Escape Studios has launched a series of training programs specialising in Unreal Engine and virtual production taking place through the summer to upskill the screen industries. As the U.K.’s first unreal authorised training centre, Escape Studios has collaborated with ScreenSkills, Epic Games and key virtual production studios to enable the industry to re-skill and exploit new technology.
Courses at Escape Studios over the next few months include:
- Step up to Unreal – this five-day conversion course commenced in May, training early-career VFX and high-end TV professionals in Unreal Engine 5. Supported by ScreenSkills, participants also had the opportunity to take up Virtual Production placements with leading studios around the U.K.
- The virtual production suite – a series of three courses designed to enable senior film professionals to gain an operational understanding of virtual production. Each course focuses on specific fundamentals and is free for freelancers, sole traders and industry professionals.
- Unreal Fridays – a more creative course designed specifically for the U.K. commercials sector which includes the opportunity to explore artistic and stylistic avenues as well as new ways to collaborate.
- London connectors – a five-week intensive training program dedicated to teaching artists immersive storytelling through Unreal Engine and introducing them to some of the world-leading work that goes on in the U.K. VFX, games and animation industries. Participants will leave with advanced knowledge of virtual production workflows and techniques as well as a creative portfolio inspired by the companies and professionals they have encountered. This is Epic Game’s flagship premium course, and Escape Studios are the U.K.’s base for the program.
London Connectors is the first micro-credentialing programme of its sort and it was launched to complement Epic Games’ renowned Unreal Fellowship programme.
“Adoption of Unreal Engine has exploded in virtual production pipelines and the demand for UE talent is growing every day. The Unreal Fellowship has made a significant impact on animators and film industry creatives as they adapt their skills into real-time workflows. There has been a huge success rate of employing graduates from the Fellowship into top studios, and we look forward to making that training more accessible,” said Unreal Engine Education director Julie Lottering.
Escape Studios industry engagement director Saint John Walker said, “This summer represents an exciting acceleration of our work in the area of virtual production and real-time technologies, as we enable the industry to exploit the new capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, thanks to the support of ScreenSkills, Epic Games and a range of pioneering companies that will be contributing. The industry has seen a huge uptake in the use of virtual production, and our courses will ensure that professionals gain the skill sets and insights to exploit this growing industry.”