Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive

Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive

At Hertfordshire University's annual Expo on Thursday 21 May, game designers Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive talked about their careers at the video games company, producing games such as the First Person Shooter "Ready or Not".  

One of the key messages of Mark and Joel's talk was the importance of optimising game assets for real-life game play, ensuring that the user experience is successful even on sub-optimal platforms. 

"Portfolios That Pack a Punch" Monday 13 May

We're hosting a new portfolio review clinic titled "Portfolios That Pack a Punch" on Monday 13 May at 3.30pm.

This event is aimed at our games students but is also very relevant to animators looking to break into the games industry.  The games industry needs animators too. 

The creative industries are in a constant state of flux - events like this help us keep abreast of the latest changes, and in particular help us identify where the entry-level jobs are, and what is needed to get them. 

Who is hiring, for what jobs, and what skills do you need?

To sign up for this event, follow this link to the official website.

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. 

Parkour Founder Sebastien Foucan is Back

Sebastien Foucan in Casino Royale 

We're delighted to welcome back Parkour founder Sebastien Foucan to Escape Studios tomorrow Friday 24 November.

Sebastien Foucan will talking to our third year animation students about what makes a great action scene. How does an animator go about choosing the right action for the right circumstance?

Sebastien Foucan is the founder of the Foucan Academy and also one of the founders of the Parkour Movement, the athletic training discipline in which practitioners move in the most fluid way possible.

Should Graduates Accept a Job as a Runner?

Running - is it just about making coffee?

Should animation, games and VFX graduates work as runners? Working as a runner is a standard entry-level position in our industry, but is it really necessary?  And should our students and graduates do it - or perhaps hold out for a more creative entry-level role?

Here at Escape Studios we support our students who take running positions.  Running isn't glamorous, but it can - and often does - lead to better things.  Hang in there, put up with a bit of drudgery, and it can pay big dividends. 

An "Evening with..." Tara Saunders Tonight

Co-Studio Head at Playstation Tara Saunders will join us tonight at our latest  'Evening with...' event at Escape Studios. 

This event, which is exclusively for currently enrolled students at Escape Studios, takes place on Wednesday 10th March at 6pm GMT.

To sign up (current students only), follow the official Zoom link.

Animation Booms Under Lockdown

Lloyd of the Flies

A weekend article in the Daily Telegraph confirms the continuing good news for the animation industry; even under Lockdown, the animation industry continues to thrive and expand. 

Aardman Animation, the creators of "Wallace and Gromit", have expanded into digital animation with a new series "Lloyd of the Flies", a 52-episode comedy about a housefly.

Unlike live action shoots, which were shut down due to Covid-19, the animation industry is expanding, as programmers increasingly replace live-action content with animation. 

Pedro Cabeleira Lead Artist at Ubisoft

Pedro Cabeleira

Many congratulations to Escapee Pedro Cabeleira who has recently landed a job as Lead Character Artist at Ubisoft Reflections.

Ubisoft Reflections is a multiple-award-winning games company based in Newcastle, whose long roster of hit games includes The Division, The Division 2, Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2, Watch Dogs: Legion, The Settlers, Starlink: Battle For Atlas and The Crew.

Prior to that, Pedro was Lead Character Artist at Traveller's Tales, a UK based games company which specialises in Lego games.

Pedro took our animation short course at Escape Studios and, after leaving Escape, successfully broke into the games industry.

Mock Interviews at Escape Studios Today

Mock Interviews between industry and students

This afternoon at Escape Studios we're running a series of mock interviews with some of our industry partners and mentors, who have kindly offered their time to give our undergraduate students an idea of what a job interview is actually like.

Learning how to survive an interview is an important part of preparing our students for a career in industry.

Michael O’Sullivan Explains the Art of the Pitch

Michael O'Sullivan

We were delighted to welcome Hollywood Movie executive and former Paramount CFO Michael O’Sullivan to Escape Studios this week.

On Wednesday 15th January Michael gave a talk on the art of finance in the creative industries.

How do our students create innovative ideas for film, TV and games that can become commercially viable? A good pitch is an art in itself; a successful pitch can make or break a project, and without one no animated film, game or TV Series has a chance of getting off the ground.

Our MA Students in Storyboarding and Previz got to meet Michael O’Sullivan and learn about film financing, and the art of preparing a commercially viable project pitch.

Mend the Gap! at Escape Studios

Mend the Gap: an evening of discussion and debate around the current animation training and employment landscape.

Currently up to 30% (or more) of the team at British animation studios are artists sourced from overseas, often from schools in Europe.

But with Brexit looming, and the likely loss of free movement of labour, the future of UK animation could be under threat.

UK universities produce over 600 students with degrees in animation every year - so why are many UK animation graduates not ready for work when they leave university? On 1st November our panel event, organised by Film London and hosted at Escape Studios,  will debate what can be done to Mend the Gap.

Brexit and The Future of UK Animation

Brexit means....what?

At Escape Studios' recent Advisory Board meeting, leading figures in the creative industries guided us on where the industry is heading, and what skills are in demand.

After all, it's no use teaching our students outdated technology - we need to know what the industry needs now, and what kind of skills graduates will need in the future.

At the meeting the main subject for discussion was Brexit - and what this will mean for the creative industries in the UK.  So, what can the creative industries do to solve the problems posed by this looming upheaval?

News from GDC - Real Time Rendering is Here

Head of Escape Studios Ian Palmer recently attended the Games Development Conference ("GDC") in San Francisco, checking out the latest developments in the Games Industry, part of our industry outreach to make sure we're always teaching the latest technology.

So what's new in Games? The answer - d'oh! - is Virtual Reality, which continues to be the most promising emerging technology in our industry. And, of course, the awesome power of real-time rendering.

Industry Panel at the VFX Festival - What Does The Future Hold?

Industry Panel discussion at the Escape Studios VFX Festival

The Industry Panel at the VFX Festival was hosted by Escape Studios Director Ian Palmer, and interviewing panel members (from left) Hector MacLeod (Glassworks), Kevin McDowell (Creative Assembly), Anna Hollinrake (Climax Studios), Dave Throssell (Fluid Pictures and Rob Holmes (The Mill) - all about the future of our industry.

So, where is the industry going, what skills are demand, and what does the future hold?

Govt Industrial Strategy Highlights Creative Industries - Good News for Our Students

Support for "Creative Industries"

Theresa May's Government recently released an Industrial Strategy that highlights a number of sectors that they believe will lead to new jobs and growth in the future.

Among these are listed the creative industries, suggesting that our Government will continue to offer support to the business of - among other things - animation, games and visual effects.