Escape Studios
Encyclopedia
Escape Studios was founded in April 2002 by Dominic Davenport and fully supported by Oscar winning director Ridley Scott
. Based in Shepherds Bush, London
and now New York
, United States
Escape was originally setup as a computer graphics training school but now provides recruitment, hardware and software sales, and production services. Escape has built a reputation delivering online and classroom training, recruitment, software and hardware services to the global computer graphics (CG) community.
Escape boasts one of the foremost schools of computer animation
and visual effects
. Escape’s partnerships with top studios gives students the opportunity to work on 'live' visual effects and games projects including Battlefield 360 (Xbox 360) and X-Men: The Last Stand
and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
.
Escape Studios is a major visual effects recruiter in the UK as well as Europe’s largest reseller for Autodesk
Maya
, Pixar
RenderMan and BOXX Technologies
.
, Animation
,Characters, Games, and Compositing
.
Classroom Courses include:
As Pixar’s European distributor and training partner for RenderMan, Escape also offers a RenderMan Fundamentals course in conjunction with Pixar’s official RenderMan courseware. The online RenderMan courseware is Pixar’s official learning tool for the software, and provides content for both academic tutors and existing professional artists alike. It contains the ‘Fundamentals’, introductory and advanced How To’s and production examples from leading visual effects facilities worldwide. The courseware has a Wiki-based structure to facilitate a flexible and non-linear learning approach, making it "the one authoritative source of RenderMan knowledge". RenderMan Fundamentals is a tutor led classroom course, being held at Escape Studios in London on June 23, 2008.
Maya Core Training; Offering over 600 videos which is equivalent to over 70hrs of online training. Which you can register online for watch the first videos in the course for free.
ZBrush; ZBrush Foundation online course aimed at 3D artists. Consists of theory and video tutorials covering basic introductions up to pipeline examples showing integration with Maya and Photoshop. The course is focused on giving you the skills required by industry. Contains over 11 hours of training.
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
. Based in Shepherds Bush, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and now New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Escape was originally setup as a computer graphics training school but now provides recruitment, hardware and software sales, and production services. Escape has built a reputation delivering online and classroom training, recruitment, software and hardware services to the global computer graphics (CG) community.
Escape boasts one of the foremost schools of computer animation
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
and visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
. Escape’s partnerships with top studios gives students the opportunity to work on 'live' visual effects and games projects including Battlefield 360 (Xbox 360) and X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, following The...
.
Escape Studios is a major visual effects recruiter in the UK as well as Europe’s largest reseller for Autodesk
Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
Maya
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...
, Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
RenderMan and BOXX Technologies
BOXX Technologies
BOXX Technologies is a private company manufacturing high-performance computing hardware solutions focused toward the visual effects, game development, CGI animation and broadcasting markets. The company was founded in 1996 as Digital Emulsion of Phoenix, Arizona...
.
Classroom Courses
Escape Studios offers full-time and part-time courses designed to take complete beginners to the point where they are able to perform at an industry entry level. In the following areas: Visual EffectsVisual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
, Animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
,Characters, Games, and Compositing
Compositing
Compositing is the combining of visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. Live-action shooting for compositing is variously called "chroma key", "blue screen", "green screen" and other names. Today,...
.
Classroom Courses include:
As Pixar’s European distributor and training partner for RenderMan, Escape also offers a RenderMan Fundamentals course in conjunction with Pixar’s official RenderMan courseware. The online RenderMan courseware is Pixar’s official learning tool for the software, and provides content for both academic tutors and existing professional artists alike. It contains the ‘Fundamentals’, introductory and advanced How To’s and production examples from leading visual effects facilities worldwide. The courseware has a Wiki-based structure to facilitate a flexible and non-linear learning approach, making it "the one authoritative source of RenderMan knowledge". RenderMan Fundamentals is a tutor led classroom course, being held at Escape Studios in London on June 23, 2008.
Online Courses
Escape's online courses allow you to send questions to tutors as you learn and see responses from previous students questions in a really stunning online system. Courses include:Maya Core Training; Offering over 600 videos which is equivalent to over 70hrs of online training. Which you can register online for watch the first videos in the course for free.
ZBrush; ZBrush Foundation online course aimed at 3D artists. Consists of theory and video tutorials covering basic introductions up to pipeline examples showing integration with Maya and Photoshop. The course is focused on giving you the skills required by industry. Contains over 11 hours of training.
Tutors
- The Animation course was developed by Jeff Pratt, a Pixar veteran having worked as an animator on films such as 'Toy StoryToy StoryToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
' 1 and 2, 'A Bug's LifeA Bug's LifeA Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...
', 'Monsters Inc' and is currently taught by Alex Williams.. - The Characters course was developed and is taught by Nick Savy, former Head of FMVFull motion videoFull motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
at GlassworksGlassworksGlassworks is a chamber music work of six movements by Philip Glass. It is regarded as being a characteristically Glass-like work. Following his larger-scale concert and stage works, Glassworks was Philip Glass's successful attempt to create a more pop-oriented "Walkman-suitable" work, with...
, Head of Character setup at IndestructibleIndestructibleIndestructible is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz and released by Hellcat Records on August 19, 2003. On vinyl, it was released as double album. Despite critical acclaim, the band was criticized by many of its fans for Indestructibles...
, and Senior character TD at Double NegativeDouble Negative (VFX)Double Negative is a British full-service visual effects/computer animation company located in Soho, London. The company was set up in 1998 with a team of 30 staff and has since grown to over 900 staff, making it one of Europe's largest provider of visual effects for film.In 2009, Double Negative...
and CinesiteCinesiteCinesite Ltd is a digital visual effects and post-production facility in London and one of the largest such companies in Europe...
. - The Games course was developed and is taught by Simon Fenton, having worked on titles such as 'Total NBA '97', 'TIF', 'GetawayGetawayGetaway is Australia's longest-running and most popular holiday and travel television programme. Debuting on 14 May 1992, it is currently broadcast on the Nine Network and TLC...
Black Monday', 'Kinetic', 'Kinetic Combat' and Home whilst at SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. - The Visual Effects course is taught by James Owens, and Bhaumik Patel, both with extensive experience working as VFX professionals for companies such as GlassworksGlassworksGlassworks is a chamber music work of six movements by Philip Glass. It is regarded as being a characteristically Glass-like work. Following his larger-scale concert and stage works, Glassworks was Philip Glass's successful attempt to create a more pop-oriented "Walkman-suitable" work, with...
, PartizanPartizan Midi-MinuitPartizan Midi-Minuit is a French company, which produced videos such as the multi-award winning Cog television advertisement for the Honda Accord, the 2004 ads for 7-Up, featuring Fido Dido, and music video for U2's Vertigo....
and Atlantic Digital. - The Compositing course is taught by Mark Pinheiro, formerly of three of the most prolific post-production houses in the world- Mill Film, Framestore-CFC and The Moving Picture Company.
Recruitment
Escape runs a recruitment department to get students hired by production houses around the world for work on film, game and visualisation projects.Technology
Escape's Technology department provide hardware and software sales and professional services to companies around the world.Production
Escapes production department allows students to work on real live projects after they have gone through training. These projects have included the following films:- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Wanted (2008)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
- 10,000 BC (2008)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- Fred Claus (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- Poseidon (2006)