Mind Magic Studios are thrilled to unveil the murderous Agnes witch silicone mask designed and sculpted by Steve Braund for the horror-comedy Members Club, which recently had its sold out world premiere at the iconic Odeon Leicester Square during FrightFest, the UK’s largest horror film festival.
The Agnes witch mask also features on the neon-clad movie poster, next to - yes that really is him - Peter Andre, who makes a surprise appearance in the film.
This gruesome, laugh-out-loud British film directed by Marc Coleman — known for his previous horror-comedy hit Manfish — combines gut-wrenching gore with razor-sharp humor. Set against the eerie backdrop of rural Essex, notorious for its historic witch trials, the plot follows a down-and-out, over-the-hill male stripper troupe called Wet Dreams, who unwittingly become involved in a sinister plot to resurrect a bloodthirsty 16th-century witch. The film features a cracking cast and sees some of the Manfish crew reunited for another adventure.
Members Club has already begun its journey to cult status being described in a 4-star review by thepeoplesmovie.com as “Dick ripping balls to the wall horror-comedy packed with filthy laughs and gruesome gore". Check out this behind the scenes piece from Britflicks for a sneak peek.
Designing silicone masks for horror movies – raising Agnes the witch
For any SFX sculptor, it’s a dream come true to have full creative freedom, and working with a director like Marc Coleman is nothing short of inspiring. After collaborating on Manfish, Marc approached Steve Braund to design the lead creature silicone mask — a creepy witch named Agnes — for Members Club. Without any concept art, Steve and Marc brainstormed the witch’s look, drawing inspiration from classic witch lore. Steve’s initial concept sculpt in WED clay was crucial in securing the film's funding.
Once Agnes’ look was approved, Steve re-sculpted the witch in Chavant Clay, enhancing the gnarly, hyper-realistic details before molding, casting, and painting the silicone mask. Agnes needed to be grotesque, so Steve added a penis-shaped nose, a nod to her on-screen obsession, and a hairy wart that made actor Ian Noble "a little bit sick in his mouth" upon seeing it up close.
Steve is known for his incredible skin-like finishes on his masks and he used multiple layers of translucent paint to build up a pale, veiny ‘just raised from the dead’ effect which read really well on screen. To complete the look, Steve crafted matching silicone gloves with long sleeves, which he meticulously painted to match the mask’s decaying, veiny skin.
The flexibility of using silicone masks for independent films
Marc's decision to commission a hyper-realistic silicone mask for Agnes, rather than prosthetic pieces, highlights the practical benefits for independent films. Silicone masks offer a comfortable, quick and easy solution — actors can slip them on and off in seconds, eliminating the need for lengthy makeup sessions. This is especially advantageous on set, where time is money.
Make-up artist costs are only necessary if you want to put some make up around the actor’s eye area to help hide where the mask meets flesh. For Members Club, this was supplemented by VFX artists who handled any final touches in post-production, ensuring that Agnes’ evil glint was perfectly captured on screen.
Crafting a prosthetic animatronic tongue
In true horror-comedy fashion, Members Club kicks off with a gruesome tongue-cutting scene. To bring this to life, Steve sculpted a hyper-realistic severed silicone tongue, which prop genius Jim Walker (Production Designer) then equipped with a rod and pulley mechanism, allowing the tongue to "run-away" in a delightfully grotesque manner.
Check out this behind-the-scenes footage which is a great example of how to create realistic SFX for low budget horror films.
“It’s cock o’clock” - a prosthetic penis fest
The film’s title, Members Club, is a cheeky double entendre, and Marc didn’t shy away from taking it literally. Steve was commissioned to sculpt anatomically correct, hyper-realistic prosthetic penises, with a unique, out-there detail that we won’t spoil here. Multiple casts were created, all painted with Steve’s trademark hyper-realistic attention to detail—though his internet browsing history may never recover! The main prosthetic piece was worn by actor Ian Noble and is revealed in a hilarious full-frontal moment that leads to tragic consequences as the film builds up to its grizzly conclusion.
"The bloody effects are primarily practical and of solid quality, considering the camera seldom pulls away from the genitalia-based carnage" - thepeoplesmovies.com.
Sculpting a talking cheese and pineapple hedgehog puppet
As if things couldn’t get any crazier, Marc also tasked Steve with sculpting a British 70s buffet style cheese and pineapple puppet hedgehog, which was voiced by the legendary Alan Ford (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). Only two of these puppets exist — the one used on set and a test cast which Steve proudly presented to Alan at the Southend Film Festival gala night earlier this year as a memento.
Witchy inspiration from the trial of Agnes Waterhouse
The character of Agnes draws from the real-life witch trials in Essex, where the infamous Agnes Waterhouse became one of the first women executed for witchcraft in 1566. Known for using a toad familiar and accused of killing her neighbor, Waterhouse’s tragic story inspired the dark, twisted fate of her fictional counterpart in Members Club. The film features many nods to the real-life Agnes. Its set in the village of Hatfield Peverel where she lived, and features a short cameo by a toad. We also see her on-screen coven calling her ‘Mother’ as Agnes was accused as being the matriarch of a whole clan of hags that included her sister and her daughter. You can check this out in the original text from Agnes’ examination and confession.
Though there’s no memorial for Agnes Waterhouse in Essex, an English county which executed more alleged witches than anywhere else in England, discussions are underway to honour her and the many others who were needlessly tortured and executed with a memorial. It’s a fitting tribute that Members Club turns the tables, with Agnes and her coven holding the men in peril. We hope that the historical injustices she endured will be fully commemorated soon.
Thank you
Massive blood-curdling thanks to Marc Coleman and Blackwater Pictures for commissioning Mind Magic Studios to create the custom silicone mask and SFX prosthetics for what’s sure to become a new British horror cult classic. We also want to extend a huge well done to the fabulous actress Charley Burling for bringing our Agnes silicone mask to life in a cock-rockin' way!
Steve makes a cameo appearance!
And finally, in a big screen first, Members Club also features Steve from Mind Magic Studios making his acting debut as a clown extra (what else!), after being asked to join by Marc...
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