SPOOF severed heads and bogus brains are just some of the diverse commissions a former arts student has fulfilled as she grows her reputation as a freelance designer.
Cleveland College of Art & Design graduate Sherilyn Oliphant found herself working with two former student colleagues on black comedies for Channel 4.
Mini movies Stupid Cult and Baby Zominic were made by Duffel Films in Newcastle for Channel 4’s Random Acts series.
“I had to make a severed head for the fridge and a brain to feed a zombie baby, along with fingers and eyeballs,” said the CCAD entertainments design crafts honours graduate.
“They took me ages to make then they were only on screen for a matter of seconds but it was good fun.”
Sherilyn has also been involved in a Film Four short film, directed by Simon Herdman in association with BSL Zone, about a deaf girl at Christmas, which has helped her empathise with people with disabilities.
“I had to find new ways to communicate as the people I was working with were deaf,” said the 21-year-old of Greatham, near Hartlepool.
Sherilyn was asked to help out on the set of the David Leon movie Orthodox, which was filmed on the Headland, Hartlepool, about a Jewish boxer.
“I ended up with a small speaking part,” she said. “I played a bar girl and had to serve actor Stephen Graham with a whiskey.”
Since leaving CCAD she has set up her own business – Stand Out Art Makeup, Costumes, Props and Set – with commissions ranging from TV and film work to makeup for themed parties, weddings and girls’ nights out.
“The props and makeup seem to go hand in hand,” she said. “I have also been working on set design with another ex-CCAD student, Emma Winter, who works in London, who had a commission for some party chairs from prince Harry.
“I helped to build and embellish a set she designed for a stand at TENT Design Week, bringing together two floors of pure design, involving more than 200 companies from 29 countries, eight gallery shows and 40 super global brands presenting a vast and diverse range of furniture, lighting and interior products for 21,000 visitors.
“We also erected an already built set for Madderson London Maternity Wear.
“I want to build up a reputation within the industry and be the very best at what I do. I would love to work more and more in feature films and props and thankfully am getting work in both at the moment.”
She said being a CCAD graduate was really helping her move forward. “It’s a great college as it is relatively small and everyone knows you,” she said.
“But it also helped me when I contacted Emma; she has been in London ten years and as soon as I said I was from CCAD she said ‘come on down, it will be great to hear another Northern voice’.”
For more details on opportunities at CCAD contact (01642) 288888 or log on to www.ccad.ac.uk.
