Beyond: Two Souls brings the game and film world one step closer together.
Claire Vandenbroecke
frontofhouse@escapestudios.com
Escape’s Open Day goes on location…
Is anyone else reminded of school trips when the weather’s like this?
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
So, many of you will be on wind down for the long weekend which is almost upon us, but for us here at Escape it’s business as usual, well, almost...
Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore…
Escape whips up a whirlwind of activity this week.
MPC comes to Escape
Okay folks, our Academy Tour is almost upon us; on Wednesday 15th May Escape Studios will once again open its doors to all you VFX lovers out there wishing to get ahead of the game in the industry.
Step-By-Step
Each time I watch a student show reel I am always blown away by how professional they look and this one (above) by Escapee Alastair Cross has impressed me in particular. Being a novice to the world of visual effects I’m always interested in getting to know how it all comes together and the ‘step-by-step’ breakdown he includes is extremely insightful.
Summer’s here?
With temperatures managing to, ahem, ‘soar’ into the low 20s this week I’ve become accustomed to spending my lunch break basking in the sun on Shepherd’s Bush Green and even dared to dig out the sun cream at one point!
My Dream Home?
I’ve always said that when I grow up I want to live in a tree house. I’m really drawn to the idea of being raised high up off the ground in a home built among the trees, preferably with a natural spring or waterfall running nearby. Well, the Sky Tower in Tom Cruise’s latest movie, Oblivion has certainly given that idea a run for its money.
A positive move for a not-so-negative company.
With a plethora of articles lamenting the VFX industry in the western world right now, it’s always a refreshing change to read a story with a more promising outcome.
Lee vs. Hiddleston - The Crow to fly again?
One of the movies which I really connected with during my ‘teenage angst’ years was the 1994 adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic book, The Crow. It had everything a troubled 14 year old girl could wish for in a film; fantasy, romance and tragedy, oh and not forgetting a dark, brooding, handsome hero in the shape of Brandon Lee.
There’s gnome place like home...
So last night, there I was, enjoying having the flat to myself, only half watching a re-run of Grand Designs when the ad break came on and something made me sit up and take notice of the tv screen…
Getting a taste for VFX
After a busy day on reception yesterday with the Academy Tour I was certainly looking forward to a more tranquil start to my morning…
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Paul Chung that’s who!
Escape Studios had a special treat today as animator Paul Chung kindly agreed to come along and give a talk to our Academy Tour attendees, oh and half the current student population too…
Tickets Please!
Well it’s been an exceptionally busy week here at Escape Studios, with three of our One-Day Taster Courses and an Academy Tour all in the space of three days, front of house was starting to feel a bit like Grand Central Station!
To infinity and beyond!
James Cameron gets lost in Pandora.
The Visual Effects Academy
So, the time is nearly upon us to open our doors to all you budding VFX artist wannabes to show you what we’re made of!
Will Emma still be the Belle of the Ball?
You may remember earlier this week I got a little excited about the prospect of Emma Watson playing Cinderella in Walt Disney Pictures’ live action adaptation of the fairy tale.
The Beast that is Disney
Doctor Who writer Joe Ahearne has been tipped for a reimagining of Disney's Beauty And The Beast.
Every Young Girl’s Dream (well, quite a few…)
I’ll probably get in to trouble if I say that EVERY young girl dreamed of having their very own Prince Charming slip on the glass slipper and whisk her away from a life of boredom, ill-treatment and endless cleaning, but it would be fair to say that quite a few girls grew up getting lost in this particular fantasy, and it would appear that Emma Watson is one of them!
Who ya gonna call…?
I’m showing my age here, but one of my favourite flashbacks to my childhood is of being sat on the sofa with my younger brother staring wide-eyed at the TV screen while bumbling scientists Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis got slimed over and over in the supernatural comedy classic, Ghostbusters. Released in June 1984, I was too young to go and see it at the cinema but I never failed to catch the re-runs when it appeared in our homes during the years that followed, usually around Christmas time if my memory serves me correctly.
Heads up!
Front of house was entertained today, as a group of Visual Effects TD students transformed the break out space into a film location for the afternoon. The ‘TD’ stands for Technical Direction and these guys are currently working on a scene which they have created using our state of the art 3D design technology. They are learning about camera tracking and match moving, (among other things) and today they were filming footage which they will have to place into the scene they have already designed.
Escape Academy Tours, an Open Day for Open Minds…
So it’s that time again… time to tempt, entice and hopefully ensnare a fresh batch of enthusiasts to come tame the beast that is VFX, here at Escape Studios. Hosted by recruitment and training team Flora and Nick, today is all about giving our potential Escapees a feel for what life at Escape has to offer, from our accelerated Classroom courses to the oh-so important free tea/coffee and, of course, the after hours bar downstairs!
On the edge of what’s possible
Being a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, chocolate and picturesque Italian landscapes, the new campaign for Galaxy chocolate naturally caught my eye. Oh, and the fact that every shot of Hepburn entails full CG face replacement might also have fuelled my curiosity!