Escape Studios

Last updated
Escape Studios
Escape Studios Logo.png
Founder(s)Dominic Davenport
Established2002
Address6 Mitre Passage, North Greenwich, London, SE10 0ER
Location
North Greenwich
,
London
,
United Kingdom
Websitewww.escapestudios.ac.uk

Escape Studios is a British visual effects academy situated and headquartered in North Greenwich, London, offering short courses and degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level. [1] Escape Studios' primary offering includes study programmes in Visual Effects (VFX), Game Art and Animation, with short courses available in Motion Graphics. Since the foundation of Escape Studios in 2002, more than 4,000 students have passed through its doors, moving into jobs in the animation and visual effects industries. [2]

Contents

History

Escape Studios was founded in April 2002 by Dominic Davenport & James Huggins [3] as an independent visual effects academy; initially based in Notting Hill, [4] and later in Shepherd's Bush, London, offering short courses in Visual Effects (VFX), Game Art, Animation and later Motion Graphics. [5] The goal was to become "Europe's top VFX school". [6] In 2010 Davenport described Escape Studios as a "finishing school for the visual effects industry in this country", [7] often taking students with an existing undergraduate degree and helping them to break into the industry. [8]

In 2011 general manager Mark Cass explained in an interview with the BBC that demand for trained VFX talent was such that "we literally cannot train people quick enough to get out the door", and that the philosophy of Escape Studios is "recreate, as far as possible, the work environment that its graduates will hopefully enter". [9]

In 2012 Escape Studios attempted to break into the United States setting up a training campus in LA but closed shortly after. [10] Shortly after Escape Studios closed operations in LA it spun off its software re-selling business, creating a new company, Escape Technology, "targeting the media industry", allowing Escape Studios to "concentrate fully on the continued growth of its classroom and online academies and recruitment services". [11] [12]

Studio space at Escape Studios with a view of surrounding North Greenwich location. Escape-Studios.jpg
Studio space at Escape Studios with a view of surrounding North Greenwich location.

In October 2013 Escape Studios was acquired by Pearson plc, and from September 2015 it began offering degrees at graduate level (followed by undergraduate degrees from 2016) as a subsidiary of Pearson College London. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are validated and awarded by the University of Kent. [13]

Pearson announced that "Escape Studios will retain its name and Shepherd’s Bush location", and promised a “smooth transition” for "all existing students and staff". [14] Escape Studios' primary offerings are in three areas: Visual Effects (VFX), Animation and Game Art, although short courses are available in Motion Graphics.

Tutors include Head of Animation Alexander Williams. [15] Visiting tutors include animator and graphic novelist Sydney Padua. [16]

In June 2023 Escape Studios was acquired by AAP Education Limited, a new partnership between Sterling Partners and Coventry University. AAP Education is committed to maintaining high quality student experiences and outcomes and to creating a sustainable and exciting future. The trading name remains as Escape Studios.

In April 2024, Escape Studios received its UKVI licence and therefore welcomes aspiring talent and creatives from around the globe. Receiving the UKVI licence allows the institution to sponsor international students to join programmes on a student visa. [17]

Industry Partnerships

Industry partners include Framestore, The Mill, MPC, Electric Theatre Collective, Jellyfish Pictures, Bluebolt, Cinesite, DNEG and Milk. [18] In 2012 Escape Studios launched the first VFX Festival in London, in partnership with MPC, Framestore and Cinesite. [19]

Escape Studios participates in the National Saturday Club, an outreach program that aims to help students from diverse backgrounds gain access to the creative industries. [20] It also co-operates with ScreenSkills to offer courses aimed at under-represented groups such as women and minorities. [21]

In January 2019 Escape Studios announced a Master's Degree in storyboarding and previsualisation, the first of its kind. [22]

Awards

Best Student Animation Winners at the British Animation Film Festival 2019 Best Student Animation Winners at the British Animation Film Festival 2019.jpg
Best Student Animation Winners at the British Animation Film Festival 2019

Students from Escape Studios have won a number of awards. The short film Home Sweet Home, directed by Maria Robertson, won Best Student Animation at the 2019 British Animation Film Festival. [23] The short film Jericho was short-listed for a student BAFTA in 2019. [24]

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Admissions | Escape Studios | Pearson College London". www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  2. ↑ Animation World Network, 4 September 2015 Retrieved 6 December 2018
  3. ↑ Companies House
  4. ↑ MyLondon 12 October 2012 Retrieved 7 December 2018
  5. ↑ The Guardian 12 November 2013 Retrieved 5 December 2018
  6. ↑ broadcastnow.co.uk 12 June 2002 Retrieved 6 December 2018
  7. ↑ The British film and television industries: Decline or Opportunity? Published by The Stationery Office, 24 January 2010 Retrieved 5 December 2018
  8. ↑ Dusty Baxter-Wright, Cosmopolitan, June 29 2018 Retrieved 5 December 2018
  9. ↑ Iain Mackenzie, BBC News, 14 May 2011 Retrieved 6 December 2018
  10. ↑ Escape Launching a campus in LA
  11. ↑ Rene Millman, channelbiz.com, 21 December 2012 Retrieved 6 December 2018
  12. ↑ Broadcast Now, 2 January 2013 Retrieved 17 December 2018
  13. ↑ University of Kent Website Retrieved 18 December 2018
  14. ↑ Education Investor 2013 Retrieved 17 January 2022
  15. ↑ Evening Standard Thursday 29 June 2017 Retrieved 5 December 2018
  16. ↑ PCL News 12 March 2018 Retrieved 6 December 2018
  17. ↑ Escape Studios News 9 April 2024 Retrieved 15 April 2024
  18. ↑ "Industry Partners | Escape Studios | Pearson College London". www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  19. ↑ creativebloq.com Retrieved 6 December 2018
  20. ↑ Escape Studios at saturday-club.org Retrieved 5 December 2018
  21. ↑ Evening standard 13 June 2019 Retrieved 14 June 2019
  22. ↑ Escape Studios at awn.com Retrieved 25 February 2019
  23. ↑ BAFF 2019 Winners: Official site Retrieved 16 September 2019
  24. ↑ Jericho at IMDB
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