Hotbox Studios – Web Design, Animation and Branding

Recently working on

Amu - Award Nomination

The Dance Section of the Critic's Circle of the UK has selected Amu as a finalist for the Best Choreography (modern) category in the 2006 Critic's Circle National Dance Awards. Mark Hatchard and HotBox Studios worked in collaboration with Random Dance, Shirazeh Houshiary, and the production's creative team, in producing animation and visual effects for Amu.

The Critic's Circle National Dance Awards are currently the only professional awards in the UK devoted exclusively to dance. Further details about the award and Amu's nomination can be found on the National Dance Awards website from December onwards. The award ceremony will be taking place on January 25th 2007 at Sadler's Wells.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil ( a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Shirazeh Houshiary Veil section of the HotBox Studios Animation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

15 Nov 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Braun Arts have set-up "Of The Heart", a website which discusses the process of developing Amu. Mark Hatchard and HotBox Studios worked in collaboration with Random Dance, Shirazeh Houshiary, and the production's creative team, in producing animation and visual effects for Amu.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil ( a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Shirazeh Houshiary Veil section of the HotBox Studios Animation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

06 Nov 06

HotBox Studios Web Design

HotBox Studios has been working closely with Kangacrew recruitment to develop their website, in terms of both design and functionality.

Parallel to the Kangacrew recruitment website's front-end developments, we're developing the technology behind the site:

Transferring the Kangacrew recruitment website to the HotBox Studios server.

Working with Kangacrew recruitment to develop their search engine optimisation (SEO); to help expand the Kangacrew brand.

The accessibility and usability of the Kangacrew recruitment website is being developed, including making the site fully DDA compliant.

More details and images of our work with Kangacrew recruitment can be found within the HotBox Studios web design portfolio.

02 Nov 06

HotBox Studios Software Development

HotBox Studios has developed an innovative piece of software which allows easy setting and tracking of goals for students within Further Education (FE). The ILP has been installed at Basingstoke College of Technology to allow tutors and lecturers to update students on their progress.

With easy inputting of goals by a course lecturer or tutor, the software requires little additional administration - helping cut down on the amount of paperwork per student.

Goals can be set at course level i.e. a goal can be set for all students on a particular programme, thus accelerating the goal setting progress. Goals can also be set on a student level - allowing for individual student goals to be created.

The information is brought together in a calendar view - this providing an overview of student progress throughout the year. A simple colour coded system shows where a student has achieved goals, and flagging where they haven't.

Being a web based package - the ILP allows lecturers and students to view progress from within the college, from home, or anywhere where an internet connection is available. No more excuses for not knowing there was an assignment to hand in!

We'll be profiling the software soon within a new Software Development Portfolio we're currently developing for the HotBox Studios website.

09 Aug 06

HotBox Studios Web Design

The Air and Sea Association website has been updated!

A secure booking system has been created for the Air and Sea Association for their upcoming conference in Manilla.

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 info please visit the HotBox Studios Web Design Portfolio, or visit the Air and Sea Association website:

www.asanetwork.org

29 Jun 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Henry Purcell's Opera 'Dido and Aeneas', opens at Teatro alla Scala (Milan) on June 28, 2006.

Dido and Aeneas is England's oldest opera. As far as we know it was first performed in 1689, at a girl's school in Chelsea, London, run by a Mr Josias Priest - who was a dancing master. Unfortunately, neither the original, nor any 17th Century copy of the score, survives.

The story for Dido and Aeneas was adapted from part of the Aeneid by Virgil. Dido.

The story tells how the Queen of Carthage falls in love with Aeneas, who has landed in Carthage after fleeing from Troy following a defeat in the Trojan War. However, some witches living near Carthage, who hate Dido, remind him that he is fated to go and be the founder of the Roman Empire. Aeneas leaves Dido, who is heartbroken and kills herself.

The opera is performing on: 4th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th - July, 2006.

For more details of Teatro alla Scala - Milan, and to book tickets, please visit the Teatro alla Scala - Milan website via the link below:

www.TeatroallaScala.org

HotBox Studios produced 3D Computer Animation and Visual Effects for Dido and Aeneas - a 3 minute sequence which ends the opera.

You can find more information about Dido and Aeneas here.

28 Jun 06

HotBox Studios Education

Mark Hatchard is to lend a hand to the collaboration between the National Film and Television School (NFTS), and The Place Theatre.

NFTS and The Place Theatre joined forces six months ago to produce a number of initiatives, including a masterclass run by Mark Hatchard and Random Dance's Chris Charles, on the use of animation and film within live performances.

Mark will now be assisting with the culmination of participants' efforts on June 26, 2006.

For the final day of the project, held at The Place Theatre, Mark will be working with three groups of choreographers and animators, offering creative and techinical assistance and helping them prepare for their evening performances.

For more information please visit either the NFTS website:

www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk

Or The Place Theatre website:

www.ThePlace.org.uk

26 Jun 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Amu is performing at Venice Biennale, Teatro La Fenice, Italy on June 17 and 18- with live music by the Fenice Orchestra.

Amu (of the heart), is Random Dance's most ambitious, emotive and provocative collaboration to date.

For Amu, the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogue of feeling, devotion and spirituality.

The Project will be a live, large scale contemporary dance and musicevent, with an orchestra of 50 musicians, 7 singers and 10 dancers.

Random dancers led by the critically acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, in collaboration with visual artist Shirazeh Houshiary and animator Mark Hatchard, will question both the physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart.

Sir John Tavener creates his first commissioned original score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin with Patricia Rozario (soprano) and Rufus M¸ller (tenor).

Amu is co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells and The Wellcome Trust, and supported by Arts Council England, Quercus Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the PRS Foundation.

Random Dance is a resident company at Sadler's Wells,London, and has an international reputation for the creation of awardwinning, pioneering works, redrawing the boundaries for the human bodywith startling collaborations.

HotBox Studios produced animation & visual effects for Amu (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England),and also worked on pre and post production including: research anddevelopment, and post production for live performance projection.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, and images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

For more information about this performance please see the La Biennale Di Venezia website: www.labiennale.org

Further details, images, and photos from Veil ( a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Random Dance Amu section of the HotBox StudiosAnimation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

19 May 06

HotBox Studios Animation

HotBox Studios has begun production of the 3D Animation and Visual Effects for a new production of Henry Purcell's Opera 'Dido and Aeneas'.

Dido and Aeneas is England's oldest opera.As far as we know it was first performed in 1689, at a girl's school inChelsea, London, run by a Mr Josias Priest - who was a dancing master.Unfortunately, neither the original, nor any 17th Century copy of thescore, survives.

The story for Dido and Aeneas was adapted from part of the Aeneidby Virgil. Dido.

The story tells how the Queen of Carthage falls in love with Aeneas, who haslanded in Carthage after fleeing from Troy following a defeat in the TrojanWar.

However, some witches living near Carthage, who hate Dido, remindhim that he is fated to go and be the founder of the Roman Empire.Aeneas leaves Dido, who is heartbroken and kills herself.

HotBox Studios is to produce 3D Computer Animation and Visual Effects for Dido and Aeneas - a 3 minute sequence which ends the opera.

We're currently at the research stage - a production website will be online soon, which will include Visual Research, 3D Animation and Visual Effects development.

The opera, directed by Wayne McGregor, opens at La Scala Milan on June 28, 2006 and will be performing on: 4th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th - July, 2006.

For more details of Teatro alla Scala - Milan, and to book tickets, please visit the Teatro alla Scala - Milan website via the link below:

www.TeatroallaScala.org

02 May 06

HotBox Studios Education

Mark Hatchard from HotBox Studios and Chris Charles from Random Dance are presenting a masterclass as part of the collaboration between the National Film and television School (NFTS), and The Place Theatre.

The masterclass will run on April 24, 2006, and will look at the use of animation and film within live performance. The participants are up and coming choreographers, cinematographers and animators.

The presentation will focus upon the creative and technical aspects of the projected elements of the works produced by HotBox Studios and Random Dance.

For more information please visit either the NFTS website:

www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk

Or The Place Theatre website:

www.theplace.org.uk

17 Apr 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Amu is performing at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on April 28 and 29, 2006.

The performance is presented by Snape Dances - a partnership between DanceEast and Aldeburgh Productions. For more information about this performance please see the DanceEast website: www.danceeast.co.uk

Amu (of the heart), is Random Dance's most ambitious,emotive and provocative collaboration to date.

For Amu, the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogueof feeling, devotion and spirituality.

The Project will be a live,large scale contemporary dance and music event, with an orchestra of 50musicians, seven singers and ten dancers.

Random dancers led by the critically acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, in collaboration with visual artist Shirazeh Houshiary and animator Mark Hatchard, will question both the physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart.

Sir John Tavener creates his first commissioned original score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin with PatriciaRozario(soprano) and Rufus M¸ller (tenor).

Amu is co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells and The Wellcome Trust, and supported by Arts Council England, Quercus Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the PRS Foundation.

Random Dance is a resident companyat Sadler's Wells, London, and has an international reputation for the creation ofaward winning, pioneering works, redrawing the boundaries for the humanbody with startling collaborations.

HotBox Studios produced animation & visual effects for Amu (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England), and also worked on pre and post productionincluding: research and development, and post production for liveperformance projection.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, and images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil ( a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Random Dance Amu section of the HotBox StudiosAnimation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

10 Apr 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Amu is performin at the Theatre Royal Winchester on April 21 and 22, 2006.

Please see the Theatre Royal Winchester website: www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk for details.

Amu (of the heart), is Random Dance's most ambitious,emotive and provocative collaboration to date.

For Amu, the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogueof feeling, devotion and spirituality.

The Project will be a live,large scale contemporary dance and music event, with an orchestra of 50musicians, seven singers and ten dancers.

Random dancers led by the critically acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, in collaboration with visual artist Shirazeh Houshiary and animator Mark Hatchard, will question both the physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart.

Sir John Tavener creates his first commissioned original score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin with PatriciaRozario(soprano) and Rufus M¸ller (tenor).

Amu is co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells and The Wellcome Trust, and supported by Arts Council England, Quercus Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the PRS Foundation.

Random Dance is a resident companyat Sadler's Wells, London, and has an international reputation for the creation ofaward winning, pioneering works, redrawing the boundaries for the humanbody with startling collaborations.

HotBox Studios produced animation & visual effects for Amu (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England), and also worked on pre and post productionincluding: research and development, and post production for liveperformance projection.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, and images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil (a poject craeted out of Amu) can be found via the Random Dance Amu section of the HotBox StudiosAnimation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

06 Apr 06

HotBox Studios Web Design

The Air and Sea Association website is now live!

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.

A secure booking system has been created for the Air and Sea Association for their upcoming conference in Manilla.

For more info please visit the HotBox Studios Web Design Portfolio, or visit the Air and Sea Association website:

www.asanetwork.org

04 Apr 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Nemesis is performing at the Myer Music Bowl, - Melbourne, Australia on March 22, 2006.

The project was created through the support of a Year of the Artist Award from Southern Arts and was made possible by the Arts Council England.

The piece explores the relationship between body, screen and machine and is described as 'extraterrestrial dance meets reality TV'.

At just over one hour long, Nemesis captures the image of dance insound, shifting between scattering beats and warm seductive strings,melancholic melodies and pixelated abstraction.

The project is co-commissioned by South Hill Park, Swindon Dance, Sadler's Wells and DanceEast. HotBox Studios produced animation and visual effects for Nemesis (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England).

The show premiered on March 1, 2002 at Sandler's Wells, London.

Further details, images, and photos from Nemesis can be found via the Random Dance Nemesis section of the HotBox Studios Animation & Visual Effects Portfolio. 

The Random Dance website holds full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

13 Mar 06

HotBox Studios Animated Installation

Photographs of the animated installation, Veil - on show at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery - have been added to the Shirazeh Houshiary Veil portfolio page within our Animation and Visual Effects portfolio.

Shirazeh Houshiary will present a new body of work for her fourthexhibition at Lehmann Maupin Gallery. The paintings in this exhibitionare representative of Houshiary's continued interest in form, light andspace achieved through meticulous layers and fine markings. Her first,large scale animation will also be projected during the exhibition.

The original version of Veil was createdfor the Random Dance Company in London and premiered for the productionAmu at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London September 2005.It is set totour worldwide in 2006.

Houshiary has developed the animation furtherand created an independent film from the stage production with the helpof 3D animator Mark Hatchard from HotBox Studios.

Further details and still images from Veil can be found via the link below:

Shirazeh Houshiary - Veil Animation

08 Mar 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Nemesis is set to perform between the March 14 and 19, 2006 at Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Centre for the Arts - Australia.

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Please visit the Adelaide Centre for the Arts website: www.tafe.sa.edu.au/aca/ for further details.

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The project was created through the support of a Year of the Artist Award from Southern Arts and was made possible by the Arts Council England.

The piece explores the relationship between body, screen and machine and is described as 'extraterrestrial dance meets reality TV'.

At just over one hour long, Nemesis captures the image of dance insound, shifting between scattering beats and warm seductive strings,melancholic melodies and pixelated abstraction.

The project is co-commissioned by South Hill Park, Swindon Dance, Sadler's Wells and DanceEast.

HotBox Studios produced animation and visual effects for Nemesis (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England).

The show premiered on March 1, 2002 at Sandler's Wells, London.

Further details, images, and photos from Nemesis can be found via the Random Dance Nemesis section of the HotBox Studios Animation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

The Random Dance website holds full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

05 Mar 06

HotBox Studios Web Design

HotBox Studios has begun the production of a website for the dental profession - Dental Nurse Training.

The holding website for the site has been set-up and can be found below:

www.DentalNurseTraining.co.uk

Dental Nurse Training is planned for launch in the summer of 2006.

04 Mar 06

HotBox Studios Web Design

The DC Site Services website has been updated for the forthcoming UK festival and event season.

DC Sites provide services such as event management, stewarding andtraffic marshalling to the live event industry.

Examples include Glastonbury Festival, T In The Park, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, Hi:fi, and The Big Chill.

DC Site Servicesemploys thousands of staff each year across a wide spectrum of eventsand is therefore by necessity a very flexible and collaborativeorganisation with a good sense of humour.

These are the key characteristics the site was designed to portray.

Thefirst build of the DC Site Services website was produced by HotBoxStudios back in 2001, and since then HotBox have worked closely with DC Site Services indeveloping the site.

The website aids DC Site Services management and administration staff with pre and postevent staff administration, and keeps everyone who works with the companyas up to date as possible throughout the year.

This is all achieved via online application forms,calendars, news areas, online contact forms, forums, mailing lists, galleries and more.

Visit the DC Site Services website.

Further details can be found via the DC Site Services portfolio page in our web design portfolio, or via the DC Site Services website.

03 Mar 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Amu is set to perform at the Malvern Festival Theatre on March 7, 2006.

Please visit the Malvern Festival Theatre website: www.malvern-theatres.co.uk for further details.

Amu (of the heart), is Random Dance's most ambitious,emotive and provocative collaboration to date.

For Amu, the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogueof feeling, devotion and spirituality.

The Project will be a live,large scale contemporary dance and music event, with an orchestra of 50musicians, seven singers and ten dancers.

Random dancers led by the critically acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, in collaboration with visual artist Shirazeh Houshiary and animator Mark Hatchard, will question both the physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart.

Sir John Tavener creates his first commissioned original score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin with PatriciaRozario(soprano) and Rufus M¸ller (tenor). 

Amu is co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells and The Wellcome Trust, and supported by Arts Council England, Quercus Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the PRS Foundation.

Random Dance is a resident companyat Sadler's Wells, London, and has an international reputation for the creation ofaward winning, pioneering works, redrawing the boundaries for the humanbody with startling collaborations.

HotBox Studios produced animation & visual effects for Amu (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England), and also worked on pre and post productionincluding: research and development, and post production for liveperformance projection.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, and images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil (a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Random Dance Amu section of the HotBox StudiosAnimation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

27 Feb 06

HotBox Studios Animated Installation

Veil is due to be presented for the first time at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, between February 18 and March 25, 2006.

Veil is part of Shirazeh Houshiary's forthcoming exhibition - opening reception: February 18, from 6-8 pm.

Shirazeh Houshiary will present a new body of work for her fourthexhibition at Lehmann Maupin Gallery. 

The paintings in this exhibitionare representative of Houshiary's continued interest in form, light andspace achieved through meticulous layers and fine markings. 

Her first,large scale animation will also be projected during the exhibition.

The original version of Veil was createdfor the Random Dance Company in London and premiered for the productionAmu at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London September 2005.It is set totour worldwide in 2006. 

Houshiary has developed the animation furtherand created an independent film from the stage production with the helpof 3D animator Mark Hatchard from HotBox Studios.

Further details and still images from Veil can be found via the link below:

Shirazeh Houshiary - Veil Animation

18 Jan 06

HotBox Studios Animation

Amu is performing at Durham Cathedral on February 7, 2006.

Amu at Durham is a Creative Partnership commissioned to adapt Random Dance's latest production Amu. 

For more information about this performance please see the Creative Partnerships website: www.creative-partnerships.com

Amu (of the heart), is Random Dance's most ambitious,emotive and provocative collaboration to date. 

For Amu, the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogueof feeling, devotion and spirituality.

The Project will be a live,large scale contemporary dance and music event, with an orchestra of 50musicians, seven singers and ten dancers.

Random dancers led by the critically acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor, in collaboration with visual artist Shirazeh Houshiary and animator Mark Hatchard, will question both the physical functions and symbolic resonances of the human heart.

Sir John Tavener creates his first commissioned original score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin(soprano) with Patricia Rozario(tenor).

Amu is co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells and The Wellcome Trust, and supported by Arts Council England, Quercus Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the PRS Foundation.

Random Dance is a resident companyat Sadler's Wells, London, and has an international reputation for the creation ofaward winning, pioneering works, redrawing the boundaries for the humanbody with startling collaborations.

HotBox Studios produced animation & visual effects for Amu (In collaboration with Random Dance and Arts Council England), and also worked on pre and post productionincluding: research and development, and post production for liveperformance projection.

You can find out more about the project by visiting the Amu portfolio page within the animation and visual effects portfolio - in there you'll find project info, and images and animations of the research and development stages of the animation.

The Random Dance website also holds info about the project and has full tour dates of all projects we have worked on with Random Dance.

Further details, images, and photos from Veil (a project created out of Amu) can be found via the Random Dance Amu section of the HotBox StudiosAnimation & Visual Effects Portfolio.

16 Jan 06