On the 5th of June, 2011, two students residing in Bodington Hall set out to capture its rumoured paranormal activity on tape. They never returned. This found footage is all that was recovered.

Director’s Vision for ‘The Bodington Tape’

Immersed in the revival of analogue horror, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a hidden personal gem tucked away on a miniDV tape – my own creation from 2011. This short film came to life during the culmination of my first year at university, drawing inspiration from films like REC (2007) and Paranormal Activity (2007).

The eerie setting that served as our film location was a 1960s accommodation hall, nestled on the outskirts of Leeds town center. Its flickering tube lights, as if meticulously crafted by a horror production designer, cast an unsettling ambience whenever you ventured to the toilet late at night or returned from a night out.

Upon revisiting this film, I discovered that it captured not only the essence of that transformative period, but also the imagined sense of isolation and unease that often consumed me as a fresher.