Iliana Franklin "Toon Boom Ambassador"

Iliana Franklin Joins Toonboom Ambassador Program

We're delighted to announce that Escape Studios tutor Iliana Franklin has been appointed "Toon Boom Ambassador" for 2022. 

This is the third year of Toon Boom's Ambassador Program, an annual initiative intended to highlight artists and animators who are developing original content using Toon Boom Harmony and Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

Toon Boom Ambassador Program
Toonboom launched their Ambassador Program in 2019, an annual initiative intended to highlight artists and creative professionals who use Toon Boom Harmony and Toon Boom Storyboard Pro to advance the craft of animation. Program activities include interviews, livestream discussions and industry panels.

Iliana Franklin

Iliana Franklin

Iliana Franklin is our Head of Story and 2D Animation at Escape Studios. Iliana is a storyboard artist and an animator who has worked in the animation industry for over 30 years. Iliana's feature credits include The Tale of Desperaux, A Monkey’s Tale (1999) and The Princess and the Pea (2002).  Iliana has also worked on TV series such as Mecky and friends (1994), Hungarian Folk Tales (1992-1996), Spirou (1993–1995), and Carland Cross (1996).  

Iliana also runs her own production company Mediaframe, a UK based creative consultancy, specializing in content development and production for illustrative, interactive and screen based media.

2D Animation Webinar

Free webinar on Wednesday 16 February

We're hosting a free webinar on the subject of 2D Animation on Wednesday 16th February at 5pm on the subject of "Modern Methodology in 2D Animation". 

Join tutor Iliana Franklin to find out how the 2D animation industry is reviving and re-inventing itself, as a new generation of animators pushes the limits of the medium.

2D Animation Revival

Birds by Lilian Fu

In recent years 2D animation has experienced a significant revival, both in the UK and overseas, as Studios such as Blue Zoo, Aardman Animation, and Brown Bag Films adopt new software such as ToonBoom Harmony.

2D Animation at Escape Studios
Here at Escape Studios we've been expanding our 2D animation capacity for some years, starting with our evening classes in Toonboom Harmony, and now offering our undergraduate animation students a new 2D Animation Pathway, focusing on 2D animation techniques taught with digital software such as Toonboom Harmony, Adobe Animate and Blender. 

Toonboom Harmony at Escape Studios

Birds Connect Our World by Lilian Fu

As well as learning Toonboom Harmony at undergraduate level, students at Escape Studios can try our 10 week evening class (one evening a week), or sign up a 12 week course.  

Toonboom Harmony Resources at Escape Studios

• Getting started with Toonboom Harmony with Plamen Ananiev

Free Toonboom Harmony License and Online resources
In the meantime, check out some of the online Harmony resources available here.  Toonboom have also released a free home version of their software for student use which lasts for 30 days.

Birds Connect Our World
To see what kind of animation can be done in Harmony, watch the short film "Birds Connect Our World" created by Escapee Lilian Fu, who took our evening class in Harmony. 

Birds Connect Our World recently won an award for Best Environmental Film at the Golden Nugget Film Awards. 




2D Animation Revival

Bear animation by Alex Fox

It's a great time to be studying 2D animation. For the first time since the late 1990s the 2D animation industry is expanding, with growing opportunities - for those with the right skills. 

Webinar
Iliana's webinar takes place on Wednesday 16th February at 5pm. It is free for all our students, past present and future. 

To sign up, follow this link to the official site. 

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our BA/MArt, now recruiting for September 2022, follow this link.   To apply, visit the official page here.