inside the ballroom, with no lyrics. No dialogue and no generated text.

Start with the Showcase prompt and replace the person reference. Keep the instructions that preserve the person’s face and appearance. Then choose what you want to change:

  • Places: Edit the setting in each scene. If you replace the café with a candy shop, change the tables, drinks, cups, and related actions to fit.
  • Costumes: Replace each outfit description. Keep the change at the point where the body is briefly covered or already turning, as the original prompt specifies.
  • Actions: Swap a small interaction, such as picking up a bucket or tapping a balloon. Update the scene’s ending and the next scene’s opening so the movement still connects.

For a first version, change the person and one costume while keeping the four-scene route. You can then try other places or actions. If you prefer a photo story, use the same scene ideas to make separate images instead.

2 Halloween Ideas for Your Business

For a business, start with something you need to show customers or decide with your team. An event poster can explain what is happening. A decoration preview can help you compare ideas for your space.

You can use the Multi-Model Image Generator & Editor with Nano Banana 2.1 to create images or edit your own photos. Upload a shop or product photo when you want the design to include something from your business.

For credit-billed generation, Nano Banana 2.1 costs 7 credits per output image at 2K or 16 at 4K with one to three reference images. Each additional reference adds 1 credit. If your plan includes Relax Mode, you can generate at either resolution without spending credits or paying extra for more reference images.

9. Make a Halloween Event Poster

Create a poster for a costume contest, a Halloween menu, an evening event, or a seasonal offer. Start with a photo of your shop or a product you want to feature.

For a café event, add pumpkins and paper bats around the counter, with the event name above the photo and the date and time below. The example uses a cream background, dark brown lettering, and orange accents to match the decorations.

Before-and-after comparison of a café photo and a Halloween event poster with pumpkins, paper bats, and event details.

Café photo and Halloween poster comparison. The event name, date, and time are for illustration.

Upload your café photo, select Nano Banana 2.1, and try this prompt:

Show full prompt
Create a vertical Halloween event poster using the uploaded café photo.

Keep the café recognizable. Preserve the black espresso machine, metal shelves, and counter. Remove the blurred flowers in the foreground and the cardboard boxes. Add a few small orange pumpkins on the counter, black paper bats near the shelves, and warm amber lighting. Keep the decorations realistic and leave the coffee equipment visible.

Use a simple cream-and-dark-brown layout with orange accents. Place a large headline above the café photo. Let the photo fill the middle of the poster. Put the date and time in a clear footer.

Include only this exact text:

HALLOWEEN AFTER HOURS
COFFEE • COSTUMES • TREATS
OCTOBER 31
6–9 PM

Make the headline the largest text. Keep all text sharp, readable, and away from the edges. Do not add other words, logos, addresses, prices, or watermarks.

To adapt the poster, replace the four lines after “Include only this exact text” with your event details. Add your shop name, location, or booking information to that block if needed. Keep the text short so it has room in the layout.

Change “cream-and-dark-brown” and “orange accents” to your brand colors. For a bakery, replace the coffee equipment with a cake display. For a pet shop, use a pet photo and change the event to a pet costume day. Update the details about what to keep and remove so they match your uploaded photo.

Check the text before sharing, especially dates, prices, and contact details. Correct anything that needs an exact match in your layout editor. Make a separate layout for an Instagram Story or printed notice so the text stays readable.

The guide to how to use Nano Banana 2.1 shows how to place a product image in a new setting and use it in an advertisement.

10. Preview Halloween Decorations in Your Shop

Use a photo of your shop to see how different Halloween decorations might look before you buy them.

Try a few ideas with the same photo. A café could compare a pumpkin display with a witch-themed corner. A clothing shop could try black-and-orange window decorations. A bookstore could add paper ghosts, candles, and autumn leaves around a display table.

For an entrance display, upload a clear photo of your storefront and select Nano Banana 2.1. Suggested prompt:

Show full prompt
Add Halloween decorations to the shop in my photo. Keep the building, windows, door, shop sign, and camera angle the same. Place pumpkins beside the entrance, add warm string lights around the window, and put small paper bats inside the display. Keep the door and walkway clear. Use orange, cream, and black decorations. Do not change the shop name or add people.

Compare the result with your original photo. Check that the door, windows, and sign have not changed. Use the image to discuss the design, then check the real dimensions before ordering decorations.

If you want to compare models before starting, the Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana 2 comparison covers tasks including poster text and product edits. Those examples can help you decide what to try with your own images.

Start with a Halloween Showcase

Choose one idea and gather the photo or artwork you want to use. You can find Halloween AI photo and video ideas close to what you have in mind, with Showcases you can use as starting points.

Open an example and choose Remix to start with its references and prompt. Replace the relevant images, then change the outfit, setting, or action to fit your idea.

The Showcases give you references and prompts to build from. Start with the original setup, then replace the details you want to change. When a person, outfit, prop, or place appears more than once in the prompt, update each mention so the instructions stay consistent.

Review your first result against the photo and idea you started with. Then adjust the part that needs work, whether that is the costume, the background, or the action in the video.

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