The Third Floor Visits Escape Studios

Justin Summers, Visualisation Supervisor

Last week our Advanced Animation students received feedback from The Third Floor's Visualisation Supervisor Justin Summers.

The Third Floor is a leading animation and VFX house that specialises in visualisation - both "previs" and "postvis".

In the visualisation process, digital artists work closely with the director to lock down the look and feel of individual sequences on a project, working fast to make creative choices on camera and character performance.

Key creative skills include cinematography, animation and the ability to structure a clear visual narrative.

Industry feedback
Getting feedback for our students from industry is very much at the heart of what we do at Escape Studios.  Industry mentors help ensure we are constantly focused on teaching students the right skills, skills which are in current demand from studios looking to expand their talent pool.

Jobs at The Third Floor
Studios like The Third Floor are always on the lookout for talent, but students need to have the right skillset, such as an understanding of cinematography, animation, and a good sense of visual narrative.

Sebastian Kuder

Sebastian Kuder, previs artist

Escapee Sebastian Kuder recently joined The Third Floor as a Junior Previs Artist, based on the strength of his demo reel, which has a strong focus on cinematography, and then a follow-up interview.

Demo Reels and Jobs
During the Q&A that followed the Justin was asked "how do you get a job at The Third Floor?".  His reply was simple: "Have a great demo reel" - something we focus on relentlessly here at Escape Studios. 

Another question was "how polished should a student reel be?" and "does your reel need to be at industry standard?" It won't be industry standard,  Justin replied, after all "you've got to start somewhere, and if you aim for complete perfection you won't get anywhere". That said, a short reel with a strong focus on quality is much better than long reel which contains mistakes. 

MA in Previsualisation & Storyboarding
This September we're launching a new master's degree - in Previsualisation & Storyboarding.  Previs artists pre-imagine the story, bringing it to life before the expensive business of animation or principal photography begins. Our course teaches both PreVis and Story, allowing students to focus on two career pathways: using traditional drawings skills (storyboards), or digital skills (previs).

Storyboard artists and previz artists both have to solve very similar problems, including shot flow, cinematography, narrative rhythm, and continuity. Both work closely with the director and editor to bring the story to life. 



The Escape Studios Animation Blog is a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To apply for our BA/MArt in 3D Animation, follow this link.  To apply for our storyboarding evening class, visit this page here.  For the next 12 week animation course, click here. And to apply for the next evening class in Producing Animation, see this page.