KOTA reimagines Universal Production Partners’ website as a cinematic experience

Universal Production Partners (UPP) has quietly become one of the most visually ambitious post production studios in Europe. Based in Prague, the studio has provided VFX for Blade Runner 2049, Barbie, Conclave, and the hit new Hulu series Alien: Earth. So when the studio approached the award-winning creative digital agency KOTA to rethink their website, a conventional layout wouldn’t have been enough.

What the London and New York-based design agency delivered is a site that feels like a living, breathing space; the design is subtle yet cinematic – it’s a digital environment that moves with you. Take a look at the navigation and you’ll find hints of game design, 3D transitions that ripple across the screen, and a dynamic system adjusts the site’s lighting depending on the time of day you visit it – dawn, day, dusk or night. Each mood shifts almost imperceptibly, offering a sense of atmosphere that mirrors the level of detail UPP brings to their VFX projects.

It’s playful and purposeful, straying from gimmick territory by imbuing UPP’s brand into every corner of the website. Most admirably, it never sacrifices usability in favour of being immersive, and deftly strikes the balance between both. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a custom backend gives UPP full control over their content, while slick front-end performance keeps interactions smooth. Every element, from scrolling to hover animations is considered, small moments of detail that don’t go unnoticed.

“UPP are behind the visuals for some of the world’s biggest movies,” says James Piper, KOTA’s Creative Director. “We wanted to create a site that feels like stepping into one of their productions.” Shaun Obanion, UPP’s Social Media and PR Manager, reflects on the collaboration: “From the very first conversations, KOTA understood our vision. They transformed the brief beyond what we imagined. It’s not a website, it’s an experience.”

For anyone working in creative digital spaces, the site is a reminder of what’s possible when design, technology, and storytelling meet. Today’s digital sphere is all about atmosphere, motion, and a sense of space that allows visitors to linger, explore, and absorb. KOTA’s code understands this better than most, providing subtle interactions that respond to movement, thus giving the site a rhythm that feels almost alive.

What’s especially compelling is the way KOTA has captured the studio’s personality. UPP is tech-forward, precise, and artist-led, and the website reflects that with elegance. There’s a tactile quality to scrolling and hovering, a sense that the studio’s craft is embedded in the digital experience itself. This is the kind of collaboration that makes you reconsider what a website can do. In a landscape full of static portfolios and cookie-cutter designs, KOTA’s work gives UPP a presence that is dynamic, cinematic, and thoughtful. It’s a digital space that matches the studio’s reputation for excellence, but also has its own energy, atmosphere, and narrative arc. It’s one of those rare cases where a website feels like a portal into another world, carefully built by creatives who understand that every interaction can tell a story.

You can explore the site yourself at upp.cz.