Getting our short course students industry ready!

By Escape Studios tutors, Davi Stein, Allar Kaasik and Mark Spevick

Our Escape Studios short courses are pretty awesome and students learn a variety of skills in just a few weeks. We caught up with our tutors to find out how they get their short course students industry ready!

Apply to be a Student Volunteer at Siggraph 2016. 
Apply to be a Student Volunteer at Siggraph 2016. 
Apply to be a Student Volunteer at Siggraph 2016. 
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:
The SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Volunteer Program is a unique opportunity for students to engage in all areas of the conference while contributing behind-the-scenes to the overall success of this prestigious event. The benefits of being a Student Volunteer extend beyond the free full conference registration and include:

You'll study in an environment in which you can thrive

At Escape Studios we make a great effort to ensure that the environment that you study in is as close to the experience of actually working in industry. We are able to do this due to our close ties with our industry partners. This is achieved through the major VFX companies in London who mentor our students by providing guidance and feedback. We also encourage the students to work in the same way as they would in production to ensure they are equipped with the right skills when they eventually secure the job of their dreams!

Escape Studios MidTown
Escape Studios MidTown
Escape Studios MidTown

Get taught by some of the best from the industry

Escape Studios's tutors are chosen for their industry experience, expertise in their skill and strong teaching abilities. Learning from artists who have worked at VFX companies understand what is needed to become an artist in the competitive London market. This tight knowledge of the industry, pipeline, dos and don'ts, where to cut corners if needed and what to focus on allows for a very hands on approach to teaching.

They know and understand what skill-set companies are seeking when hiring and how to reach that high standard to create a noticeable showreel. That industry experience also keeps them up-to-date on the latest techniques. Our Compositing tutors come from a variety of backgrounds with feature film, commercials and tv series work experiences to contribute to a thorough course showcasing the main Nuke compositing skills to enter into the industry. For example, our head of 2D, Davi Stein's career started out in a commercials pipeline and moved onto feature films., giving her the full understanding of the different skill-sets needed for these currently growing markets. The needs of VFX companies is every changing as this very technical industry evolves so we can keep current to meet those trends and needs to feed back into the industry artists that are job ready. 

Learn the latest tools

The choice of software that we teach at Escape Studios is based on what tools the industry actually uses and what they are likely to be using in the future. We do not compromise on the software choices by picking packages that are free or more affordable to us since our main goal is to teach software skills that are relevant to what the students will be needing when they graduate. We are on very friendly terms with the biggest VFX software developers and vendors allowing us to get access to beta versions to test out some packages even before they get released to wider public. This allows us to stay a step ahead and ensure that our curriculum accurately reflects which way the industry is going. Thanks to our good relationship with the software vendors our students can get considerable discounts for purchasing educational licenses, which are not limited in their features such as some non-commercial alternatives.

Escape Studio's tutors
Escape Studios Induction

Make your showreel stand out
Here at Escape Studios, we can really help you craft a killer showreel. Here is our list of do's and don'ts:

DO

  • Keep it relevant to the position you're applying for
  • Play to your strengths
  • Lead with your best shot: impress from the outset
  • Show a range of skills but focus on those that will get you that specific role
  • Use only your best work
  • Breakdown and annotate your work
  • Show finished shots in the first half and breakdowns in the second half
  • Keep it fresh and orginal
  • Show your workings
  • Keep it short and simple, start and end with an impressive shot
  • Think about composition and presentation
  • Practise and develop all of your art skills#
  • Use reference material

DON'T

  • Attempt to overly complex or ambitious work
  • Use or copy other people's work
  • Show any work in progress
  • Include sub-standard work just to pad it out
  • Use offensive material
  • Make it too long - it won't all get seen

For advice on landing your dream job in VFX, Games, Animation or Motion Graphics, download our free careers guide!

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