'Carol' from 'Where the wild things are'(Movie) Costume

Step 10 Head Support structure

The head is not hugely heavy, but you need a solid way to support it. The way I did it was with a backpack that contained a frame of PVC pipes. The frame holds two wooden dowels that stick out the top and the head rests on them. For extra security, the dowels attach into two more 'T' shape PVC pieces that are set into the head.

Incidentally the backpack is also used to support the body when it is being worn. Inside the body at about Carol's kidney height, I attached two loops of baggage strap that attached to the shoulder loops of the bag. They were adjusted to be the right length based on keeping the body where my arms and legs would fit in the right place.

The frame inside the backpack is cut to fit very tightly in there, so it's not glued or anything. When putting the costume on, you need a helper to insert the dowels and help maneuver the head into place. The seat where the dowels attach to the head is sewed in so it can't be shifted and the T pieces are threaded so the dowel can be screwed into them and will stay in place, after that, the head can move around a bit, and it can turn because there's some flex in the frame, but it won't come off.