Industry partners and friends
We work with a wide range of industry partners, including some of the world’s biggest studios, smaller independent and innovative studios, software companies, and industry bodies who work hard to make creative studies and careers accessible to all.
Our industry partners are central to the way we’re run. From the curriculum we teach and how it’s delivered, to our webinars and special events, scholarships and feedback given on our students’ work.
We also run short courses specifically for studios who are tooling up in new software or want junior artists to gain a new level of skill to help their company succeed in the marketplace. We partner with studios to ensure impactful and effective training.
Studio partners
We work with all kinds of creative companies, from global businesses to smaller independents, so our students get the chance to benefit from a whole range of perspectives.
Whether it be us providing guest speakers or mentors or Escape Studios supporting us with career development for our teams, we have always found new and important ways to work together on the skills agenda for our industry.
Accreditations and industry bodies
We work hard to keep and add to our accreditations and certifications, showing the quality of our teaching.
We also work with industry bodies such as Access VFX, ScreenSkills and Animated Women UK to make sure that people from all different backgrounds can access creative studies and careers.
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Escape Studios always produces some of the finest VFX graduates in the country. Their training, both technical and soft skills, stands them in great stead in the industry.
What’s in it for students?
Our advisory board of industry professionals, from the likes of Blue Zoo, Framestore and Creative Assembly, helps develop our courses, to make sure that we teach up-to-date and relevant skills that are needed in the industry and will lead to successful careers.
Our students work on briefs set by our partners, to get used to real-life projects, challenges and deadlines.
Students on our undergraduate and master's programmes benefit from feedback sessions with industry professionals. Part of an undergraduate student's grade comes from industry feedback.
Our industry-experienced tutors work with software companies from the likes of Epic Games (Unreal Engine), SideFX (Houdini) and Toon Boom Animation (Toon Boom Harmony). Some of them are certified instructors for those software and more, some work on their beta versions and they help train studio professionals when new versions are released.
Our undergraduate scholarships are sponsored by professionals and offer a unique opportunity to be hand-picked by some of the biggest names in the industry.
Partners take part in presentations and panel discussions at the annual Escapeverse Live (Formerly The VFX Festival) which students have priority access to.
Guest speakers also join us for careers evenings, webinars, tutorials and Evening With events. Past Evening With speakers have included Kevin McDowell, Art Director for SEGA’s game series Total War and BAFTA winner for Total War: Shogun 2 and Scott Ross, founder of Digital Domain who led George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic for three decades.
Our Talent Development Team organise regular activities to help students get ready to land their first job or internship, with mock interviews, showreel reviews and networking events, all with artists and recruiters from the industry.
Recruiters and artists from our partner studios attend the annual end of year student showcase. An amazing opportunity for students to showcase their work in front of industry professionals, get direct feedback and recommendations and potentially hired straight away!
Recruiters from our partner studios come to us when they are looking for artists. Job opportunities are shared across our alumni association channels and with our final year students. Some of them even get snapped up by the studios before they finish their course!
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Do you want to work with us?
If you want to help inspire and train the next generation of artists, join our community!
There are lots of ways and degrees of involvement possible. From degree design to module development and delivery, setting project briefs for students, giving feedback on their work, offering portfolio or showreel reviews, or speaking at events including the VFX Festival.
We also often form alliances with companies to train people in new technology. Bild Studios took part in housing our Virtual Production courses. In return, we taught Unreal Engine on their own MARS Academy courses. This kind of partnership typifies the Escape Studios approach - ensuring the industry gets the talent it needs.
Get in touch on hello@escapestudios.ac.uk
What does it mean?
DNEG
Paul Franklin, Co-Founder and Oscar-winning Creative Director at DNEG, was part of the Degree Concept Team (DCT) for The Art of Visual Effects degree. He also sponsors our industry scholarship for The Art of Visual Effects course and sits on our advisory board of industry professionals.
Industrial Light & Magic
Recruiters and artists from Industrial Light & Magic have been part of the assessment process for our animation and visual effects students, providing professional feedback on their work. They also often speak at our Evening With events and come in for showreel reviews and mock interviews.
Unreal Engine authorized training center
Our close relationship with Epic Games led us to become the first Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center in the UK. It allows our tutors to teach Unreal Engine to students and professionals, through bespoke training sessions for studios or other external companies.
Creative Assembly
Recruiters and artists from Creative Assembly regularly speak at our Careers Evenings events or at the VFX Festival and take part in talent development activities with showreel clinics and mock interviews. A great way for us to keep in touch with industry and know what talent and skills they need.
Bild Studios
Bild Studios run a Virtual Production stage in North West London, and have taken part in housing our Virtual Production courses, enabling VFX Artists, Producers and others to get a rich experience of working on a VP set. In return, we taught Unreal Engine on their own MARS Academy courses.
The Rookies
Being endorsed by The Rookies as a Rookies certified school is a great accolade that identifies international institutions that best prepare students for a career in the creative industries.
Houdini
As a Houdini Certified School, we work very closely with SideFX, the brains behind the software. They've contributed to the development of our Houdini courses and some of our tutors are certified Houdini trainers.
Access:VFX
Access:VFX is an international organisation made of VFX companies pursuing inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity within the VFX, animation and games industries; giving mentoring, advice and workshops to encourage a wider base of new talent. Escape Studios regularly works with Access:VFX on projects and share their goals.