A first visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, while on a St Albans school trip, is where it all started for budding film director Alex Campbell.

The former St Albans School pupil has now taken on the ambitious task of producing a 30-minute film about the First World War, based on an adaptation of award winning stage show "The Trench" as his third year university project.

Having had the chance to take shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the past five years and his latest film, Journey Home, currently on the international film festival circuit, Alex says it all began when he grew up in his Verulam Road house in St Albans.

The 20-year-old, who is now studying film and television production student at the University of York, said: "I first visited The Fringe back with St Albans School back in 2008, where I was appointed the technical director.

"This is where it all began, because I had developed a passion for short film making while studying art and drama at school.

"In the same year, I also ran the youth film festival and awards, named The Adders in the Alban Arena.

"This was great because it gained support from the British Film Institute and gave me the opportunity to travel the country.

"I had a very lucky string of breaks and was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do from a young age, which I think is important.

"I left St Albans with a goal and that was to go into professional filming."

Alex is now hoping he can gain support from the community to ensure The Trench is a great success.

The film idea grew after Alex and his six-strong team of final year students came across the story at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013, where Oliver Lansley and his theatre company Les Enfants Terribles were performing their 2012 5-Star, award winning sell-out show The Trench.

From that moment Alex explains they were in love and set about working with Mr Lansley to secure the rights to develop their vision for the adaptation to screen.

The film will now be shot over 10 days from January 31 to February 10. In December, the group of students launched a fundraising effort to raise £8,000 towards production costs of the film.

Having raised £2,600 of the budget so far, Alex said he is "quietly anxious".

He said: "I am incredibly excited and it is great to be working alongside talented and emerging actors.

"It is about creating an awareness of the film and we would welcome any support."

Keen to make it in the city he grew up and where his parents still live, Alex added: "My lifelong goal has always been to screen a film at the Odyssey in St Albans, when it opens."

To find out more about The Trench visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-trench-short-film