Escape Studios Blog

ParaNorman: A Journey to the Land of Misfits

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:03:29 -0500

I'm always impressed by stop-motion movies because of all of the work that goes into making them. Now, I know that all films (stop motion or not) require a lot of work and dedication, but this method seems particularly intense. You have to have a real eye for detail and the patience to pose and shoot and then do it all over again, and again and again... The film ParaNorman is a stop-motion movie...

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Snow White and the Huntsman Releases Interactive Trailer

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:02:22 -0500

Universal just released a groovy interactive trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman. The film that our friends Rhythm and Hues just completed work on will be out in theaters June 1st here in the US. The trailer has some interesting bits and pieces that enhance your average trailer preview. Inserted amongst the trailer are behind the scene clips of the production, discussion threads about the...

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In Case you Missed the a52/Chaos Group Event

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:22:46 -0500

Last night we hosted an event in our Santa Monica studio with our friends from a52 and the Chaos Group. Andy Hall and Kirk Shintani from a52 showed us some amazing commercials they created for the holidays for the Red Cross. The campaign, called "Holiday Giving with Fred" looks like it was shot stop-motion, but in reality it's entirely CG. They shared all of the behind-the-scenes details,...

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Rhythm & Hues - more than just talking animals

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:02:11 -0500

Nice to see our friends at Rhythm & Hues getting such great coverage in this Animation Magazine article. Famous for talking animals (think "Babe", for which R & H won an academy award; "Marmaduke" and the "Chipmunks" franchise), the article also delves into R & H's offerings that appeal to more grown-up audiences, incuding "X-Men" and the upcoming much-anticipated Ang Lee-directed...

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New Free Tutorial: Sculpting Smoke in Maya Fluids

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:02:20 -0500

This month's free tutorial was JUST posted and we can't wait to tell you about it! In this month's tutorial, you'll learn how vfx pros achieve a realistic smoke simulation. We’re talking about the heavy, ‘bubbling’, dry ice type smoke that covers the floor, creating another level of atmosphere within a shot. You’ve probably seen what we’re talking about in movies like ‘Hellboy II: The Golden...

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How The Third Floor helped to shape "The Avengers"

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:48 -0500

Ever wonder what the difference is between previs, techvis, and postvis? This article goes through each step in the process as put together by our friends at The Third Floor, who were involved even at the storyboard level on the blockbuster "The Avengers". The team there were able to work closely with Director Joss Whedon and VFX Supervisor Janek Sirrs on all aspects of the film. You've probably...

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Attend and Win!

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:32:34 -0500

Don't miss out on your chance to win a free V-Ray license at our upcoming event at our Santa Monica studio on Thursday May 17th. Join us as we host an evening with Director Andy Hall from a52 and Lon Grohs from Chaos Group. Andy will be showing us some cool, award-winning commercials he recently directed for the Red Cross. They look like they were shot stop-motion, but amazingly, they're entirely...

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Escape Studios Checks Out Rhythm & Hues

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:47:57 -0500

Last Friday, some of the Escape staff & students were given the opportunity to visit the El Segundo studios of Rhythm & Hues, one of the premier studios in the VFX industry. Rhythm & Hues has led the way in CG animation with their work on such features as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Golden Compass and Hop. Currently they are working on Ang Lee's next film Life of PI and awaiting...

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Is Implosion the new Explosion?

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:49:22 -0500

Slate Magazine has very nicely summarized an emerging trend - big Hollywood blockbusters are shying away from explosions, instead using the subtler but somehow more frightening implosion to tell the story of utter destruction. The article attributes this vogue to a combination of two factors: while the cost of computer-generated VFX has gone down, the cost of in-camera practical effects has...

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Stunning Commercial Work from Escape Studios Graduate Justin Wentz

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:39:32 -0500

One of our recent graduates - who was hired as a Matte Painter at The Mill in Los Angeles - posted this commercial that he just worked on for Pepsi. Take a look at this extended version. It's SO well done! Congratulations to Justin and the rest of the team at The Mill that worked on this spot. It's really impressive.

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Old school model and miniature goodness

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:12:45 -0500

Oh, how I love looking at this site! My bread and butter is compositing - CG elements and their layers, elements shot against greenscreen, roto, clean-up and etc - but I nevertheless have an affinity for the old-school way of doing things. Check out the forced perspective installment and marvel at the cleverness of early visual effects filmmakers. See how our forbearers in visual effects...

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Escapee Todd Williams at NAB2012 with Autodesk

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:03:20 -0500

US Escapee Todd Williams went to NAB this year to help our friends at Autodesk with their booth on the floor. Here is his coverage of his time there. We hope you enjoy! Upon my arrival on Sunday, April 14, 2012, Autodesk held an off site event for the unveiling of the newly redesigned product, Smoke 2013. I was greeted by some of the great Autodesk employees and I was presented with my tasks for...

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Free Tutorial: Scarab Beetles!

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:05:53 -0500

This month's intermediate level tutorial shows you how to create a mass of scurrying scarab beetles similar to those you’ve seen in "The Mummy" films. Our VFX instructor Dan Shutt will demonstrate how to animate hundreds of scarab beetles using a combination of goal objects and particle instancing. It's a more advanced tutorial, but once you learn it you'll be able to apply the technique to other...

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Suitcase sized Rube Goldberg Machine by HeyHeyHey

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:09:47 -0500

I love VFX as much and the next nerd but sometimes you really have to appreciate the practical magic that some people can come up with. Case in point, this amazing, suitcase sized Rube Goldberg machine by Dutch directors HeyHeyHey (Elske van der Putten & Erik Sjouerman). I can't imagine how long this had to have taken them, it really is a feat of imagination, ingenuity and beauty. I'm sure...

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Gweek of the week!

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:01:41 -0500

VFX Supervisor and all around wonderful guy Kevin Mack is Gweek of the week for Boing Boing. Listen to this podcast and hear some amusing anecdotes about Walt Disney, Tinkerbell, comics, and Fight Club, amongst other things. Kevin's art page features his Houdini-created fluid dynamics simulations. Be sure to check out his trivia page for nuggets such as how it felt to say "Love is Groovy" to...

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The Dark Knight Rises Final Trailer

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:49:55 -0500

Are you ready for this? Christopher Nolan's final Installment in his beloved Batman Trilogy is almost out and here is the final trailer. Looks like our buddies at Double Negative are at it again with some amazing VFX work (check out that bridge collapse!). The Dark Knight Rises hits a theater near you on July 20th

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Free Webinar: Explore the New ZBrush4R3 Features

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:04:49 -0500

As many VFX artists know, ZBrush is an incredible digital sculpting tool that allows you to model, texture and paint in both 3D and 2.5D. To introduce the latest tools now available in the newest version of this software - ZBrush4R3 - we'll be hosting a webinar on May 10th, 2012 with Pixologic's 3D Application Engineer, Paul Gaboury. He'll be presenting all the cool new features including updates...

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Hot Smokin' Deal on VFX Bootcamps

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:57:17 -0500

Summer is almost here, so what will YOU be doing during summer vacation? Watching TV? Surfing the internet? Hanging out all day at Starbuck's? Don't sit around and do nothing! Take advantage of the time off and do something fun! Explore the world of visual effects and compositing at one of Escape Studios' month-long VFX Bootcamps. This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet and learn the...

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Summer blockbusters mean work for VFX

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:01:01 -0500

It's summertime, and that means loads of new movies in the theaters. This LA Times article outlines what we all know - great movies contain great visual effects! And they cost money to make. Overall spending is up 29% - although according to this article not all of that money goes into making better VFX. Some of it goes toward ensuring that the body of work is delivered in a timely fashion....

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Fun "Pirate's" Spoof

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:06:13 -0500

A fun spoof on Pirates "Band of Misfits" & "Hunger Games" Enjoy the Mashup...savvy?

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