SPECIAL EFFECTS HEADS TO NOTTINGHILL
Copyright 2002 www.mynottinghill.co.uk

[ June 24th 2002 ]

Europe's first dedicated visual effects school opens its doors in Notting Hill next month to attract a new generation of film, television and computer games creatives. Escape Studios has been endorsed by Oscar winning movie director Ridley Scott and some of the biggest names in TV, film and animation - including Disney and the BBC.

Escape's students will learn the very latest production techniques including 3D computer animation and 2D visual effects. The world of digital special effects is an exploding market and the latest technology has revolutionised the film, television and games industries. The techniques employed are key to the success of high profile releases such as the new Spiderman movie, the BBC television hit Walking With Dinosaurs, and best-selling video game Tomb Raider.

The school was launched in response to the lack of training facilities outside of the US. Escape MD Dominic Davenport said: "The talent pool of effects artists has not kept pace with the huge growth of industry demand. Our courses are designed to attract the next generation of design and production talent working across all the creative industries." Many of the world's biggest movies, such as Gladiator, Harry Potter and the James Bond series have all had their effects and postproduction work done in the UK.

Oscar-winning film director Ridley Scott, famous for his use of special effects in films like Gladiator, Aliens and Blade Runner, said: "The British visual effects community has some of the most talented people in the industry. In order to continue this level of excellence, it is essential that facilities are developed to continually train the artists. The industry needs a school like Escape."