College students have had the unique chance to try their hand at creating gruesome underworld demons, blood thirsty zombies and crazed clowns as Halloween scream park Screamfest is one of the only fright nights in the country to offer special effects work experience opportunities.
Hair and Media Make up students from Newcastle and Staffordshire College are among the team of special effects artists using prosthetics, fake blood and face paint to bring the Staffordshire Scream park’s 180 terrifying actors to life.
One of the only scream parks in the country to offer such experience in special effects make up, the 15 students have been tasked with helping to prepare the live actors each night to create everything from terrifying zombies with gauged eyes and severed fingers to demonic cheerleaders with disfigured facial features, scars and bullet holes.
With 150 actors to transform in full make up in just over one hour and only a team of 30 to complete it, it is an experience like no other for the budding make up artists.
Julie Tickle, who oversees the make-up, costumes and special effects at Screamfest in Burton, is a self-taught face painter who turned her hand to scare artistry in 2012 when Screamfest first opened its doors at the National Forest Adventure Farm.
Now handmaking each of the intricate prosthetics and scare designs for actors she said that there was no other opportunity for students to get such in-depth hands-on experience anywhere else across the country.
She said: “Scare make up is very different to any other medium. With the lighting and special effects used it can all affect how you need to apply the products. Everything is very theatrical and if you get it wrong it can affect the whole final feel of the performance.
“When I started out there wasn’t anything like this which is why as a scare park Screamfest is so keen to help nurture new talent and help them get the experience they need to learn and grow their talents.”
Each student not only receives ongoing training and support but is given responsibility for finalising certain looks and making sure each of their actors are attraction ready as required. This could also mean redoing make up if looks need to change or actors are moved in attractions once the performance starts.
With each of the attractions run like elaborate film sets the make up can all be affected by the lights, performance, heat, sweat and smoke machines used to create the terrifying atmosphere. It means that is a fast paced role unlike anything the students will have experienced before and tests their skills while offering real life learning that can’t be taught in the classroom.
Theatrical Make up Lecturer Aimee Foster at the Newcastle and Stafford College based in Stafford said: “At Newcastle and Stafford College our students specialise in theatrical and special effects hair and make up. This can be for everything from West End theatre to TV shows and films or attractions.
“It is a very different style so getting this hands-on experience is crucial in helping students to learn and develop their skills.
“We are very grateful to Julie and the team at Screamfest for providing such a unique experience to help our students. There really is nothing else like it and the students are always keen to take part.”
The National Forest Adventure Farm, in Burton, has been running nighttime adult Halloween scream parks at the 40-acre site since 2012.
The event attracts over 28,000 visitors from across the country looking for the ultimate in extreme fear filled immersive scare.
This year the attraction, which has added two New for 2023 scares, has extended the scream park by over 5 acres and added more than 30 extra live actors to shock and scare their guests.
From zombies and demons to crazed clowns and the living dead each design is specifically created for the ultimate in fear factor with hundreds of specialist prosthetics painstakingly handcrafted to create anything from boils and scars to deformed facial features, severed fingers, gauged eye sockets, bullet holes and stitches.
The evening event is open for selected dates throughout October until Tuesday 31st October. Fairground rides, street food and a bar are also available.
A scary experience it is not recommended for under 16s. Under 16s will not be admitted without an 18+ year responsible adult and must be supervised at all times. Tickets start from £26 (plus a £1.50 booking fee) with a £10 per person charge for access to AREA 52 and a charge of £2 for the Mega ‘Death’ Slide.
For more information, visit www.screamfest.co.uk
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