"Cursed Bond" Wins "Best Student Film" Award

Cursed Bond wins Best Student Film at Int'l Gold Awards

Many congratulations to the makers of "Cursed Bond", which has won "Best Student Film" at the International Gold Awards. "Cursed Bond" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students at Escape Studios.  

The short film was written and directed by Ted Walker, and produced by Mahak Chowdhary.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez Emilsson and the VFX Supervisor was Oliver Eveson.  Art direction was by Quimey Dasso.  Ted Walker stars as the Hermit.  This is its first festival award. 

"Kueh" Wins Best Animation at Reels Film Festival

Kueh" wins "Best Animation" at Reels Film Festival

Congratulations to the makers of the 2D animated short film "Kueh", which has won "Best Animation" at the Reels Film Festival.  

"Kueh" was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  

"Kueh" was written and directed by Gustav Chin and produced by Mai Lu.  This is its third festival award. 

2025 "Rookies" Open Today - 7 April 2025

The 2025 Rookies is now open

It is now time for our animation, games and vfx students to enter The Rookies Awards 2025, the international competition for young creatives.  The Rookies annual competition opens today, 7 April 2025 and the final deadline is 20th June 2025.

But don't wait until the deadline - it's always a good idea to get your project ready for entry. That way you get more eyes on your project, and a head start on the competition.  

Your checklist includes screen credits (don't forget Special Thanks), a One Sheet poster, stylish pre-production and development art - all these things should be submitted. And remember - only students can enter. Escape Studios' tutors and staff cannot do this for you. 

"Save Yourself" Wins "Best VFX" at EEF Fest

Save Yourself wins "Best VFX" at EEFF

Congratulations to the makers of Save Yourself, the latest VFX short from Escape Studios, which has won "Best VFX" at the Eastern Europe Film Awards.  Save Yourself was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students at Escape Studios.  

The short film was written and directed by Jasmine Patel and produced by Charlie Cope.  Harrison Davies was the 3D VFX lead, and Fiona Lee was the 2D VFX Lead.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez-Emilsson.  Industry feedback was generously provided by Industrial Light & Magic. 

Filipe Correia Lead Compositor at Flawless AI

Escapee Filipe Correia 

Many congratulations to Escapee Filipe Correia who has joined Flawless AI, creators of AI-powered tools for the creative industries, as a lead compositor.  

Filipe  joins Escape Studios' tutor Allar Kaasik  who is now Visual Effects Supervisor at Flawless AI.

Filipe Correia studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialising in 2D VFX (Compositing). 

While at Escape Studios, Filipe contributed to many short films, including the award-winning films Slushy, and The Crash.  

Unreal Engine for Film & TV Starts 29 April 2025

Our new Evening Class in Unreal Engine for Film and TV starts on 29 April 2025.  Taught by industry veteran Shaun Foster MFA, this course teaches the Unreal Engine pipeline, showing how digital film-makers can render their shots in real time, rather than the many hours of render times taken by traditional ray tracing packages. To find out more follow this link: https://bit.ly/4hOhLNR

Introducing "Mini Mail"

Introducing Mini Mail, the latest VFX short from Escape Studios.  Mini Mail was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students at Escape Studios; it was written and directed by Thomas Greensmith  and produced by Nilufer Refet.  Asia Gayle  was the 3D VFX lead, and Daniel Beeching was the 2D VFX Lead.  John Oakes-Pearson stars as the delivery guy.  Industry feedback was generously provided by Industrial Light & Magic. 

Checkmate Wins Best Student Film at Reels Fest

"Checkmate" wins Best Student Film at Reels Film Fest  

Congratulations to the makers of the short animated film "Checkmate", which has won "Best Student Film" at the Reels Film Awards.  

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.  This is its fourth festival award. 

Unreal Engine for Architecture Starts 28 April 2025

Evening Class in Unreal Engine for Architecture

Our new Evening Class in Unreal Engine for Architecture starts on 28 April 2025.  The course runs from 28 April until 17 June 2025; 12 evening classes over six weeks.  

Escape Studios has been an Unreal Engine Authorized Training Centre since 2020 - the first Unreal ATC in the UK. To find out more, follow this link: https://bit.ly/4hOhLNR.

Unreal Engine 5 offers capabilities that can transform the way architectural visualisation is approached and executed, speeding up the render process.  

This new Evening Class in Unreal Engine for Architecture is created specifically for architects, architectural students or people working in an art role within construction who want to add Unreal Engine to their arsenal.

X-Terminate Wins Best VFX at Reels Fest

X-Terminate wins "Best VFX" at Reels Film Festival Awards

Congratulations to the makers of X-Terminate, the short film created by our third year animation students and VFX students at Escape Studios, which has won "Best VFX" at the Reels Film Festival Awards.

Directed by Maria Freitas and produced by Emmanuel Rahman,  X-Terminate was a collaboration between undergraduate animation students and VFX students at Escape Studios, working together to create an original story.  Guy Dijkhuis was the 3D VFX Lead; Caterina Castiglione was the 2D VFX Lead.  This is the fifth festival award for X-Terminate. 

Last Call for 3D Anim Evening Class Starts 7 April

Our 3D Animation Evening Class runs for 20 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 7-10pm, and is taught online by veteran animator Matteo Sanna.

Students start with basic exercises and build towards an industry-ready demo reel.

The 3D Animation Evening Class returns on 7 April 2025. 

Introducing "Crawl Space" by James Hothi

Escape Studios is proud to present "Crawl Space", a new short animation created by MA Animation student James Hothi.   James Hothi is studying the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, taught by industry veteran Kevin Richards.  

Introducing the 3D VFX Team at Escape Studios

3D VFX Team at Escape Studios

Meet the 3D VFX Team at Escape Studios. VFX is at the heart of Escape Studios; it's where we began 20 years ago - when the industry was just starting to expand and grow.

Back in the early 2000s there were few places in the UK where students could learn the necessary skills to land that crucial first job in the VFX industry.  Below are our talented tutors who teach the art and craft of VFX at Escape Studios, helping to ensure we remain the UK's leading centre for the study of VFX.

How Animators Find Industry Mentors

One question I sometimes get asked by students at Escape Studios is "How Do I Find a Mentor?"  The answer (of course!) is to start with your tutors, and then broaden out from there.  Over the course of a long animation career our Escapees are likely to have many mentors, though very few of these (if any) will be formal mentorship roles; most will be informal, and you might not even realise these people were mentors until many years later.   In my case I have been lucky enough to be mentored by animators such as James Baxter (Road to El Dorado), Andreas Deja (Lion King), Duncan Marjoribanks (Pocahontas) and also Glen Keane, whose notes on planning animation I still refer to today.  But mentorship is, in each and every case, very much what you make of it.

"Ongo" Wins "Best Super Short" in Florence

Congratulations to the makers of Ongo, which has won Best Super Short Film at the Florence Film Awards.  Ongo was created by our third year graduating class of 3D animation students at Escape Studios.  

Ongo was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Stephanie Quelal Castaneda. Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic.  This is the third festival award for Ongo,

Escapeverse Live 2025 - Now at YouTube

 

For anyone who missed the EscapeVerse Live Festival at the end of February, we've now uploaded the full schedule of talks, panels and webinars to our YouTube channel.  Above is the Teamwork Panel I hosted on 25 February, with Escapees Adam Dewhirst, Ricardo Ferreira, Stefano Ferron and Harry Symonds.  They were all great guests and had many entertaining insights into the importance of good teamwork - as well as some horror stories about teamwork gone wrong (such as Adam's fishy tale at 31:31).  You can find the full EscapeVerse 2025 playlist here. 

Introducing "Save Yourself"

Introducing Save Yourself, the latest VFX short from Escape Studios.  Save Yourself was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students at Escape Studios.  The short film was written and directed by Jasmine Patel and produced by Charlie Cope.  Harrison Davies was the 3D VFX lead, and Fiona Lee was the 2D VFX Lead.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez-Emilsson.  Industry feedback was generously provided by Industrial Light & Magic. 

"Ongo" Wins "Best Animation" at NYC Awards

Ongo wins Best Animated Film at NYC Movie Awards

Congratulations to the makers of Ongo, which has won Best Animated Film at the New York Movie Awards.  Ongo was created by our third year graduating class of 3D animation students at Escape Studios.  

Ongo was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Stephanie Quelal Castaneda. Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic.  This is the second festival award for Ongo,

Introducing The 2D VFX Team at Escape Studios

Meet the 2D VFX Team at Escape Studios. 2D VFX is all about compositing, and is primarily taught in Nuke, by The Foundry.  

Our graduates in 2D Compositing have enjoyed considerable success in recent years, with a very high proportion of our students finding work in their chosen field. Compositing continues to be a vital part of the VFX Pipeline.   

Below are the talented tutors who teach the art and craft of 2D VFX at Escape Studios, helping to ensure we remain the UK's leading centre for the study of VFX.

We also have hundreds of tutorials in compositing in Nuke at our Tutorial Channel to support our students.

Introducing "Cursed Bond"

 

 Introducing "Cursed Bond", the story of a mysterious hermit who finds a strange creature in the forest. "Cursed Bond" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students at Escape Studios.  The short film was written and directed by Ted Walker, and produced by Mahak Chowdhary.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez Emilsson and the VFX Supervisor was Oliver Eveson.  Art direction was by Quimey Dasso.  

Escape Studios and The Art of The Ident

Ident created by Maria Robertson

At Escape Studios, students are encouraged to create idents—short animated sequences used for branding, such as the charming animation created by Maria Robertson on left. 

Many students have also created custom idents for their short film projects, and in 2022 our students created a series of custom idents for the British Animation Awards (BAAs).  Scroll down to see some of the best Escape Studios idents below. 

"Vivid" Wins Best VFX in Makizhmithran Fest

"Vivid" Wins "Best VFX" at Makizhmithran Film Festival

Congratulations to the makers of "Vivid", the latest short VFX film from Escape Studios, which has won an award for "Best VFX" at the Makizhmithran Film Festival.

"Vivid" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students.  Vivid was written and directed by Kia Claire, and produced by Amber Coventry.  Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead and William Griffith was the 2D VFX Lead.  

This is the film's fourth festival award. 

Meet The Motion Graphics Team at Escape Studios

Motion Graphics Team at Escape Studios

Meet the growing Motion Graphics team at Escape Studios. Motion Graphics is a key part of the animation industry, an expanding area of jobs and creativity.  

Our new Master's Degree in Motion Graphics (just launched) teaches the art of motion graphics as well as the underlying theory and structure.

In September 2025 we launch our new BA/MArt in Motion Graphics, offering an undergraduate study route for the first time.  

We also offer an Evening Class in Motion Graphics for part-time distance learners. 

All our tutors come from industry, with experience in 2D and 3D Motion Graphics. 

"Ongo" Wins "Best Super Short Film" in London

Ongo wins Best Super Short at London Movie Awards 

Congratulations to the makers of Ongo, which has won Best Super Short Film at the London Movie Awards with a live screening at the CloseUp Theatre in Shoreditch.  Ongo was created by our third year graduating class of 3D animation students at Escape Studios.  

Ongo was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Stephanie Quelal Castaneda. Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic.  This is the first festival award for Ongo,

How Long Does It Take To Learn Autodesk Maya?

Many of our first year students at Escape Studios will never have opened Maya before.  Or, at least, they won't be very familiar with it.  Maya is a big, complex piece of software - the interface can look daunting at first.  But don't be discouraged, with time and practice - you will get there in the end. 

"Vivid" Wins Best VFX at EE Film Fest

"Vivid" wins "Best VFX" at Eastern Europe Film Fest

Congratulations to the makers of "Vivid", the latest short VFX film from Escape Studios, which has won an award for "Best VFX" at the Eastern Europe Film Festival.

"Vivid" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students.  Vivid was written and directed by Kia Claire, and produced by Amber Coventry.  Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead and William Griffith was the 2D VFX Lead.  

This is the film's third festival award. 

Why Disney Always Rejected 1st Time Applicants

Back in the 1980s when I was starting my animation career, it was said by the old-timers in the animation business that anyone wanting to be an animator at Disney had to apply twice —because the first application would be rejected by default. This wasn’t an official policy, but rather an unspoken test of determination.

Disney, at the time, was the global animation leader (arguably it still is), and competition for jobs was very fierce.  The idea was that only those with true passion and perseverance would push through rejection, refine their portfolios, and reapply. It separated the dreamers from the truly committed.

Racing Stripes - My First VFX

Way back in 2004 I got my first job as animation supervisor, on Frederic Du Chau's live action VFX movie "Racing Stripes" - a family film about a zebra that wants to be a racehorse.  Racing Stripes' live action was filmed mainly in South Africa - where zebras are plentiful. The VFX work was done at Digiscope in Santa Monica, with Hybride VFX in Montreal animating the two horseflies "Buzz and Scuzz".  About 30 VFX shots were also completed in London at the Peerless Camera Co.  Part of the animation process was to create expression sheets for the characters in the film, to inform the CG modelling process and to make sure the animation would be as realistic and expressive as possible. 

Why Animators Shouldn't Worry About Copyright

Copyright Law - Stop Worrying

If you’re studying animation at Escape Studios, you’ve probably heard other artists talk about copyright—how important it is to protect your ideas and ensure no one steals your work.  

And while it's important to understand the copyright law (to learn the basics of copright law, watch this video), it's equally important that students shouldn’t worry about copyright too much.  

Here’s why it's important not to panic:

How To Animate Lipsync - With No Lips

One of the first dialogue exercises tackled by students at Escape Studios is how to animate a character speaking a line of dialogue - but with no mouth.  Students almost always look skeptical at this idea - how can you animate Lipsync - with no lips? 

The answer, of course, is that it's all in the acting and the performance.  If the body language is working, then the audience will believe that the character is speaking - even if the character itself has no mouth.

Why Animators Hold Ms Bs & Ps for Two Frames

Hold Ms Bs and Ps for 2 frames minimum

One of the rules of animating lipsync is that you should always hold Ms Bs and Ps for at least two frames if you want them to "read" clearly.

The reason for this is that we need to compress our lips together to make these shapes, after which there is a little expulsion of air. 

For Ms Bs and Ps to read clearly, they need to be making the shape on the screen for at least two frames, even if the dialogue is rapid.

Meet the 3D Animation Team at Escape Studios

Who teaches 3D Animation at Escape Studios? We are fortunate to have many talented tutors in our large and growing animation department.  

We have a depth of talent and skills among our staff that ensures we can teach all aspects of the animation pipeline, from concept art through storyboarding, animation and final render. 

Below (in no particular order) are some of our talented tutors you will find teaching 3D Animation in our classrooms at Escape Studios.

Welcome To Our New International MA Students

Welcome to our new International Students

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome our new international students.  In 2024 we were able toannounce 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 2025, including our new MA in Motion Graphics.

Marking Group Projects at Escape Studios

Marking Group Projects at Escape Studios

How do we mark Group Projects at Escape Studios? For our students studying with us on courses validated by Coventry University, we have a new simplified process for the marking of group projects.

Group work, also called Studio Projects, are marked according a formula which aims to take into account the judgment of tutors and our students themselves, but also allowing for individual contributions (more on this below). 

75% of the grade is awarded for the final Project, and 25% of the grade goes for the final Presentation of the project - usually a group presentation by all the members of the team (some Modules may include a retrospective or an individual Presentation). 

Animating Lipsync for VFX on "Underdog"

The short video above (15 minutes) is about animating dialogue and lipsync on the Disney live action film "Underdog". The VFX work was done at Cinesite (and also Framestore) in London back in 2006. As part of the development process I drew expression sheets, some of which you can see below. The purpose of these was to help the modelling department create blend shapes for the character rigs, showing a range of expressions and moods, which could then be captured in the animation.  Underdog was a great project, directed by veteran director Frederic Du Chau, with whom I had worked previously on "Quest for Camelot" and "Racing Stripes". 

Escapee Amelia Watson Joins ETC

Escapee Amelia Watson joins Electric Theatre Collective

Many congratulations to Escapee Amelia Watson who is joining Electric Theatre Collective.

Amelia Watson studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, and contributed to a many award-winning short films including "Love, Mum", Tatty, The Stellar Rescue and Queerbaiting.

Amelia has been working at Escape as a Studio Assistant, helping to teach our second year students 3D Animation.

Why Writers Need Screen Credit

Don't forget to credit the writer 

The screen credit most commonly neglected by our student filmmakers is that of writer. Why should this be? Probably because, as animators and visual effects artists, our students tend to think visually, not in terms of language or story.  

But, however your film is imagined, it always starts with a story.  And whoever conceived that story should be credited as the writer.  

The writer credit is one of the key roles on a film, just as important as the director and producer. Why? Because in the end, it's all about telling a story.  

How to Get Screen Credits Right

Screen Credits are important to get right. Leave people out, spell their names wrong - there are all kinds of ways to annoy your fellow film-makers. 

Most important of all - be sure to credit all the key roles on your film.  In general, credit for the key heads of department will go to one person only.  There should be only be one director, and usually (but not always) one producer and one writer. 

If you need to credit someone else, give them a title such Associate Producer or Assistant Director. Extra writers can be credited under "Additional Story".

Make sure you credit (at least) the following roles; Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, Art Director, VFX Supervisor, Animation Director (or Head of Animation), CG Supervisor.  

2025 Rookies Opens 7 April 2025

Rookies info on Monday 17 Feb 2025

In less than two months it will be time for our students to enter The Rookies Awards 2025, the international competition for young creatives.  The competition opens on 7 April 2025 and the deadline is 20th June 2025.

The Rookies is hosting an information session tomorrow Monday 17 February for anyone who wants to know more. 

But don't wait until the deadline - it's always a good idea to get your project ready for entry.  Your checklist includes screen credits (don't forget Special Thanks), a One Sheet poster, development art - all these things can be prepared in advance of the 7 April opening. 

Meet The 2D Animation Team at Escape Studios

2D Animation Team at Escape Studios

Who Teaches 2D Animation at Escape Studios? Meet our talented 2D Animation team, the folks who are delivering our 2D Animation BA at Escape Studios as well as our Evening class in 2D Animation in Toonboom Harmony.

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.

"Mog's Christmas" BAFTA Nom Best Animated Short

Mog's Christmas - BAFTA Nominated

We're delighted to congratulate two of our newest tutors at Escape Studios, Shane Woodson and Rebecca Perrone, who both worked on the BAFTA-Nominated Short Film "Mog's Christmas", which has been nominated for Best Animated Short at this year's BAFTA awards. The awards ceremony takes place this Sunday 16th February 2025 at the Royal Festival Hall. 

Mog's Christmas is a TV Special created for Channel Four and animated at Lupus Films in London. 

"Vivid" Wins "Best Animation" at Milan Gold Awards

"Vivid" wins "Best Animated Film" in Milan

Congratulations to the makers of "Vivid", the latest short VFX film from Escape Studios, which has won an award for "Best Animated Film" at the Milan Gold Awards.

"Vivid" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students.  Vivid was written and directed by Kia Claire, and produced by Amber Coventry.  Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead and Williams Griffith was the 2D VFX Lead.  This is the film's second festival award. 

"Teamwork Panel" Tuesday 25 Feb 2025 at 6pm

On Tuesday 25th February  at 6pm I'll be hosting a "Teamwork Panel" of Escapees, part of the EscapeVerse Live Festival, which is now accepting bookings. 

The 2025 EscapeVerse Live Festival (formerly The VFX Festival) will be held live online from 24-27 February 2025.  

At the Teamwork Panel at 6pm I'll be talking with a number of Escapees about why teamwork matters, why the industry isn't a solo sport, and how they manage the challenges of group projects in industry. 

Join us at EscapeVerse Live and find out about the latest tech, the latest jobs, and how to break into the thriving - but rapidly evolving - creative industries.

"Unfamiliar" Wins "Best Short" at Int'l Gold Awards

Unfamiliar wins "Best Super Short" at Int'l Gold Awards

Congratulations to the makers of Unfamiliar, which has won "Best Super Short" at the International Gold Awards.

Unfamiliar was created by our Third Year Graduating Class of 3D Animation Students at Escape Studios.  It was written and directed by Catherine Hall, edited by Lucie Massamba and produced by Xhoana Tola.  The lead animator was Ruby Ebbs.  Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic.  This is its first festival award.

"Vivid" Wins "Best Super Short" in London

Congratulations to the makers of "Vivid", the latest short VFX film from Escape Studios, which has won the award for "Best Super Short Film" at the London Movie Awards, based at the CloseUp Theatre in Shoreditch. 

"Vivid" was created by our third year graduating class of VFX students.  Vivid was written and directed by Kia Claire, and produced by Amber Coventry.  Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead and Williams Griffith was the 2D VFX Lead.  This is its first festival award. 

How Big Should a Team Be? The "Two Pizza" Rule

The "Two-Pizza Rule"

How Big Should a Team Be? When we put together teams for our Group Projects at Escape Studios, what is the perfect size for the team?

One good answer is Jeff Bezos's "Two-Pizza Rule", developed in the early days of Amazon.com - any team that can't be fed by two pizzas is too big.  The same principle applies at Escape Studios.

How to Write a Great CV

Everyone needs a CV

As part of Professional Practice Module PR6001 our graduating class of undergraduate students must write a CV, as part of their preparation for entering the industry. 

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae - in Latin: "the story of your life". In the USA it is called a résumé.  Whatever the name, its purpose is to summarise your education, life history and skills as clearly and concisely as possible, and to put the best possible shine on your achievements. 

Why Animators Need to Finish Their Demo Reel

Get Your Demo Reel Done

One of the key tasks for our graduates is to be job-ready at the end of the course, and this includes finishing a professional-quality demo reel.  

An animator's demo reel is the single most important means of landing that crucial first job in the animation industry.  

The key thing is to get it done. Remember that your demo reel will never be perfect - it will always be a work-in-progress. 

"Mob Boss Barkino" Wins Hon Mention at EEFF

"Mob Boss Barkino" wins Hon Mention at the EEFF 

Congratulations to the makers of "Mob Boss Barkino", which has won an Honourable Mention in the category of Best Animation at the Eastern Europe Film Festival. 

Mob Boss Barkino was written and directed by Leon Lau, and produced by Angharad Mathias.  The lead animator was Maisy Rogers, and the Editor was Tobi Ajibola.  Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic. 

Introducing "Ongo"

Introducing Ongo, a tale of mystery and magic in the woods.  Ongo was created by our third year graduating class of 3D animation students at Escape Studios.  The short film was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Stephanie Quelal Castaneda. Industry feedback was generously provided by Charlie Tetlow and Felipe De Lanteuil from Industrial Light & Magic. 

"Back on Track" Wins "Best Micro Short" Award

Congratulations to the makers of the short film "Back on Track", which has won the award for Best Micro Short at the Makizhmithran Film Festival. 

Back on Track was created by our third year graduating class of 3D animation students at Escape Studios.  

This is the third festival award for Back on Track.

Why Animators Should Cast their Net Wide

Landing your first job in the animation industry isn't easy. But what many graduates forget is just how many opportunities are out there - if you cast your net wide enough. 

Alongside world-beating animation companies like Aardman Animation, Blue Zoo, Framestore and DNEG are hundreds of small companies that are much less well known - almost 500 in the UK alone. 

There are just under 500 animation companies in the UK with at least one employee (ie not just a sole practitioner) and this creates a huge opportunity for an animator with the patience to look beyond the famous names.

Alfie Williams Animator at Teleflex

Escapee Alfie Williams

Many congratulations to Escapee Alfie Williams who is working an animator at Teleflex, a US-based medical technology company.  Alfie animated Teleflex's character mascot, the so-called "Prostate Monster", to be presented live as part of an immersive on-stage experience at a medical conference.

Alfie created a series of short animations of the monster walking, blinking, and peeking, all rendered with a transparent background for seamless placement on conference screens. 

"Father's Blade" Wins "Best Trailer" at HoE Festival

Father's Blade wins Best Trailer at Heart of Europe Fest 

Congratulations to the makers of the short film "Father's Blade", which has won "Best Trailer" at the Heart of Europe Film Festival. 

"Father's Blade" was directed by Thomas Husband and produced by Hugo Whitworth; the editor was Alfie Williams and the lead animator was Brandon Rai.  This is the latest of many festival awards for Father's Blade.