Fashion and Make Up for Stage & Screen students from Stratford-upon-Avon College went behind the scenes on a live set recently for a new film titled The Last Twitch.
Fashion students Seren Still and Codie Davis, and Make Up For Stage & Screen students Emily Grant, Leah Bickerdike, and Emily Cosgrove were invited to do a work experience placement by film director Pablo Raybold who was using film locations in the nearby area.
The Last Twitch is a film about a series of murders in a sleepy English village that have the police baffled whilst locals investigate a possible supernatural link. The students took part in helping dress and make up actors and extras at two locations in Warwickshire; having to create period looks from the 17th century.
Seren and Codie started on a small scene in a basement. They were taught how to dress the actors and to keep an eye on continuity between takes. They then moved location for the larger scene which featured over 40 extras. This part required the students to work very quickly.
The students learnt a lot and really enjoyed the experience. Seren commented: “We really had to make sure we utilised our time and used it wisely. We also learnt more tips and tricks for breaking down costumes which is really useful.” Codie added: “We had to be very detailed as a lot of the first scene was close up and had to be replaced exactly for continuity. Overall, getting to talk to the director and watch the whole process was really rewarding.”
Seren and Codie had to work on both indoor and outdoor sets on a range of actors and extras
The Make Up for Stage & Screen students were also very excited to be a part of the process. They had to provide make up and special effects to the actors and extras including dirtying hands and nails, putting dust on faces and even putting on bonnets and doing hair.
Emily Grant commented: “It was great as we were pushed out of our comfort zone doing hair so were really thrown in the deep end. But this is what I want to do in the future so was a very useful experience.” Emily Cosgrove added: “I wanted experience in the film industry and working with actors, so this experience was amazing.”
The students learnt a lot on set. Leah commented: “I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. This experience has really boosted my confidence!”
The Make Up students took on a range of challenges and relished the chance to learn
Director, Pablo Raybold, was extremely happy with the work the students provided: “They all took to their tasks professionally and there were never any signs of panic or nervousness. They were all a great help on this very busy day!”
Fashion lecturer, Louisa Figus, describes why this experience was so beneficial for the Fashion students: “Working on a film set assisting the Costumer Designer was invaluable experience for our Fashion students particularly interested in costume design. It enabled them to gain hands on experience and understand the process and the activities that a real-life Costume Design department go through on a film set.”
All students will also benefit by being credited on the film, which is great to addition to their portfolios.
