Blog

Last night we hosted an event in our Santa Monica studio with our friends from a52 and the Chaos Group. Andy Hall and Kirk Shintani from a52 showed us some amazing commercials they created for the holidays for the Red Cross. The campaign, called "Holiday Giving with Fred" looks like it was shot stop-motion, but in reality it's entirely CG. They shared all of the behind-the-scenes details, including the tools and techniques they used. We got a special treat at the end when they shared a commercial they recently completed for VISA for the Olympics. Using old footage from past Olympic races - which cannot be altered in any way - they created slow motion scenes where four athletes win their respective races. Those sequences look completely real, though they're entirely CG. The spot is gorgeous and inspiring.

Last Friday, some of the Escape staff & students were given the opportunity to visit the El Segundo studios of Rhythm & Hues, one of the premier studios in the VFX industry. Rhythm & Hues has led the way in CG animation with their work on such features as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Golden Compass and Hop. Currently they are working on Ang Lee's next film Life of PI and awaiting release of the much anticipated Snow White and the Huntsman.  

Good Monday to you all! This week's round up of news has lots of stories about "John Carter", some interesting announcements from Adobe, some new software releases and much more. Hope you enjoy the read and don't forget to let me know if I have missed anything important.

Is your demo reel ho-hum? Not sure it catches recruiters’ attention? Well then let us take a look! We’re happy to announce that we are now offering free Demo Reel Reviews by VFX professionals in our Santa Monica studio. You’ll have an opportunity to share your reel with one of our talented VFX professionals in a one-on-one session. They will give you expert advice on how to make your reel stand out from the crowd. Plus, they’ll assess your skillset and help you determine if you need to improve in any areas of technical expertise.

Have you always wanted to learn more about Houdini? Are you in Los Angeles? Does the idea of attending a two-day boot camp float your boat? You're in luck!

Sometimes called the industry's best kept secret Houdini is a 3D program that should have better recognition. That’s why I’ve decided to run this webinar: to let the secret out of the box and dispel some of the myths surrounding the software.

With a rapidly growing VFX industry, there has never been a better time to think about carving out a career of your own. So we’re inviting you to come into Escape Studios, LA’s newest VFX training facility conveniently located in Santa Monica, to listen to VFX recruitment expert Pam Hogarth.

The winners have been revealed! Last Thursday in London at Escape Studios headquarters, we announced the winners of the CG Whiz 2011 competition at our now annual Reveal Event. Amidst free flowing champagne and much celebration, Daniel Danielsson was announced as the winner of the Amateurs Category. With general manager Mark Cass and head judge Lee Danskin on hand, his demo reel was shown. Daniel was left speechless as the team explained why he was elected to be this year’s winner. One small point to share, Daniel created his reel with no professional training—he taught himself how to use the software to create his piece.

Join us on Saturday, February 4, 2012 for an exclusive presentation Do you have what it takes to make it in VFX? Pam Hogarth who has done placement and recruiting in the industry for more than 15 years will share this interesting case study and we'll have experts from Escape Studios on hand to answer all your questions. From how to map a carreer path to succeed in VFX, to discussing the changes in the industry--you'll find out what you can expect when searching for a job in the area.

Are you interested in learning more about compositing? The VES Education Committee is hosting a presentation on Basic CG for Compositors at Escape Studios on December 17, 2011 at 10:00 am. Guest speaker Martin Hall will present some basic techniques that he used on recent projects including passes engineered in Vray and Mental Ray to complete his composites.