Producing for VFX (Evening - 8 weeks)

Course details

Location

Live online

Start date

2nd April 2024

Application deadline

29th March 2024

Duration

8 weeks

Mode of study

Part time (Tuesday and Thursday evenings: 7pm-10pm)

Fees

£1,595

Thirs place Rookies award icon for production excellence in visual effectsTop 10 Rookies award for creative schools in the UK

Course overview

This course will give you the skills, knowledge and understanding to enter the production teams of studios, working on feature films, high-end TV and high-end commercials. 

Designed for new entrants, and those with a limited experience of production, you'll learn the essentials of production, including the VFX, animation and production pipelines, production roles and the specific tasks required for all entry level production roles.  

As well as giving comprehensive foundational skills and knowledge, this course also introduces you to the higher-level roles and tasks of a VFX Producer such as scheduling, bidding and managing artists. This will help new entrants to understand the entire producing ecosystem and point you in the direction of travel for future career development.

Why choose this course 

  • Industry briefs - work on industry-standard briefs and experience real-life scenarios, just like in a professional studio  

  • Professional input - our advisory board of experts, from the likes of DNEG (Avengers: Endgame and Oscar-winning Dune) and MPC (The Lion King and 1917), help keep this course relevant

  • Successful alumni - join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios including Framestore, Netflix and DNEG. 47 Escapees worked on Avengers: Endgame, 36 on No Time to Die and 16 on Stranger Things

  • Industry-standard software - study in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as ShotGrid (previously Shotgun)

  • Fast-track learning - studying a short course allows you to learn new skills quickly, in a fast-paced environment, so you can start applying for jobs as soon as you’ve completed the programme 

  • Intensive training - we pack a lot into a few evening classes, and we recommend that you work outside of classes for an extra few hours per week to complete your assignments 

  • Flexibility - study live online and in the evening to fit the course around your professional and personal life and other commitments

  • Strong skillset - along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Completion, you'll leave with strong skills including personal and soft skills that will help you make the difference in a studio 

  • Small class sizes - a convivial environment allows students to assist and inspire one another and benefit from personalised feedback from tutors.

Course modules

  • Introduction to production 

  • Principles and roles of production 

  • The VFX pipeline  

  • The 2D/3D and animation pipelines - how they work with production

  • Introduction to bidding and creating VFX breakdowns 

  • Start individual 7-week project 

  • Introduction to scheduling

  • Introduction to production software ShotGrid – setup, navigation, tracking and tasking

  • ShotGrid in practice - setting tasks

  • Gathering, understanding and processing production data, information and production milestones  

  • Dailies and note taking - best practices

  • Shotgun tasks, versions and status 

  • Working with the Editorial Department within a VFX facility

  • Creating playlists and dailies in ShotGrid for client reviews  

  • Shotgun in practice - setting task

  • Rounds and teams 

  • Relationships - working with VFX Artists and Supervisors  

  • Understanding the wider VFX world – VFX facilities, clients and vendors

  • Production client side 

  • Facility finance and reports  

  • Presentation of VFX breakdowns

More information

  • ShotGrid 

To apply, complete our online application form.

If you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, get in touch!

As part of the application process, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions for your place on the course to be secured.

Minimum requirements

We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

To study this short course, you must:

  • Be over 18

  • Have a good understanding of written and spoken English

  • Feel comfortable using a computer.

If you’d like to discuss your circumstances before applying, contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0) 203 441 1303.

Non-UK students

We accept international students for our short courses, with no difference in course fees or administration costs. 

The Standard Visitor visa allows students to come to the UK to study for a course of up to six months at an accredited institution. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a standard visitor visa prior to departure from your home country. For more information visit:  

Contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 for any questions.

We can provide remote access to our workstations during teaching time. Due to availability restrictions, we highly advise you to have your own set up at home to study in your own time.

More things you’ll need:

  • A strong internet connection

  • An external hard drive (minimum 2TB) to back up your work during the course

  • A three-button mouse (or optionally graphics tablet)

  • A computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)

  • Note-taking materials

If you have any questions about learning online or if you need help with what to buy, get in touch at courses@escapestudios.ac.uk.

Fees 

Live online: £1,595

Payment plans

We offer a range of payment plan options for all courses. Following an initial deposit at registration stage, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining fees into up to six equal instalments, to be paid over the course length.

Contact our Admissions Team on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 or visit our admissions page for any questions about fees, funding and payment plans.

“As you might be aware there is a distinct lack of production candidates out there and this is a good way to get into the industry at a junior level as a VFX coordinator for example.” Neil Roche, Head of 3D at Milk VFX. 

This course is designed for you to get your first job in the industry and fast track your career progression. We want to give you a solid practical and theoretical foundation in the fundamentals of VFX production, needed to successfully enter a VFX production team. The mix of practical theory lessons, individual assignments and group workshops will give you the experience needed to stand out in an interview and help you move through the ranks on your journey through the industry from junior to senior level. 

You’ll leave with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, and our Producing courses are very highly regarded in the wider industry and we have many success stories.

Our previous students have gone on to progress through the ranks in world class VFX studios, including Netflix and DNEG. Read some of our VFX Escapee success stories.

Check out our Careers Guide for more information about career opportunities and progression routes.

Meet our industry-experienced tutors

Martin Gabriel is the lead tutor on this course. He has over twenty years of experience working from pre to post production in VFX in London and Hollywood, on large budget films as well as smaller independent productions for films, TV and commercials.

Although he has mostly worked on large budget Hollywood projects including Lost in Space and The Nice Guys, these days he is often to be found working on smaller, independent, European films

I thought the Escape Studios showcase was very well executed and very professional, I was impressed with the level of production involved in terms of using Shotgun for asset management and spreadsheets for shot management.

Neil Roche
Head of 3D at Milk VFX