Fife College hosts filming of new musical

Fife College (@fifecollege) has hosted the filming of a new musical film, with several students playing key roles in the production.

‘It Takes Two’ is an original musical feature-length film with all original songs where twin sisters Olivia and Rosie use their love of the stage to help save a local theatre from closure.

The main message of the film entertains the value of support in communities, and how even during the toughest of times, once we unite together, we can overcome all obstacles.

One of the big musical numbers in the film was filmed in the canteen areas at the College’s Fife campus, with the rest of the film being shot in other local venues such as The Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline and the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews.

And seven Fife College arts students have been cast in key roles in the movie, giving them a chance to showcase their acting, singing and dancing skills developed at the College.

Each student has also gained experience of filming with Covid restrictions in place, as every cast member was asked to strictly follow all Scottish Government restrictions and the advice given to the film and TV industry, including the in-depth rules and procedures for filming on-set.

Fife College offers a range of acting and performance courses, using first class on-site facilities include their own theatre studio at the Dunfermline campus. 

Sarah Halliwell, Academic Head for the Faculty of Creative Industries at Fife College said:

“This was a really exciting project and when the makers of the film got in touch with us we were keen to support them in any way we could.

“We’re delighted that our campus could provide the setting for some of the key scenes in the film, and even more pleased for the opportunity it has given our students.

“Not only will it give a chance for those involved to showcase their abilities, but it also gives them great industrial practice and experience of what it’s like working on a film set with Covid measures in place.

“At Fife College we’re always looking to support the arts, and we look forward to seeing ‘It Takes Two’ when it’s released.”

The director of the film, Benjamin Atkinson and song/story writer, Katie Atkinson said said they were excited to see what they could achieve with the film. Benjamin Atkinson said:

“The past year has been a particularly difficult time for the creative arts industries around the world. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our beloved theatres are faced with the real life threat of closure.

“We want to make this message known through our film and celebrate the true magic of our theatres. Performing is not just a hobby, it’s a confidence builder, a collaborative profession and a way to express yourself.

“Support for one another is so important and that’s why we want to raise more awareness of the troubles faced by the creative arts, and promote how we can all play our part in helping those businesses and people that have been badly affected by this global crisis.

“Fife College have been a huge help in making this film a reality. Not only have they allowed us to use their campus for filming several key scenes, we also have several of their amazing students acting in the musical film.  

“They’re all incredibly talented, and it’s been a pleasure to work with them and give them experience of working on a set.”

Luis Mutch, a Fife College student who plays the role of Mr. Connor, the school headmaster, in ‘It Takes Two’ said:

“I’m really enjoying my time being a part of this project – it’s a great story, and the musical numbers are fun, high energy, upbeat and original.

“During my time at the College I feel I’ve developed a lot as a performer, and this has helped me enormously as I prepared for this role.

“It’s great that opportunities such as this have been made available to us, and I know all of my fellow students are enjoying the experience of being on a film set and gaining the experience they may need for future.

“It will be really enjoyable to see what we can achieve with this project – filming so far has been great and it looks even better, so it should be a brilliant spectacle.”

The film is still looking for financial backing, and you can help them by going to their Crowd Funder page and donating what you can to help cover the costs of filming. Every penny will go towards funding equipment, locations, set and props, and COVID-19 safety on-set.