We're over half way through with our first set of course offerings in VFX and Compositing and it has been an exciting ride. We'll be offering both of our 12 week daily courses again in 2012. We've set up our spring, summer and fall start dates for our Visual Effects Production and Compositing for Production courses so you can start your planning right away.
Our First US Escapee Mug Shots
Our first set of students just hit the mid-way mark of their courses so we decided it was high time we subjected them to a long-standing Escape Studios tradition, that consists of capturing their photos before they start pulling their hair out coming to grips with the more complicated side of the VFX pipeline.
Escape Studios LA Completes First Week of Classes
November 7 was our first day of classes here at Escape Studios LA. We’ve enrolled 14 students in our courses and they’ve already begun to learn the basics of Maya and NUKE. It’s clear that the students are learning a ton and enjoying the intensity of the courses. We can’t wait to see what our new students will be able to produce once they complete the next eleven weeks. I’m sure their demo reels will give us a taste of their talents.
Escapee Carlos Conceicao Lands Internship at The Foundry
Our UK team recently released a story about one of our compositing escapees - Carlos Conceicao - landing an internship at The Foundry. This got me thinking about the actual spectrum of jobs that are available to people who study with us. There is an expectation that the majority will go on to work for companies in the VFX, Animation or TV industry. And yet Carlos has just demonstrated that you can actually go on to work in the software industry, for companies who develop the tools that are used in the media and entertainment sector. They are many such companies. Most of you will have heard of the largest ones like Autodesk, but there is a plethora of other companies and a constant flow of new comers too. This
Classes in VFX & Compositing Starting November 7, 2011 in Santa Monica
It’s official! Intensive classroom courses in Visual Effects Production and Compositing for Production begin on November 7, 2011 at our Santa Monica Academy. These courses are intensive - they run 12 weeks, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. You can expect the following from each course:
Apprenticeship Spotlight: Derrick Sesson
We’ve highlighted the exploits of our summer apprentices and have yet another story to tell.
Escape Studios Hosts First LA Open House
After weeks of waiting we have finally moved into our new Santa Monica campus, and we’re enjoying every minute. The school is almost complete, but we just couldn’t wait to show people around. That’s why we were so thrilled when earlier this month we held our first LA open house event and got to show prospective students our brand new space. Everyone enjoyed it so much that we’ve decided to host an open house event every two weeks for the rest of year.
Apprenticeship Spotlight: James Brady
We have been catching up with another of our Summer Apprentices. Here is what James Brady, Junior 3D Artist at The Mill, had to say.
We're Almost There! LA Campus Update
A lot of progress has been made to our Santa Monica campus since the last we reported. Lighting is installed, reception desk is built, glass is in place, walls are up and paint is going on. Next steps after we finish painting the walls are to install the furniture and add the finishing touches with the glass and wall graphic treatments.
Escape Studios Summer Apprenticeship Kicks Off
As we near the launch of our US campus in Santa Monica, CA, Escape Studios will be hosting our first ever Summer Apprenticeship Program. Over a period of 12 weeks, selected juniors, interns, PAs, TAs, or runners from some of our partner studios including The Mill, The Third Floor, Method, a52, and Digital Domain and will gain the full Escape Studios’ experience.
Escapee Bastiaan Koch Finds Escape...Again!
Recently at the Games Developer Conference in San Francisco, a member of the Escape Studios team ran into Bastiaan Koch, founder of Marauder Films. Early into the conversation they discovered their commonality, Bastiaan is an escapee!
Mentored Training: One-2-One Online Tours
For anyone who cannot attend courses at our London or Los Angeles campuses, look no further. Escape Studios’ Online Mentored Training Courses are designed for you to learn the same curriculum as our classroom courses but from the convenience of your own home or office. If you have thought about a career change or simply want to advance your skills to land that dream job, we have the solution for you. Our dedicated instructors will guide you as you learn professional industry related skills.
April 21st Webinar: Entry Level Roles for Compositors
Sign up for this webinar on April 21, 2011 and find out what is expected from a Roto/Paint/Prep artist and how a compositor’s work fits into the team structure/pipeline at a typical studio. We will show you the kinds of work you will be presented with, the timescales for completion of work and the level of quality you will be expected to produce.
CreativeBloke Takes On ZBrush
Have you started our new ZBrush for 3D Artist online course or are you thinking about taking it? Do you want to find out what others think? One individual has taken on this task and will be recording his progress through his blog on creativebloke.com. He has had both great and awful experiences with online learning experiences so he is sure to give an honest opinion.
Beavis and Butt-head Are Back!
The rumors are true! Although the announcement is not so new anymore, I had to share the story myself. The socially inept, pre-pubescent, rock star loving, TV obsessed, animated duo are coming back to the small screen. Since their departure from MTV in 1997, Beavis and Butt-head’s cult following has been long awaiting a return. I’m guilty!
New Search Function Goes Live in Escape Studios' eLearning Platform
Over the past couple of weeks we've been busy working on our online learning system to bring to you a number of new features and enhancements.
"I can't wait to start my VFX Course" explains CG Whiz winner Stu Schwartz
I’ve just gotten back to school and a lot of people are asking me about the CG Whiz competition. They want to know if I’m excited about going to LA to study with Escape Studios and when I’ll start at The Mill.
5 Tips to Succeed in Our Online Courses
Since we started offering both self-directed and mentored online courses, Escape has seen some amazing talent develop through online learning. Unlike classroom courses, online courses give students the option to learn when and where they want. This is ideal for working professionals or anyone who can’t make it to our campuses. But of course online learning – even a mentored course that provides access to instructors and peers – has challenges, which is why I’ve put together five tips to help you succeed in our online courses.
One-on-one Studio Tours Underway at Escape Studios
We’ve got our new space under construction and we are getting ready to move in any day. In the meantime, we are spending some time with our friends at The Mill getting things set up so we can start teaching our classroom courses in April. Come over for a peek behind the scenes at The Mill or meet us for a look at our new location.
Public Education is going to Get Pricier, Again
I am sure many of you will have heard that California’s new governor, Jerry Brown announced his proposed budget cuts that aim to eat into the state’s out-of-control deficit. Higher education, like so many other programs, will receive a whopping cut of $1.4 billion if the Legislature approves Brown’s plan. 112 public universities and community colleges stand to loose under this proposal and the cuts would affect everything from class size and tuition to student services and jobs.
Sign up to our RSS feed and get the latest news from Escape Studios
