MA 3D Animation Returns 23 Sept 2024

Animation by Sunny Asadi

Our next Short Course and MA (Master of Arts) in 3D Animation returns on 23 September 2024.

The Short Course and MA in animation is taught both online and in-class at our new North Greenwich Campus.

Our Short Course and MA animation students have created many award-winning film projects such as "Alma", "Flame", "Hat Shop", "Mafia Mix-Up" and "Moon Rockz".  

Smear Frame Animation Tutorial in Maya

In this brief tutorial we show how to animate a "Smear Frame". Smear Frames simulate motion blur in super-snappy animation, in the style of the old Tex Avery or Chuck Jones cartoons.

But how do you do a Smear Frame in 3D animation, using Maya character rigs? Watch our free tutorial to find out.

"The Hunter" Wins Hon Mention at EE Film Fest

"The Hunter" wins Hon. Mention at the EEFF 

Congratulations to the makers of the animated short film "The Hunter" which has won an Honourable Mention in the category of Best Student Filmmaker at the Eastern Europe Film Festival. 

The Hunter was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  The Hunter was written by Nishana Paul, directed by Rhea Ilanthirayan and produced by Naarah Bonti Asmarah.  This is its second festival award.

Animation Tutorial in Maya - Fish Swimming

Animate a fish swimming in Maya

In this simple tutorial we show how to animate a fish swimming, and then add some underwater lighting using Maya's software renderer. 

Start with a single side-to-side rotation of the fish; then copy and paste the curves down the fish's body, offsetting each curve by two frames. 

The result is the distinctive swish of a fish's tail.  The underwater lighting with caustics can be done with a few clicks. 

Why Escape Studios is Like a Gym

Monty in the Gym by Sam Baker

Escape Studios' Head of Creative Technology Michael Davies likes to say that studying at Escape Studios is like joining a gym. 

Joining a gym won't make you fit, but regular use of the equipment will.  The same principle applies at Escape Studios, where we offer a system of blended learning, a mixture of classroom teaching and also self study using our video tutorials, available exclusively for our students. We call this "The Escape Method".

More Books for the Animation & VFX Library

Hollywood Memoirs by William Goldman and David Niven

We have new books for the Animation & VFX Library on the 11th Floor at 6 Mitre Passage.

New books include "Adventures in The Screen Trade" by William Goldman, double-Oscar-winning writer who wrote "The Princess Bride" and David Niven's Hollywood autobiography "The Moon's a Balloon".  

For all our students looking to understand how the movie business works, this is a great place to start.  And don't forget to make use of our Tutorial Channel - with many hundreds of video tutorials on animation and VFX.

How To Get Hired in Motion Graphics

We're delighted to offer a new free tutorial in Motion Graphics from our Motion Graphics tutor Adam Bennett.  Adam's latest tutorial is titled "Seven Showreel Tips to Help You Get Hired".  Putting together a great demo reel is the key to getting hired in the creative industries.  Adam has also created a playlist of free tutorials, hosted at YouTube, to help students get started and to support their classroom learning.  Our new MA in Motion Graphics is now recruiting for September 2024.

"Portfolios That Pack a Punch" Monday 13 May

We're hosting a new portfolio review clinic titled "Portfolios That Pack a Punch" on Monday 13 May at 3.30pm.

This event is aimed at our games students but is also very relevant to animators looking to break into the games industry.  The games industry needs animators too. 

The creative industries are in a constant state of flux - events like this help us keep abreast of the latest changes, and in particular help us identify where the entry-level jobs are, and what is needed to get them. 

Who is hiring, for what jobs, and what skills do you need?

To sign up for this event, follow this link to the official website.

Backtrack Wins Best Trailer at Dreamachine Awards

"Backtrack"wins "Best Trailer" at Dreamachine Fest

Congratulations to the makers of "Backtrack", the teaser/trailer created by our second year animation students at Escape Studios, which has won "Best Trailer" at the Dreamachine Film Festival.

The Backtrack trailer was directed by Philippa "Pip" Cowen, edited by Pelumi Oyekunleye and produced by Sihaam "Simu" Weheliye.  Backtrack has won many festival awards.

"The Hunter" Wins "Best Super Short" in London

The Hunter wins Best Super Short Film in London

Congratulations to the makers of "The Hunter", the latest short animated film from Escape Studios, which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the London Movie Awards. 

The Hunter was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  The Hunter was written by Nishana Paul, directed by Rhea Ilanthirayan and produced by Naarah Bonti Asmarah.  This is its first festival award.

Introducing "Breakdown"

Introducing the short animated film "Breakdown", completed by our students at Escape Studios.  Breakdown was made by our second year animation students, working together as a team to replicate as closely as possible the workings of a commercial animation studio.  Breakdown was directed by Anna Pinart and produced by Caroline Geddis. The editor was Belle Leuschke and the art director was Daniel Joseph. 

"Outpatient" Wins Best Micro Short at Vesuvius Fest

"Outpatient" wins "Best Micro Short" at Vesuvius Film Fest

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short film "Outpatient", which has won "Best Micro Short" at the Vesuvius Film Festival. 

"Outpatient" was directed by Charlie Wilson, co-directed by Idris Driver, produced by Harry Symonds, and co-produced by Emmanuel Rahman. "Outpatient" tells the story of a hospital patient on the edge of survival.  This is the film's third festival award. 

Animation by Seb Armstrong

Escape Studios undergraduate animation student Seb Armstrong animated this excellent short piece for our undergraduate core animation module - Animation Module AN4001 - a 15 Credit module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link.

Show Pointer Location Tool for Windows

Show Pointer Location Tool

A handy teaching tool that we recommend for all our tutors at Escape Studios is the "Show Pointer Location Tool" in Windows (see image left). 

The Show Pointer Location Tool creates a little animated target for your audience. When you press the control ("CTRL") button on your keyboard, the target shows your audience exactly where your pointer is and what you are clicking on. 

When you are demonstrating how to use software, this tool helps our students keep track of what you are doing.  To see how to activate Show Pointer Location Tool, follow the steps below.

Animate a Submarine Underwater in Maya

Animate a Submarine Underwater

In this super simple tutorial we show how to animate a submarine traveling underwater.  This is a very basic tutorial aimed at beginners in Maya. 

The idea is to do some simple animation of an underwater scene, then add a caustic effect to reproduce the effect of light penetrating water. 

Introducing "Little Pirates"

Little_Pirates_FINAL from Angharad Mathias on Vimeo.

Introducing "Little Pirates", the latest short animated film from Escape Studios.  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.  Little Pirates is currently being entered into film festivals. 

Animate a Simple Camera Shake in Maya

Animate a Camera Shake in Maya with Monty

In this free animation tutorial we show how to animate a camera shake in Maya.  It's a simple tutorial aimed at beginners learning 3d animation in Autodesk Maya. 

To animate the camera shake is simple - it's just a few keyframes on the x rotation on the shot camera, simulating what might happen to a real camera operator if (as in this example) a school bus were to whizz past at high speed. 

"VOID" Wins Best Student Short at HEI Fest

Congratulations to the makers of "Void", which has won Best Student Short Film at the HEI Film Festival. 

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 its fourth festival award.

Royal Television Society Bursary Scheme Open

Royal Television Society (RTS) Bursary Scheme

The Royal Television Society (RTS) Bursary Scheme is now open, offering bursaries (scholarships) to students  pursuing careers in television, film or related media.

The application deadline is Monday 24th June 2024. As always, we encourage our students to apply. There are many scholarships and bursaries available for education. 

Escape Studios Welcomes International Students

Escape Studios is delighted to announce that - for the first time since Brexit - we can now sponsor international students to join our programmes on student visas. 

This comes in time for the launch of a number of brand-new courses starting in September 2024, including our new MA in Motion Graphics.

Animation by Samuel Baker

Escape Studios undergraduate animation student Samuel Baker animated this excellent short piece for our undergraduate core animation module - Animation Module AN4001 - a 15 Credit module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link.

Free Tutorial: Animate a Cartoony Car To a Stop

In this super simple beginner animation tutorial we show how to animate a vehicle coming to a sudden stop. The free tutorial uses the free "AnyCar 3.1.4 for Maya" rig, downloadable here from Creative Crash.  

This is a fun, simple tutorial that is aimed at animation beginners in Autodesk Maya, part of our series of animation basics for students who have never used Maya before.  

Animation by Milly Proudfoot

The animation above was created by Escape Studios' undergraduate animation student Milly Proudfoot, currently in her first year of study at Escape Studios.  Milly animated this piece for our undergraduate core animation module - Animation Module AN4001 - a 15 Credit module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link.

Finding Work in The Animation Industry in 2024

The creative industries have hit some headwinds of late, with a "perfect storm" of writers' strikes, actors' strikes, studio cutbacks, and anxiety over the threat from AI. 

But there are still jobs and opportunities out there for graduates with excellent portfolios and strong software skills. Below is a roundup of things to do to maximise your chances of breaking into the industry. Start by making sure that your demo reel  is as good as it can possibly be.

"Order Up" Wins "Best Animation" at Kodaikanal Fest

"Order Up" wins "Best Animation" at Kodaikanal Fest

Congratulations to the makers of "Order Up" which has won "Best Animation" at the Kodaikanal Film Festival.  

Order Up was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  Order Up was directed by Shavaz Uzice, edited by Tobi Ajibola, and produced by “Moses” Tsz Yau Ho. The art director was Holly Ackroyd.  This is its first festival award.

Animate a Traffic Cone Being Knocked Over

Animate a Traffic Cone Being Knocked Over

In this beginner's animation tutorial we show how to animate a traffic cone being knocked over by a speeding car.  It's a simple exercise - based on the Yellow Beetle animation tutorial - which you can find here.  

You can however use any vehicle, and animate it by simply setting a keyframe at the start and the end of the motion.  The timing of the traffic cone is very simple; with just a few rotation keyframes we can add texture to the scene. 

Motion Graphics MA Now Open for Applications

Our new Master's Degree in Motion Graphics

Our new Master's Degree in Motion Graphics is welcoming applications for September 2024.

Motion Graphics is a key part of the animation industry, an expanding area of jobs and creativity.

We have been teaching Motion Graphics  at Escape Studios for many years - now for the first time we can offer a fully accredited masters-level post-graduate course.

Escape Students Attend "Bring Your Own Animation"

Kevin Richards and Escape Students attend BYOA

BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) is a monthly event that we recommend all our students and Escapees attend. 

BYOA takes place in London every month at a pub in Soho.  Recently Escape Studios' tutor animation Kevin Richards met with a number of Escape Studios students and Escapees, reviewing demo reels and getting feedback on their work. 

"Theseus" Wins Hon Mention at 1st Film Fest

Theseus & The Minotaur wins Mention at 1st Film Fest

Congratulations to the makers of Theseus and The Minotaur, which has won an Honourable Mention at the First 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. 

Introducing "Order Up"

ORDER_UP_ANIM from tszyau ho on Vimeo.

Introducing "Order Up", the latest short animated film from Escape Studios. It was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  Order Up was directed by Shavaz Uzice, edited by Tobi Ajibola, and produced by “Moses” Tsz Yau Ho. The art director was Holly Ackroyd.  Order Up is currently being entered into film festivals. 

The Visual Effects Producer - Now in The Library

The Visual Effects Producer

We have new books for the Animation & VFX Library on the 11th Floor at 6 Mitre Passage.

The Visual Effects Producer by Charles Finance and Susan Zwerman is the comprehensive handbook for any student learning the art of VFX Production - a creative blend of art, technology and finance. 

For all our students learning the Art of VFX, we recommend this book as the principal guide to understanding what VFX producers do.  

And don't forget to make use of our Tutorial Channel - with many hundreds of video tutorials on animation and VFX.

Introducing "Checkmate"

Checkmate from Cara Masters on Vimeo.

Introducing "Checkmate", the latest short animated film from Escape Studios.  Checkmate was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  Checkmate was directed by Cara Masters and produced by Erminas Surgautas. 

"Lamp -v- Monty" by Illia Stepina

Illia Stepina is a first year undergraduate animation student at Escape Studios; "Lamp-v-Monty" was animated for Elissa's core animation module - Animation 1 - a 15 Credit module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers all the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link. 

"Outpatient" Wins Best VFX at Makihzmithran Fest

"Outpatient" wins "Best VFX" at Makizhmithran Fest

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short film "Outpatient", which has won "Best VFX" at the Makizhmithran Film Awards. 

"Outpatient" was directed by Charlie Wilson, co-directed by Idris Driver, produced by Harry Symonds, and co-produced by Emmanuel Rahman.  "Outpatient" tells the story of a hospital patient on the edge of survival. Abdoulah M Jones stars as The Patient.  

This is the film's second festival award. 

Escapee-directed "Bluey" Achieves Global Success

Bluey

The Australian animated TV series "Bluey" has become a global success story, one of the most popular shows on Netflix.

Bluey was created by Joe Brumm - but the TV series is directed by Escapee Rich Jeffrey 

Rich took our 12 week course in 3D animation, and has since gone on to forge a successful career as an animation director. 

"Ghosting" Wins "Best Animation" at Tekka Fest

Congratulations to the makers of Ghosting, the animated short created by our third year animation students at Escape Studios, which has won the award for Best Animation at the Tekka Film Festival.

Directed by Caroline Geddis and produced by Marc Montebon, Ghosting tells the story of a boy who enters a mysterious mansion on a dark night.  

This is its second festival award. 

La Salle Exchange Programme Returns For 2025

Ramon Llull University, Barcelona

Escape Studios is delighted to announce the return of our Exchange Programme with La Salle, part of the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Catalonia.

La Salle offers degrees in Digital Arts and Animation, a perfect fit with our courses at Escape Studios.  The Exchange will take place in the Spring of 2025, and we'll be looking for expressions of interest from our first year undergraduate students in the next few weeks. 

Since 2021 a number of Escape students have travelled to La Salle to study, and a similar number have come to Escape Studios, studying the Art of Computer Animation, Games and Visual Effects.

The La Salle Exchange Programme is a welcome opportunity for our students to study overseas in one of Europe's most beautiful cities. 

The Animation & VFX Course at La Salle is taught in Catalan, Spanish - and (of course) English. 

"Infestation" Best Sci-Fi at Golden Peacock Awards

"Infestation" wins Best Sci-Fi at Golden Peacock Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Infestation", one of the latest animated shorts created by our third year animation students at Escape Studios.

Infestation has won "Best Sci-Fi Short" at the Golden Peacock International Film Festival.  

Directed by Thomas Husband and produced by Hugo Whitworth,  Infestation tells the story of a distant space station - HMSS Archimedes - with some unwelcome visitors.  This is the third festival award for Infestation.

Super Mario Animation by Michael Koden

Michael Koden is a first year undergraduate animation student at Escape Studios; his short "Super Mario" animation above was completed for AN4001 a 15 Credit animation module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers all the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link.

Free Rigs and Sets at Anim-Matt

https://anim-matt.gumroad.com/.

We're loving this new source of Free Rigs and Sets for Maya Animators at Animation-Matt https://anim-matt.gumroad.com/. It's a great resource, packed with free (and low priced) rigs for character animation. Anim-matt also has plenty of sets for animators to work in, including interior and exterior shots such as streets, bars and living rooms for characters to perform in.

Acting for Animators - With Michael Caine

 

Animated characters need to look at each other, so their eyes don't wander around screen.  Watch the short video above with acting legend Michael Caine for some tips from the master of screen acting.  The video itself is a little dated (1980s) but the lessons remain just as important today.  According to Caine, the number one lesson for stage actors is to "hold on to each others' eyes".  And, what is true for stage actors is true for animators too.  You can watch Caine's acting advice in the video above - the important part is all in the first 5 minutes.

"VOID" Wins Hon Mention at Art Film Awards

Void wins Hon Mention at Art Film Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Void", which has won an Honourable Mention in the category of Best Animated Short at the Art Film 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 its third festival award.

Understanding the Rule of Thirds

What is the Rule of Thirds?  It is a "rule of thumb" for composing visual images.  The Rule of Thirds proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.  In the simplest terms, try to avoid staging your character dead centre in the middle of the screen.

Pitching The "Queen's Counsel" Cartoon Strip

All students at Escape Studios need to learn how to pitch. Our Escapees aren't just working in the creative industries, they are creating original content and fresh ideas.  But how does your fresh original idea gain traction in the marketplace?  The answer is - you have to pitch it.  The short video above is about pitching ideas - in this case pitching the idea of a cartoon strip about lawyers in the UK in the early '90s.  The cartoon strip started in The Times in 1993 as Queen's Counsel - it's still running 30 years on.  

"Light Escape" by Lewis Sims

Introducing "Light Escape" by Lewis Sims.  "Light Escape" was animated by Lewis for our undergraduate core animation module - Animation Module AN4001 - a 15 Credit module that teaches all our first year students the fundamentals of character and creature animation.  AN4001 lasts four weeks, and covers the basic principles of animation.  To see some of the best work done by our first year undergraduate animators, follow this link.

"Theseus" Wins "Best VFX" at the EE Film Fest

Theseus and The Minotaur "Best VFX" at the EEFF 

Congratulations to the makers of Theseus and The Minotaur, which has won "Best VFX" at the Eastern Europe 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 and support was provided by Industrial Light & Magic. 

The VFX Festival Returns 3-4 June 2024

2024 VFX Festival

Save the Date! The VFX Festival is back - returning to London on 3-4 June 2024 at the BFI IMAX on London's South Bank at Waterloo.  The  2024 VFX Festival will be a hybrid event, both online and in person.  

The 2024 VFX Festival at Escape Studios celebrates the latest developments in Animation, VFX and Interactive Media - come along and find out about the latest tech, the latest jobs, and how to break into the thriving - but rapidly evolving - creative industries.   

To book your tickets either in-person or online, follow this link.  

Introducing "The Hunter"

The_Hunter from Naarah on Vimeo.

Introducing "The Hunter", the latest short animated film from Escape Studios. It was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  The Hunter was written by Nishana Paul, directed by Rhea Ilanthirayan and produced by Naarah Bonti Asmarah.  It is currently being entered into film festivals. 

Escapee Ben Gardener Storyboard Artist at Wild Child

Ben Gardener

Escapee Ben Gardener has started work as a storyboard artist at Wild Child Animation.

Ben Gardener took our evening class in storyboarding with Blue Zoo Board Artist and Director Francesca "Chess" Adams - and built up a storyboard portfolio over the duration of the course.

Storyboarding is a growing part of the UK animation industry, as studios develop more in-house content for the expanding creative industries.

Many Escapees have gone on to find work storyboarding on animated films and TV series.

New Copies of the "ASK" for the Animation Library

Animator's Survival Kit

We have new copies of Animator's Survival Kit - our most popular book on animation - for the Animation & VFX Library on the 11th Floor at 6 Mitre Passage.

The ASK is now the standard textbook for animators and the most comprehensive book available for learning animation.  

We have many copies of the Animator's Survival Kit in the 11th Floor Library at 6 Mitre Passage. The ASK can also be bought as an eBook download for the iPad.  

For all our students learning animation, we recommend this book as the principal animation textbook.  And don't forget to make use of our Tutorial Channel - with many hundreds of video tutorials on animation and VFX.

CMC Wants Animation Series Pitches

Children's Media Conference 9-10-11 July 2024 

The Children's Media Conference (CMC) in Sheffield wants your animation pitches.  

In the "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" pitch sessions, animation creatives pitch to the animation industry, much like on the BBC's "Dragon's Den".   The CMC takes place from 9-10-11 July 2024. The deadline for submissions is 13 June 2024. 

Blend From a Walk to a Run with Marc Stevenson

In this tutorial students learn how to blend animation From a walk to a run with undergraduate Programme Leader  Marc Stevenson, veteran animator on multiple animated feature films.  Marc's tutorial explains how to take a walk cycle with "Monty" the Green Pea, and also a run cycle, and blend from one to the other effectively. 

Foundry Educational Showreel 2024

We're delighted to be included in the latest Educational Showreel from Foundry, makers of compositing software Nuke, showcasing the best work done by students using their software. Foundry are among our leading industry partners, supporting our students' work, including live industry projects such as "Dead Shot" - a Sky original feature film directed by The Guard Bros. - to which our students contributed around a dozen shots last year. 

Animate a Telephone Ringing in Maya

Animate a telephone ringing in Maya

In this very short (just ten minutes long) beginner animation tutorial we show how to do some very simple animation - animate a Telephone Ringing.  This tutorial is aimed at animation beginners in Autodesk Maya.

Simple exercises are a great way to gain confidence in animation, starting with the basics to gradually build up your confidence and skills.

George Caton-Coult Introduces "Pop Paper City"

George Caton-Coult, Kevin Richards and students

This week we welcomed Love Love Films Studio Manager George Caton-Coult to visit us on Thursday 21 March. The event was hosted by Escape Studios animation tutor Kevin Richards. 

George Caton-Coult is the Studio Manager at Love Love Films, responsible for the TV hit "Pop Paper City"  developed in partnership with Aardman Animation.  Many Escapees worked on "Pop Paper City".  In this in-person visit, George explained how the series came about, and how Escapees might find work at the studio.

"Sea of Madness" Wins Milan Gold Award

Sea Of Madness wins Best Animated Short in Milan

Congratulations to the makers of Sea Of Madness, which has won "Best Animated Film" at the Milan Gold awards.

Sea Of Madness was directed by Maria Freitas  and produced by Ivy Wang.  Jake Hines was the editor and 2D Lead, and Sebastian McKernan was the 3D Lead.  Ian Chavez Zarate stars as The Pirate.  

This is the film's second festival award.