Interview with Escape Studios
Q. Please introduce yourself and tell us the main objective of starting Escape Studios?
I’m Dom Davenport, the CEO and founder of Computer Graphics academy Escape Studios. The reason I set up Escape Studios was to bridge the gap between what universities were teaching students and what the industry required from graduates. I had my own personal experience of the difficulties many face breaking into the industry and wanted to create a place where artists could get focused vocational training in the specific practical skills needed to work in CG. Today we’re Europe’s leading provider of 3D animation courses and services but our vision from day one hasn’t changed.
Q. How does Escape Studios differ from other long standing training institutes?
I can’t speak for other VFX academies but we’re here because our students and industry partners have asked us. We’re a leading 3D school, technology provider and recruitment agency all rolled into one. We don’t just give our students training in the technology; we give them the training and skills needed to get a job. We’ve an advisory board that includes some of the biggest names in the industry, from The Mill and Sony Computer Entertainment to Pixar and Aardman. These industry ties help us keep abreast of the latest technologies and ensure our training addresses employers’ needs – an area that’s sometimes overlooked in others areas of education and training.
Everyone who takes an Escape Studios classroom course gets one-on-one recruitment and careers advice - that’s why some of our escapees go on to get jobs at companies like Sony, MPC, The Mill and Double Negative. For those who want to balance work and educational commitments, we also offer online mentored courses, which combine the convenience and flexibility of distance learning with the rigor of our world famous classroom courses.
Q. What’s the selection criteria for the enrollment of the students? If any student doesn’t have any knowledge of this field or doesn’t have any god-gifted creativity then can he/she still make a career in this field?
You don’t need any experience to train with us. All you need is a basic understanding of computers and a passion for computer graphics.
Q. Please tell us about your self directed courses?
Our online self-directed courses offer in-depth 3D animation tutorials and provide a flexible way to teach yourself CG at a time and place that’s convenient to you. We’ve a range of self-directed courses and they are great for students who can’t attend our academy or for those who are already in employment and need to learn while they work. You can find more information on our self directed courses here.
Q. Do Tell us about your Mentored Online courses. Do you help these students in placements?
Our Mentored Online Courses allow you to learn the same curriculum as our classroom courses with the support of one of our expert tutors. There’s also the chance to interact with other students by sharing ideas and getting feedback when you need it. Those students who take one of our mentored courses get the same help in getting a job as our classroom students do. We have a dedicated recruitment team who work to place as many of our students in jobs as possible and this is reflected in our employment statistics. 85% of the people who take our VFX and compositing courses get CG jobs within 12 months after graduating. Those sorts of statistics speak for themselves in just how valuable good training and close industry ties can be.
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