Director Paul Chung Visits Escape 27 November

Paul Chung to visit Escape 27 November 2026

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome animator and director Paul Chung to visit Escape on Friday 27 November to talk to our 3rd year 2D animation students about his experience since leaving Escape Studios and finding work in the animation industry. 

The conversation with Paul Chung on November 27th is part of Module PS6003 Professional Practice which aims to prepare our third year students for the animation industry.

Escapee Andrea Tomas Joins Sky Creative

Escapee Andrea Tomas joins Sky Creative.

Many congratulations to Escapee Andrea Tomas who has joined Sky Creative.

Andrea Tomas studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, where she worked on short film projects such as the award-winning "Ambush".

Sky Creative, also known as Sky Creative Agency or SCA, is Europe's largest in-house creative agency, part of the media and telecoms company Sky.

"Symphony" wins Hon Mention at London Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Symphony of The Morning Rush" which has won an Honourable Mention in the category of Best Super Short Film at the London Movie Awards. 

Symphony of The Morning Rush was written, edited and directed by Eva Gifford, and produced by Michael Koden.  Emily Davidson was the art director, and Amelie Pignon was the animation director.  The original score was composed by Alexander Lidster. 

Oscar Nominated Tim Watts to Visit Escape 27 Nov

Oscar-nominated Tim Watts to visit Escape

Oscar nominated animator, character designer and director Tim Watts will talk to our third year animation students on Friday 27 November about his animation career - and the opportunities and challenges in the industry today.  

The class is part of Module PS6003 Professional Practice which aims to prepare our third year animation students for the animation industry. 

Tim Watts is a veteran animator skilled in both 2D and 3D animation as well as character design and directing.  In 1994 Tim Watts won a BAFTA (and an Oscar nom) for his animated short The Big Story.

Monthly Character Design Challenge Nov 2026

Character Design Challenge

Calling All Escape Studios Character Designers - the monthly Character Design Challenge competition is now open.

The Character Design Challenge is a bit like the Eleven Second Club, but for the art and craft of character design.  The competition was launched in 2015 and has over 25,000 thousand members.  

Entering the CDC is a chance to raise your game and get your work noticed. 

The Theme of The Month for November 2026 is "Circus of Wonders". It began on 8 November 2026 and the deadline for final submission is 2 December 2026. 

Escapee Olianti Kovac Joins Hertfordshire University

Escapee Olianti Kovac joins University of Hertfordshire

Many congratulations to Escapee Olianti Kovac who has joined Hertfordshire University as a Technical Demonstrator, specialising in Maya and Houdini.  

Olianti Kovac studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, where  he worked on a number of award-winning short films including Cursed Bond (2025) and Socks to Be You (2025). 

Creative Industries Bootcamp 24 Nov 2026 at 1pm

Creative Bootcamp 24 Nov 2026

Escape Studios is proud to announce "Break In: Creative Industries Bootcamp",  a free online webinar with some of our industry partners, including DNEG, Time Based Arts and ILM.  

Break In: Creative Industries Bootcamp is all about what it really takes to land your first role in the creative industries.

Break In: Creative Industries Bootcamp takes place on Tuesday 24th November online via Zoom from 1:00pm - 8:00pm GMT with multiple online sessions. The event is live, online and completely free 

To book your free place follow this link: https://bit.ly/3WFqhcV

"KattiBao" wins "Best Animation" at the CEFF

KattiBao - An Embrace wins "Best Animation" at CEFF

Congratulations to the makers of "KattiBao - An Embrace" which has won "Best Animation" at the Cinematic European Film Awards.  

KattiBao was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Games, The Art of Animation, and Character Creation.  KattiBao was written, directed and produced by Grace Lam.  Arin Awojobi was the Art Director, and Mia Cliff was the cinematographer. 

This is its second festival award. 

Blue Zoo's Alfie Williams Visits Escape 13 Nov 2026

Escapee Alfie Williams joins us from Blue Zoo 

We're delighted to welcome Escapee Alfie Williams, who is working as a Layout Artist at Blue Zoo, to join us on November 13th at 9.45am to talk to our 3rd year 2D animation students about his experience since leaving Escape Studios and finding work in the animation industry. 

Blue Zoo is one of the UK's leading animation companies and one of our key industry partners at Escape Studios. 

Alfie Williams studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, where he contributed to a number of award-winning short films including "Father's Blade" and "Infestation".  

Project Umbrae Finalist at Horror Haven Film Expo

"Project Umbrae" Finalist at Horror Haven Film Expo

Many congratulations to the makers of "Project Umbrae", which is a Finalist at The Horror Haven Film Expo. 

Project Umbrae was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Video Games and the Art of Computer Animation.  

Project Umbrae is a first person psychological horror experience.  You can find the Project Umbrae trailer at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1190412394. 

Pete Western: How to Break Into Storyboarding

Pete Western visits Escape Studios

On Friday 30 October we welcomed BAFTA winning storyboard artist Pete Western to talk to our 3rd Year 2D animation students about Animation Jobs and Careers, part of Professional Practice Module PS6003.  

Pete Western has three decades of experience doing storyboards for film and television.  

What was Pete's advice on how to break into the industry as an animator and storyboard artist?

"Grab your opportunities, learn to get along with people, and listen carefully - especially to the director". But above all - "be adaptable".

Escape Studios 3D Animation Reel 2026

Escape Studios is delighted to present our latest 3D animation reel - a selection of the best 3D animation completed at Escape Studios in the past year. Congratulations to all our students on their excellent work.

Time to Enter the November 11 Second Club

The 11 Second Club

Time to enter the The 11 Second Club, the monthly character animation competition in which aspiring animators compete to win prizes and get their work noticed.

The 11 Second Club invites animators from all over the world to participate, animating a character speaking a line of dialogue, which is provided on the first day of every month by the club.

Directing the Story by Francis Glebas

"Directing the Story" by Disney director Francis Glebas

We've got new books for the Animation Library at 6 Mitre Passage - including new copies of "Directing the Story" by Disney director Francis Glebas.

Francis Glebas is a Disney storyboard artist, animator and director whose book Directing the Story teaches artists a structural approach to visual storytelling. 

Directing the Story is an important resource for all our students looking to improve their skills in writing, directing and storyboarding.  

Martyn Niman: How to Get an Animation Internship

Martyn Niman of King Bee Animation

Last Friday October 30th we welcomed King Bee Animation Founder Martyn Niman to talk to our third year animation students about jobs and careers in the animation industry 

Martyn Niman has been running King Bee Animation at Elstree Studios in North London for well over a decade, and  has offered many internships and jobs to Escape Studios students and Escapees over the years. What was Martyn's advice to students looking to break into the industry? "Be on Linkedin, have a great portfolio, and have your own unique voice and passion".

Why Business Cards Still Matter

Escapee Maria Robertson

Are business cards still relevant?  We think so. A well designed business card is still the best way to hand over your details to someone you just met.

When you meet a recruiter or an employer at an industry event, it's important that they can access all the important information about you: your name, email address, phone number - and a link to your website or blog.

The good news is that business cards are now very cheap.  We recommend Moo.com; their interface is simple and easy to use, and within a few minutes you can place an order for 20 business cards for just £15.

Yes, you might meet someone at an event and then find them later at Linkedin.  Or you might scribble your name and number on a napkin. But a business card shows a level of organisation and committment to your professional career. 

Welcome To Our New Studio Assistants!

Welcome to our new Studio Assistants!

A warm welcome to our new Studio Assistants ("SAs") at Escape Studios.  Amelia Connolly, Benji Carter, Joel Fernandes, Rowza Aziz and Yiannis Thomas have all joined the team. 

Our Studio Assistants are a key part of the team at Escape Studios, one of the principal resources for our students, making sure that they get regular timely feedback on their work. 

 

Concept Art and Background Painting

The video above is a short introduction to the art of background painting and concept art. Background painters and concept artists tend to come from a fine art or illustration background, with strong skills in design, colour, layout, painting and the use of light and perspective.

Concept Artist John Ramirez Visits Escape 13 Nov

Concept Artist and Experience Designer John Ramirez

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome visual development artist John Ramirez to review our students' work on Friday 13th November at 4pm GMT. 

John Ramirez is an animator, storyboard artist, visual development artist, designer, illustrator and art director.   John Ramirez has designed rides and parades for many theme parks and attractions including Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. His screen credits include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules, Toy Story II and Tom & Jerry.

"Project Juliet" wins "Best Horror Short" Award

Congratulations to the makers of  "Project Juliet", which has won "Best Horror Short Film" at the Tamizhagam Film Festival.  

In "Project Juliet", an unfortunate lab tester is forced to undergo a dangerous trial, with horrifying consequences.  

Project Juliet was created by "Team Psychosis" at Escape Studios, produced by Pahiya Rahman, and was inspired by The Outlast Trials, a survival game created by Montreal-based games company Red Barrels.  

The cinematic was a collaboration between our graduating class of students studying the Art of Video Games, The Art of Animation and also Character Creation - working together to create a team project.  This is its third festival award.