About the course
Motion Graphics is a craft that allows you to work across a range of creative industries, such as graphic design, advertising, animation, broadcasting, multimedia, games or film. Fast, flexible and fundamental learning in a growing specialist area of Motion Graphics, this course combines graphic design and audiovisuals to create a variety of media.
What to expect
- You’ll study in the evenings, this course will fit around work and other commitments. It is perfect for designers and artists, as well as anyone with a background in art and design and a working knowledge of Photoshop, including undergraduates, looking to expand into motion graphics.
- During the course you’ll have masterclasses by seasoned industry professionals in specific areas such as Character Animation, VFX, Broadcast and Advertising. You’ll learn the keys of the industry from different professionals and also you will develop a practical exercise with each one.
- You'll get hands-on training in both After Effects and Cinema 4D, from work methodology to animation. You’ll be job ready at the end of the course and also develop a strong visual showreel, so you’ll be able to demonstrate your newfound Motion Graphics skills to employers.
- You’ll graduate with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, a well-respected qualification within the industry, demonstrating you’ve studied an industry-based course and have the practical, hands-on skills studios are looking for.
The course is directed by JM Blay (PhD supported by Kyle Cooper) an independent director and motion designer with more than fifteen years in the industry. He’s worked for films like The Hobbit and Guardians of the Galaxy, for video games like Call of Duty Black Ops II, for TV channels like the BBC and for music videos for artists like Paul McCartney and Lily Allen. He’s also worked for clients such as NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Marvel, BBC, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Lenovo, Adidas, Adobe, Citi Bank and Activision among others. He has a PhD on Design in the speciality of Motion Graphics. Find out more about JM Blay.
Where can this course take me?
You can work in a variety of companies, from film production companies to advertising or marketing agencies as well as for small creative studios or start ups. In the film industry, you can work doing film titles, UI design, special sequences or VFX.
You can be an in-house motion designer or a freelancer, the motion graphics industry is growing rapidly and studios will always be on the lookout for talented mograph artists. The industry is demanding more and more motion designers, people who can create those animations. From film production companies to advertising or marketing agencies as well as small creative studios, digital agencies or start ups, are demanding more and more that specific profile.
Why Escape Studios?
Escape Studios is Europe’s leading VFX academy and we’ve been part of Pearson College London since 2013. We sprang into life in 2002, to solve the industry’s lack of educated, studio-ready VFX talent. Since then, over 4,000 people have graduated from Escape, going on to forge successful careers spanning the whole VFX spectrum. You’ll find Escapee Alumni behind many Oscar and Bafta nominated films, 100s of award-winning films and television shows and 1,000s of award-winning commercials. Our secret? Our intensive and fiercely vocational approach and a professional studio experience that trains VFX professionals to the latest industry standards.
Student showreel
Module Information
Week 1 - Work methodology (briefing, story boarding, planning)
- Planning a project in pre-production
- Structuring your After Effects project
- Setup After Effects preferences
- Tools and panels
- Keyframe concept and principles
Week 2 - Components of motion graphics: graphic design and audiovisuals
- Preparing Photoshop and Illustrator content for animation
- Colour correction tools and effects
- Grouping layers by nesting and pre-composing
- Using adjustment layers to affect multiple layers
- Masks and track mattes
Content area: Basic 2D animation
Week 3 - Typography 01
- Animating text layers
- Animating shapes
- Parenting
- Using Nulls to control layers
Content Area: Character Animation
Week 4 - Following brand guidelines
- Rotoscoping green screen footage
- Time and speed/remapping
- Motion stabilisation and tracking
Content area: Bumper/ID animation
Week 5 – Typography 02
- 3D space: layers, lights and cameras
Cineware - Content area: Bumper/ID animation
Content area: Bumper/ID animation
Week 6 – User interface & Cinema 4D
- Basic modelling
- Basic animation
- Shading
- Camera
- Render
Content area: UI animation
Week 7 – Pitch
• Basic Mograph
• Multipass
Content area: 3D logo animation
Week 8 – Codecs & Rendering
• The different codecs in QuickTime
• Rendering/Render queues
Content area: final project
Week 9 – Formats, applications, tools and basic techniques
• Working with audio
• Understanding pixel aspect ratios
• Editing
Content area: final project
Week 10 – Basic task of a motion designer inside a company
• Creating and managing expressions
• Particles concept
• Show reference plugins: Lens Flare, Trapcode, CameraTracker, Mocha
Content area: final project
Week 11 – final project work
Week 12 – Companies in the UK and worldwide
Content area: Edit reel
Industry partners
Our industry partners influence everything we do.
On this Motion Graphics course we work alongside an impressive list of VFX studios including The Mill, Framestore, BlueBolt, MPC, Glassworks and many more, to keep our courses as current as possible and to help you get the most from them.
Fees and funding
Fees: £2,400
Funding for UK students
You may be able to get funding to help cover the cost of the course. For independent advice, and to find out more about your options, visit gov.uk or call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.
If you’re a UK resident, you can apply for a Professional Career Development Loan (PCDL). PCDLs are bank loans to pay for courses and training that help with your career. You may be able to borrow between £300 and £10,000. Loans are usually offered at a reduced interest rate and the government pays the interest while you’re studying. It’s best to apply at least three months before starting your course, to give your bank time to process your application.
To be eligible for a PCDL, you must be 18 or over, have been living in the UK for at least three years before your course starts and planning to work in the UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) after you graduate.
To apply, find out which banks offer the loan and order an application pack by calling the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900. Complete and return the application form to your bank and they’ll decide if you qualify for a loan.
Funding for international students
We recommend you visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs website. The Council doesn’t provide funding directly, but it will give you all the information you need about studying and living in the UK, including visas and funding.
We do our best to find funding solutions for overseas students. For example:
● If you’re from Sweden, you may be able to get help from the Swedish loan and grant course. Find out more at csn.se
● Spanish students should visit the spanish government website for useful information on studying, employment and emigration, plus details of grants available to Spanish students.
● If you’re from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Burma, you may be able to get funding from the Charles Wallace Trust, to help towards your living costs and educational development in the UK. Find out more at wallace-trusts.org.uk
Entry requirements
You must be over 18 and have a good understanding of written and spoken English, and feel comfortable using a computer. A working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop would be an advantage.
How to apply
You must be over 18 and have a good understanding of written and spoken English, and feel comfortable using a computer. A working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop would be an advantage.
We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
- Contact an applicant advisor - call or email our applicant advisors on 020 7348 1920 and they will discuss what your next steps will be based on your experience and understanding of the course.
- Meet and Greet - if you're exploring your options we advise you visit an open evening, a taster day or book a 1-2-1 meeting with an applicant advisor
- Online application form - once you've explored all your options and you’re ready to join a course, fill in the online application form and an applicant advisor will be in touch.
- Your offer - once the applicant advisor has checked you’re eligible for the course, we will send you confirmation of your offer and will discuss which payment method you prefer
- Deposit - payment plan
- EBD
- Full payment via bank transfer
- PCDL or private loans
- (PT through the shop)
- Accept the offer - the final step is to accept the offer by signing our terms and conditions. Your place on the course will then be secured.
If you would like to talk to us about anything to do with applying for a place please call our Admissions Team on 020 7348 1920 or email admissions@escapestudios.com.
Online application form
Course summary
- LOCATION
Escape Studios West - COURSE START DATES
3 October 2017 (Full)
- TUITION FEES
£2,400 - MODE OF STUDY
Part time (Tue and Thur 7pm - 10pm) - PROGRAMME DURATION
12 weeks - ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Aged 18 or over, a good understanding of written and spoken English
Please note: this course requires access to a 64-bit operating system.
Many employers were interested by the fact that I had studied at Escape Studios, it was an added bonus that I was also lucky enough to be selected to join course tutor, Thiago Maia’s, Cookie Studio for a 3 month internship.
Teresa Tang, Escape Studio Alumni
Meet your tutor
JM Blay
Head of Motion graphics