THE ambitious young duo who opened a production studio in Warrington at the start of the pandemic are celebrating the opening of a new, bigger and better site which boasts a photo-shoot studio too.
Oli Thomas, from Birchwood, and Joe Banks, from Chapelford, have accomplished more than most have in their early 20s, having opened Matchbox Productions in 2020 after graduating university, to provide a lifeline to up and coming artists in Warrington.
But now the pair have outgrown their Winwick Quay base and are opening a new studio on Penketh business park.
The new studio will include all the previous amenities; a recording studio and production features to enable bands to both record songs and film music videos.
However, a new and exciting addition will be a photo studio, to enable families and individuals to book professional photo shoots which will be carried out by photographer and videographer Oli.
To celebrate the new grand opening, the business will be offering free photo shoots to families with a free digital picture included. Residents can book their free photo shoot for dates in both February and January until the end of the month.
Speaking on the big move, Oli said: “We moved in June to a bigger studio. We moved because me and Joe were constantly under each other’s feet.
“This new space is much larger as we have a lot of rooms and a lot of different spaces.”
As well as the photo studio, Oli and Joe will also introduce a rehearsal space that will be available to rent and use during the evenings.
Joe, 25, and Oli, 26, first met on the Warrington music scene, fresh out of university – Oli having gained a degree in media production and Joe having graduated with an honours in audio engineering.
“We started in October lockdown,” Oli said. “It has been quite a big step up, but we are enjoying the pressure.
“We have Warrington bands coming into the studio and bands from Manchester and Liverpool.”
Some big names the pair have welcomed to Matchbox have included the Lottery Winners, The Crawlers, as well as having filmed music videos for pop star Becky Hill.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” he added.
The pair will also be offering live sessions to artists and bands so they can record a song and also have a live music video filmed alongside this.
To book your free photoshoot please contact Oli or Joe at matchboxproductionsuk@gmail.com on or before January 31.
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