Recently working on
Hotbox Studios has moved!
In early December 2009 Hotbox Studios moved into its new studio! It’s been a long time coming and a lot of work but we’re very happy in our new home! There is still a wall of boxes to empty (we’re not entirely sure what’s in them all...), misc bits and bobs to arrive, including a fridge! Fortunately the frost and snow has been keeping our milk cold!
So it’ll probably be well into the New Year before we can come into work without shuffling round a box or wondering why no matter how many pieces of bubble wrap you pick up the stuff still seems to be everywhere...
For more info please click here.
21 Dec 09
Dido & Aeneas on DVD & Blu-ray
Folloing on from the double bill at The Royal Oprea House in April 2009 - Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Handel's Acis and Galatea - two great works of British Baroque opera in new interpretations by Wayne McGregor, The Royal Opera House have released a DVD and Blu-ray of Dido and Aeneas.
Hotbox Studios worked with director Wayne McGregor in 2006 producing animation and visual effects for 'Dido and Aeneas' - first presented at Milan's Teatro alla Scala.
Dido and Aeneas DVD on the Royal Opera House website.
Dido and Aeneas Blu-ray on the Royal Opera House website.
For further details of the animation and visual effects produced by Hotbox Studios please visit:
Dido and Aeneas in the Hotbox Studios animation portfolio
14 Dec 09
A Podium Finish for Amy O'Loughlin!
Throughout 2009 Hotbox Studios and our sister company Hotbox Events has been a proud sponsor of Amy O'Loughlin. Amy has spent much of 2009 training to compete in the the Gore Bike Wear TransWales 2009 Mountain Bike Event which took place in Wales in August.
Hotbox first sponsored Amy O'Loughlin in 2007 as part of a four woman mountain bike team competing in the Nightrider12 event at Plymouth's Newnham Park; raising money for the Force Cancer Charity. Following a podium finish in the Nightrider12, Amy got back in touch in early 2009, this time training for TransWales.
All here at Hotbox send huge congratulations to Amy for making it through TransWales 2009, let alone achieving a podium finish! Having now recovered a little, Amy has sent through some info about the TransWales event and her journey from the start line to the podium, you can read this and see the photos here...
14 Oct 09
HotBox Studios Website Design
HotBox Studios has been working closely with Retail Links - developing the Retail Links website which is content rich yet simple to navigate. Updates have included changes to the Retail links page layouts, news format, logo optimisation, and CSS updates.
Retail Links is a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) which offers a wide range of training and recruitment solutions to retail businesses across the South.
The Retail Links partnership links three training providers who deliver specialist retail and logistics training regionally. These are BCOT, TLC and Eastleigh College.
Retail Links works closely with retail and associated logistics companies to meet the skill needs of the retail industry by providing flexible, demand-driven, high quality training, with the aim of producing appropriately skilled and qualified workers.
For more details and images of the Retail Links website please visit the HotBox Studios Web Design Portfolio
10 Aug 09
HotBox Studios Website Design
The new Ascot Drummond website is now live!
Ascot Drummond Accountants offer an online accountancy service backed with a personal service few can match. They provide a complete range of accountancy solutions and tailored packages to meet the needs of all types of small businesses (including contractors) enabling them to make informed business decisions, ensuring regulatory compliance, and freeing them to concentrate on core business activities.
They do this through a combination of online systems and the expertise of their pro-active team, who go the extra mile for their customers.
We've worked hard on the visual style of Ascot Drummond's new website, making it approachable, SEO friendly and standards compliant.
27 Jul 09
Hotbox Sponsoring Amy O'Loughlin
Back in 2007 Hotbox sponsored Amy O'Loughlin as part of a four woman mountain bike team which competed in the Nightrider12 event at Plymouth's Newnham Park; to raise money for the Force Cancer Charity.
Following a podium finish in the Nightrider12, Amy got back in touch in early 2009, this time training for TransWales 2009...
Lasting 7 days, with 300 riders, covering a gruelling 344 miles and a staggering 53,700 feet of climbing, the Gore Bike Wear™ TransWales 2009 is a challenge by anyone’s standards!
As the UK’s only stage mountain bike race, the TransWales event attracts endurance athletes from many disciplines. Competing involves not only extreme endurance, but tactics, nutritional savvy, and technical knowledge to keep both the rider and their bike in good running order for the duration of the race.
The determination to ride, run and wade through Wales’ rugged countryside whilst being pushed to the limit, both physically and mentally, is a common virtue in every competitor.
Due to laws in the UK that prohibit bike racing on bridleways, the TransWales is a rally-style stage race composed of long un-timed linking stages and short timed special stages on some of the best trails Wales has to offer.
Hotbox is proud to support solo rider Amy O’Loughlin as she steps up to the challenge and battles with nature to defeat all the TransWales can throw at her...
Day 1 (Sunday 16th August), Builth Wells – Llanidloes
Distance: approx. 79km
Ascent: approx. 2250m
Descent: approx. 2200m
As an “easy” introduction to the race, there are no special stages on Day 1
Day 2 (Monday 17th August), Llanidloes – Machynlleth
Distance: approx. 79km
Ascent: approx. 2590m
Descent: approx. 2700m
Day 2 incorporates the first of the special timed stages at the Climax trail at Machynlleth.
Day 3 (Tuesday 18th August), Machynlleth – Cwmystwyth
Distance: approx. 76km
Ascent: approx. 2300m
Descent: approx. 2100m
Day 3 hosts the second special stage timed section at Nant y Arian.
Day 4 (Wednesday 19th August), Cwmystwyth – Cilycwm
Distance: approx. 69km
Ascent: approx. 2100m
Descent: approx. 2200m
A special night stage is on the cards on Day 4 at Cwm Rhaiadr.
Day 5 (Thursday 20th August), Cilycwm – Llansawel
Distance: approx. 77km
Ascent: 2700m
Descent: 2700m
About 50 km in on Day 5 will be a special stage in Brechfa forest.
Day 6 (Friday 21st August), Llansawel – Llanwrtyd Wells
Distance: approx. 85km
Ascent: approx. 2300m
Descent: approx. 2300m
Day 6 and the riders are back at Cwm Rhaiadr for a special stage, this time in daylight.
Day 7 (Saturday 22nd August), Llanwrtyd Wells – Builth Wells
Distance: approx. 68km
Ascent: approx. 2000m
Descent: approx. 2050m
The special stage all the riders will be looking forward to on Day 7 will be descent to the finish line at Builth Wells.
Careful and committed preparation is essential for an undertaking of such epic proportions. Amy has been training hard for the event. A sense of humour will also be essential in those laugh or cry moments, of which there will be many!
22 Jun 09
HotBox Studios Website Design
HotBox Studios has been working closely with the Air and Sea Association in developing the Air and Sea Association website. Updates have included the creation of a new online booking system; the creation of a testimonials page (also added to the Air and Sea Association Content Management System (CMS)); and the addition of photo upload to the Air and Sea Association member's directory.
The Air and Sea Association is a strong world wide network of independent freight forwarders and customs clearance brokers working closely together to provide first class services.
For more details and images of the Air and Sea Association website please visit the Hotbox Studios web design portfolio.
Or the Air and Sea Association website: www.asanetwork.org
11 May 09
HotBox Studios Website Design
The HotBox Events website is now live! HotBox Events is the new home for the Festival CATs; volunteers run by HotBox Events on behalf of Festival Republic at the Latitude Festival, Reading Festival and Leeds Festival.
The Festival CATs have been run by HotBox Studios on behalf of Festival Republic since 2003. DC Site Services (DCSS) - one of the UK's largest providers of staff to the music festival and event industry - agreed that HotBox Studios could use the DCSS website to assist with running the new Festival CATs project. Now in their seventh year the CAT volunteer-base has grown from ten volunteers at the Leeds Festival to over a thousand volunteers at the Latitude Festival, Reading Festival and Leeds Festival - now too large an operation to be an add-on to the DCSS website and HotBox Studios, hence the creation of HotBox Events!
We've put a lot of love into HotBox Events - both the development of the new company and the design of the website. If you do have a moment to visit www.HotboxEvents.com we hope you like what you find! You could even apply to join us at one of this summer's music festivals!
18 Mar 09
HotBox Studios Software Development
Mid-summer 2009 PAAM will be launching for a new client in the childcare recruitment sector!
PAAM - the software package HotBox Studios released in 2007 - is currently used by Chillfest Ltd (The Big Chill Festival), DC Site Services Ltd, and Festival Republic Ltd - in all cases aiding the organisations with the year-round administration and management of staff and volunteers at music festivals and live events.
For more information about PAAM please visit www.PAAMApplication.co.uk
16 Mar 09
HotBox Studios Animation
A double bill - Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Handel's Acis and Galatea - two great works of British Baroque opera in new interpretations by Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, make for a very special evening with The Royal Opera in collaboration with The Royal Ballet.
England's oldest opera - Henry Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' - directed by Wayne McGregor, opens with Handel's Acis and Galatea at London's Royal Opera House on Tuesday 31st March 2009. Following the opening night will be six further performances in April: Friday 3rd, Wed 8th, Sat 11th, Wed 15th, Sat 18th, Mon 20th.
HotBox Studios worked with director Wayne McGregor in 2006 producing animation and visual effects for 'Dido and Aeneas' - first presented at Milan's Teatro alla Scala.
BBC 4 TV will broadcast Acis and Galatea on Friday 15 May and Dido and Aeneas on Friday 22 May; BBC Radio 3 will broadcast Dido and Aeneas and Acis and Galatea on Saturday 20 June.
'Dido and Aeneas' was first performed in 1689, at a girl's school in Chelsea, London. The narrative for Dido and Aeneas was adapted from part of the Aeneid by Virgil. Dido, Queen of Carthage, falls in love with Aeneas, who has landed in Carthage after fleeing from Troy after defeat in the Trojan War. However, the destructive witches living near Carthage who despise Dido, remind Aeneas that he is fated to found the Roman Empire. Aeneas leaves Dido, heartbroken Dido kills herself.
From the Royal Opera House website:
To both, McGregor brings his individual and acclaimed approach to the fusion of music and movement in settings of richly layered design and atmospheric lighting. Purcell's Dido and Aeneas contrasts musically and dramatically the supernatural with personal tragedy - there are the witches who delight in destruction, but at the heart is Dido, Queen of Carthage, whose Lament is one of the most famous and beautiful pieces of English opera. The pastoral mood of Handel's Acis and Galatea also turns dark as the eponymous loves are threatened by the monster Polyphemus, but its succession of arias and choruses show its unique charm. With Christopher Hogwood conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and soloists including Sarah Connolly as Dido, this programme will have an especially rich musical interpretation.
For further details of the animation and visual effects produced by HotBox Studios please visit:
Dido and Aeneas in the HotBox Studios animation portfolio
17 Feb 09