[2] Sullivan bonded with Raimi over their mutual interest in stop-motion animation, special effects, claymation, and puppetry in relation to filmmaking.
He joined the crew of Raimi's 1978 short film Within the Woods as a special effects artist.
[2] For the latter, he used coffee as an added ingredient to the traditional fake blood formula of corn syrup and food coloring.
[2] Sullivan helped rig camera mounts and other contraptions for stunts and some of the film's signature shots.
Sullivan's work on the Evil Dead series was chronicled in the 2014 documentary film Invaluable, directed by Ryan Meade.