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Hot Animation opts for redundancies rather than closure |
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Monday, 17 September 2007 |
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An unspecified number of jobs are to go at Hot Animation’s Altrincham operation. Disappointing news for those concerned but parent company HIT Entertainment maintains it has now ruled out closure of the base, the other option it admitted it was considering in July .
Seventy staff are currently employed but the company would not disclose the precise number of jobs that are being axed.
A company statement said: “Following a consultation process at Hot Animation we regret that this has concluded in redundancies.
"Hot has recently completed animation on the next series of Bob the Builder and an hour long special, both of which are now in post production. We are also actively in development on the next series of Bob the Builder, slated for broadcast in 2009."
In July, staff were told a review was underway which might result in complete closure of the Altrincham studios. Hit Entertainment Group is owned by venture capitalist Apax & Partners. Its portfolio also includes Thomas and Friends, Barney, and Angelina Ballerina.
Award winning Hot is Europe’s largest stopframe model animation studio and celebrates (it hopes!) its tenth birthday this year. Approximately 70 people are employed at the company. A number of well known series are produced at the studio including Bob The Builder and Pingu.
Hot has six animation studios, an art department, four prop workshops, a set workshop, costumes department, four offline edit suites, Foley suite and sound suite.
The company also created the animation scenes for the hit TV series Life on Mars and is developing its expertise in software such as Toon Boon and has made moves into high definition production.
 Copley
When interviewed by How-Do in April, Copley said: “I will be trying to bring down permanent costs and make sure Hot stays in the UK. There’s lots of cheap competition emerging from Canada and India.
“We are going to tighten our belts – a little bit here and a little bit there – and make sure all the money goes on screen.”
Copley, whose career in animation has include spells at Warner Bros, Film Roman – the studio behind the Simpsons – Klasky Csupo and the Disney Channel, reports to Hit’s executive vice president of production and programming, Leonara Hume.www.hotanimation.com Something to add? Then leave a comment below or email us now.
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