Escapee Federico Guzzardo Joins ILM

Federico Guzzardo joins Industrial Light & Magic

Many congratulations to Escapee Federico Guzzardo who has joined Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) as a Senior Generalist (Environments).  

Federico Guzzardo studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialising in 3D VFX.

Industrial Light & Magic is a global visual effects house, setting the standard for VFX internationally and responsible for multiple blockbuster movies.

Industry Feedback with George Caton-Coult 30 April

George Caton-Coult

Escape Studios is delighted to welcome back Love Love Films Studio Manager George Caton-Coult to review our second-year animation students' film projects on 30 April 2026.

George Caton-Coult is the Studio Manager at Love Love Films, responsible for the TV hit "Pop Paper City"  developed in partnership with Aardman Animation.  

Many Escapees worked on and helped to contribute to the success of "Pop Paper City". 

Escapee Laraib Shaikh Joins Milk FX

Escapee Laraib Shaikh Studio Assistant at Milk FX

Many congratulations to Escapee Laraib Shaikh who has joined London VFX house Milk FX as a Studio Assistant.

Laraib Shaikh studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialising in roto/prep and 2D compositing in Nuke. 

Escape Studios' Motion Graphics Showcase

We're celebrating some of the latest motion graphics work completed at Escape Studios.  Above is the short film "Mochi World" - a Motion Graphics group project created by our MA MoGraph students at Escape Studios.  This was a collaborative studio project - with the contributions of Ayesha Said, Joel Lang, Kim Chi Nguyen, Oliver Auld, Sadaf Abd Ar-Rauf and Omar Ramadan.  "Mochi World" was supervised by Escape Studios' Motion Graphics tutor Daniel Amor.  Scroll down to see more excellent work completed by individual artists from our graduating class of MA students.

Introducing "Spark" by Nimisha Manjunathan

Introducing "Spark", a new animated short created at Escape Studios by MA animation student Nimisha Manjunathan.  "Spark" was written and animated by Nimisha Manjunathan who is studying for her MA in Animation with Escape Studios' animation tutor Lee Caller.  "Spark" tells the story of a girl who dreams of athletic success; the short film is currently being entered into animation film festivals. 

Motion Graphics Evening Class Starts 24 March 2026

Motion Graphics Evening Class returns on 20 Jan 2026

Our Motion Graphics 12 Week Evening Class returns on 24 March 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.

"Sea Of Madness" wins "Best Short" in Florence

Sea Of Madness wins "Best Super Short Film" in Florence 

Congratulations to the makers of Sea Of Madness, which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the Florence Film Awards. 

Sea Of Madness was directed by Maria Freitas  and produced by Ivy Wang.  

Jake Hines was the editor and 2D Lead, and Sebastian McKernan was the 3D Lead.  Ian Chavez Zarate stars as The Pirate.   This is the latest of many festival awards.

Film Soc is Back: "Glorious Failures" 12 March

Film Soc is back

Escape Studios' Film Society is back. Film Soc has unveiled a new line up of films starting tomorrow Thursday 12th March and continuing every Thursday until the 23rd of April.  

Escape Studios' Film Society is a student society that screens films that will inspire students for their future projects.  

The "Glorious Failures" season is a season of films dedicated to telling the stories of great artists who failed to gain the recognition they deserved. 

"Unknown" Wins "Best Animation" in Makizhmithran

Congratulations to Escape Studios' animation student Alessia Gori whose short film "Unknown" has won the award for "Best Animated Short Film" at the Makizhmithran Film Festival. 

Alessia Gori is studying for her master's degree in the Art of 3D Animation at Escape Studios.  

This is Alessia Gori's first film, and her first film award. 

"Void" Wins Best Short Award in NYC

"Void" wins Best Super Short Film in NYC

Congratulations to the makers of "Void", which has won Best Super Short Film at the New York Movie Awards.

Void is a short films made by our third year undergraduate animation students at Escape Studios.  

"Void" was directed by Kaya Akinci, edited and produced by Luis Yarroll. This is the latest of many festival awards.

MoGraph MA Returns September 2026

Master's Degree in Motion Graphics Returns 23 Feb 2026

Our new Short Course and Master's Degree in Motion Graphics returns on 14 September 2026.

Motion Graphics is a key part of the animation industry, an expanding area of jobs and creativity.

We have been teaching Motion Graphics  at Escape Studios for many years - now for the first time we can offer a fully accredited masters-level post-graduate course.

"Theseus" Wins "Best Trailer" at VIZ Film Fest

Theseus & The Minotaur wins "Best Trailer" at VIZ Fest

Congratulations to the makers of the VFX short Theseus and The Minotaur which has won "Best Trailer" at the VIZ Film Festival.

Theseus and The Minotaur tells the story of the Greek hero's entry into the Labyrinth, and was directed by Mitchell Wright and produced by Ayesha-Ria Jina. The 3D lead was Xavier Barker, and the 2D Lead was Ethan Mainwaring-Taylor.  Industry feedback was provided by Industrial Light & Magic.  

This the latest of many festival awards. 

Evening Class in Storyboarding: 24 March 2026

Our Evening Class in

Giles & Rupert's Prehistoric Predicament - Storyboards

Storyboarding returns on 24 March 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.

Vine FX and "The Challenges of Alternate Worlds"

Simon Carr  and Jessica Lennox from Vine FX

At last week's EscapeVerse Live Festival, Vine FX's Simon Carr (Creative Director) and Jessica Lennox (CG Lead) presented "The Challenges of Visible vs Fantasy FX". 

As always, creative projects begin with a conversation with the client.  What does the client want, and how can a VFX house like Vine FX serve their vision?  

Anand Sembhi Animator at King Bee Animation

Anand Sembhi joins King Bee Animation 

Many congratulations to Escapee Anand Sembhi - who has joined King Bee Animation as an animator.

Anand Sembhi studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.  

While at Escape Studios, Anand Sembhi contributed to a number of award-wnning short films, including Freefall, Spitfire, Tech Troubles and Good Soup. 

Jake Lee: Short Films, Awards & Festival Success

At last week's EscapeVerse Live event, Jake Lee explained how he achieved short film festival success with his short film "Am I Dreaming?".

Jake explained the need to build a team, in this case a producer, composer, singer and songwriter. Film-makers rarely work alone - you need to build a team of enthusiastic partners to collaborate and deliver the vision.

HaZ Dulull: "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio"

HaZ Dulull "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio"

At last week's EscapeVerse Live event, HaZ Dulull - founder and director at "Beyond The Pixels" - explained "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio with Your First Game".  

HaZ's journey into the games industry has been one of an independent entrepreneur, setting up his own company, his first game "AstroBurn" and figuring out the nuts and bolts of running a business. 

"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. 

Get Ready For The Rookies - 2026

The Rookie Awards 2026

Time to get ready for The Rookies 2026.  The Rookies is an international competition for young creatives; part contest and part showcase for rising talent - all our students are strongly encouraged to enter. 

For our students and Escapees, showcasing your work in a competitive, professional environment is a crucial step toward launching a successful career.  

It helps you to build confidence in your work, and also serves as an online portfolio.   Entry for the 2026 The Rookies opens on 7 April 2026 and closes at the end of June. 

Comics Industry Panel at Escape Studios

At last night's Comics Panel at Escape Studios, part of 2026 "EscapeVerse Live", Comic Book UK's Mark Fuller hosted a panel on "Comic Industry Careers". 

Mark Fuller was joined by comic artist Lyndon White, comics publisher Andrew Mark Sewell, head of B7 Media Ltd, and manga artist Elena Vitagliano.  The panel explored the challenges and opportunities around working in the comics industry, focusing on how to earn a living in a highly competitive landscape.

"EscapeVerse Live" - Thursday 26 Feb 2026

EscapeVerse Live: Thursday 26 Feb 2026

EscapeVerse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, concludes today. 

We're sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today's lineup starts at 10.30am with Bluebolt, presenting "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale". 

At 12.30pm Outpost VFX presents the fantasy world of "The Wheel of Time". 

At 2.30pm Jake Lee presents "How to Direct an Animated Short for Festival Success".  Jake Lee's short film "Am I Dreaming?" has won many festival awards.  

"Escapeverse Live" Continues Today

Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, continues today. 

We're sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today's lineup starts with Haz Dulull on "How to Set Up an Indie Game Studio". Then, at 12.30pm Simon Carr introduces "Invisible VFX". 

At 2.30pm Dan Shutt explains "How to Create Live Events".

EscapeVerse Live Starts Today

Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, starts today. 

Escapeverse Live  runs from today. Tuesday 24th February to Thursday 26th February 2026.  

We'll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

Today starts at 10.30am with "My Journey to a Career in Animation" with Rebecca Meilak.  

Later, at 12.30pm Charmaine Chan from Industrial Light & Magic will present "Jurassic World: Rebirth". 

BA/MArt In Immersive Media Launches Sept 2027

BA(Hons) / MArt in Immersive Media.  

Escape Studios is announcing a new BA(Hons) / MArt in Immersive Media for September 2027 entry.  

Designed to nature creative and technical skills, students will learn to design and create experiences for engaging spaces, such as festivals, museums, XR and branded events and themed attractions.

This new course has been created through consultation with industry professionals, including members of the Immersive Team at Framestore – a world leading innovator and one of our longest standing studio partners.

Daniel Shutt, Escape Studios academic since 2009  brings 32 years of industry experience across the visual effects and immersive sectors.

Escapeverse Live 24-26 February 2026

Escapeverse Live 24-26 February 2026

The countdown begins for Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art.

Escapeverse Live  starts next week and runs from Tuesday 24th February to Thursday 26th February 2026.  We'll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries, including which parts of the industry are growing, and where the opportunities lie for graduates.  

"Cursed Bond" Wins "Best Student Film" in Jalgaon

"Cursed Bond" wins "Best Student Film" at Jalgaon Fest .

Congratulations to the makers of "Cursed Bond", which has won "Best Student Film" at the Jalgaon Film Festival. 

"Cursed Bond" was written and directed by Ted Walker, and produced by Mahak Chowdhary.  Cinematography was by Irene Gomez Emilsson and the VFX Supervisor was Oliver Eveson.  Art direction was by Quimey Dasso.  Ted Walker stars as the Hermit.  This is the latest of many festival awards. 

"Little Pirates" Wins "Best Super Short" Award

"Little Pirates" wins "Best Super Short Film"

Congratulations to the makers of the animated short film "Little Pirates" which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the International Gold Film Festival.

Little Pirates was completed as part of Studio Module PR5001, a collaborative module in which second-year animation students work together on short film projects.  

Little Pirates was written and directed by Anna Reyes Ramirez and produced by Angharad Mathias.  This is the latest of many awards for Little Pirates. 

Undergraduate Open Days April 9 & 18 2026

Join us on 9 April and in-person on Saturday 18 April 2026.

Escape Studios is hosting two new Undergraduate Open Days in April:  An Online "Open Evening" on Thursday 9th April (online via Zoom) and an in-person Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 18 April 2026. There are two sessions available: Morning: 10:00am - 1:00pm, Afternoon: 1:30pm - 4:00pm. 

Escape Studios' Open Days are a chance to find out about our undergraduate degrees.

"Void" Wins Best Animation Award in London

"Void" wins Best Animation at the London Movie Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Void", which has won Best Animation at the London Movie Awards.

Void is one of the latest short films from our third year undergraduate animation students at Escape Studios.  

"Void" was directed by Kaya Akinci, edited and produced by Luis Yarroll.   

This is the latest of many festival awards.

Introducing "Unknown" by Alessia Gori

Introducing "Unknown", a new short film written and animated by Alessia Gori.  Alessia is studying for a master's degree in the Art of 3D Animation at Escape Studios.  This is Alessia's first film. 

Tech, Hardware & Software at Escape Studios

Escape Studios VPN

What Hardware & Software do we use at Escape Studios? To get started, take a look at our official "What Hardware Do You Need" page, which you can find here.  We also have a handy page on tips for buying a laptop for home use.  

There is also a page on hardware in our classrooms, which you can find here.  You can also find out how to use the Escape Studios VPN (Virtual Private Network), which allows enrolled students to connect to our computers from home. 

Don't forget that a lot of theSoftware we use at Escape Studios can be downloaded at home for free.  For example, Autodesk Maya offers free licenses to enrolled students.  The open source software Blender is also free to download, and extremely versatile. 

Our 2D animation students can use Toonboom Harmony and TV Paint at Escape Studios, and also have access to discounted rates for home use. 

London Animation Club 23 February 2026

London Animation Club meetup on 23 February 2026

Calling all animators at Escape Studios! Why not come to the next London Animation Club meetup on Monday 23 February 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. 

Short Course & Post-Graduate Open Evening 29 April

Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 6pm

Join us on Wednesday 29 April 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.

Animal & Creature Animation Reel

We're delighted to share the latest edit of Animal & Creature Animation from Escape Studios. This animation reel includes a selection of shots from Module AN5002 - a second year undergraduate module in which students tackle animal and creature animation. The module is supervised by Escape Studios' tutor Kevin Richards. To see more about what happens in the Second Year of Animation at Escape Studios, follow this link. 

Judging The "Young Cartoonists of The Year"

The Cartoon Museum hosts Young Cartoonists of the Year Awards

Last night was the judging for The Young Cartoonists of the Year Awards, the annual competition hosted by the Cartoon Museum and the British Cartoonists' Association. 

This year the deadline for submissions was 31 January 2026; the winners will be announced at the Cartoon Museum on Thursday 26th March.

Festivus Interview with Alex Williams

Festivus has released a podcast interview with Alex Williams, Dean of Animation & VFX at Escape Studios, recorded at the end of last year. Julian Scott from Film London did the interview, which you can listen to above. The interview is part of a series in which Festivus explores the careers of people working in the animation industry, and how they forged their own unique career path in an industry in which careers can be very non-linear. 

Mechamorphosis Wins Best Animation in Milan

"Mechamorphosis" wins "Best Animation" in Milan. 

Congratulations to the makers of "Mechamorphosis", which has won "Best Animation" in Milan. 

Mechamorphosis was written and produced by Alberto Scotti and directed by Ilaria Colavito.   

Animation was completed by Steven Lall.  Hélios Lyons did the sound design and composed the original music.  This is the latest of many awards for Mechamorphosis. 

Efthymios Bairaktaris Pipeline TD at One Of Us

Many congratulations to Escapee Efthymios Bairaktaris who has joined the VFX Studio One of Us as a Senior Pipeline Technical Director 

Since graduating from The Art of VFX in 2022, Efthymios has worked on major projects, including the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated film Bugonia. 

While at Escape Studios, Efthymios Bairaktaris worked as 3D Lead on the VFX short film Ambush which has won many festival awards. 

Ambush was completed as part of the VFX Project, the final film-making module in the third year of studies at Escape Studios, in which students work together to create a short film. 

Box Lift Animation by Annabella Espiritu

Here is some great 3D animation in Maya by Escape Studios' animation student Annabella Espiritu.  Animating weight is an especially challenging task for junior animators; unlike stop-motion animation, our character rigs have no intrinsic weight, so the weight must be simulated.  To see more great work created by our students, check out our Animation & VFX YouTube Channel. 

Escape Studios' European Tour

Escape Studios is "escaping to Europe" on a new European recruitment tour.

We'll be appearing at a number of undergraduate and postgraduate events across Poland, Portugal and Spain. 

Places can be booked at this link https://bit.ly/3LGTjni. 

In September 2024 Escape studios welcomed our first new international students since Brexit. 

Escape Studios now has a UKVI Licence, meaning that we are now able to sponsor international students to study with us on student visas.

EscapeVerse Live 2026 Lineup & Schedule 24-26 Feb

The Lineup and Schedule for Escapeverse Live, the in-person and online event hosted by Escape Studios, celebrating VFX, animation, games and tech art, is now available. 

Escapeverse Live  runs from 24th - 26th February 2026, and we'll be sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the best of the screen industries. 

To find out more, and get your free tickets, follow this link: https://lnkd.in/eSp9D26C. Scroll down to see this year's Escapeverse Live lineup and schedule. 

How to Train Your Dragon with Framestore 11 Feb

Escape Studios is delighted to invite all our students to a screening of How to Train Your Dragon followed by a Q&A with our industry partners Framestore. 

On Wednesday 11th of February at 5pm, we are joined by Framestore to present a screening of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ followed by a behind the scenes talk by Lead Animator Chris Mcgaw. 

Tickets are just £2.50 and the screening takes place at the Cineworld inside the O2.

Alex Budulan FX Artist at Wild Child Animation

Alex Budulan joins Wild Child Animation 

Many congratulations to Escapee Alex Budulan who has joined Wild Child Animation as a Senior FX Artist. 

Alex Budulan studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios.  During his studies at Escape Studios, Alex contributed to a number of successful animated films, including the short film "Reece" and the short animated teaser "Street Ratz", which won multiple festival awards.

Evening Course in Mastering Manga and Storytelling

Evening Course in Mastering Manga and storytelling

Escape Studios is launching a new Evening Course in Mastering Manga and storytelling. 

It is an eight week course, running two evenings a week taught by award winning Manga Artist and Storyteller Elena Vitagliano.

The Evening Course in Mastering Manga and storytelling starts on 24 March 2026 and runs for 8 weeks. 

"Keep Cooking" Wins "Best Animation" at Art Awards

Congratulations to the makers of "Keep Cooking", which has won "Best Animation" at the Art Film Awards.   Keep Cooking was created by our third year graduating class of 2D Animation students at Escape Studios.  

Keep Cooking was written and directed by Nathan Blackman and produced by Mai Lu.  Chieri Kagata was the Lead Animator, and Gustav Chin was the Art Director.  This is the latest of many festival awards. 

Congratulations to Our 48 Escapees at The Oscars

48 Escapees worked on Oscar-nominated films

The 2026 Oscars have announced their nominations, and we couldn't be prouder of the 48 Escapees worked on Oscar-nominated films, including all four films film nominated for Best Visual Effects. 

Nominated for Best Visual Effects are Avatar: Fire and Ash, Jurassic World Rebirth, The Lost Bus, F1 and Sinners.  No less than 48 Escapees worked on these five VFX films. 

We would also like to congratulate our industry partners Industrial Light & Magic, Cinesite, DNEG, RISE FX, The Third Floor, Outpost VFX, One of Us and Framestore on their amazing work. 

In addition, Six Escapees worked on the films nominated for Best Picture and one Escapee worked on K Pop Demon Hunters, nominated for Best Animated Film.  

Maya Taster at Escape Studios on 29 Jan 2026

Maya Taster at Escape Studios on 29th January 2026

We're hosting a new Maya Animation Taster at Escape Studios on Thursday 29th January 2026, taught by short course and Master's Degree animation tutor Lee Caller.

Taster Events are a great chance to learn about our courses, and find out what working in the creative industries is all about.

Animal & Creature Animation Showreel 2026

Congratulations to our all our talented students on the new 2026 Animals and Creatures Demo Reel from Escape Studios. The video above is a compilation of the best work done by students studying on our short courses, evening classes, and postgraduate classes.  Many thanks to Escape Studios' videographer Ahmed Aden for cutting the reel. 

Houdini Taster Evening Tonight 27 January 2026

We're hosting a Houdini Taster at Escape Studios today Tuesday 27th January at 5.30pm. 

There's still time to sign up and find out more about one of the fastest-growing areas of software expertise in the world of VFX.

SideFX Houdini is a digital tool that allows users to create FX work such as smoke, fire and water.  Come along tonight at 5.30pm to find out more.

"Shapla" Wins "Best Animation" at the EEFF

"Shapla" wins "Best Animation" at the EEFF

Many congratulations to the makers of "Shapla", which has won "Best Animation" at the Eastern European Film Awards. 

"Shapla" was created by our graduating class of animation students. "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.  

This is the latest of many festival awards. 

"Sköll Aurora" Wins "Best Short Film" in Paris

Sköll Aurora wins Best Super Short Film in Paris

Congratulations to the makers of Sköll Aurora, the animated short film created by our third year graduating class of 2D animation students at Escape Studios, which has won "Best Super Short Film" at the Paris Film Awards. 

Sköll Aurora tells the story of light re-entering a dark and desolate world; it was written and directed by Mahamat Souleymane and produced by Amos Mathias.  This is its fourth festival award. 

Motion Graphics Taster Monday 26 Jan 2026

Motion Graphics Taster on Saturday 20th July

Join us on Monday 26 Jan 2026 at 5.30pm for a free taster session in Adobe Illustrator, one of the key pieces of software used on our Motion Graphics MA and Short Course. 

This taster session takes place online and offers prospective students a chance to meet our tutors, try out our software and find out what it's like to study with us.   This Adobe Illustrator Taster is taught by Escape Studios Motion Graphics Tutor Daniel Amor. 

"The VFX Life" With Brooke McGowan 3 Feb 2026

Join us on Tuesday 3 February at 6pm for our next VFX Event, "The VFX Life Blueprint" with vfx compositor (and Escapee) Brooke McGowan.  

Brooke McGowan is a VFX artist and professional life coach whose goal is to "empower the VFX, Film & TV Industry to learn the skills they need to build multiple streams of income".   To sign up for this free event, follow this link. 

Houdini Evening Class Returns 21 April 2026

Houdini Evening Class Starts 21 April 2026

Our next Evening Class in SideFX Houdini starts again on 21 April 2026. 

SideFX Houdini is the leading software for the creation of digital FX, such as smoke, fire, water and - in Houdini 20 - clouds and feathers.  

Escape Studios is a Houdini Certified School.   This evening class is taught by Houdini expert and industry veteran Mark Spevick.