Creative Workshops at Escape Studios

If you have applied for one of our undergraduate Animation, Games or VFX courses, for entry in September 2018, you've probably had a letter by now inviting you to attend a Creative Workshop here at Escape Studios, and you might be feeling a bit worried.

Don't panic! A Creative Workshop is really a chance for us to get to know you, and for you to find out more about what we do at Escape Studios.  So, what specifically are our Creative Workshops all about?

The Creative Workshop is all about making sure that the course is right for you, and that you are right for the course. We'll ask you to come in for a morning or an afternoon, and the workshop will get divided into two parts.




Part One - Portfolio Review
Sitting in small groups with four other applicants and one of our tutors, you will have 5-10 minutes to present your portfolio. This is pretty informal. We want you to show your work, discuss your creative process, and answer any questions that the group asks.

Then the other four applicants in the group will present their work, and you will be able to ask them questions. You’ll then change groups and go through the process again, so we can have a second tutor take a look at your work.

Part Two - Creative Task
After the portfolio review there will be a group creative task. You will work in small teams on a creative brief, coming up with ideas, bringing them to life, and presenting them at the end of the day for feedback.

This task has been devised by one of our industry partners, and is the kind of challenge you would get in a real VFX/Animation/Games studio.

What shall I bring?
You should bring your Portfolio. You can present this either digitally on a laptop, tablet, pen drive, or printed. You should have at least two different pieces of work that you can talk about.

What should go in my portfolio?
Artwork. This can be drawings, sketches, sketchbooks, 3D Digital art - any artwork you have done that you are proud of. To see more about what might go in your portfolio, follow this link.

What if my portfolio isn't done yet?
Don't worry - we don’t expect you to be an amazing digital artist already, that’s what this programme is for.  So you can include anything: drawings, paintings, photographs, life drawing, sketches, scribbles, design work, game tests, websites, etc.

We want to see signs of creativity and visual invention. So a sketchbook or blog full of ideas is a plus.

The process is more important than the finished item: what were you aiming to achieve, how did you go about that, what were you influenced by, how successful do you think it was?

Basically, if you're proud of a piece and it says something about you, then include it in your portfolio.



What should I wear?
Escape Studios isn’t an office, it’s a creative studio. You’ll be on your feet for a lot of the day so wear comfy clothes and trainers. However, it is a professional space, so nothing too tatty or casual. Basically, leave your suit at home.

What if I can’t make it?
We can arrange Skype interviews if you’re struggling to make it in. But we’d prefer it if you came down in person.

What if I don’t have a portfolio?
If you don't have a portfolio, try to pull together your creative work from the last couple of years into a digital or physical portfolio.

That’s it. Good luck and we’ll see you soon!

----Alex

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our new BA/MArt starting in September 2018, follow this link.   To apply, visit the offical page here.