Launch of Creative West Sussex...

We are delighted to announce the launch of Creative West Sussex yesterday, which is the second website in our Creative Networks suite, following Creative Torbay.

The Creative Networks system enables creative communities to communicate, network and publish their content online. The site content is user driven, with administrators able to adjust how their own site works using a unique control panel, thereby sculpting the way the site facilitates cross pollination and communication across creative sectors in their area. Geolocational information, date proximity and a host of other techniques are deployed to ensure that individual users of the sites are presented with fresh and appropriate content.

Torbay was the ONLY council in the UK to increase footfall to museums and gallery spaces in 2010, a fact they attribute to their creative website!

To see the websites in action visit http://www.creativewestsussex.com/ and http://www.creativetorbay.com/

If you are interested in finding out more about the Creative Networks or would like to set one up, give us a call on 020 7426 2080.

An Unexpected Marshmallow Break

There are many great things an intern can do, but this week I think we discovered a new and, frankly, unexpected one, courtesey of our lovely design intern Matthew: make the team homemade marshmallows! They were the best mid-afternoon pick-me-up we have discovered to date, and since there is nothing more boring than trying to describe how something tastes, here's the recipe so you can discover for yourselves...

Use these:
455g/1lb granulated sugar
1 tbsp liquid glucose (available from some chemists and specialist cook shops)
200ml/7fl oz water
2 large free-range egg whites
9 sheets gelatine (about 16g/½oz), soaked in 140ml/5fl oz water
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting and coating
cornflour, for dusting and coating
125g/4½oz fresh raspberries
200g/7¼oz white chocolate, melted, to serve (optional)


Do this:  
1. Place the sugar, glucose and water in a heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil and continue cooking over a high heat until it reaches 127C/260F on a sugar thermometer - take care as the mixture is very hot.
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
3. When the syrup is up to temperature, remove from the heat and carefully slide in the softened gelatine sheets and their soaking water. The syrup will bubble up so take care not to burn yourself. Pour the syrup into a metal jug.
4. Continue to beat the egg whites while slowly pouring in the hot syrup from the jug. The mixture will become shiny and start to thicken. Add the vanilla extract and continue whisking for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is stiff and thick enough to hold its shape on the whisk.
5. Lightly oil a 30cm/12in x 20cm/8in shallow baking tray. Dust the tray with sieved icing sugar and cornflour and then spoon half the marshmallow mixture over and smooth it with a wet palette knife.

6. Coat the raspberries with a mixture of icing sugar and cornflour, and lay over the top of the marshmallow mixture. Cover the raspberries with the remaining marshmallow mixture and leave for at least an hour to set.
7. Dust a work surface with more icing sugar and cornflour. Loosen the marshmallow around the sides of the tray with a palette knife and turn it out on to the dusted surface. Cut into squares and roll in the sugar and cornflour. Leave to dry a little on a wire rack before packing into an airtight box.
8. Serve the marshmallows as they are or accompanied by melted white chocolate for dipping.


Original recipe here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/raspberrymarshmallow_86118

Commando Challenge Weekend: The Aftermath

So, Saturday finally saw the arrival of the Retrack Commando Challenge. Matt, Matthew, Ross and Frederick from the Assembly London Studio chose to spend the day canoeing 13km, climbing 10km, cycling 20km, then finishing off with another 3.5km canoe. Brave or foolish? You can decide from the photos below! Six gruelling hours equalled second place in the competition and over £1,300 for charity...

Our Branding Guides the Way To Lighthouse

How exciting - our branding has gone up on site at Lighthouse in central Moscow! We'll keep posting as the project progresses so watch this space to see the development take shape.

Virtually Perfect | Issue 03 | May '11

Issue 03 of our CG Illustration & Animation newsletter, Virtually Perfect is now out. If you didn't recieve a copy direct to your inbox - email marketing@assemblystudios.com to be added to the distribution list!

Crouch Hill Community Park

Here's a closer look at our CGI section for Penoyre & Prasad's Crouch Hill Community Park.

Nanjing Waterfront Redevelopment

Check out some of our CGI stills from a recent film we worked on...