"Immersive Media & Live Events" at EscapeVerse Live

Escape Studios' tutor Dan Shutt hosted a panel on Wednesday on "Immersive Media and Live Events" at EscapeVerse Live.  Dan Shutt teaches VFX at Escape Studios and creates live installations at venues such Glastonbury and, in 2022, a live installation at the Science Museum.  

The panel explored the challenges and pitfalls of curating live events, creating imagery and ensuring that all the elements work together on the night.  They also discussed the all-important question of how students and graduates can break into the business. 

The Panel

Dan Shutt.  

The panel host was Escape Studios' tutor Dan Shutt.  

Also on the panel were Sarah Lopez Martinez, an Escapee who now works as a Creative Technologist.  

Andy Ellis is a graphic designer who does live visuals at events, mostly large-scale commercial venues.  Matthew Sharp is the co-founder of More Eyes, a leading studio for live events and installations.

Live Events

BA/MArt in Immersive Media starts Sept 2027

Live events are a key area of growth in our industry. Immersive media artists need to be able to respond to real-time challenges and difficulties and solve technical problems - often in a hurry.  Design briefs change, venues produce unexpected problems, and the technology doesn't always work. 

Being able to respond to technical issues in a hurry is a key skill - and to remain calm under fire.

Dan Shutt describes live events as "The Wild West", because of the unexpected challenges. Sarah Martinez agreed - "you don't know what you're going to do, day to day".  Live events professionals have to be able to deal with the unexpected - and solve key difficulties in real time. 

Key Skills for Live Events

Key skills involve Motion Graphics, being able to create compelling images for display at a live event, and in addition being able to composite those images in real time. 

Breaking In To The Business

How can students break in? The key is to learn real-time software, such as Unreal Engine, as well as Cinema 4D.  Live events are not about nit-picking tiny mistakes, they are more about creating an experience in real time.  Students who want to do this kind of work need to get as much experience of real-time events as possible.  Every venue is different, with its own technical challenges. 

Escape Studios BA/MArt in Immersive Media

Escape Studios BA/MArt in Immersive Media launches in September 2027.

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.