Escape Studios' Mission: "Studio-Ready Talent"

VFX by Emmanuel Rahman

At Escape Studios our mission is to produce "Studio-Ready Talent".  That means equipping our graduates with real-world skills, ensuring that our Escapees are capable of filling entry-level positions in industry in positions that are currently in demand, especially in growth areas of new tech and new software. 

Part of this is what we call "The Escape Method"; this has five main pillars: Intensive classroom teaching, online tutorials, constructive feedback, industry engagement, and group projects.

Studio Projects

Our BA and MA courses have a strong focus on group projects, known as "Studio Projects" in which students work together in teams, learning the soft skills of working at a commercial studio on a live client-facing project.

Michael Davies rigged "Smaug" for "The Hobbit"

Daily Learning
Classes at Escape Studios are intensive; we expect students to be in every day, studying and learning every day.  

Tutors from Industry

Our tutors come from industry, with real-world experience of working in the commercial world. To see some of our talented tutors, as well as some of their screen credits, follow this link. 

Industry Contacts

Our tutors have extensive industry contacts. Our advisory board meets regularly to explore new developments in industry. What skills are in demand? What talent is industry looking for, and where are the skills shortages?

Block modules

Animation by Escapee Rich Jeffery

At Escape Studios we teach animation and VFX as a craft; this means studying in "block modules", running sequentially over the course of the year, allowing students to focus with energy and clarity on the task in hand.

Studio Assistants
We also have Studio Assistants (SAs) in the classroom whose job it is to help our students when they encounter problems - especially technical ones.  Studio Assistants are always available, usually sitting or standing at the back of the class, ready to help students out if and when they get stuck.

Online Tutorials 

We also have hundreds of animation tutorials available at our Online Tutorial Channel at Panopto and Vimeo, on everything from Maya basics to technical subjects like MoCap retargeting.

We have hundreds of tutorials hosted at Panopto and Vimeo, teaching animation and vfx.  Our students can learn a huge amount online, simply by watching our video tutorials, available for all our current students and Escapees.

Feedback 

Students at Escape Studios learning by practicing their skills, and getting regular constructive feedback.  To be ready for industry, students must learn how to give and receive criticism, and how to learn from feedback.

Oz Gani and Ross Burgess from Framestore

Industry Engagement 

Our Greenwich location is a short Tube journey from many of the UK's leading animation and VFX houses - this makes it easy for industry practitioners to drop in and give a talk, or mentor our students. 

Industry Feedback
We also host regular industry feedback sessions, where students can get feedback from industry guests.  

Festival Awards

Studio projects also allow our students to achieve higher standards than they could attain by working alone.  Our students films have won hundreds of festival prizes, getting our students industry attention and also ensuring they have an IMDB profile, an important first step for entering the industry. 

Rankings

National and International rankings matter. In May 2024 Escape Studios was ranked No 3 in the UK For animation by Animation Career Review.  We also perform well at The Rookies, the international showcase for rising talent in Animation and VFX. 

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To apply for one of our courses, follow this link.