Remote learning

Please note that our courses will be starting in February with options for both remote and face-to-face learning in order to accommodate for everyone's specific needs, and everyone's safety, as we apply social distancing measures in line with government guidance. For more information, please visit our remote learning page or contact our Admissions team.

Storyboarding and Previsualisation (18 weeks)

Take your traditional and digital skills to a more technical level with this Advanced 18 week course!

Our Storyboarding and Previz is a unique course incorporating several important disciplines. Our course teaches both disciplines that use traditional drawing skills (storyboards), or digital skills (previz). Storyboard artists and previz artists must solve many of the same problems, including shot flow, cinematography, narrative rhythm, and continuity.

Internet access
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro (student licence provided)
Panel Forge (student licence provided)
Desktop or laptop meeting the Autodesk requirements for Maya (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Maya-2020.html)
Drawing Screen or Wacom graphics tablet
3-button mouse (or optionally a Wacom tablet or similar)
Working computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)
Note-taking materials
Paper and pencils

Why choose this course

You'll study in an environment that mirrors a standard industry animation studio, and will work with tools such as Autodesk Maya and Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.
You'll get hands on experience with traditional and digital techniques such as; cinematography, creating simple geometry and keyframe animation.
Studying a short course allows you to learn new skills quickly in as little as 12 weeks! Working in the fast paced environment will equip you for industry and you can start applying for job roles as soon as you’ve completed the programme.
In the studio you’ll work on industry designed briefs that replicate the real workplace. We give you experience of real life scenarios, such as dealing with briefs with varying requirements, deadlines and resources.
You'll develop your very own portfolio in the final weeks of the course. This will become your visual CV for future employers and will help you stand out in this growing but ever competitive industry.

Industry feedback

We pride ourselves on our industry powered training, that's why we partner with some of the world's leading studios on all our Escape Studios daytime short courses (full-time). Previous partners for our Storyboarding and Previsualisation courses have included Blue Zoo Animation for storyboarding, and Passion Pictures and The Third Floor for previsualisation.

This is a great opportunity for our students to receive industry standard critique from an expert in their field, personalised feedback allows students to improve their work to guarantee it's studio ready.

Module information

Module 1 - Storyboarding

Week 1: Storyboarding Basics - Pitch for a Short Film

Brainstorming
Logline
Premise
Outline
Script

Week 2: Story Design

Defining the conflict
Designing Characters with personality
Establishing the story rules
Creating story sequences

Week 3: Storyboarding Basics

Life drawing
Composition Elements
Colour theory
Concept Art
Character and Environment Design

Week 4: Storyboarding Intermediate

Script breakdown
Pacing the action
Thumbnails and tonal sketches
Beat boards
Staging

Week 5: Storyboarding Advanced

Digital storyboarding
Animation principles
Sound Design
Compositing
Animatic

Module 2 - Previsualisation

Week 6: Previz basics - Storyboarding for Interactive project

Art Direction and storytelling
Period styles, Fashion and Costume
Digital painting
Colour scripts
Lighting for atmosphere and mood
Cinematography techniques

Week 7: Previz basics

3D Concepts
Pipeline
Modelling
Assets and World Building

Week 8: Previz Intermediary

UVMapping
Textures
Materials

Week 9: Previz Intermediary

Rigging
Animation
Cameras

Week 10: Previz Intermediary

Lighting
Staging a shot
Rendering
Compositing
Editing

Week 11 & 12: Group Project- Directing a Story, Pitch for TV series

Preproduction

Week 13:

Production

Week 14:

Postproduction
Pitch

Week 15 & 16 : Individual Project- Producing Pitch for a Feature Film Project

Screenplay writing
Scheduling
Preproduction

Week 17:

Cinematography
Animation
TD
Rendering

Week18:

Postproduction
Pitch
Demo-reel

Software

How to apply

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

To study an Escape Studios short course you must be:

Over 18
Have a good understanding of written and spoken english
Feel comfortable using a computer. A working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop would be an advantage.

If you meet the above entry requirements you can

Make an enquiry: Complete our enquiry form and our admissions team will get in touch to check your eligibility for the course, send the registration form and advise you on payment options.
Contact us: Alternatively you can call our admissions team on 0203 9448 529 or email admissions@escapestudios.com,
Visit us: If you’d prefer to speak to someone face-to-face, you can book a 1-2-1 or attend an Open Evening

Following your application you will need to agree to our terms and conditions. Your place on the course will then be secured.

Where will this get me?

All students on any 3D for VFX (18 weeks) course will 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. After the classroom course is over we offer three months of online mentoring, so that our students can continue to refine and polish their skills. We take aftercare very seriously - since it can take time to put together a job-ready demo reel, we make sure our students get the time and practice that they need to refine their work to make them job-ready. Learn more about our Aftercare support.

See some of our Escape Studios animation success stories

See some of the work done by students at Escape

As you develop more experience and your skills develop further, the pool of roles you will be suitable for will grow. Download our Careers Guide here.

Fees and funding

Fees

London Campus: £15,950

Online: £12,760

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.

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.

Get in touch

We can help with any problems or questions you have with course fees and funding. Speak to one of our Applicant Advisors via phone or email today! Call us on 0207 348 1920 or email admissions@escapestudios.com.

Next steps

Open events

Meet our tutors for an informal chat and speak to other students.

Book now

Taster courses

Try before you buy and get a hands-on feel for what it's like to study with us.

Book now

Our campus

Study in our state-of-the-art studios and get a taste of what it's like to work in industry.

Take a look

Meet our tutors

Iliana is our Storyboarding and Previsualisation tutor and also the Art Director at Mediaframe Ltd. With over 30 years in the animation industry, she has worked on various TV shows including “Hungarian Folk Tales”(1992-1996), “Carland Cross” (1996), and some feature film projects including “A Monkey’s Tale” (1999) and “The Princess and the Pea” (2002).

Iliana has a BA in Animation from Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and an MPhil in Arts and Media from University for the Creative Arts.

Industry partners

Industry partners and advisors influence everything we do, from the curriculum we teach and how it's delivered to our webinars and special events.

We work alongside an impressive list of VFX, Games and Animation studios including Framestore, Blue Zoo, MPC, Jellyfish Pictures, Creative Assembly and many more across all our courses at Escape Studios.

With exclusive professional feedback, intensive software training and much more, our industry-led courses give you up-to-the-minute, inspirational knowledge and experience, tailored to the work you’re passionate about. Our Escape Studios Alumni (Escapees) can be found in many of the studios including Pixar, MPC, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Rockstar Games and Electric Theatre Collective.

Find out more about our industry partners

Why Escape Studios?

Our tutors have worked in the industry and have been hand-picked from successful studios; they teach real-world tips and tricks learnt from on-the-job experience
You'll work in an industry-style studio from day one, so you'll get a taste of what it's like to work in industry
Our industry partners include Framestore, The Mill, MPC, DNEG, Cinesite, Electric Theatre Collective and Jellyfish Pictures (to name just a few!)
Our industry partners help to design, develop and deliver our courses and they influence everything we do, so you'll benefit from up-to-the-minute knowledge and experience
You'll study at the heart of London's creative scene, so our state of the art facilities are the perfect place to kick-start your career