Visit the website → burnt-toast.co.uk
Burnt Toast SFX is one of the UK’s leading companies specialising in theatrical special effects, illusions, and animatronics. With clients spanning theatre, TV and film, they create unforgettable moments that wow audiences — from complex pyrotechnics to intricate animatronic characters.
Project Goals
Jamie Marcus the Managing Director of Burnt Toast SFX had a clear vision for the new website: he wanted a site that would act as a powerful shop window for the stunning special effects they create. The goal was to communicate the bespoke nature of their services, highlight their expertise, and make it easy for potential clients to get in touch.
They needed a modern, high-performance website that could:
Showcase their extensive portfolio of work
Reflect the creativity and precision of their team
Communicate the full range of services they offer
Convert visitors into enquiries from the theatre, live events, and film/TV industries
Our Approach
From the outset, we worked closely with Jamie Marcus, Paul Allison (Projectseven Graphic Design) and the Burnt Toast team to understand their audience and business needs. The website needed to reflect both the technical excellence and theatrical flair that defines their work.
Key focuses in the planning and design phase:
A bold, cinematic design that reflects their work in live performance and entertainment
Clean navigation and structure to guide users through services, past projects, and contact options
Strong visuals — we prioritised imagery to bring their work to life online
Mobile-first responsive design, ensuring a seamless experience on all devices
Creative Design
We worked with our preferred partner Paul Allison at www.projectseven.co.uk to deliver a cinematic design that prioritised imagery and reflected the drama of theatrical performance.
Design Highlights
Visual-first layout: Full-width images help visitors experience the drama and craftsmanship of Burnt Toast’s work
Bespoke case study pages: Custom templates for project showcases, allowing Burnt Toast to tell the story behind each effect or illusion
Dark, atmospheric colour palette: Reflects the world of stagecraft and backstage magic
Subtle animations and transitions: To give the site a dynamic, polished feel without compromising load times
Tech Stack
Platform: WordPress (fully custom theme built with Elementor and ACF to ensure a unique design delivered to a tight budget)
Performance: Optimised for speed with lazy-loading and image compression
SEO: Structured content, semantic HTML
CMS: Easy-to-use admin interface so the Burnt Toast team can update content and add new projects easily
Results
The new Burnt Toast SFX website is live and already making an impact. It’s fast, visually striking, and effectively tells the story of the company’s creativity and expertise. It’s now much easier for prospective clients to understand what Burnt Toast offers and to make contact to start a project.
