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".  

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.

Why The Animation Industry Still Needs Animators

Will AI Replace Animators?

There is a lot of doom and gloom about AI right now in the creative industries, a general assumption that we are living on borrowed time and that AI is coming for our jobs. 

But is it really? Early this year I took a break from teaching at Escape Studios to work as Animation Director on a new feature film.  And right now, I’m reminded every day that while AI tools are making waves, animation is still — at its heart — a craft driven by human creativity.  

Learn AI for Animation: Free Webinar 21 Jan 2025

AI Webinar Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 6pm

Join us on Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 6pm for a free one hour webinar on the use of AI in Animation & VFX, with veteran animator and Escape Studios' tutor Alex Dawson, Owner and Director of the Animation Production company Carnival Figures.

AI is changing the face of the creative industries; find out how you can use the new tools and join the revolution.  

"AI for Animators" Evening Class Starts 4 March 2025

Our brand new Evening Class in AI for Animators starts on Tuesday 4 March 2025.

Artificial Intelligence is an expanding part of the animation and vfx industries, allowing artists to create high quality images and video.

The class runs for ten weeks and is taught by veteran animator Alex Dawson.  

Adam Bennett Introduces the New AI Tool "Sora"

In this short video (just seven minutes long) Escape Studios' Motion Graphics tutor Adam Bennett explores what new video making tools like Sora might mean for the Motion Graphics, Animation and VFX industries.  If you want a quick primer on the latest inroads AI is making in the creative industries, watch this video. 

2024 New Year's Resolutions for Animators

Happy 2024

Happy New Year to everyone at Escape Studios.  The New Year brings new opportunities as the animation and VFX industries continue to thrive, with new government-led incentives like the 39% tax credit.  

We confidently predict that in 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) will continue to be the biggest talking point in our industry. 

So this year, top of our list of New Year's Resolutions, is to experiment with the new AI tools, such as ChatGPT, OpenAI and MidJourney.  AI is changing the face of the animation and vfx industries, offering fresh challenges - but also new opportunities.

Will AI take Over the Creative Industries?

Artificial intelligence offers new ways to speed up the animation pipeline and boost the productivity of animators.  But will it put animators and VFX Artists out of work?  This is a question we get asked a great deal at Escape studios, as prospective students weigh their options and try to imagine what the creative industries will look like in the near future.  To find out why we think AI will bring artists more benefits than challenges, watch the short video above. 

Using AI To Make Better Animation

In the short video above we offer some suggestions on how to use AI to make better animation.  AI is a powerful tool for the creation of stories and ideas.  Watch the video above to see how to use Chat GPT to generate ideas to make our animation more interesting and inventive. AI represents the biggest technical advance in the animation & VFX industry since 3D animation began to replace traditional hand-animated feature films in the early 2000s.  Artificial Intelligence is here to stay - so let's make the best possible use of it.

Danish Adeem Post Production Artist at Flawless AI

Many congratulations to Escapee Danish Adeem who has started work as Post Production Artist at Flawless AI, creators of AI-powered tools for the creative industries.  

Danish joins our very own Allar Kaasik  who left Escape Studios last year to become Visual Effects Supervisor at Flawless AI.

Danish Adeem studied the Art of Computer Animation at Escape Studios.  While at Escape Studios, Danish contributed to a number of short films, including the award-winning films Liminal, Love Mum, Good Soup and Tech Troubles. 

Danish was Lead Animator on Liminal, and won an award for Best Horror Film at the Art Film Awards.

"Alex" Cartoonist Visits Escape Studios

Charles Peattie draws "Alex"

Recently Escape Studios welcomed veteran cartoonist and animator Charles Peattie for a seminar on the use of AI in animation. 

Charles Peattie is the author of the "Alex" cartoon strip that has run for over 30 years in the pages of the Daily Telegraph. 

"Alex" is an investment banker who first appeared on the pages of The Independent during the 1980s, the era of financial deregulation and "Big Bang" in the City of London.  Today "Alex" can be found in the Business Pages of The Daily Telegraph, and also online. 

Using AI to Generate Ideas for Short Films

AI is a powerful tool for the creation of stories and ideas.  Watch the video above to see how to use the playground at Open AI to help generate ideas for stories for the award-winning short films we make at Escape Studios.  AI represents the biggest technical advance in the animation & VFX industry since 3D animation began to replace traditional hand-animated feature films in the late 1990s.  Artificial Intelligence is here to stay - so let's make the most of what it has to offer.

AI is Coming, How Will it Change Animation & VFX?

AI is coming, and it's time for everyone in the creative industries, including our students at Escape Studios, to get ready for the changes to come.  

AI represents the biggest technical advance in the animation & VFX industry since 3D animation began to replace traditional hand-animated feature films in the early 2000s.  Artificial Intelligence is here; the question is - how do we make the best use of it?

How AI is Changing Animation, Games & VFX

 Potion by Simeon Fenton with Midjourney

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the face of the creative industries.  

This image on the left of a fantasy potion bottle was created by Simon Fenton, our Dean of Interactive and Real Time, using Midjourney.

The brief was to create a potion bottle that had "an angelic and/or demonic feel to it".

The whole process, including multiple iterations of the potion bottle, took just a tiny fraction of the time that a traditional concept artist would take using digital tools - let alone old school pens and brushes.

 

AI is changing the face of the creative industries, but how should artists respond to the challenge?