Many thanks again to the fantastic group of University for the Creative Arts students who were filming downstairs in the St Mark’s Community Centre earlier this month.

The film, Hangnail, examines that very human issue insecurity and deals with Toby (played by Julian Salmon), a man on a date whose anxiety and fear of failure take him over to the point when he literally tears himself apart. We caught up with Location Manager Izzie Gough after the end of the filming to ask her more about the production.

“George Lowe, who wrote and directed the film, saw it as a metaphor for the breakdown of a person,” she said. “It’s rather gross with all the special effects – fake blood etc – but it is a way to look at insecurity.”

The film is a ‘B Project’ – a five-minute film which UCA Film students create in their final year at the university, prior to producing a final graduation film. “The B Project films tend to be our passions because we can do more than one role and we have more freedom. They are also usually have smaller crews than the graduation films but this one had a lot of interest and the crew is large.”

As well as Izzie, Julian and George, Hangnail has been put together by Dylan Stevens (colour grader and extra); Stefan Gutierres-Yildirim (first assistant director); Josh Matthews (editor/continuity); Steve Adams (sound); Magdelana Rak (director of photography); Hannah Clayforth (first assistant camera); Katie Puddifoot (gaffer); Erin Morgan (grip); Olivia Loader (special effects); Callum Marshall (costume); Cristina Iorgulescu (prop/art department); Nicola Rhodes (production designer); Mariya Lilova (producer);

Izzie added: “Thank you for all your help and hospitality with the film. I know it’s a weird one and the content may have been questionable to the Church [no – it’s about humanity and our weaknesses, so right up our street!] –  it is great that the parish is open and accepting. I really think that your openness to our film and the set dressing made the difference between us being able to make a ‘student’ film and us being able to make a great one!”

It has been our pleasure (and the downstairs cloakroom looks better than it did before!). The film will be out next year and we look forward – with some trepidation because of the fake blood and guts! – to seeing it.

Pictured above: Julian Salmon being filmed by Magdelana Rak; Magdelana Rak (holding camera) and Hannah Clayforth; It’s not real blood, honest – Callum Marshall.