Blue Zoo Summer Internships Now Open

Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open

Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open, and close on Friday 29th May at midnight.  

As always, we encourage our students to apply for internships like this one.  Even if you don't succeed, you will learn valuable skills along the way. 

The internship roles available this year at Blue Zoo are: 3D Animator, Social Media Intern and Production Assistant Intern.

All information needed to apply is at Blue Zoo's careers website along with the application pages.  Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships can be made here at the official Blue Zoo site.

Meet Will Hughes - Talent Development Manager

Will Hughes (4th from right) with Escapees at BlueBolt VFX

Will Hughes is the Talent Development Manager at Escape Studios.  One of Will's key roles is to meet with our students, recent graduates and Escapees to help them to establish their careers in the animation, games and vfx industries. 

At a time of anxiety about opportunities in the creative industries, we asked Will to tell us about his work and what, exactly, he does to support our students and Escapees. 

Escape Studios' Jobs & Careers Playlist at YouTube

Jobs & Careers at our Animation & VFX YouTube Channel

Calling all Escapees: Don't forget our Our Jobs & Careers Playlist at our Animation & VFX YouTube Channel - a key resource for Escapees and graduates seeking their first job in the industry. 

Some of the videos are long form but most are shorts - around one minute long - exploring themes like how to cut a great demo reel, how to manage a job interview, and how to apply for jobs at animation and vfx houses.  It's a useful resource and one that is constantly growing as the needs of industry shifts and changes over time.   

Why Animators Embed Their Demo Reel at Linkedin

Animation recruiters "live at Linkedin" 

A strong demo reel is essential for launching an animation career — but it only works if people see it. Too many graduates upload their reel to YouTube or Vimeo and stop there. 

One of the smartest places to share your reel is LinkedIn.  It’s quick, it’s professional, and it’s where animation recruiters are already looking. Your reel is your most important asset. Don’t hide it. Put it where the industry can find you easily.

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.  

Animation Recruiter Tiffany Feeney Returns to Escape

Tiffany Feeney of Talent Outpost

We're delighted to welcome back animation recruiter Tiffany Feeney from the Talent Outpost Animation & VFX Recruitment Agency to help deliver PS6003, our final Professional Practice Module for our undergraduate animation students at Escape Studios. 

Jobs in Animation & VFX in an Age of Turbulence

Finding work in an age of change

It is no secret that growth in the animation and visual effects industry has had a bumpy ride recently. 

The reasons are many: over expansion during the streaming boom years, the fallout from Covid, writer's strikes, actor's strikes, the gradual decline of the theatrical movie business and - above all - the rise and rise of AI. 

So, how do recent graduates find work in an industry which remains highly competitive and is also experiencing headwinds? The answer is - apply often, and apply widely. 

Free "Gamebridge" is Back on 28 June 2025

Gamebridge 2025 is free on 28 June 

Calling all games students at Escape Studios - "Gamebridge" is back, and it's completely free! On Saturday 28th June 2025 the annual Gamebridge Student Games Festival will be held at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge,. This free event is aimed at further (17yrs+) and higher education students / graduates looking for a career in the games industry. If you're studying games at Escape Studios - that includes you. 

Freefolk "Futurefolk" Internship Now Open

"Futurefolk", is back, and now accepting applications

VFX House Freefolk has announced that their internship scheme, "Futurefolk", is back, and now accepting applications. 

Freefolk's talent team is now "ready to spot the skill, creativity and enthusiasm required to kick-start the careers of the next generation of VFX stars".  Deadline for submissions is midnight on April 29th 2025.  You can apply via the Freefolk website here.

How Animators Find Industry Mentors

One question I sometimes get asked by students at Escape Studios is "How Do I Find a Mentor?"  The answer (of course!) is to start with your tutors, and then broaden out from there.  Over the course of a long animation career our Escapees are likely to have many mentors, though very few of these (if any) will be formal mentorship roles; most will be informal, and you might not even realise these people were mentors until many years later.   In my case I have been lucky enough to be mentored by animators such as James Baxter (Road to El Dorado), Andreas Deja (Lion King), Duncan Marjoribanks (Pocahontas) and also Glen Keane, whose notes on planning animation I still refer to today.  But mentorship is, in each and every case, very much what you make of it.

Why Disney Always Rejected 1st Time Applicants

Back in the 1980s when I was starting my animation career, it was said by the old-timers in the animation business that anyone wanting to be an animator at Disney had to apply twice —because the first application would be rejected by default. This wasn’t an official policy, but rather an unspoken test of determination.

Disney, at the time, was the global animation leader (arguably it still is), and competition for jobs was very fierce.  The idea was that only those with true passion and perseverance would push through rejection, refine their portfolios, and reapply. It separated the dreamers from the truly committed.

How to Write a Great CV

Everyone needs a CV

As part of Professional Practice Module PR6001 our graduating class of undergraduate students must write a CV, as part of their preparation for entering the industry. 

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae - in Latin: "the story of your life". In the USA it is called a résumé.  Whatever the name, its purpose is to summarise your education, life history and skills as clearly and concisely as possible, and to put the best possible shine on your achievements. 

Why Animators Need to Finish Their Demo Reel

Get Your Demo Reel Done

One of the key tasks for our graduates is to be job-ready at the end of the course, and this includes finishing a professional-quality demo reel.  

An animator's demo reel is the single most important means of landing that crucial first job in the animation industry.  

The key thing is to get it done. Remember that your demo reel will never be perfect - it will always be a work-in-progress. 

Why Animators Should Cast their Net Wide

Landing your first job in the animation industry isn't easy. But what many graduates forget is just how many opportunities are out there - if you cast your net wide enough. 

Alongside world-beating animation companies like Aardman Animation, Blue Zoo, Framestore and DNEG are hundreds of small companies that are much less well known - almost 500 in the UK alone. 

There are just under 500 animation companies in the UK with at least one employee (ie not just a sole practitioner) and this creates a huge opportunity for an animator with the patience to look beyond the famous names.

Escapee Kayleigh Boshoff Roto Artist at BlueBolt

Kayleigh Boshoff joins BlueBolt

Many congratulations to Escapee Kayleigh Boshoff who has started work as a Roto Artist at the London VFX House BlueBolt.  

Kayleigh Boshoff studied the Art of Visual Effects at Escape Studios, specialism in 2D VFX Compositing. 

While at Escape Studios.  worked on a number of award-winning short films, including Curiosities of The Ruthless Roupell St,  Lux Mediae Noctis,  Lucky Break and Luciferin.  

BlueBolt. is an award-winning VFX house based in London.   

Escape Studios is Hiring

We're hiring! To find out more, go to
https://careers.escapestudios.ac.uk/

Join our crew to become part of one of the UK’s leading schools for animation, games, VFX, concept art and motion graphics. 

Escape Studios has been at the forefront of creative education since 2002, supplying the industry with studio-ready talent. 

Where Are The UK Animation Studios?

Animation UK's Studio Directory

There are around 2,500 animation studios in the UK, of which a little under 500 have employees - making them worth targeting for an entry-level job.  But how to find them?  

One great resource is Animation UK's Studios Directory, which you can find here.  Click on the link and you can start making lists of UK Animation Studios - and then start applying. 

Why Animators Need Walks on Their Demo Reel

"Monty" in the gym by Sam Baker

One common mistake junior animators make when cutting a demo reel is to leave off basic exercises like walks, character walks and runs. 

Walks and runs can be (and should be) on an animation demo reel - for just long enough to show that these exercises are firmly inside the animator's skill set.  Every animator needs to be able to animate a walk and a run. 

Why Animators Need a Great Acting Shot

Acting shot by Escapee Rich Jeffrey

Why do animators need a great acting shot on their demo reel?  Because nothing showcases an animator’s talent quite like a strong acting shot.  

A well-executed acting scene shows that an animator can approach a shot like an actor might approach a scene in a movie or a play. 

Acting shots reveal whether an animator can go beyond basic mechanics and deliver a performance.

Animation Leads 2024 Box Office

There is a lot of doom and gloom in our industry these days, following strikes by both writers and actors, and anxiety over the looming threat of AI.  

Despite this, the animation industry continues to thrive, with 25% of box office success coming from animation productions in 2024 (see infographic left). 

Two of this year's biggest hits are Inside Out 2 ($1.6 billion worldwide) and just-released Wild Robot.