Escape Studios Visits King Bee Animation

King Bee Animation and Martyn Niman

Escape Studios visited King Bee Animation this week, for a one day animation workshop introducing students to the art and craft of animation.

King Bee is located in the historic Elstree Studios in North London, notable for being the location of the original 1977 Star Wars movie.   

Introducing BLISS

Introducing BLISS, the latest short film from our second year animation students at Escape Studios, working together on a group project. BLISS is a satire on modern digital consumerism, and was directed by Cedeal Al-Mawery and produced by Vansh Bhathela.  Axel Camacho was the writer and art director. 

Learn Blender with Escape Animator Thomas Potter

Create Low Poly Characters in Blender with Thomas Potter

Many congratulations to Escape Studios' animation student Thomas Potter whose Blender Modeling Channel now has over 30,000 subscribers at YouTube. 

Thomas Potter has created his own YouTube channel which teaches students how to model low poly 3d characters step by step.  All of Thomas's Blender content is completely free. 

"KattiBao" Wins "Best Super Short" in Florence

KattiBao - An Embrace wins "Best Super Short in Florence

Congratulations to the makers of "KattiBao - An Embrace" which has won "Best Super Short" at the Florence Film Awards.  

KattiBao was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Games, The Art of Animation, and Character Creation.  KattiBao was written, directed and produced by Grace Lam.  Arin Awojobi was the Art Director, and Mia Cliff was the cinematographer. This is its first festival award. 

How Much Do Animators Earn?

How much do animators earn? This 2025 salary guide from the Animation & VFX Union BECTU gives a good picture of the current market rates in the UK.

Salary transparency is something our industry doesn't always do well, so rates cards like this are very useful, especially for junior artists negotiating a salary for a new role, trying to get a realistic idea of what they can expect to earn. 

Note that much depends where you live in the UK. The difference in the cost of living between London/the South East and the rest of the UK is significant.  If you're further away from London, your expenses are usually lower, but salaries also tend to be lower. 

So whether these are good rates really depends a lot on your location.  In addition rates are, of course, lower for junior roles, for folks looking to break into the industry for the first time. 

Escapees Akash Modi, Grace Redi, Allie Maraqan & Matt O'Reilly Join ILM's Jedi Academy

Akash Modi, Grace Reid, Matt O'Reilly & Allie Maraqan

Many congratulations to Escapees Akash Modi, Grace Reid, Matt O'Reilly and Allie Maraqan who are all joining ILM's Jedi Academy as VFX "Padawans". 

Industrial Light & Magic's Jedi Academy is a six month paid internship at ILM, arguably the world's leading VFX house, responsible for multiple hit movies and series. 

Escape Students Visit Blinkink Animation Studio

Escape Studios visits Blinkink - July 2026

Escape Studios thanks animation studio Blinkink for their kind hospitality in welcoming our students for a Studio Tour of their their North London premises.

Blinkink is one of the UK's leading animation houses, responsible for multiple hit films and TV series, and winners of many awards - including an Oscar nomination.  

Animator's Survival Kit in The Animation Library

Animator's Survival Kit

We have recently added more copies of Animator's Survival Kit - our most popular book on animation - to the Animation & VFX Library on the 11th Floor at 6 Mitre Passage.

The Animator's Survival Kit is the standard textbook for animators and the most comprehensive book available for learning animation.  

We now have just under a dozen copies of the Animator's Survival Kit (with more on the way) in the 11th Floor Animation & VFX Library at 6 Mitre Passage.  The ASK can also be bought as an eBook download for the iPad.  

"Scars" Wins Best Animation at London Movie Awards

"Scars" wins "Best Animated Short" in London

Many congratulations to the makers of "Scars", which has won "Best Animated Short" at the London Movie Awards.  

The film was a collaboration between our graduating class of students studying the Art of Games, The Art of Animation and Character Creation - working together across disciplines to create a group project.  

Scars was directed by Charlie O'Sullivan, edited by Sam Blackburn and produced by Alex Sparks. Theo Craig was the Editor and Art Director.  This is the film's first festival award. 

Animation Taster Tuesday 21 July 2026 at Noon

Animation Taster on Tuesday 21 July 2026 

We're hosting a new Animation Taster on Tuesday 21 July 2026 at Noon to 1.30pm UK time, taught by short course and MA animation tutor Lee Caller.

Animation Taster  Sessions are a great chance to learn about character and creature animation, and find out how we teach at Escape Studios. 

"Protose" Wins "Best VFX" at Makizhmithran Awards

"Protose" wins "Best VFX" at Makizhmithran Film Fest

Congratulations to the makers of "Protose", one of the latest VFX shorts from our graduating class of students at Escape Studios, which has won "Best VFX" at the Makizhmithran Film Festival. 

"Protose" tells the story of a meatless steak invention that goes horribly wrong. 

"Protose" was produced and directed by Yusuf Uddin.  Adam Armstrong stars as the chef. This is the film's first festival award. 

Undergraduate Open Day on Wednesday 15 July 2026

Undergraduate Open Day on Wednesday 15th July 2026

Escape Studios is hosting a new Undergraduate Open Day on Wednesday 15th July 2026. 

The event takes place from 1:30pm to 4:30pm both in person at 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. 

Concept Art Taster wih Mirco Pinna 14 July 2026

Concept Art Taster with Tutor Mirco Pinna 14 July

Join us on Tuesday 14th July at 12pm UK time for a free "Concept Art Taster" with Escape Studios Concept Art tutor Mirco Pinna. 

Our live online taster offers an insight into what we teach on our postgraduate and short courses at Escape Studios. Join us on 14 July to find out more. 

Tokyo Study Week for Escape Animation Students

Digital Hollywood University September 7-11 2026

Escape Studios is excited to announce a "Tokyo Study Week" for our animation students to study for five days at Digital Hollywood University in Tokyo.  

The Tokyo Study Week will run from Monday 7 September to Friday 11 September 2026 and is a chance to learn Japanese animation techniques, with a focus on the unique Japanese visual styles of anime and manga.  Classes will take place every morning, with afternoons left free for students to explore Tokyo and potentially visit animation sites such as the Studio Ghibli Museum and Studio Ghibli Park.  

Introducing "Anarchy"

"Anarchy"

Introducing "Anarchy", the trailer for a combat video game created by our graduating class of Escape Studios' students, studying The Art of Video Games.  

"Anarchy" is inspired by the style of early 2000s video games. 

James McGinty was the Lead Game Designer  and Yousif Abdullah was the Art Director and Animation Lead. 

The Roger Allers Legacy Scholarship: Deadline 4 July

The Roger Allers Legacy Scholarship Award 

The Roger Allers Legacy Scholarship Award is now open.  Applications for upcoming Directors, Story Artists and Librettists can be made here at the official CTN site. The deadline to apply is 4 July 2026. 

The Roger Allers Legacy Scholarship Award honours the legacy of Roger Allers, "an acclaimed filmmaker whose work has shaped generations through the power of stage, screen, and storytelling". 

Roger is best known for directing the global blockbuster film The Lion King (1994) and earning a Tony Award nomination for adapting it into the highest grossing Broadway musical of all time.  

Escape Studios at Annecy Animation Festival 2026

Escapees at Annecy 2026 

A group of intrepid Escapees and current students, as well as some of our some of our recent graduates, travelled to the 2026 Annecy Animation Festival last week.

Braving the heatwave, they spent a week at the world's leading animation event, going to screenings, attending events and talks, and making contacts in the global animation industry.

"Symphony of The Morning Rush" Wins in LA

Symphony wins Best Super Short in Hollywood

Congratulations to the makers of "Symphony of The Morning Rush", the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of animation students, which has won "Best Animated Short" at the Hollywood Gold Awards.

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. 

Introducing "Cursed Pages"

Cursed Pages

Introducing "Cursed Pages", the latest VFX short created by our graduating class of students studying The Art of Visual Effects and The Art of Animation. 

"Cursed Pages" was written, directed and produced by Laura Lambert.  Kaike Pela was the 3D lead, and Calum Johnstone was the 2D lead.  

You can watch Cursed Pages at Vimeo here.

Escape Studios Visits BlueBolt VFX

Blue Bolt VFX

Many thanks to VFX house Blue Bolt which has generously hosted our students at Escape Studios for an in-person visit to their Clerkenwell premises.

Blue Bolt is the award-winning VFX studio behind many films and TV shows.  Our students gained valuable insight into the technical and creative processes behind modern VFX, as well as advice on showreels, careers and - most importantly - what it takes to break into the industry today.

The event was led by Will Hughes, Escape Studios' Talent Development Manager. 

Laura Lambert Joins "Futurefolk" Internship

Escapee Laura Lambert joins "Futurefolk" Internship, at Freefolk

Many congratulations to Escapee Laura Lambert who has joined "Futurefolk", the summer internship programme from Freefolk, one of London's leading VFX houses. 

Belle Leuschke Scheduler at Time Based Arts

Belle Leuschke joins Time Based Arts.

Many congratulations to Escapee Belle Leuschke who has joined the VFX house Time Based Arts in Shoreditch, London.

Belle Leuschke studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios, winning many awards for her work on a number of short films, including "When Life Gives You Lemons", Breakdown", and "The Descent". 

Caelan Galloway Intern at King Bee Animation

Caelan Galloway joins King Bee

Many congratulations to Escapee Caelan Galloway who has started an internship at King Bee Animation in London.  

Caelan Galloway studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.  

While at Escape Studios Caelan worked on a number of award-winning short films, including "Crab Companion" and "The Port".

"Symphony" Wins "Best Animated Short" in NYC

Symphony wins Best Animation in NYC

Congratulations to the makers of "Symphony of The Morning Rush", the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of animation students, which has won "Best Animated Short" at the New York Movie Awards. 

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. 

Introducing "Decree of The Lich King"

Introducing "Decree of The Lich King", the trailer for a turn-based Role Playing Game (RPG) set in a fantasy world.  Inspired by the world of Dungeons and Dragons, Decree of The Lich King was created by our graduating class of students at Escape Studios, a collaboration between students studying the Art of Video Games and the Art of Computer Animation.  Samir Rivero-Shahid was the Project Lead, and Gabriel Tomala edited the trailer.  Jahiem Antonio was the Lead Animator and Joel Seguin was the Lead Game Developer.  

Introducing "The Port"

The Port

Introducing "The Port", the latest short film created by our graduation class at Escape Studios.

In "The Port" Lucie, a marine biologist, stumbles across a horrifying creature in an old abandoned seaside building. 

The Port was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Games and The Art of Computer Animation. 

The Port was written and directed by Sohaib Mehar and produced by Amelia Chwesiuk.  You can find The Port at Vimeo here.

Introducing "First Night, Last Dance"

First Night, Last Dance

Introducing "First Night, Last Dance", the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of 2D animators at Escape Studios. 

First Night, Last Dance tells the story of a raindrop that comes to life, only to venture out into the heat of the desert sun.  

First Night, Last Dance was written and directed by Grace Chandler and produced by Rose Brooksby-Conroy. 

Introducing "Venus Tie Trap"

Venus Tie Trap

Introducing "Venus Tie Trap", the latest VFX short created by our graduating class of students at Escape Studios. 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. 

Introducing "Sunset Ecstasy"

Introducing "Sunset Ecstasy"

Introducing "Sunset Ecstasy", a Persian themed fantasy video game created by our graduating class of students at Escape Studios. 

"Sunset Ecstasy" was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Video Games and The Art of Computer Animation.  Sunset Ecstasy was produced by Kye-Takeuchi Brown. Leony Ye was the art director.  You can find Sunset Ecstasy here at Vimeo.

Introducing "Fashionably Late"

Fashionably Late

Introducing "Fashionably Late", the latest VFX short film from Escape Studios.  Fashionably Late tells the story of a competition runner who wakes up late - and finds herself in a world of trouble. 

Fashionably Late was produced by William Brooke, based on an original pitch by Daniela Al-Hilli.  Thomas Cunningham wrote the script.  The athlete was played by Ash Brittleton.  You can find "Fashionably Late" here at Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/1190139530

Introducing "Project Umbrae"

Project Umbrae

Introducing "Project Umbrae", a first person psychological horror experience created by our graduating students at Escape Studios. 

Project Umbrae was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Video Games and the Art of Computer Animation. 

You can find the Project Umbrae trailer at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1190412394

Introducing "Armed"

Introducing "Armed"

Introducing "Armed" , the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of animation students.  

Armed was written, directed and produced by Fred Mackenzie-Williams. The Art Director was Heidi Thompson. 

Armed tells the story of a cyborg boxer who faces a rematch after a devasting loss. Can she win the big fight, or will her opponent bring her down? You can find Armed at Vimeo here. 

DNEG feedback to our MA VFX Students

Many thanks to our VFX Industry Partner DNEG and DNEG artists Laura Morton, Arda Kutlu and Atilla Menteş for giving invaluable feedback to our Escape Studios MA VFX CG and Compositing students on their Team Project short film proposals.  

Introducing "Sparky"

Meet "Sparky"

Introducing "Sparky", the latest short VFX film from our graduating class of students at Escape Studios. "Sparky" tells the story of a robot dog that comes to life.  

"Sparky" was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Computer Animation and the Art of Visual Effects.  Rae Silapasoonthorn was the  writer, director and producer.  Sebastian Armstrong stars as the gamer.  You can watch Sparky at Vimeo here. 

"Symphony of The Morning Rush" Best Anim at EEFF

Symphony of The Morning Rush wins "Best Animation"

Congratulations to the makers of "Symphony of The Morning Rush", the latest 2D animated film created by our graduating class of animation students, which has won "Best Animated Short" at the Eastern European Film Festival. 

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. 

Introducing "Protose"

Introducing "Protose", the latest VFX short from Escape Studios.  "Protose" tells the story of a meatless steak invention that goes horribly wrong. "Protose" was produced and directed by Yusuf Uddin.  Adam Armstrong stars as the chef.  

Introducing "KattiBao - An Embrace"

 

Introducing "KattiBao - An Embrace", the latest short film created by our graduating class of students at Escape Studios.  KattiBao - An Embrace was a collaboration between students studying the Art of Games, The Art of Animation, and also Character Creation.  In "KattiBao", two characters, Thidamana and XiXi face off in a stylised competitive dance.  The film was written, directed and produced by Grace Lam.  Arin Awojobi was the Art Director, and Mia Cliff was the cinematographer.

Escape Studios Animators Visit Framestore

Escape Animators visit Framestore

Friday 22nd May was the last day of term for our Second Year Undergraduate Animation Students, and the term ended with a visit to London VFX house Framestore, led by Escapee Ana Erbasu, and Ian Landman, Framestore's Head of Recruitment. 

Our students visited Framestore's Chancery Lane HQ, and saw some of the impressive work done by Framestore across its many divisions.  Kevin Richards reports.

Calling All Escapees: Rookies Deadline 22 June 2026

The Rookie Awards 2026

This year at our annual summer Expo our students presented some of the best work ever created at Escape Studios. 

The next step for our students, especially those graduating this summer, is to enter The Rookies, the international competition for young creatives; part contest and part showcase for rising talent - all our students are strongly encouraged to enter. 

Entry for the 2026 Rookies closes on 22 June 2026. 

Introducing "Scars"

 

Introducing "Scars", the latest short film from Escape Studios.  Scars tells the story of an elderly veteran suffering from a flashback to the Great War.  The film was a collaboration between our graduating class of students studying the Art of Games, The Art of Animation and Character Creation - working together across disciplines to create a group project.  Scars was directed by Charlie O'Sullivan, edited by Sam Blackburn and produced by Alex Sparks. Theo Craig was the Editor and Art Director. 

Escapee Vincenzo Meola Joins FreeFolk VFX

Escapee Vincenzo Meola joins FreeFolk VFX

Many congratulations to Escapee Vincenzo Meola who has joined FreeFolk VFX.

Vincenzo Meola studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialising in 2D Compositing. 

Why Your Short Film Needs a Title at The Start

Put your title at the front of your film

Here at Escape Studios we make a lot of short films, many of which go on to win festival awards.  Yet one simple element is surprisingly often missing: an opening title.  

While some experimental pieces intentionally dive straight into the action, most short films benefit from displaying their title right at the beginning.  Here’s why your title should be at the start of your film. 

Introducing "Project Juliet"

Introducing "Project Juliet", the latest short film from our graduating class of students at Escape Studios. In "Project Juliet", an unfortunate lab tester is forced to undergo a dangerous trial, with horrifying consequences.  The short film was created by "Team Psychosis" at Escape Studios 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. 

Blue Zoo's Jamie Floodgate Visits Escape Studios

Jamie Floodgate from Blue Zoo visits Escape Studios

On Thursday 21st May we welcomed Escapee Jamie Floodgate, now a lead animator at Blue Zoo animation, to give feedback to our second year animation students. 

Jamie Floodgate gave up his time to review all twelve of the Year Two Animation Studio Projects.  

Escape Studios' tutor Kevin Richards reports on a great day of industry feedback. 

"Symphony of The Morning Rush" Wins Best Anim

Symphony of The Morning Rush wins Best Anim in Berlin

Congratulations to the makers of "Symphony of The Morning Rush", which has won "Best Super Short Animation" at the Berlin Flash Film Festival.  

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. 

Short Course & Post-Graduate Open Evening 18 June

18 June at 6pm Short Course & Post-Graduate Open Evening

Join us on Thursday 18 June 2026 at 6pm both in-person and online (via Zoom) for our next Short Course and Post-Graduate Open Evening at Escape Studios, hosted both on campus and online at Zoom. 

The event offers prospective students a chance to find out what it's like to study with us.  Meet our tutors, find out about our courses, and have your questions answered. To see more events at Escape Studios, follow this link.

"Shapla" Wins "Best Animation" at Tamizhagam Fest

Many congratulations to the makers of "Shapla", which was has won "Best Animated Short Film" at the Tamizhagam Film Festival. 

"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. Kam Penderly was the Lead Compositor.  

Shapla tells the story of Priya, a young woman who attempts to bring back her partner, Shapla, with the use of her power over water. Set in Bangladesh, the film explores themes of sustainability and environmentalism. 

Shapla has won many festival awards. 

Undergraduate Open Evening Wed 24th June 2026

Escape Studios is hosting a new Undergraduate Open Evening on Wednesday 24th June 2026 from 5pm to 6.30pm UK time. 

Escape Studios' Open Days and Open Evenings are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees, and also a chance to talk about the state of the creative industries in the UK. 

An Open Day is an opportunity for potential students to find out how they can follow in the footsteps of our award-winning alumni and to find out more about our courses.

The Open Evening on Wednesday 24th June 2026 at 5pm to 6.30pm will be led by me, Alex Williams. I've been away from Escape Studios for the past year, on industry secondment at DNEG, but now back at Escape Studios full time.   

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.