CCAD Film alumni Adam Bouadba premiered his dark comedy Tania staring Stephen Tompkinson at this year’s Tees Valley International Film Festival. The production was funded by a TVIFF scholarship initiative and described as a ‘dark, yet deeply deeply emotive comedy’ and ‘truly exceptional’ by organisers.

Adam said “ten years after graduating CCAD and having produced and developed broadcast TV and Feature films, I have finally gotten to make my debut short film as a writer and director. This film hopefully marks a change in direction for me as a filmmaker, where I get to use my experience as a producer to do more as a writer.”

Current BA (Hons) Model Making & Visual FX students Olivia Yell and Sarah Elwin had the exciting opportunity to work on the set of the production, we caught up with them to gain some insight into working on the film production, read on to find out more.

“The opportunity came about through my tutor John Noble.” said student Sarah Elwin “Adam originally came to him about sourcing a mannequin for the titular character of his film. John recommended me for the project as thanks for taking time out of the end of my summer to help out with some things in uni. I think being reliable, available and on site, even when not on the timetable, is what really helps when being presented with opportunities such as this, to prove that you’re eager and the one for the job. Adam was more than happy to have Liv and I on the crew and I really felt welcomed onto the experience.”

She said that “this was my first project that involved working on a live set and I felt incredibly grateful to be part of such an amazing experience and getting to work with so many talented individuals. Initially, I was quite nervous and apprehensive to be working in such an unfamiliar and fast-paced environment, but everyone on set was so kind and accommodating. I felt very welcomed and learned a lot from the people and the experience.”

Similarly fellow student Oliva Yell, 19 years old from Somerset, said “while this isn’t my first project, this was my first external film opportunity and it was simply an amazing experience and I am very grateful to have been a part of it! That atmosphere on set was incredible; everyone knew what to do when and it was such a friendly and welcoming experience. I loved the busy-ness of it all, it all worked very smoothly.”

Olivia worked in the art department alongside Sarah. The students managed the life like model and star of the film she said “essentially we were Tania, helping to move her on and off set and adjust her in frame sometimes, get all her limbs attached and help to get her outfits on if needed. Prior to filming we also made our own pair of posable legs for Tania, with some help from our lecturer, which we were grateful we made because those were the only set of legs that fit underneath the kitchen table for the scenes where she was sat at the table!”
“Liv and I were her handlers” said Sarah “we were also on standby with a range of tools and materials in case she needed fixing or correcting – you never know what could go wrong or what could come in handy! We also worked alongside a makeup artist and costume artist to keep Tania fit for action. Teamwork was important when it came to jobs like helping dress Tania or touching up a pair of the mannequin hands with makeup”

Reflecting on the skills she used in the role Liv said she “was able to handle and fix any problems that cropped up quickly and calmly, being able to fix Tania if she fell apart. Me and Sarah also had to colour correct a pair of Tania’s hands using makeup and setting powder with a topcoat of clear sealant spray as a quick solution for hands that didn’t match her body and face.”

When asked if there were any memorable moments on the project Olivia said “firstly the friendly but professional atmosphere on set” was something that has stayed with her as well as “the spontaneous and unintended moment when Stephen threw Tania into a grave and she broke in half! The improvised scene was so funny and worked so well that the crew had to hold in their laughter until the scene was shot, this scene was used in the final cut and it was incredible.”

Sarah agreed that the atmosphere on set was really memorable, “the most memorable thing for me had to be the people I was working alongside. Everyone was supportive, friendly and a joy to work with. It felt great to be a part of such a professional, yet easy-going, team.” She said one “particularly memorable moment” happened before filming the first shot, she explains “one of the crew got trapped in the lift and once he was finally freed, the heat from the lighting set the fire alarm off! It was a rocky start, but everyone stayed in high spirits, and we got the job done.”

Director Adam said that the girls “were fantastic. So professional and super talented. Considering they’ve never been on set before it didn’t show!”

Olivia said that the experience impacted her studies positively “because it really opened my eyes up to the career path, before this opportunity I was uncertain, but I can confidently say I truly enjoyed myself on set more than I expected to!”

Equally that her “degree helped me on set because I felt confident to sort out a problem in the moment and I found myself doubting myself less and generally being less hesitant towards decision making. I feel I’ve been encouraged to reach this goal throughout my studies. Furthermore, we were able to make our own set of legs for Tania and make doctors signs via laser cutting acrylic which we could only do because of the knowledge we had from our studies.”

Sarah agreed that both experiences informed each other “working on set has given me a new perspective of how the industry works and further insight into the handling of props; this has definitely impacted how I will go ahead in my course with how I design and build models now. Equally, my knowledge of props and models due to my course hugely helped with knowing how to handle the mannequin on set, and how to prepare her before filming.”

“I am massively enjoying my degree programme” Olivia said “I feel like I’m becoming a competent model maker. My lessons help to build vital skills I need, and I am encouraged to watch movies and expand my knowledge about the field I wish to pursue. Material Demos are informative and fun and really expand my knowledge and build a technique toolkit I can draw from in years to come. I feel I can express myself in what I make and I don’t feel limited or held back, and all the machines and materials are accessible to me and my fellow students whenever we need them. You really do get from this course what you are willing to put in, effort wise!”

Sarah said that “so far, I’m loving my degree programme, I’ve learned a lot in the past year about model making and the industry as a whole. I already feel much more confident and prepared for a career because of all the opportunities I’ve been presented with, and I think it’s fantastic that said opportunities are becoming more and more prominent in the North-East. Overall, I feel very at home on my course, I’ve enjoyed it more than any other level of education and I’m always supported by my peers and lecturers.”

You can keep up to date with Olivia and Sarah’s work on their Instagram platforms: @1art2liv & @sarah_elwin

If you are interested in a career in model making look no further! Our BA (Hons) Model Making & Props degree has been developed directly with our industry partners, to give students an accurate and career-focused programme of study. Students on this degree develops practical workshop techniques with digital skills to help them secure employment in the screen industries and beyond. Find out more here.