Animation - courses, degrees and events

Why should I get into animation?

The UK has some of the best animation studios in the world, some of which are our industry partners, including Blue Zoo, MPC and Passion Pictures, who compete globally to produce some of the finest character and creature animations in the world. There are a variety of departments in the animation industry, including storyboarding, previsualisation, 3D animation, 2D animation, and more.

Choose to bring your characters to life with our animation courses. You'll study using professional software, such as Autodesk Maya, ToonBoom Harmony, Adobe Animate and Blender, with industry-focused training, giving you the skills you need to produce a killer showreel.

What Animation courses and degrees do we offer?

Get skilled in the various departments within the animation pipeline, from pre-production to post-production, including 2D Animation and 3D Animation, but also Storyboarding and Previsualisation.

Check out the different career options available to you with our Careers Guide.

The difference between 2D and 3D Animation

For many years, the animation we watched in films and television programmes were produced by 2D Animators, classics such as The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Spirited Away, Mickey Mouse and Bambi were all drawn entirely by hand!

With the rise of increasingly advanced technology and software, 3D Animation took centre stage in the creative industries. Animators enjoyed its efficiency and the realism the third dimension brought, producing creative master pieces such as The Incredibles, Shrek, Toy Story and Monsters Inc..

However, in recent years, 2D Animation has experienced a significant revival, both in the UK and overseas, with studios such as Blue Zoo, Aardman Animation, and Brown Bag Films all adopting new 2D software such as ToonBoom Harmony. Some recent 2D productions include Spirit Untamed, Klaus, Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle, The Boys Presents: Diabolical and The Legend of Vox Machina.

We have the best tutors to train you in this re-emerging area of the industry. Iliana Franklin was appointed as a Toon Boom Ambassador for 2022, and our Head of Animation, Alex Williams, animated Scar in the original Lion King film! Check out Alex's animation blog to find out more about the world of 2D.

Animation webinars and events

Tune into our free webinars and online events to get the latest industry updates, software tips and tricks and hear from special guests.

Keep an eye on our E_scape Hub for events about other disciplines, recordings of past webinars and plenty of other resources!

Undergraduate tasters

3D animation pink alien with 'Get a taste of animation, game art and VFX' graphic — Taster Days

Our next undergraduate taster days will take place from spring 2023.

**Find out more**

Postgraduate and short courses tasters

3D animated robot and boy lying in grass — 3D Animation

TBC

Previsualisation scene of Captain America running and holding his shield and Thor's hammer — Storyboarding & Previsualisation

TBC

2D animation scene of a character sinking into the ground — 2D Animation

TBC

What does Animation at Escape Studios look like?

Get an idea of what you could create by checking out our student work.

Get an insight of our animation student projects in our student showreel. Also check out previous events and webinars on our YouTube channel.

What makes our Animation courses and degrees unique?

Our animation courses cover training with industry-professional software such as Maya, ToonBoom Harmony, Blender and more.
Our classrooms and lessons mirror a standard industry animation studio, to give you a true taste of life in the workplace.
You'll benefit from industry feedback sessions with our industry partners, individual professionals working in the industry and our alumni, who have gone to work on some of the biggest projects in the world, including Star Wars, Avengers and Harry Potter.
Our tutors are all experts in their field. Alex Williams, our Dean of Animation & Visual Effects, has worked for industry giants including Disney, Dreamworks, Fox and Warner Bros. Michael Davies, Head of Animation, has worked on Thor:Ragnarok and Doctor Strange. Storyboarding Tutor Iliana Franklin was appointed Toon Boom Ambassador for 2022. All our tutors can help turn your passion for animation into a practical studio-ready skillset.
You'll also learn the latest techniques used in industry today and find out more about the skills that helped our tutors succeed in their career, so you'll benefit from their expertise.
All our courses are developed with our industry partners, some of the biggest studios in the world, including Framestore, Cinesite, DNEG Animation and PlayStation Studio London, that not only input into our course modules, but regularly visit us and partake in events such as our annual VFX Festival and online webinars.

Animated character having a birthday party and about to eat cake

Who will teach me?

Our tutors are experts in their discipline, covering 2D and 3D Animation, Storyboarding, Previsualisation, Character and Creature Creation and Character Design.

Meet your Animation tutors