Kevin Richards Joins "Bring Your Own Animation"

Kevin Richards (on right) joins Bring Your Own Animation

Escape Studios' animation tutor Kevin Richards has become a mentor at Bring Your Own Animation, helping to review animation portfolios at the monthly London animation meetup.

BYOA is a monthly animation event taking place upstairs in a London pub - if you're a current student or a recent Escapee who is working on a shot or an updated reel, bring your work on a USB or hard drive (best not to rely on the WiFi) and get feedback from professional animators - including Kevin.  

Escapee Priya Shah: Women in Animation 30 June

Join us on Tuesday 30 June at 1.30pm for a talk by Escapee Priya Shah on "Animating Your Ambition - Women in Digital Arts". This is an online event via Zoom. 

Priya Shah studied at Escape Studios on our integrated masters' degree in Computer Animation.  

After graduation, Priya  worked as a Studio Assistant at Escape Studios, helping to train the next generation of artists.  Priya Shah has worked for Disney, Blue Zoo and Locksmith Animation. 

While at Escape Studios, Priya won many festival awards for her work on Our Ocean, as well as many other successful short films, including Animal Lover, Box Bots and Nefertiti. 

Escapee Leon Lau joins Rekindled Studios

Leon Lau joins Rekindled Studios

Many congratulations to Escapee Leon Lau who has started work as an animator at Rekindled Studios,  a UK-based video games company.  

Leon Lau studied the Art of 3D Animation at Escape Studios, and worked on a number of award-winning short films, including Mob Boss Barkino (2025) (which he directed), Countdown (2024) and Checkmate (2024). Leon Lau has won many festival awards. 

"Mob Boss Barkino" Wins "Best Animated Short"

"Mob Boss Barkino" wins Best Animated Short Film

Congratulations to the makers of "Mob Boss Barkino", which has won Best Animated Short Film at the Makizhmithran Film Awards.

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.  

This is the latest of many awards. 

Open Toonz Free Open Source 2D Animation Software

OpenToonz Software

2D animation can be done in a variety of different software packages.  One interesting option is the "OpenToonz" Software, free software for the production of 2D animation.

Based on the software "Toonz", developed by Digital Video S.p.A. in Italy,  OpenToonz has been customized by Studio Ghibli, and used for the creation of its films for many years.  Dwango has launched the OpenToonz project in cooperation with Digital Video and Studio Ghibli. 

Escapee Samuel Baker Joins Sports Interactive

Escapee Samuel Baker has joined Sports Interactive

Many congratulations to Escapee Samuel Baker has joined Sports Interactive as a digital artist.  Samuel Baker took our MA in 3D Animation, learning the art and craft of animation with tutor Lee Caller.

Sports Interactive is a games studio founded in 1994, creating immersive gaming worlds "that let players live and breathe their passions". 

Escapee James Marland Joins Epic Games

James Marland joins Epic Games

Many congratulations to Escapee James Marland who has joined Epic Games as a Tech Art Intern.  

James Marland will graduate this summer with a BSc (Hons) in Technical Art for Games and VFX.  The course focuses on collaboration with other students in large-scale projects and developing industry standard practices and skills. 

Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive

Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive

At Hertfordshire University's annual Expo on Thursday 21 May, game designers Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive talked about their careers at the video games company, producing games such as the First Person Shooter "Ready or Not".  

One of the key messages of Mark and Joel's talk was the importance of optimising game assets for real-life game play, ensuring that the user experience is successful even on sub-optimal platforms. 

Neil Boyle Introduces "Kensuke's Kingdom"

Neil Boyle introduces "Kensuke's Kingdom" 

Animator and director Neil Boyle joined us on Tuesday 19th May at Escape Studios to talk about his BAFTA-nominated 2D animated feature film "Kensuke's Kingdom" released in 2023. 

Neil Boyle talked about the making of Kensuke's Kingdom, and also discussed the state of 2D animation in the UK.  Making independent animated feature films isn't easy, but with persistence and effort it can be done. 

Escape Studios Ranked in Top 5 in UK For Animation

#5 for Animation in the UK

The 2026 Animation Career Review International School Rankings are in.

This year Animation Career Review have ranked us #5 for Animation in the UK,  #12 for Animation in Europe and #27 for Animation Internationally. 

Congratulations to all our students on their remarkable work this past year.

Blue Zoo Summer Internships Now Open

Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open

Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open, and close on Friday 29th May at midnight.  

As always, we encourage our students to apply for internships like this one.  Even if you don't succeed, you will learn valuable skills along the way. 

The internship roles available this year at Blue Zoo are: 3D Animator, Social Media Intern and Production Assistant Intern.

All information needed to apply is at Blue Zoo's careers website along with the application pages.  Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships can be made here at the official Blue Zoo site.

Blue Zoo's "AI Manifesto"

Blue Zoo's AI Manifesto

Blue Zoo, one of the UK's leading animation companies, has published their "AI Manifesto".

The AI Manifesto sets out how artists and animators at the studio can navigate the world of artificial intelligence "ethically...leveraging technology for the betterment of society and creativity".  

"Night Terrors" Wins "Best Super Short Film" in NYC

"Night Terrors" wins "Best Super Short" at NYC Awards

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short film "Night Terrors", which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the New York Film Awards.  

Directed by Erminas Surgautas and produced by Xhoana Tola, "Night Terrors" was a collaboration between undergraduate animation students and VFX students at Escape Studios, working together to create an original story.  

The Art Director was Ruby Ebbs, Yusuf Saddique was the 2D VFX Lead, and Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead.  This is the latest of many festival awards. 

Escapee Jason Cole Joins King Bee Animation

Congratulations to Escapee Jason Cole who has started an animation internship at King Bee Animation. 

Jason Cole studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.  While at Escape Studios, Jason wrote and directed the award-winning short film "Life's Gifts".  Jason also worked on the award-winning short "Bloom". 

Festivus Returns Thursday 11th June

Calling all Escape Studios' animation students - Festivus is back in London on Thursday 11th June from 6pm at the Betjeman Arms on the Euston Road, N1C 4QL. 

London's regular animation networking event is an opportunity for our students and recent graduates to get to know people in the animation industry, find out who is hiring, and where the jobs are. 

Festivus is all about meeting people in our industry, networking, and - of course - enjoying a drink with friends.

Festivus is an opportunity to meet people from animation studios in the UK and overseas, see what job opportunities there are, and maybe even get some showreel feedback.

2026-27 Post-Graduate Term Dates at Escape Studios

Escape Studios PG & SC Term Dates - Sept 2026 Entry

Escape Studios Post-Graduate (PG) Term Dates can be found here at the official site.  

September 2026 Entry

Teaching for Master of Arts (MA) and short course (SC) students for our September 2026 entry starts on Monday 21st September 2026, and carries on until the Xmas and New Year holidays which begin on Monday 21 December. 

Teaching resumes on Monday 4th January 2027, and continues until Friday 19th March 2027.  

There is a holiday from Monday 22 March until Friday 22 April.  Studio/Project time starts on Monday 5th April and continues until Friday 10 September 2027. 

Escape Studios at Comicon 22-24 May 2026

MCM Comic Con 22nd - 24th May

Come and join Escape Studios at MCM Comic Con from 22nd - 24th May at ExCel London.

You can find our team at Career Fair stand CRSO1, and also catch talks by our tutors on manga, games and character design at the Career Fair Stage

On Friday 22 May at 11.30am Escape Studios' Character Creation Tutor Aidan Lonergan will introduce "From Concept to Console: A Character's Journey" in the Career Fair Stage. 

On Saturday 23 May at 1.30pm Manga Artist Elena Vitagliano and Comic Artist Oliver Harud will introduce "Panel by Panel: Creating Comics and Manga" on the Career Fair Stage. 

Studio AKA's Phil Hunt Visits Escape Studios

Philip Hunt, Marcus Armitage and Kevin Richards

On Tuesday we were joined by 

animator and director Philip Hunt, the creative director and founder of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Studio AKA, and Marcus Armitage, animation director at Studio AKA. 

Studio AKA is one of London's most innovative animation studios, and one of our long-standing industry partners.   Philip Hunt and Marcus Armitage talked about the work of Studio AKA, the current state of UK animation - and how Escapees can flourish in a rapidly-changing industry. 

Escapee Elissa Heath Joins King Bee Animation

Elissa Heath animation intern at King Bee Animation

Congratulations to Escapee Elissa Heath who has started an animation internship at King Bee Animation. 

Elissa Heath studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.   She also contributed to a number of award-winning animated short films, including "Dusty Memories" and "Bloom", on which she served as lead animator.  

Escape Studios Undergraduate Term Dates 2026-27

Escape Studios Undergraduate Term Dates for 2026-27

Below are Escape Studios' Undergraduate Term Dates for 2026-27.  Classes begin on 21 September 2026 and run until Friday 18 December 2026 when we break for the Xmas holidays. Directed Study Week ("half term") is the week starting Monday 2nd November.  More details below, or you can download the PDF here. 

Introducing "Symphony of The Morning Rush"

Introducing "Symphony of The Morning Rush", the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of animation students.   Symphony of The Morning Rush was written, edited and directed by Eva Gifford, and produced by Michael Koden.  Emily Davidson was the art director, and Amelie Pignon was the animation director.  The original score was composed by Alexander Lidster. 

"Shapla" Wins "Best Super Short" in London

"Shapla" wins "Best Super Short" in London

Many congratulations to the makers of "Shapla", which was has won "Best Super Short" at the London Movie Awards. 

"Shapla" was directed by Ruksar Rowza Aziz and produced by Charlie Seeviour.  Erica Sanches was the art director and Tom Price composed the original score.   

Shapla has won many festival awards. 

"Father's Blade" Wins Best Animation at EEFF

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

Undergraduate Open Evening Wed 24th June 2026

Undergraduate Open Evening Wed 24th June 2026

Escape Studios is hosting a new Undergraduate Open Evening on Wednesday 24th June 2026 at 5pm UK time. Escape Studios' Open Evenings are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees, and what it's like to study at Escape Studios.

Escapee Rahil Soni Joins TriArts Games

Rahil Soni joins TriArts Games

Many congratulations to Escapee Rahil Soni  who has joined TriArts Games as a technical artist. Rahil Soni  is a VFX artist specializing in FX, who recently finished his Master’s Degree in VFX Production  at Escape Studios.   

Escapee Sebastian Kuder Joins Rebel Wolves

Escapee Sebastian Kuder joins Rebel Wolves

Many congratulations to Escapee Sebastian Kuder who has joined Warsaw games studio Rebel Wolves, leading their layout team.

Sebastian Kuder studied the Art of Animation at Escape Studios.

Young Animator of the Year Awards Are Back for 2026

Young Animator of the Year Awards 2026

The Young Animator of the Year Awards are back, with a remit to foster and encourage emerging animation talent in the UK. 

This free nationwide competition invites young animators aged 11-22 to showcase their skills in stop-motion, 2D or 3D animation. The deadline is 1 Sept 2026. 

The successful winning films will premiere in November at the Manchester Animation Festival, the UK’s largest animation event.  As always, we encourage our students here at Escape Studios to enter competitions like this one. 

Free Webinar "Test Before You Invest" on 26 May 2026

Tuesday 26th May: webinar on creative entrepreneurship 

Join us on Tuesday 26th May at 6:00pm BST for a free webinar on creative entrepreneurship with Escape Studios tutor Glyn Fairweather. 

Find out how successful creative entrepreneurs minimise their risk and test their ideas before committing significant resources. 

Got an idea for a startup? Find out how to stress test your project. 

Escapee Nick Criucovcenco Joins Framestore

Nick Criucovcenco joins Framestore

Many congratulations to Escapee Nick Criucovcenco who joined Framestore’s Immersive department as an intern after graduating from Escape Studios, and later moved into a Technical Artist role.  

Storyboards Evening Class Returns 23 June 2026

Our Evening Class in

Giles & Rupert's Prehistoric Predicament - Storyboards

Storyboarding returns on 23 June 2026.  This evening class in storyboarding is an online class, taught from 7-10pm, and runs for ten weeks.

Storyboarding is a growing area of the animation industry; one which has recorded significant skills shortages in recent years.

Our storyboard students have gone on to successful careers at studios such as Walt Disney, Brown Bag Films and Blue Zoo Animation.

Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 20th June 2026

Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 20th June 2026

Escape Studios is hosting a new Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 20th June 2026. There are two sessions available: Morning: 10:30am - 1:00pm, Afternoon: 1:30pm - 4:00pm.  Escape Studios' Open Days are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees.

A J Bleyer and The Future of AI in Film

A J Bleyer and The Future of AI in Film

At the "Adobe Next Live" event last week at London's Tate Modern, software giant Adobe presented their insights into changing technology and how educators and creatives can take advantage of the big changes currently facing the creative industries.  

LA-based Commercials director A J Bleyer explored "The Future of AI in Film", using Adobe Firefly.

Undergraduate (UG) Taster Day 16 May 2026

Undergraduate (UG) Taster Day on Saturday 16 May 2026

Join us on on Saturday 16 May 2026 for our next Undergraduate (UG) Taster Day for an introduction to our undergraduate degrees in animation, games and vfx.  Come along and find out what it's like to study at Escape Studios. 

Int'l Student Webinar Wednesday 13th May 2026

International Student webinar on Wed13th May 2026 

Join us for our International Student webinar on Wednesday 13th May 2026 (from 12pm to 1.30pm) for a chance to learn more about our creative degrees, discuss student visas and answer questions in a Q&A session.  To sign up or learn more about the event, follow this link. 

Escape Studios Visits Electric Theatre Collective

Escape Students Visit Electric Theatre Collective 

Many thanks to our industry partners Electric Theatre Collective (ETC) for hosting our students at their Brick lane premises.  

ETC have been generously mentoring our final year students on their graduation projects, helping our students to strive for industry standards of quality. 

MoGraph Evening Class Returns 7 July 2026

Our Motion Graphics 12 Week Evening Class returns on 7 July 2026.  The course is taught by experienced industry professionals, and aims to prepare students for careers in the motion graphic and motion design industries.

The market for skilled motion designers has never been bigger, and London is host to the world’s largest motion design community.   To find out more, visit the official course page here.

Adobe Next at Tate Modern - AI and Creativity

Technology Evangelist Emily Bisset at Adobe Next Live

At today's "Adobe Next Live" event at London's Tate Modern, software giant Adobe have been presenting their insights into changing technology and how educators and creatives can take advantage of the big changes currently facing the creative industries.  

"Technology Evangelist" Emily Bissett gave the keynote speech exploring how creatives can learn from and embrace the change.  She was followed by Laura Jordan-Bambach, founder and CCO of the creative agency "Uncharted".

Escapee Jordan Roles Joins Framestore

Escapee Jordan Roles joins Framestore 

Many congratulations to Escapee Jordan Roles who has joined the VFX house Framestore as an Environment TD.   Jordan Roles completed an MA in Visual Effects at Escape Studios, graduating with a Distinction. 

The Art of Creating Believable Characters 6 May 2026

"The Art of Creating Believable Characters" Wed 6 May

Join us for a free webinar with Escape Studios tutor Aidan Lonergan on "The Art of Creating Believable Characters" on Wednesday 6th May at noon, via Zoom.  Learn about the theory of character design, what makes a character design special, and how to create your own unique characters.

Studio Visit to Framestore 22 May 2026

Escape Studios visit to Framestore

We're delighted to announce a new studio visit to the London VFX house Framestore for our second year undergraduate animation students. 

This studio visit has been co-ordinated with Escapee Ana Erbasu who studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, graduating Master of Arts, and went on to join Framestore as an animator. 

The studio visit takes place on Friday 22 May from 11am to 2pm at 28 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1LB. 

"Producing 2D Animation" for the Animation Library

We've acquired a copy of Producing Independent 2D Character Animation by Mark Simon for the Animation Library at Escape Studios.   

Producing Independent 2D Character Animation is an important resource for any of our students interested in the production side of creating 2D animation.

Producing animation is an increasingly important part of what we teach at Escape Studios, as our students collaborate on short film projects, entering festivals and winning awards.

Being a successful animator isn't just about being good at animation; you also need to understand how group projects work, and learn how to collaborate with other artists in a studio environment.

Many Escapees have gone on to fill production roles at animation, games and VFX studios in recent years. 

Producing for VFX Returns 23 June 2026

Producing for VFX returns on 24 March 2026

Our Evening Class in Producing for VFX is back, starting on 23 June 2026.  Producing for VFX is an eight week evening class, taught two nights a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-10pm). 

Producing for VFX is designed to give students a thorough understanding of how the VFX production pipeline works, and how to apply it in practice.  VFX Producers and Line Producers remain a critical skills gap in industry. 

Character Design Evening Class Returns 24 June 2026

Character Design by Luzia Soares

Our 2D Character Design evening class returns to Escape Studios on 24 June 2026. 

Character Design is an eight week evening class taught by industry veterans.

Steve guides students through the principles of character design, building up to an industry brief.

3D Animation Evening Class Returns 23 June 2026

Chameleon by Dave Novis 

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 23 June 2026. 

Escapee Emily Newton Joins Untold Studios

Emily Newton joins London VFX house Untold Studios 

Many congratulations to Escapee Emily Newton who has joined the London VFX house Untold Studios.  

Emily Newton studied the Art of VFX at Escape Studios, contributing to a number of award-winning short films including "AFK" and "Odd Socks". 

"An Evening With..." Neil Boyle & "Kensuke's Kingdom" on 19 May 2026 at 5.30pm

Join us on Tuesday 19th May at 5.30pm for our latest "An Evening With..." event - with Neil Boyle, director of the BAFTA-nominated 2D animated feature film "Kensuke's Kingdom" released in 2023. 

Neil Boyle will talk about the making of Kensuke's Kingdom, and also discuss the state of 2D animation in the UK and - as always - explore the latest opportunities for Escapees and recent graduates.  Note that this in-person event is open to our currently enrolled students only. 

Escape Studios' End of Year Showcase 3 June 2026

End of Year Showcase on Wednesday June 3rd

Escape Studios is proud to present our End of Year Showcase on Wednesday June 3rd at the Vue Cinema in Cranbourne St, Leicester Square from 9am until 5.30. 

All our graduating students are invited, and we also welcome out industry friends and colleagues, especially those looking to hire fresh talent.  To book your ticket, email us at hello@escapestudios.ac.uk

Bring Your Own Animation - Tues 28 April 2026

BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) - 28 April 2026 

Calling all Escape Studios animation students -  BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation)  is a monthly animation event that takes place in London (usually every 3rd Monday of the month) at a London pub. 

Organised by the London chapter of SIGGRAPH,  the next BYOA takes place on Tuesday 28 April 2026 upstairs at the Nell of Old Drury 29 Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5JS from 7pm onwards. 

London Animation Club Monday 27 April 2026

London Animation Club meetup on Monday 27 April 2026

Calling all Escape Studios Animation Students. Why not come to the next London Animation Club meetup on Monday 27 April 2026 at The Green Man pub, 36 Riding House St at 7.30pm.

To find out more, visit the London Animation Club Facebook page here. 

"Night Terrors" Wins "Best Short Film" in Florence

"Night Terrors" wins "Best Super Short" in Florence  

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short film "Night Terrors", which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the Florence Film Awards.  

Directed by Erminas Surgautas and produced by Xhoana Tola, "Night Terrors" was a collaboration between undergraduate animation students and VFX students at Escape Studios, working together to create an original story.  

The Art Director was Ruby Ebbs, Yusuf Saddique was the 2D VFX Lead, and Samuel Greer was the 3D VFX Lead.  This is its fifth festival award. 

Daniela Catita Joins London VFX house One of Us

Escapee Daniela Catita joins VFX house One of Us

Congratulations to Escapee Daniela Catita who has joined London VFX house One of Us as a Roto/Prep Artist.  One of Us is one of the UK's leading VFX houses.

Daniela Catita was a post-graduate student who studied the Art of VFX at Escape Studios, with tutors Daniel Shutt and Klaudija Cermak.