Welcome To Our New Studio Assistants!

Welcome to our new Studio Assistants!

A warm welcome to our new Studio Assistants ("SAs") at Escape Studios.  Amelia Connolly, Benji Carter, Joel Fernandes, Rowza Aziz and Yiannis Thomas have all joined the team. 

Our Studio Assistants are a key part of the team at Escape Studios, one of the principal resources for our students, making sure that they get regular timely feedback on their work. 

 

Concept Art and Background Painting

The video above is a short introduction to the art of background painting and concept art. Background painters and concept artists tend to come from a fine art or illustration background, with strong skills in design, colour, layout, painting and the use of light and perspective.

Concept Artist John Ramirez Visits Escape 13 Nov

Concept Artist and Experience Designer John Ramirez

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome visual development artist John Ramirez to review our students' work on Friday 13th November at 4pm GMT. 

John Ramirez is an animator, storyboard artist, visual development artist, designer, illustrator and art director.   John Ramirez has designed rides and parades for many theme parks and attractions including Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. His screen credits include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules, Toy Story II and Tom & Jerry.

"Project Juliet" wins "Best Horror Short" Award

Congratulations to the makers of  "Project Juliet", which has won "Best Horror Short Film" at the Tamizhagam Film Festival.  

In "Project Juliet", an unfortunate lab tester is forced to undergo a dangerous trial, with horrifying consequences.  

Project Juliet was created by "Team Psychosis" at Escape Studios, produced by Pahiya Rahman, and was inspired by The Outlast Trials, a survival game created by Montreal-based games company Red Barrels.  

The cinematic was a collaboration between our graduating class of students studying the Art of Video Games, The Art of Animation and also Character Creation - working together to create a team project.  This is its third festival award. 

Tom Box, Blue Zoo and AI

Tom Box and Blue Zoo's AI Manifesto

Blue Zoo - one of the UK's leading animation companies, and one of our key industry partners at Escape Studios - is tackling the challenge of AI head on.

In May 2026 Blue Zoo published their "AI Manifesto", exploring the ways in which AI could be used legitimately at Blue Zoo to enhance the production process, but preserving the integrity of human artistry.

We talked to Blue Zoo founder Tom Box last week to find out more about how Blue Zoo is using AI in an ethical, sustainable way.

Wallace & Gromit Exhibition at V&A Until 15 Nov 2026

Here at Escape Studios we're recommending this excellent behind-the-scenes exhibition of Aardman Animation stop-motion animation at the Young V&A (formerly the Museum of Childhood) in Bethnal Green. 

For our animation students, this exhibition is a superb opportunity to explore how Aardman Animation’s characters and worlds are brought to life.

Shelley Page Explains How to Break Into Animation

Shelley Page Key Talent Liaison at Locksmith Animation 

Shelley Page, Key Talent and Artist Liaison at Locksmith Animation in London, joined us online on Friday to talk to our third year 2D Animation students about opportunities in today's animation industry.

What is Shelley Page's key advice for students just starting out? "Be flexible" and - if you find a junior position - "take it!".

Escape Studios "Ultimate Showreel" 2026

Escape Studios is proud to present our "Ultimate Showreel" - a selection of the best work done at Escape Studios in recent years.  This latest reel includes work by our animation, games, vfx, concept art and character creation students. Congratulations to them all on their excellent work.

Escapee Roberto Valent Compositor at ILM

Many congratulations to Escapee Roberto Valent, who has joined VFX giants Industrial Light & Magic as a compositor.

Roberto Valent studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialising in 2D digital compositing. 

“Looking back, studying was a very exciting part of my life, a time when we could challenge ourselves, push our skills further and work towards reaching our potential.”

Roberto Valent  has worked as a Compositor on a number of film projects including Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Last House.

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.

New Books for The Library - Timing for Animation

We've got lots of new animation books for our students in the Animation Library on the 11th Floor at Escape Studios' North Greenwich Campus, including four copies of "Timing for Animation" by Harold Whitaker and John Halas - one of the classic texts on animation. 

"Timing for Animation" was first published in 1981 but was recently updated and edited by former Animation Guild President Tom Sito.  

Like The Animator's Survival Kit, "Timing for Animation" is a zero-to-hero workbook for aspiring animators; work through the exercises, practice your skills - you will learn the art and craft of animation.  

Peter Western Talks Storyboards 30 Oct 2026 11.30am

Pete Western visits Escape Studios

We're delighted to welcome BAFTA winning storyboard artist Pete Western to Escape Studios on Friday 30 October at 11.30am for a talk with our 3rd Year 2D animation students about Animation Jobs and Careers, part of Professional Practice Module PS6003. 

Pete Western has decades of experience doing storyboards for film and television. His credits include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Fungus the Bogeyman, Horrid Henry, The Snowman & the Snowdog, Space Jam and Judge Dredd.

Pete's advice on storyboards will be invaluable for our students currently working on their own short films and animation specialisms. 

Shelley Page Visits Escape Studios Fri 23 Oct 2026

Shelley Page Key Talent Liaison at Locksmith Animation 

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome back Locksmith Animation's Shelley Page on Friday 23 October at 9.30am to give our third year 2D Animation students industry feedback on their work, and talk about opportunities in the animation industry.

Shelley Page's film credits include "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "Shrek 1-4", "Shark Tale", "Madagascar", "Kung Fu Panda", and "How to Train Your Dragon".  Shelley Page is currently Key Talent and Artist Liaison at Locksmith Animation in London.  

Escape Students Meet Anim Legend Uli Meyer 13 Nov

Uli Meyer to Visit Escape Studios

Animation legend Uli Meyer will join us at Escape Studios on Friday 13th November for a talk with our 3rd Year 2D animation students about Animation Jobs and Careers, part of Professional Practice Module PS6003. 

Uli Meyer began his career at Richard Williams Animation, later working on  Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Aladdin, and countless TV commercials. 

"Sweet & Salty" Wins Hon Mention at Art Awards

Many congratulations to the makers of Sweet & Salty which has won an Honourable Mention in the category of Best Student Film at the Art Film Awards.

Sweet & Salty was created by our second year animation students; the film was directed by Oleksandra Zakorodon and produced by Sarina Musab.

This is its second festival award. 

"Bollywoof" Trailer Released Today

The trailer for "Bollywoof", the film I worked on at DNEG last year, has just been released. Bollywoof tells the story of an English springer spaniel who gets lost in the streets of Kolkata, and has to find his way back to his family.  Bollywoof was directed by veteran director Frederic Du Chau ("Underdog", "Racing Stripes") and was produced by Newscope Films and DNEG. Preproduction and post were done in London; animation was completed in Hyderabad. Voice talent was provided by Olivia Coleman, David Jonsson, Rhys Ifans and Ambika Mod. 

PR6001 Studio Project Module 2026-27

Award-winning "Shapla"

Our third year animation students (both 2D and 3D are now tackling PR6001; a Studio Project module worth 60 Credits and which runs for the whole academic year.  

In PR6001 our animation students work together in teams to create short films - winning festival awards.  To see some examples of award-winning project work, take a look at Shapla, Symphony of The Morning Rush, Kiwi's Dream, BoxBots, Little Gestures,  Home Sweet Home and Jerich0. 

"Armed" Wins "Best Animation" at the EEFF

"Armed" wins "Best Animation" at the EEFF

Congratulations to the makers of "Armed", which has won the award for "Best Animation" at the Eastern European Film Festival. 

"Armed" is one of the latest 2D animated films created by our 2026 graduating class of animation students.

Armed was written, directed and produced by Fred Mackenzie-Williams. The Art Director was Heidi Thompson.   You can find Armed at Vimeo here.  This is its second festival award. 

How to Get Hired in Animation with Anna Lord

Animation Producer Anna Lord 

Veteran animation producer Anna Lord joined us on Friday 16 October for a talk with our 3rd Year 2D animation students about Animation Jobs and Careers, part of Professional Practice Module PS6003. 

Anna Lord has thirty years of experience working in the animation industry; her film credits include Quest For Camelot (1998) and Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron (2002).  What was Anna 's advice to animators starting out in the business? Do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door. 

Oliantai Kovac and Escape Studios' La Salle Exchange

Oliantai Kovac talks about the La Salle Exchange

We asked Escapee Oliantai Kovac to tell us a little about the Escape Studios' La Salle Exchange, and what his experience was like studying in Barcelona.  

In October 2023 Oliantai Kovac took up the opportunity to study for six months as part of Escape Studios’ Student Exchange Programme with La Salle University in Barcelona.  Scroll down to find out more. 

"Project Juliet" Wins "Best Animation" in London

"Project Juliet" wins "Best Animated Film" in London

Congratulations to the makers of  "Project Juliet", which has won "Best Animated Film" at the London Movie Awards.  

In "Project Juliet", an unfortunate lab tester is forced to undergo a dangerous trial, with horrifying consequences.  

Project Juliet was created by "Team Psychosis" at Escape Studios, produced by Pahiya Rahman, and was inspired by The Outlast Trials, a survival game created by Montreal-based games company Red Barrels.  This is its first festival award. 

Escape Studios Visits Time Based Arts in Shoreditch

Escape Studios Visits Time Based Arts

Our postgraduate VFX students at Escape Studios recently got the chance to have a behind-the-scenes tour of Time Based Arts' studio in Shoreditch. 

Time Based Arts is a world-leading visual effects house whose clients include Apple, the BBC, The Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Adidas and Google Pixel. 

The Studio visit to Time Based Arts was led by our Head of Industry Engagement Will Hughes.

Time to Enter the 2026 VES Awards

The 25th Annual VES Awards are now open and taking student entries.  

Here at Escape Studios we encourage all our students to enter Category 25: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project. 

The VES awards are sponsored by Autodesk, who make Maya, the leading animation and VFX software.  

The VES Awards deadline is midnight on 31st October 2026.

Animation Jobs with Producer Anna Lord 16 Oct 2026

Animation Producer Anna Lord 

Veteran animation producer Anna Lord will join us on Friday 16 October at 11.30am for a talk with our 3rd Year 2D animation students about Animation Jobs and Careers, part of Professional Practice Module PS6003. 

Anna Lord has thirty years of experience working in the animation industry; her film credits include Quest For Camelot (1998), Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron (2002).

An Evening With… Larian Studios Thurs 26th Nov 2026

We're delighted to announce our next "Evening With… " event at Escape Studios on Thursday 26 November 2026 at 5.30pm in the 10th Floor Breakout Space. 

We'll be joined by Greg Lidstone, Head of Animation at Larian Studios, as well as four other artists from Larian Studios. 

Martyn Niman & King Bee Animation Fri 30 Oct

Martyn Niman of King Bee Animation

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome King Bee Animation Founder Martyn Niman to talk to our third year animation students about jobs and careers in the animation industry on Friday October 30th at 10.30am.

Martyn Niman has been running King Bee Animation at Elstree Studios in North London for well over a decade, and  has offered a number of internships and jobs to Escape Studios students and Escapees over the years.

Escapee Alfie Williams Layout Artist at Blue Zoo

Escapee Alfie Williams joins Blue Zoo 

Many congratulations to Escapee Alfie Williams who has started work as a Layout Artist at Blue Zoo, one of the UK's leading animation companies and one of our key industry partners at Escape Studios. 

Alfie Williams studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, where he contributed to a number of award-winning short films including "Father's Blade" and "Infestation".  

Escape Studios Visits Comic Con Fri 23 Oct 2026

Escape Studios visits MCM Comic Con 2026

Escape Studios is organising a study tour at MCM Comic Con 2026 on Friday 23 October from Noon onwards for our third year undergraduate students, for a specially discounted price. 

MCM Comic Con 2026 returns to the ExceL London in Newham from October 23-25 for another 3-day celebration of all things gaming, anime and pop culture. 

Our Year 3 graduating class of students are invited to join us at MCM Comic Con 2026 on Friday 23 October from Noon onwards. 

Escape Students Meet "Ray Gunn" Director Brad Bird

Brad Bird and "Ray Gunn"

Escape Studios' animation students had the chance to meet "Incredibles" Director Brad Bird at a pre-screening of his new movie "Ray Gunn" at Soho House last week. 

The event was organised by Netflix for AMPAS and BAFTA members, but Escape Studios was able to secure a few tickets for our animation students at this pre-premiere event. 

After the film, director Brad Bird took questions about the making of the film and then chatted with guests over drinks in the bar at Soho House.

International Student Webinar Wed 2 Dec 2026

Wed 2 Dec at 1pm GMT via Zoom

Our next International Student webinar takes place on Wednesday 2 December from 1pm to 2pm GMT via Zoom.

Join us 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.

"Venus Tie Trap" Wins "Best VFX" Award

"Venus Tie Trap" wins Best VFX award

Congratulations to the makers of "Venus Tie Trap",  which has won Best VFX at the Makizhmithran International Film Festival.  

Venus Tie Trap was written, directed and produced by Edie Queen-Jones, and co-written and co-directed by Rupin Odedra, who was also the 2D Lead.  

Mark Youssef was the 3D Lead, and John Heberden stars as the office worker.   You can watch Venus Tie Trap here at Vimeo. 

This is its first festival award. 

Grant Orchard Creator of "Hey Duggee" Visits Escape

Grant Orchard creator of "Hey Duggee"

On Wednesday night Grant Orchard, the Oscar-nominated creator of "Hey Duggee" was our guest at Escape Studios to talk about his work and career in animation. 

Grant showed us some of his early work, his 2011 Oscar-nominated short film A Morning Stroll, and the early pitches for the TV series that became Hey Duggee.  

The evening was a great opportunity for our students to meet one of Britain's leading animators.

BYOA in Covent GardenTuesday October 20 2026

Next BYOA is on Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The next Bring Your Own Animation (BYOA) event in London is taking place on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. 

The free event will run from 7:15 pm to 10:00 pm upstairs at the Nell of Old Drury, 29 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS). Organized by London ACM SIGGRAPH, this monthly animation gathering is a chance for students, self-taught artists, and industry pros to bring their laptops, share their latest shots or showreels, and get feedback from professional animators.  To sign up, follow this link to Eventbrite.

Escape Studios Students Visit Cinesite

"Rainbow Spotlight" event at Cinesite in Soho

Escape Studios Students visited the London VFX and animation studio Cinesite recently for  a "Rainbow Spotlight" event - hosted by Cinesite at their Soho premises.  

This special animation and vfx event was hosted by Siggraph and "Bring Your Own Animation" (BYOA) and took place on 24 September 2026 at Cinesite in London from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. 

Among the guests were a number of our students as well as Escape Studios' animation tutor Kevin Richards - who reported on the event. 

Undergraduate Open Days on 24 & 28 Oct 2026

Undergraduate Open Days on 24 Oct and Wed 28 Oct 2026

Escape Studios is hosting two new Undergraduate Open Days on Saturday 24 October and Wednesday 28 October 2026.

These Open Day events take place at 6 Mitre Passage in our North Greenwich Campus and also online.  

Escape Studios' Open Days are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees - join us and find out more about what we do and how we teach. 

Careers in Immersive Media on 21 Oct at 6pm

Wednesday October 21st at 6pm

Join us on Wednesday October 21st at 6pm for a free webinar on careers in Immersive Media. Where can a career in Immersive Media take you? 

Learn from our in-house expert Dan Shutt about the variety of opportunities in this fast developing field, from gallery experiences to immersive theatre, music tours and festivals.  

Disney's "Illusion of Life" in The Animation Library

The original animation bible

Escape Studios Animation Library has acquired a new copy of the original "animation bible": The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnstone, two of Walt Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men" - his top team of animators.

The Illusion of Life was first published in the 1970s, and was the first book to reveal in print the secrets of the Disney studio.   

The 1970s were a lean time for animation; Walt Disney was dead and the revival that would come with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid (and, later, 3D animation) was still far in the future.

The Illusion of Life remains just as relevant today. The technology has changed, but the principles remain the same. 

CR6001 Specialism Module Starts Sept 2026

"Lighthouse" storyboards by Paloma Zhu

Module CR6001 "Specialism" forms part of the Third Year of Studies at Escape Studios. 

The Specialism Module CR6001 is worth 30 Credits and starts in September 2026.  The module runs over the course of the year.  It is a largely self-study module in which students select an area of specialism and develop their skills.  

CR6001 culminates in a portfolio presentation on 20th November 2026 in which students present the work they have done.  To see Term Dates for the 2026-27 academic year, follow this link.  Specialism CR6001 is due Friday 20 November 2026.

Deans Town Hall Meetings October 7-8

Deans Town Hall Meetings 7-8 October

We'll be hosting a series of "Deans Town Hall" meetings from 7-8 October to welcome our students back to our Greenwich Campus, explain some of the new things happening this year, and take questions from our student body.