premier construction feature - the full interview
Experts in creating visual stories that convey complex messages; Salamandra.uk is an animation and design agency with studios in Eton and Dundee. Offering powerful visual productions on any platform, the company boasts a passionate and flexible team capable of tackling a multitude of projects across a wide range of industries and geographies.
One such recent project was for the Royal Albert Hall, where Salamandra.uk was tasked with creating an interactive map and seating plan of this iconic London venue. To find out more about
this, and the company as a whole, PREMIER CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE spoke to CEO Christine MacKay.
what do you specialise in?
“We specialise in conveying complex messages for our clients via animation and design. We work as a visual content agency helping various types of businesses, from FTSE 100 companies to Start-ups to advertising and PR agencies. We passionately believe in the power of visual marketing and creating the right content to tell a brand story. We create on a number of different platforms including – 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion graphics, AR, VR and live film footage.”
how did you get involved with the Royal Albert Hall?
“We were approached by Louise Halliday and Matt Griffin to create an interactive 3D map for them to help their customers easily journey through their iconic building and make new discoveries.
We’d met and presented to them previously in 2016 at an event to get independent agencies like ours in front of iconic UK cultural entities. Louise and Matt were really impressed with our portfolio and got in touch with us later for a chat to propose this project.”
what were they looking for you to create?
“We were commissioned to help create a more accessible map for the website and to help with navigation within the venue. As the plans for the venue weren’t accessible, we couldn’t get our hands on any blueprints to aid us with an initial platform to build upon. So, our job involved visiting the Royal Albert Hall, hand-drawing the plans for every floor of the building and taking photographs before converting these into stylised 3D visuals.”
“We built every floor in layers, including the key spaces, stairwells and lifts, as well as hinting at some of the beautiful architecture, where possible. The 3D structure was then rendered and layered so that we could build an interactive experience with key locations such as restaurants and bars.”
how important was it to be involved with this project?
“For Emma, the art director who worked on this project, the Royal Albert Hall has always been a very special place. Although it’s somewhere she’s been to many times growing up and as an adult, working on this project allowed her to discover even more interesting spaces within the venue that she never knew existed.”
“As it is a place with such a rich and interesting heritage, it meant a huge amount for all of us to be working on this project. It feels like a special privilege to be helping others discover or re-discover everything it has to offer during their visit.”
and finally, what do you pride yourselves in as a company?
“We pride ourselves in getting under the skin of our client’s business and really understanding who their target audiences are. It’s vital for us to know this before we can start formulating a visual narrative. We also encourage our clients to repurpose what we create to get the best ROI. For example, an explainer animation can be used on a variety of platforms including; a website, as part of an email signature, in presentations and on social media.”
“We understand that any business marketing spend is finite and that a return on investment is very important. We always keep our business hat firmly on and find ways to repurpose assets in ways that continue to contribute and help brands move forward, whilst creating memorable visual solutions that resonate.”