AI-generated picture to show the idea. Yours will look handmade.

Paranormal Camera Operator

A DIY Paranormal Camera Operator costume is pyjamas or a hoodie with a cardboard camcorder strapped to your hand and a timestamp on your chest. It is a generic found-footage look with a nod to the Paranormal Activity films. It costs about $10 and takes about 45 minutes, with no sewing.

TIME: 45 min
COST: about $10
SKILL: Some cutting

What you need

Pyjamas or a grey hoodie and joggers
A small cardboard box
Black paint or marker
A bottle cap and a clear plastic lid
Green card or paper
White paper and a marker
Strong tape
Slippers or socks

How to make it

1
Cut the box to about 20 x 10 x 8 cm. Colour it all black with marker or paint.
2
Stick the bottle cap on one end for the lens and glue a clear lid over it.
3
Cut a strip of green paper, draw a small red dot and write REC beside it. Tape it to the top as the screen.
4
Cut a loop of card to fit your hand and tape it on the back so the camera sits in your hand.
5
Write a timestamp like 03:12 AM on white paper and pin or tape it to your chest.
6
Wear the pyjamas and socks, and finish with messy hair.

Make it better

Point the camera at people and ask, very quietly, 'did you hear that?'
Put a green or dark filter on your phone camera for a real night-vision shot.
Stand at the end of a hallway and let the room do the rest.

Questions

How do I make a Paranormal Camera Operator costume from clothes I already own?

Wear pyjamas or a hoodie, tape a cardboard camera to your hand and pin on a timestamp. That is the whole costume.

How do I make the camera?

A black-painted box, a bottle cap lens and a green paper screen, taped to a card hand loop. It takes about 20 minutes.

Is this an official Paranormal Camera Operator costume?

No. It is a homemade, unofficial costume made from everyday clothes and craft supplies. We are not affiliated with the makers of the character.

Is this the exact look from the films?

No. It is a generic found-footage look with a nod to the franchise. There is no single official operator costume.

Unofficial. Paranormal Camera Operator and the Paranormal Activity names belong to their respective owners, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The names are used only to describe this homemade parody costume.

Wear it in front of your own haunted CCTV

Upload four photos of your house and Cursed Cam turns them into a night-time security monitor where something is very wrong. Put it on the TV by the door.

Make my monitor See how it works