This month's free tutorial was JUST posted and we can't wait to tell you about it! In this month's tutorial, you'll learn how vfx pros achieve a realistic smoke simulation. We’re talking about the heavy, ‘bubbling’, dry ice type smoke that covers the floor, creating another level of atmosphere within a shot. You’ve probably seen what we’re talking about in movies like ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’, a film where all the smoke effects were digitally generated.
Attend and Win!
Don't miss out on your chance to win a free V-Ray license at our upcoming event at our Santa Monica studio on Thursday May 17th. Join us as we host an evening with Director Andy Hall from a52 and Lon Grohs from Chaos Group. Andy will be showing us some cool, award-winning commercials he recently directed for the Red Cross. They look like they were shot stop-motion, but amazingly, they're entirely CG. He'll show us some breakdowns and give us all the behind-the-scenes details, including how he used Chaos Group's V-ray software to create the spots. Then, Lon will tell us about the recent upgrades to V-Ray and how you can utilize it for your own projects. He'll also be giving away a free V-ray license to one lucky winner!
Hot Smokin' Deal on VFX Bootcamps
Summer is almost here, so what will YOU be doing during summer vacation? Watching TV? Surfing the internet? Hanging out all day at Starbuck's?
Great work from Escapees in the UK
Our friend Joe Kelly has gone back to the UK, and is currently working at Escape in London. We miss him! He is still close to our hearts, and he keeps us informed as to the 'haps across the pond. Just yesterday he sent us some gorgeous work done by Escapees at the end of week 6, the Maya Core portion of the VFX Production courses currently finishing up in London. Feast your eyes!
Two Thumbs Up for John Carter from Mars
I recently went to see John Carter from Mars and after all of the negativity associated with the film I was pleasantly surprised.
The 3 Commandments: Know thy Employer
How do I start a new career when I have no previous experience? The is the age old question that's asked time and time again, which can be answered with three main ideas, which we refer to raffishly as:
Congratulations to Our Friends on Their Oscar Win
Our sincerest congratulations to our friend Angus Wall for his second consecutive Oscar win for Film Editing! Angus and Kirk Baxter won for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, directed by David Fincher. The duo won last year in the same category for The Social Network.
The End is Just the Beginning
The inaugural VFX and Compositing courses at Escape Studios ended on Friday, February 17. On the last day of the courses, the students presented their work to the group in our screening room. Each went through their projects and explained the process they went through to get to that point.
The 3 Commandments: Know Thyself
As our Fall 2011 courses come to a conclusion, I find that I spend much of my time having one-on-one meetings with our soon-to-be graduates, discussing the "after" part of our curriculum.
Looking for a Way to Finance Your Dreams?
Finding the cash required to make your dream of working in VFX a reality can sometimes be difficult. That’s why we’ve come up with a way for you to finance your courses at Escape Studios in a way that’s easier on your wallet. After all, it would be a shame to miss out on your life long dreams just because you don’t have immediate access to cash.
Free Demo Reel Reviews With Professionals
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.
Learn about VFX Workflows in the Commercial Industry from John Leonti at The Mill
We’re having a gathering at Escape Studios on March 15, 2012 for students and recent graduates who are curious and interested about VFX workflows in the Commercial/Advertising industry. John Leonti, head of 3D at The Mill, will be our guest speaker and he has some fantastic stuff to show us. He has promised a behind-the-scenes look at the work for the VES award-nominated spot “Immersion” for Mattel’s Hot Wheels, and the backstory behind Playstation’s cult-phenomena “Michael”.
Free Tutorial: Learning Dynamics in Maya
It’s been awhile since I last did a tutorial, but I made up for the long absence by preparing a little gem for you. It’s the ideal tutorial for people who have been dabbling with Maya but need to start delving deeper into all of its features. More importantly, it will give you a skill that all aspiring CG artists should demonstrate on their demo reel.
Enthusiastic Group Attends Event to Hear Pam Hogarth
An enthusiastic group arrived at the Escape Studios in Santa Monica the morning of February 4th to hear industry veteran Pam Hogarth talk about what it takes to succeed as an artist in the VFX industry. Always entertaining and informative, Pam gave the audience solid, practical advice that they can use as they pursue their careers in VFX.
New Term Dates & Brand New Maya Core & Compositing Evening Classes
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.
What Does it Take to Make it in VFX?
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.
Escape Studios LA Celebrates the Season
It’s hard to believe we’ve been holding classes for six weeks already. To celebrate that and the holidays, we had a little gathering of friends, students and colleagues. We appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into getting things off the ground and with the pending holiday season, that’s cause to celebrate. Cheers to all and thanks—it’s truly been a team effort.
Watch the CG Whiz Reveal Event Video
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.
Looking Forward to Working with The Foundry in LA
Today our friends from The Foundry came by to discuss some great stuff that we'll be doing together here in LA in the new year. It was great to see Claudia and Tom and enjoy some great Thai food from our fantastic local restaurant Pot and Pan. Tom will be moving to LA in the new year and we're really looking forward to working closely with them. Look out for some really great collaborations in 2012!
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