Zombies taking over for holidays
Parents looking to keep their kids occupied during the school holidays will be pleased when they come home with severe facial injuries.
Students have been coming home with a lust for brains and an improved special effects skill-set after taking part in a holiday programme at Kristen Stewart School of Special Effects (KSFX).
A group of teenagers used gelatin, tissues and cotton wool to fashion bruises, cuts and a general zombie-like appearance yesterday.
‘‘I suppose other than just waiting around for the two weeks to get back to school, this is something quite different to your normal holiday programme,’’ tutor Rebecca Guyton said.
‘‘It’s a different way of expressing yourself, through a different form of art.’’
The course was designed to give youngsters a taste of skills they could develop if they were considering further study or looking at career options.
For Ainsley Holden, 16, it was her second time taking part in the one-day programme.
‘‘It’s just really fascinating to see that you can create a monster or something completely different,’’ she said.
‘‘Definitely movies got me into it – seeing that it’s make-up and just finding it amazing that you can do something like that with make-up.’’
The Middleton Grange student said the KSFX course was ‘‘pretty different’’ to what was available at her usual school.
‘‘I don’t know about any other schools, but at my high school I just bring my stuff along and do it on my friends at lunch times.’’
Ainsley said she wanted to pursue a career involving a combination of special effects make-up and photography, a subject she takes at school.
‘‘Since year 8 I’ve been interested in doing special effects and make-up.’’
Guyton brought 14 years of experience in the make-up industry to the school when it was opened by namesake and well known Christchurch make-up artist Kristen Stewart in February.
Courses outside the holiday programme usually run for 10 weeks, with the school’s third set to begin on Monday.
Guyton said an important aspect of the course was ‘‘the whole process from start to finish’’.
‘‘With my students, they need to think from the beginning about that whole character.
‘‘It’s not just about putting something on their face. It’s the hair, the costume and how it’s going to be photographed.’’
Giving students a heads-up on the right products to use was a big part of teaching the holiday programme too, she said.
‘‘The older ones anyway. The young ones just want to come in, have fun and play.
‘‘And create lots of things with blood.’’
"It's a different way of expressing yourself, through a different form of art." Tutor Rebecca Guyton