I caught up with escapee Paul Daiko this week, upon his appointment at world renowned post-house, MPC London.
Escape Studios 10,000th follower
We hit a Social Media milestone last week, obtaining our 10,000th follower on Twitter...10,000! So to celebrate this, we thought it only right to catch up with the man who took us to the 10,000 mark.
Side by Side - The Impact of Digital Cinema
The other night I had a quiet evening at home and decided to have a flick through the documentary section of iTunes and see what was new.
Online Academy - Free Trial!
Is your mind a whirling dervish of creativity? Do your Ideas formulate out of the blue, and evolve from non-existence to an intrinsically detailed vision, in a matter of minutes?
Maybe you need to apply the reins to such skills, and materialise your ideas in an industry where the boundaries are near limitless…
There is a universal rule for all occupations, and whether you’re a butcher, baker, or a candlestick maker, the only way to get to the top of your game, Is to learn from the best in the business. Escape studios is a testament to such a statement. Coupled with a healthy dose of hard work, our experienced professional tutors can keep you on the straight and narrow path towards VFX success.
We understand though, that in the bustling 21st century one of our classroom courses is not the most ideal option for everyone. Which is why we’ve invested a lot of time making our online VFX academy as close to our classroom course as possible.
Mentored by one of our expert tutors on a weekly basis, you’ll be guided personally through each project, all the while receiving feedback on your progress. Our virtual classroom also allows you to meet, chat and see critiques of other students work. Isn’t technology marvellous?
We’re so pleased with our online set up in fact, that we’re inviting you to take part in a one week free trial of it! You’ll be taken on a tour of our online academy by one of our fantastically helpful training advisors, after which you’ll proceed swiftly onto your costless one week trial.
Don’t pass up the chance to get stuck into a piping hot, plentiful serving of VFX expertise. It really is an opportunity not to be missed!
Is your mind a whirling dervish of creativity? Do your ideas formulate out of the blue, and evolve from non-existence to intrinsically detailed visions, in a matter of minutes? Channeling these skills can be an adventure, especially if you enter an industry where the boundaries are seemingly limitless…
Snow White and The (very lovely) Huntsman
Last night my partner in crime (Fellow marketeer Ellen Payne) and I were fortunate enough to attend an exclusive premiere at Framestore’s in-house cinema to see Snow White and The Huntsman and wow – it was good. After a long busy day in work, I didn’t really have any expectations of how good the film might be (in fact, I was more excited about the possibility of an end-of-day cinema snooze). But no such luck, the film was awesome! And I sat wide eyed for the whole 127 minutes. As well as the dashing huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor), the Visual Effects was nothing short of incredible. From the dark army made of a thousand shards of glass to the oil-dripping evil queen Ravenna and sparkling gold animated mirror, it really is a feast for the eyes.
For all you bears out there...
I came across this video the other day and as well as making me laugh (for quite some time...) it got me thinking. How many film / cinema buff type people exist out there who are secret VFX stars in the making? I'm talking about the naturals here, the people you go to the cinema with who appreciate the stuff that doesn't even cross your mind, or the friend who is an absolute Playstation wizzard. Sometimes, putting two and two together doesn't come easily and associating your love of film or great visual trickery with a career are poles apart. Or sometimes for whatever reason it just isn't possible. Because of family or work commitments maybe becoming the person who's sat behind the cinema screen, rather than someone who's watching it just wasn't an option. So watch the video let us know if the bear is familiar!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
2D or 3D - which camp are you in? This age old fight is battled out by two of our studio assistants and it seems, there is a rather heated argument for both. I'll leave it up to the guys to convince you either way. If however, we can't resolve it in this post, a mud wrestle might be the only answer.
Trading Insider Secrets
Scott Squires, of Industrial Light & Magic, has a blog called Effects Corner. Scott talks everything VFX, from artistry to wages. If you are looking to read the frank ins and outs of the VFX world then Scott’s blog is the place to go. Scott has 35 years’ experience in the industry and has work on film projects like Van Helsing, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Stars Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace.
His articles are well written and packed full of industry top tips. He talks you through key skills like camera tracking and 3D match-moving as well as providing links to some of the latest visual effects news.
What do you think art should do?
I recently went to see the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Wow! Intense, raw paintings that reflected his relationship to his sitters. I actually quite liked his early portraits that were very flat in dimension and lacking perspective in a stylised way. He painted the eyes of the faces quite large and dominant in the frame. But in most cases looking away, or 'blankly' towards the painter. This created for me a disturbing yet intriguing relationship between the viewer of the painting, me, and the personality of the person he is trying to portray. When we look at portraits or a picture of a person, we tend to look at the eyes first to connect in some way. Not being able to do that created a whole new approach of portraiture that I do not see often. Their eyes were wide, but not allowing a connection. The faces were rarely smiling and this one is a great example.
What Does it Take to Look this Good? Come Along and Find Out...
When it comes to catching recruiters’ eye, it’s all about looking good. And this is when only the best showreels will cut the mustard. You have 10 seconds to impress and there is no room for error or work that you're half hearted about.
Latest VFX Reel from Our Students
The quality of work that our students create during their Visual Effects Production course is always awesome and there's no doubt it's getting better and better. When you consider that every student doesn't just attend their daytime lessons. They have to find, track, model, light, texture, render and composite a shot in just 6 weeks that shows the extent of their ability. One of our former students and now Studio Assistant Ashley Miles remembers how stressful it can get.
Nationwide Tax Break Policy for the CG Industry
I was pretty shocked last week when the Coalition Government reversed its position in their dramatic Budget announcement. The UK government has declared its intention to establish a nationwide games tax break policy, in a manoeuvre that leaves the British sector in shock and jubilation. They stated: "Following consultation on the design, the Government will introduce corporation tax reliefs for the video games, animation and high-end television industries from April 2013, subject to State aid approval," read the official budget report.
WOW - Prometheus - The Trailer
Check out the new official trailer for 'Prometheus' by Ridley Scott. The film will consist of the following all star cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron. Conceived as a prequel to Scott's 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, it is in fact a separate story and is not directly connected to the Aliens franchise.
The Coolest VFX Apps on the Market
There are so many useful apps on the market and I have found a couple of super useful and cool iPhone apps for the VFX artist and digital photographer. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing these with you in a series of blog posts.
March Free Tutorial: Speed Up Your Workflow in Maya
If you want to be taken seriously as a 3D artist you’ll need to approach your workflow professionally. This means being super organised when managing your assets and in this month’s free tutorial we are going to show you how this is done.
Stargate Studios 'The Walking Dead' VFX Showreel
As an avid zombie fan, I spend my days either killing zombies on the game console or watching them get hacked to pieces on tele (not to mention seeing one in the reflection of the mirror, the morning after a night of partying). One TV series which I'm sure most of you have heard of, is 'The Walking Dead'. Apart from the ghastly zombies and the characters of the show - one of the most common things people talk about is the lovely VFX. The talented guys at Stargate Studios are responsible for the VFX for The Walking Dead and they have just released their Season 2 showreel.
Enjoy, VFX/Zombie fans!
Nike FlyKnit Commercial by Digital Domain
A few friends of mine have posted the Nike 'FlyKnit' commercial link on Facebook and I can't help but share it with you all because it's so cool. Nike is showing off its latest technology for the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. It was created at Digital Domain, and is directed by David Rosenbaum and VFX supervised by Aladino Debert.
The whole shoe weighs a mere 160g (5.6 ounces) for a size 9 and has been worn by the first, second and third place athletes in the men's marathon at the 2011 World Championships. Nike released the Flyknit HTM Racer in London on Saturday 25th of February, to much anticipation.
I think you'll agree that the commercial looks amazing and stylish. It just makes me want a pair of these bad boys! Well done to the guys at Digital Domain!
Free Tutorial: Mastering Dynamics in Maya
If you’re an aspiring VFX artist, knowing Maya inside out is an absolute must. On our VFX course, I make sure that every student has a good understanding of Dynamics and linking objects kinematically which are an integral part of the VFX pipeline. Not knowing these just isn’t an option. They form part of a basic skillset which post houses will expect you to know. That’s why, this month, I’ve created a tutorial which will give you two new skills you can add to your showreel. Being able to use Dynamics fluently will demonstrate to potential employers that you understand the key techniques in VFX and are ready to take your first steps in the industry. So what are you waiting for? Log on to our eLearning platform and add these skills to your existing toolset.
Escapee Amy Cuthbertson now Head of Tracking at Mill Film and TV
When Amy Cuthbertson finished her degree in Music Technology, she didn’t expect to find herself starting a career in CG, but that’s exactly what happened. Wandering around a careers fair, Amy spotted the Escape Studios stand, got talking about her love of animation and the rest is history, as they say.
Webinar: Unlock the Secrets of Houdini...
We now teach SideFX Houdini software on our Professional VFX Course, not just because it’s an integral part of the pipeline but also for its ability to create very cool animations that will enhance anyone's showreel.