Escape Studios

Escape Studios has been at the forefront of creative education since 2002, supplying the industry with studio-ready talent and offering undergraduate, postgraduate and short courses in Visual Effects (VFX), Game Art and Computer Animation. 

As a leader in digital arts, Escape Studios ranked 5th in the world by the Rookies, a Rookies Certified School, a Houdini Certified School, and the only Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center in the UK. Courses are designed, developed and delivered in collaboration with leading studios. Escape Studios produce courses which ensure students graduate with the skills required to progress in the industry.

They offer postgraduate degrees in: 

• 3D Visual Effects 
• 2D Visual Effects (Compositing) 
• Game Art 
• 3D Animation 
• Storyboarding and Previsualisation 
• Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation)

All of Escape Studios’ courses will be running in 2021, regardless of the COVID-19 situation. Whilst conforming to government guidelines, Escape Studios will be delivering their daytime short courses and postgraduate degrees in their studios, with the option to study live online for those who prefer. All evening short courses will be running live online only until further notice. The studios are committed to providing students with an authentic student experience, whether it is in the studio or online.

Escape Studios’ highly vocational courses have been developed in conjunction with a range of industry partners, which includes some of the world’s biggest studios. This ensures graduates have the skills and knowledge required to excel in their chosen fields. In addition, they run a number of employer networking events and visits from leading industry professionals to benefit students.

The studios also provide an AfterCare package for all students once they have completed their course, which includes showreel clinics, CV advice, and access to job boards.

Escape Studios’ alumni (dubbed ‘Escapees’) have gone onto successful careers working for companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, Cinesite, DNEG, Rockstar, and Ubisoft. ‘Escapees’ have been behind a number of Oscar and BAFTA-nominated films, plus 1000s of award-winning films, television shows, and commercials.

Students can read Escape Studios’ alumni success stories and download their Careers Guide on the schools website. 

Escape Studios offer taught postgraduate degrees in the following subjects:

• 3D Visual Effects
• 2D Visual Effects (Compositing) 
• Game Art 
• 3D Animation 
• Storyboarding and Previsualisation 
• Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation)

Find out more about their postgraduate courses here.

On all courses, students will work on two projects: a group/collaborative project, working on an industry-designed professional brief, which tests their knowledge, skills, and team-working abilities; and a production project, which showcases the student’s critical awareness and advanced technical skills.

Escape Studios’ tutors are all experts in their field, bringing experience from working in successful studios to the classroom. They've worked on everything from EA gaming titles, classic animations such as The Chronicles of Narnia, to critically acclaimed films including Doctor Strange and Thor Ragnarok. Their tutors teach real-world tips and tricks learnt from on-the-job experience to turn students’ passion into skills required by studios.

Find out more about the Escape Studios tutors on the website.

Although there isn’t a traditional students’ union, the student experience team at Escape Studios offer support inside and outside the classroom. This includes free access to professional software. They also help organise fun social events and activities for students to get involved with, such as game nights, movie nights, and food-based events.

Escape Studios are part of Pearson College London and, as such, all students have access to the Pearson College Community Association (PCSA), which is run by students for students. The PCSA oversees all of the social activities that take place across the college, including managing the college’s sports clubs and societies and organising a busy programme of extra-curricular activities that are open to all students.

Find out more about Student Experience at Escape Studios on the site.

There is no on-site accommodation at Escape Studios, however students can find accommodation in private halls, such as Tufnell House (in the London borough of Islington) or Grand Felda House (located in Wembley Park).

Students can also find rooms to rent across the capital using many websites such as ‘My student halls’ and ‘Student Spare room’. 

Escape Studios boasts state-of-the-art facilities which includes equipment and software (please find out more in the Software Handbook) that can be found in the world’s top creative studios. Each studio comes equipped with cutting-edge HP Z640 workstations with plenty of RAM and storage. Students will have access to industry-spec, up-to-date software, such as:

• Maya
• Nuke
• Unreal Engine
• Mudbox
• 34 Equalizer
• PanelForge
• Storyboard Pro
• Houdini
• Zbrush

Degrees are taught in a studio environment, with small class sizes and a lot of contact time – giving students a very hands-on and real-world learning experience. In addition to fully equipped studios, there are lecture theatres and meeting rooms for additional teaching and group study sessions.

The studios also come equipped with kitchen facilities and breakout spaces for students to relax and socialise in, and a student services hub where students can go for support.

Students can find out more about Escape Studios at their Open Evenings and register a space here.

Escape Studios’ vibrant campus is located in Holborn, right in the heart of a global hotspot for creative industries, making it the perfect place for students to kickstart their career. With a whole host of creative events taking place each year, from MCM London Comic Con to the BFI Film Festival, there’s always something to keep students busy both in and out of the studio.

Away from studying, London has everything a student could need right on their doorstep. Art, culture, history, music, theatre, sport, nature – London has something to offer everyone, no matter their personal preferences.

There are a number of student clubs and societies that are managed by the Pearson College Students Association (PCSA), including the Grub Club, Raise and Give (RAG), and Pearson Poker club. All students of Escape Studios can join these clubs and societies, regardless of their abilities or experience, and if they want to create a new club or society they will be fully supported in doing so.

Over the past academic year, their students decided to implement a series of pop-up events and formed 5 different channels: Active, Charity, Culture, Education and Nightlife. The events so far have ranged from boat parties and debating to paintballing and football, bar crawls and investment club to late night museum openings and meals out, not forgetting the annual Christmas Party!

In addition, all Escape Studios students will be offered a free membership (value: £40) to Student Central, which offers a wider variety of clubs and societies, alongside a host of other student social and wellbeing facilities.

At Escape Studios, students will get all the academic and pastoral support they need to succeed on their degree and have a great student experience.

Academically, this includes access to industry-spec hardware and up-to-date software, as well as access to a team of studio assistants who offer advice and support.

The Student Experience Team will help ensure that students’ day-to-day lives are as stress-free as possible. They provide support and mentoring and run a number of employability-based ‘Evening with....’ events. They also employ a Student Counsellor, who offers free, confidential support to students at Escape Studios.

The buzzing Escape community is active online too, with social media groups and weekly newsletters to keep students up to date on job roles, the latest VFX knowledge, and accommodation or financial matters.

Tuition fees for 2021/2022 are £15,540 for courses that are delivered live online via distance learning and £17,995 for courses that are delivered in person on campus in London.

Fees are reviewed every year however, so please refer to the website for the most up-to-date prices and enrollments.

All postgraduate fees are payable at the beginning of each academic year. UK students studying a postgraduate course at Escape Studios may be eligible for the government’s Master’s Loan, which is a maximum of £11,222.

For their 2021 cohort, a postgraduate student from each of the 2D VFX, 3D VFX, 3D Animation, Game Art, Storyboarding and Previsualisation and Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation) courses will receive an £8,000 scholarship to significantly reduce their tuition fees. All students who apply for this degree and submit a creative portfolio will automatically be considered for the scholarship (there is no need to apply separately).

Tutors will make a decision based on the following criteria:

• creative portfolio (Download their REEL TALK Guide here)
• personal statement
• ability to excel on the degree programme

To find out more, please visit the website.

Escape Studios are one of the UK’s leading providers of training and education in the fields of Visual Effects Production (3D and Compositing), Game Art, 3D Animation, Storyboarding and Previsualisation and Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation).

Students will learn from award-winning, industry-experienced tutors – such as Head of Animation Alex Williams, who has experience working at Disney, Dreamworks, and Warner Bros – and from industry partners, who give regular talks and provide feedback on students’ work.

They will learn the latest skills and processes in their specialism and will refine these skills working on true-to-life project briefs using industry-standard hardware and software.

Students will graduate with not only the skills that will enable them secure leading roles across in-demand industries, but with an amazing showreel that showcases them.

Applicants applying for postgraduate degrees typically require an undergraduate honors degree in a relevant subject. However, students without an undergraduate degree are still encouraged to apply, as Escape Studios considers every applicant on their own merits, and will take into consideration a variety of academic or professional qualifications. They will also consider students without any qualifications who have a significant amount of work and life experience in related creative areas.

Applicants who don’t speak English as their first language are required to hold an English language qualification.

Students will need to submit a portfolio of work and attend an interview, where they will need to demonstrate their passion for their chosen subject.

Please refer to the Escape Studios’ website for the most up to date information.

Escape Studios provide six taught postgraduate courses, in VFX, Games, Animation, Storyboarding & Visualisation and Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation). All qualifications are awarded by the University of Kent.

Students will spend the first 18 weeks of their course receiving hand-on training in the studio on world-class hardware and software. Class sizes are purposely kept small so that students can benefit from a lot of 1-2-1 contact time with tutors, who are all industry-experienced professionals.

The remainder of the course is working independently (though under close supervision from tutors) on two major industry-designed project briefs where they will apply the techniques they have learnt, creating pieces of work in an amazing showreel that showcases their talent.

Students can download Escape Studios Industry Beginner’s Guide on their website.

Courses are designed for flexible learning. During the first few months of the programme students will attend class on campus in London. But for the rest of the year and for their final project, students will study remotely.

All students will have access to the Online Learning Environment, where they will find module information, study resources, a comprehensive online library, and recordings of any lectures.

Escape Studios is a leading visual effects (VFX) academy, which has been offering students accelerated classroom training through its London campus.  

Postgraduate courses are taught by expert tutors with many years’ experience working at the top of their specialist industries, on acclaimed productions such as Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, and Casino Royale, and for companies such as Playstation, Disney, and Warner Bros.

Courses have been developed in conjunction with a range of industry partners, including some of the world’s biggest studios, including Dreamworks Animation and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Partners are not just involved in course development, but are also active in course delivery.  They regularly deliver talks, attend networking and showcase events, and provide feedback on students’ work.

All of this helps produce world-class, studio-ready talent ready to shine in their chosen careers.

Escape Studios offers six postgraduate qualifications, these are: 

• MA Visual Effects (3D)
• MA Visual Effects (Compositing) 
• MA Game Art
• MA 3D Animation 
• MA Storyboarding and Previsualisation 
• MA Character & Creature Creation (subject to validation) 

Find out more about their postgraduate courses here.