"Theseus" Wins "Best Trailer" at VIZ Film Fest

Theseus & The Minotaur wins "Best Trailer" at VIZ Fest

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short Theseus and The Minotaur which has won "Best Trailer" at the VIZ Film Festival.

Theseus and The Minotaur tells the story of the Greek hero's entry into the Labyrinth, and was directed by Mitchell Wright and produced by Ayesha-Ria Jina. The 3D lead was Xavier Barker, and the 2D Lead was Ethan Mainwaring-Taylor.  Industry feedback was provided by Industrial Light & Magic.  

This the latest of many festival awards. 

Evening Class in Storyboarding: 24 March 2026

Our Evening Class in

Giles & Rupert's Prehistoric Predicament - Storyboards

Storyboarding returns on 24 March 2026.  This evening class in storyboarding is an online class, taught from 7-10pm, and runs for ten weeks.

Storyboarding is a growing area of the animation industry; one which has recorded significant skills shortages in recent years.

Our storyboard students have gone on to successful careers at studios such as Walt Disney, Brown Bag Films and Blue Zoo Animation.

Vine FX and "The Challenges of Alternate Worlds"

Simon Carr  and Jessica Lennox from Vine FX

At last week's EscapeVerse Live Festival, Vine FX's Simon Carr (Creative Director) and Jessica Lennox (CG Lead) presented "The Challenges of Visible vs Fantasy FX". 

As always, creative projects begin with a conversation with the client.  What does the client want, and how can a VFX house like Vine FX serve their vision?  

Anand Sembhi Animator at King Bee Animation

Anand Sembhi animator at King Bee

Many congratulations to Escapee Anand Sembhi - who has joined King Bee Animation as an animator.

Anand Sembhi studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.  

While at Escape Studios, Anand Sembhi contributed to a number of award-wnning short films, including Freefall, Spitfire, Tech Troubles and Good Soup. 

Jake Lee: Short Films, Awards & Festival Success

At last week's EscapeVerse Live event, Jake Lee explained how he achieved short film festival success with his short film "Am I Dreaming?".

Jake explained the need to build a team, in this case a producer, composer, singer and songwriter. Film-makers rarely work alone - you need to build a team of enthusiastic partners to collaborate and deliver the vision.

HaZ Dulull: "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio"

HaZ Dulull "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio"

At last week's EscapeVerse Live event, HaZ Dulull - founder and director at "Beyond The Pixels" - explained "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio with Your First Game".  

HaZ's journey into the games industry has been one of an independent entrepreneur, setting up his own company, his first game "AstroBurn" and figuring out the nuts and bolts of running a business. 

"Immersive Media & Live Events" at EscapeVerse Live

Escape Studios' tutor Dan Shutt hosted a panel on Wednesday on "Immersive Media and Live Events" at EscapeVerse Live.  Dan Shutt teaches VFX at Escape Studios and creates live installations at venues such Glastonbury and, in 2022, a live installation at the Science Museum.  

The panel explored the challenges and pitfalls of curating live events, creating imagery and ensuring that all the elements work together on the night.  They also discussed the all-important question of how students and graduates can break into the business. 

Get Ready For The Rookies - 2026

The Rookie Awards 2026

Time to get ready for The Rookies 2026.  The Rookies is an international competition for young creatives; part contest and part showcase for rising talent - all our students are strongly encouraged to enter. 

For our students and Escapees, showcasing your work in a competitive, professional environment is a crucial step toward launching a successful career.  

It helps you to build confidence in your work, and also serves as an online portfolio.   Entry for the 2026 The Rookies opens on 7 April 2026 and closes at the end of June. 

Comics Industry Panel at Escape Studios

At last night's Comics Panel at Escape Studios, part of 2026 "EscapeVerse Live", Comic Book UK's Mark Fuller hosted a panel on "Comic Industry Careers". 

Mark Fuller was joined by comic artist Lyndon White, comics publisher Andrew Mark Sewell, head of B7 Media Ltd, and manga artist Elena Vitagliano.  The panel explored the challenges and opportunities around working in the comics industry, focusing on how to earn a living in a highly competitive landscape.

"EscapeVerse Live" - Thursday 26 Feb 2026

EscapeVerse Live: Thursday 26 Feb 2026

EscapeVerse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, concludes today. 

We're sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today's lineup starts at 10.30am with Bluebolt, presenting "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale". 

At 12.30pm Outpost VFX presents the fantasy world of "The Wheel of Time". 

At 2.30pm Jake Lee presents "How to Direct an Animated Short for Festival Success".  Jake Lee's short film "Am I Dreaming?" has won many festival awards.  

"Escapeverse Live" Continues Today

Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, continues today. 

We're sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today's lineup starts with Haz Dulull on "How to Set Up an Indie Game Studio". Then, at 12.30pm Simon Carr introduces "Invisible VFX". 

At 2.30pm Dan Shutt explains "How to Create Live Events".

EscapeVerse Live Starts Today

Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, starts today. 

Escapeverse Live  runs from today. Tuesday 24th February to Thursday 26th February 2026.  

We'll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today starts at 10.30am with "My Journey to a Career in Animation" with Rebecca Meilak.  

Later, at 12.30pm Charmaine Chan from Industrial Light & Magic will present "Jurassic World: Rebirth". 

BA/MArt In Immersive Media Launches Sept 2027

BA(Hons) / MArt in Immersive Media.  

Escape Studios is announcing a new BA(Hons) / MArt in Immersive Media for September 2027 entry.  

Designed to nature creative and technical skills, students will learn to design and create experiences for engaging spaces, such as festivals, museums, XR and branded events and themed attractions.

This new course has been created through consultation with industry professionals, including members of the Immersive Team at Framestore – a world leading innovator and one of our longest standing studio partners.

Daniel Shutt, Escape Studios academic since 2009  brings 32 years of industry experience across the visual effects and immersive sectors.

Escapeverse Live 24-26 February 2026

Escapeverse Live 24-26 February 2026

The countdown begins for Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art.

Escapeverse Live  starts next week and runs from Tuesday 24th February to Thursday 26th February 2026.  We'll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

"Cursed Bond" Wins "Best Student Film" in Jalgaon

"Cursed Bond" wins "Best Student Film" at Jalgaon Fest .

Congratulations to the makers of "Cursed Bond", which has won "Best Student Film" at the Jalgaon Film Festival. 

"Cursed Bond" was written and directed by Ted Walker, and produced by Mahak Chowdhary.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez Emilsson and the VFX Supervisor was Oliver Eveson.  Art direction was by Quimey Dasso.  Ted Walker stars as the Hermit.  This is the latest of many festival awards. 

"Little Pirates" Wins "Best Super Short" Award

"Little Pirates" wins "Best Super Short Film"

Congratulations to the makers of the animated short film "Little Pirates" which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the International Gold Film Festival.

Little Pirates was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  

Little Pirates was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Angharad Mathias.  This is the latest of many awards for Little Pirates. 

Undergraduate Open Days April 9 & 18 2026

Join us on 9 April and in-person on Saturday 18 April 2026.

Escape Studios is hosting two new Undergraduate Open Days in April:  An Online "Open Evening" on Thursday 9th April (online via Zoom) and an in-person Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 18 April 2026. There are two sessions available: Morning: 10:00am - 1:00pm, Afternoon: 1:30pm - 4:00pm. 

Escape Studios' Open Days are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees.

"Void" Wins Best Animation Award in London

"Void" wins Best Animation at the London Movie Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Void", which has won Best Animation at the London Movie Awards.

Void is one of the latest short films from our third year undergraduate animation students at Escape Studios.  

"Void" was directed by Kaya Akinci, edited and produced by Luis Yarroll.   

This is the latest of many festival awards.

Introducing "Unknown" by Alessia Gori

Introducing "Unknown", a new short film written and animated by Alessia Gori.  Alessia is studying for a master's degree in the Art of 3D Animation at Escape Studios.  This is Alessia's first film. 

Tech, Hardware & Software at Escape Studios

Escape Studios VPN

What Hardware & Software do we use at Escape Studios? To get started, take a look at our official "What Hardware Do You Need" page, which you can find here.  We also have a handy page on tips for buying a laptop for home use.  

There is also a page on hardware in our classrooms, which you can find here.  You can also find out how to use the Escape Studios VPN (Virtual Private Network), which allows enrolled students to connect to our computers from home. 

Don't forget that a lot of theSoftware we use at Escape Studios can be downloaded at home for free.  For example, Autodesk Maya offers free licenses to enrolled students.  The open source software Blender is also free to download, and extremely versatile. 

Our 2D animation students can use Toonboom Harmony and TV Paint at Escape Studios, and also have access to discounted rates for home use.