VF X

N
ATI O S
IM E
A N GA M N
TIO S
MOPHIC
A
GR
 UNDERSTANDING
THE VFX, ANIMATION, INDUSTRY 04
GAMES AND MOTION
GRAPHICS INDUSTRIES DISCIPLINE GUIDE 06
CAN BE A MINEFIELD. VFX
Animation
06
08
There’s a tonne of jargon to decipher, studios ranging from
Motion Graphics 09
global to independent who may work from different pipelines, Game Art 10
not to mention the heaps of different job roles available – it’s no
wonder those who are new to the industry find it so confusing!
STUDIO GUIDE 12

ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES 18

JARGON BUSTER (Glossary) 20

The creative
economy is not only
one of the most
rapidly growing
sectors of the
world economy,
but also a highly
Image courtesy of Framestore

transformative
one in terms of
income generation
and job creation.

un report on
creative economy

02 03
 MADE IN
BRITAIN
Audience demand for The creative industries Almost 1 in 8 UK Between 2011 and 2018,
The UK’s creative industries animation has nearly are predicted to be businesses are creative creative industries

make a major contribution doubled since the worth around £128.4bn businesses. 3.5 million employment has
beginning of 2020. by 2025, a 3.9% year jobs across the UK increased by 30.6%,
to the UK economy and have Cartoon Brew on year increase. are supported by the compared to the UK
an outstanding reputation Business Leader creative industries. average growth of 10.1%
for driving innovations Game Art makes up 40-
The Creative Industries during that period.
Federation
in product, services, 50% of resources and
Creative Industries Council

content and experience. costs involved in creating

high quality games.
The creative industries are defined as Creative Assembly

software and games, film and TV, advertising, 98% of the UK The UK film and TV The global animation
publishing, design and fashion, architecture, VFX workforce is market is renowned market is projected to
The UK games industry
crafts and music, art and culture. based in London. for its creativity – witness a compound
is worth nearly £5.26bn
Creative Skillset post production skills annual growth rate of 4.79%
in consumer spend.
are at the core of this. during the forecast period,
Employment in the creative industries UKIE
Creative Industries reaching a total market size
has not suffered during the pandemic Council of US$405bn in 2023 from
and accounts for 6.9% of all UK jobs
The global video games US$306bn in 2017.
(the creative industries federation)!
industry was worth Research and Markets
With the largest proportion of people US$195.65bn in 2021.
working in London and the South East, Grand View Research
including 98% of the UK VFX workforce DID YOU KNOW?
based in London (creative skillset). Our alumni have worked
on some of the highest
grossing films of all time,
As the demand for work increases
including Avengers: End
within the creative industries, so too Game, Star Wars The Force
does the need for skilled, creative and Awakens and Spider-
technically talented individuals. Man: No Way Home

Avengers: Endgame © Marvel Studios

All rights reserved _VFX by Cinesite
Dr Ian Palmer,
Vice Principal,
Escape Studios

04 05

A RK CK
M E VI
SP
Job title at Escape Studios: Head of Industry Training
Industry experience: 24+ years
Teaching: 11+ years
Top companies include: digital effects companies:
Peerless Camera Company, MPC, DNEG, Framestore
/ physical effects companies: BBC and Artem
CV includes: Casino Royale, The Imaginarium of
Doctor Parnassus, Angels & Demons, The Golden
Compass, The Legend of Zorro and Moon Knight
Speciality: all things 3D and VFX for
movies and camera tracking
Software of choice: Houdini and Maya
Favourite film: Spirited Away
WHERE WE SEE IT
You see 3D in most feature films, series
and commercials. For example, most car
adverts do not feature a real car, in fact
they’re usually modelled by a 3D Artist.
JOBS
There are jobs to cater for everyone. If you’re an
artist, there are careers to be found in texture
painting or digital sculpting and modelling. FX
Artist and Technical Director (TD) are for those with
more of a technical background where scripting
and computer simulation skills are important.
WHAT IT TAKES
3D is so large and diverse that sometimes
people find themselves doing a bit of
all the roles. It is certainly exciting and
challenging and not for the faint-hearted!
06
3D VFX
3D production is a huge
umbrella term for many skills
within the CGI industry; skills
are as diverse as modelling
to writing computer code.
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
Some of the film world’s first CGI was created for the
1982 movie Tron. Other milestone movies that broke
new ground in special effects included The Matrix
(bullet time), Lord of the Rings (motion capture),
Avatar (motion capture and CGI), and Gravity (3D).
STUDIOS
London is home to many of the best VFX studios
in the world such as DNEG, MPC and Framestore.
There are also specialist VFX companies that
focus on one part of the pipeline, for instance
The Third Floor who works on previsualisation.
2D VFX S H OW
NT
STUDDE VFX
2D / 3 RE E L
Ch e
ck
ou
A
to
I
D KJ ur...
AU
KL RMA
CE
2D/Compositing Artists sit
Job title at Escape Studios: VFX Compositing Tutor
within the last department
Industry experience: 35 years
a shot must go through in
Teaching: 7+ years
the VFX pipeline before
Top companies include: Mill Film,
being finalised by the VFX
Glassworks, DNEG, Framestore
Supervisor and Director.
CV includes: Black Mirror, Harry Potter,
Gladiator, Troy, Captain America,
Wonder Woman and Brittania
Since all the elements necessary for the shot
Speciality: Post-production Supervision culminate here, it is the Artist’s responsibility
Software of choice: Nuke and Flame to make the shot look totally believable!
Favourite film(s): Gladiator
Fun fact: My name is on a magic wand box
at Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios
WHERE WE SEE IT
always create exceptional imagery. The
2D visual effects are much needed by the 3D
excitement and gratification of producing
department to integrate the 3D assets into the
the end result is an exhilarating position
shot seamlessly. 2D VFX is used in many cases,
and creative career to grow into.
even as small as removing a sign off a lamp post
in the background of a commercial. Also the
removal of Henry Cavill’s Superman moustache
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
in Justice League (2017) was done with 2D VFX. Some of the film world’s first CGI was created for the
1982 movie Tron. Other milestone movies that broke
JOBS new ground in special effects included The Matrix
(bullet time), Lord of the Rings (motion capture),
There are a variety of jobs in 2D visual effects.
Avatar (motion capture and CGI), and The Walk (2D).
The most common one being the Compositor
who integrates 3D elements into the shots which
includes keying and grading. Other common
Studios
roles are Matte Painter or Roto Prep Artist. London is home to many of the best VFX studios in
the world such as DNEG, MPC and Framestore.
WHAT IT TAKES
You’ll need an artist’s keen trained eye
for photorealistic details so that you
07
 ANIMATION
LE X MS
A ILLIA
W BE
Job title at Escape Studios: Dean/Director
of Animation and Visual Effects
Industry experience: 35+ years
Teaching: 35+ years
Top companies include: Walt Disney Animation
Studios, Warner Bros. Feature Animation,
DreamWorks Animation, Blue Sky Studio, Sony
Pictures Imageworks, Cinesite, MPC, News
International, Royal Parks Foundation
CV includes: The Lion King, Pocahontas, Who
Framed Roger Rabbit?, Piglet’s Big Movie,
Alexander Petrov’s Coca Cola commercial, Robots,
Monster House and The Chronicles of Narnia
Speciality: animation, concept art,
character design, illustrations, cartoons,
visual effects, teaching animation
Software of choice: Maya, Photoshop and Premiere
Favourite film: The Jungle Book
(original Disney version)
Favourite character: Wile E
Coyote. He never gives up.
WHERE WE SEE IT
There are different types of animation, the most
common being 3D animation as seen in Toy
Story, 2D animation as seen in the original Lion
King and CGI creature animation in feature
films, seen in the recently released Lion King
(2019), Fantastic Beasts or Stranger Things.
JOBS
Animators make up the majority of the
occupational groups in the VFX industry (59%).
WHAT IT TAKES
Animation is for people with a sense
of timing and character acting.
08
S TU D
ANIMW
ENT
ATION
RE E L
S H O
Ch e
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ou
to
ur...
Computer animation is an in-
demand department in the VFX
pipeline where 3D figures are
manipulated with techniques
such as key framing or motion
capture to move within a 3D
or live-action background.
Whatever is being animated, it is very
important to make sure the movements
are very realistic and believable.
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
Animation is one of the fastest-growing parts
of the entertainment industry, having gone
from a small cottage industry just a few short
decades ago to a multi-billion dollar industry
with creative centres all over the globe.
STUDIOS
The UK has some of the best animation studios
in the world, including Aardman Animation
(of Wallace and Gromit fame), Blue Zoo, and
companies like Framestore which compete
globally to produce some of the finest character
and creature animation in the world.
MOTION GRAPHICS NT
STUDIEON
MOT IC S
GR APH
RE E L
SHOW
Ch e
ck
ou
to
ur...
DA M ET T
A NN
Job title at Escape Studios: Motion Graphics Tutor Motion Graphics is a term
Industry experience: 20+ years surrounded by controversy,
Teaching: 4+ years nobody agrees on a definition
Top companies include: Adam has been working but it serves to encapsulate
as a freelancer since 2012. His clients have
under a name, a bunch of
included Paramount, BT, Sony, Sky, Universal,
Conde Nast, Warner Brothers and ITV. creators who use 2D, 3D, live
CV includes: hand drawn animation for the Son of action, animation, stop-motion
Rambow DVD / blu-ray menus; worked on the home
entertainment release of Monty Python: Only the and different techniques
Truth, with positive feedback from Terry Gilliam
to create imaginative
Speciality: Motion Graphics images in motion.
Software of choice: After Effects
Favourite film(s): Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Fun fact: Only one of my answers is true
WHERE WE SEE IT
Audio, colour, composition, animation,
We live surrounded by motion graphics. Walking
storytelling and more. Motion Graphics Designers
on the street, watching television, on our mobile
should understand animation, have great
and tablet, playing a video game, watching a movie,
even taking the tube, screens all around us contain
creative design skills and interpersonal skills.
videos full of graphics where we can not avoid
watching images in motion pumping into our eyes.
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
Motion Graphics Artists can work in a variety
JOBS of companies, from film production to
advertising or marketing agencies as well
Motion Graphics is a versatile skill that can be
as for small creative studios or start ups.
applied in a range of sectors such as advertising,
broadcasting, games and film. The industry is
demanding more and more Motion Designers, STUDIOS
people who can create those animations. Film production companies (The Mill, Framestore
and MPC all have Cinema 4D departments!),
WHAT IT TAKES advertising agencies, small creative studios, digital
Motion Graphics skills are increasingly being
agencies and start ups, all need more and more
Motion Designers. London also has some big Motion
applied to the growing UX and UI industry.
Graphics studios such as Man Vs Machine, Found,
Motion Graphics is one of the only art forms
Future Deluxe and Mainframe.
that encompasses such a broad range of subjects.
09
 GAME
ART WHERE WE SEE IT
You can find game art in many different
platforms such as mobile, PC, Xbox,
PlayStation and Nintendo. The use
of computer games is diverse and
opportunities for employment are
widening. They're now being used

N
in a range of industries, including:

O
SIMNTON
broadcasting, education, entertainment,
gambling/betting, learning and

Image courtesy of Escape Studios MA Game Art student, Emanuele Celli

FE
development and marketing.

JOBS
Fortunately, it's almost impossible not to
Job title at Escape Studios: Dean/ improve on a daily basis. As a Game Artist
Director of Interactive and Real Time
you will be working alongside some very
Industry experience: 28+ years skilled people across all the disciplines
of games, from Designers, Animators
Teaching: 15+ years
and Programmers to name just a few.
Top companies Include: Bits Studios,
Sony Computer Entertainment
WHAT IT TAKES
CV includes: Senior lead role on Total
NBA ’97, This is Football, Getaway, Black Most Game Artists are genuinely passionate
Monday, Kinetic, Kinetic Combat and Sony about game-play and enjoy drawing or
Playstation Home. Created bespoke courses
using graphic or photo editing software.
for Rare, Big Big Studios and the BBC
One of the greatest things about being
Speciality: Art direction, Environment Design and
a Games Artist is that you never stop
creation using Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter,
Photoshop, Unreal Engine 4 and Speed Tree learning and are always looking at the latest
techniques and tools which means the job
Favourite software: Unreal
never gets boring. There is nothing quite
Favourite game: Skyrim like the thrill of creating some artwork and
Favourite TV show: Supernatural then seeing it in the game and playable.

INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
The games industry is one of the most
creative, diverse and exciting industries

DID YOU KNOW? for a Digital Artist to work in. Game

art makes up 40-50% of resources
There is nothing There are 2.6 billion gamers
and costs involved in creating high
quite like the thrill of worldwide. 72% of them
quality games (Creative Assembly).
are over the age of 18. 45%
creating some artwork
of them are women.
and then seeing it in STUDIOS
the game and playable. The UK has some great games
NT
S T U D EA R T studios including Sony Interactive
S
G A M E RE E L
Simon Fenton, Dean/ Entertainment (PlayStation), Microsoft

SHOW
Director of Interactive and (Xbox), King (Candy Crush), Rare (Sea
Ch e

Real Time at Escape Studios of Thieves), Fire without Smoke and

Creative Assembly (Total War).
ck

ou
to
ur...
10 11
 STUDIO
GUIDE OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS INCLUDE

At Escape Studios, we’ve

developed close
relationships with an
impressive range of
industry partners and
they’re involved in
everything we do.
This ensures we keep our
courses as current as
possible and help our
students get the most
out of them.
Our industry partners are a great place
to start your research with a diverse
mix of studios and exciting
opportunities to be seized. It’s a good
idea to become familiar with a studio’s
work, structure and pipeline so you
can tailor your application accordingly.

Find out more about our careers in

VFX, Animation and Game Art
industries in our Careers Guide
escapestudios.ac.uk/careers-guide
Image courtesy of ILM

12 13
 We’ve worked Studio name: Framestore Studio name: DNEG Studio name: Creative Assembly

with a small Established: 1986 Established: 1998 Established: 1987

selection of Studio locations: London, Montréal,

New York, Chicago, Los Angeles
our industry Size: 2,100 employees
partners to Speciality: Known globally for their visual
give you a bit effects work, Framestore have a long history
creating extraordinary images and scenes for
more insight some of Hollywood’s biggest films, collecting
into different every possible industry award along the way,
including three Oscars for Best Visual Effects.
studios. The studio's work is also seen across the
advertising industry, bringing magic to the
small screens that surround us every day.
Recent credits include: Marvel Studios'
Avengers: Endgame, Disney's The Little
Mermaid (2023), Pokémon: Detective
Pikachu, His Dark Materials (BBC/ HBO),
The Boys (Amazon Prime), Black Mirror
(Netflix) and Top Gun: Maverick.
Awards include: Academy Award for
Best Visual Effects, Blade Runner 2049,
Gravity and The Golden Compass.
www.framestore.com
Studio locations: London, Vancouver,
Mumbai, Los Angeles, Chennai, Montréal,
Studio locations: West Sussex,
UK and Sofia, Bulgaria
Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Goa
Size: 600 employees
Size: 6,500 employees
Speciality: Creative Assembly is one of the
Speciality: DNEG are one of the world's oldest and largest UK game developers.
leading visual effects, animation and stereo With quality and authenticity their goals,
conversion companies for feature film and they devote themselves to an exceptional
television. Since the opening of their first studio level of detail within all their games. This
in London in 1998 they’ve always focused on focus on quality has filled their awards
building close working relationships with cabinet – from BAFTAs to Ivor Novellos.
filmmakers. They thrive on collaboration
Recent releases include: Total War: THREE
and the creative energy this provides, and
KINGDOMS, Total War: WARHAMMER
they are dedicated to delivering excellence
I, II and III, and Alien: Isolation and
on every project they are involved with.
A TOTAL WAR SAGA: TROY.
Recent credits include: Avengers: Endgame,
Awards include: BAFTAs, Ivor Novellos,
Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, James
Studio of the Year, Best Place to Work Award.
Bond: No Time To Die, Blade Runner: 2049,
Uncharted, Shadow and Bone and Dr. Who. Fun fact: CA came up with the commentary in
EA's world conquering FIFA series back in 1993!
Awards include: 5 Oscars for ‘Best VFX’ (four
out of the last five years!), 5 BAFTA Awards www.creative-assembly.com
and 10 Visual Effects Society Awards for
shows like First Man, Blade Runner 2049,
Dunkirk, Interstellar and Inception, and a
Primetime Emmy Award for Chernobyl.

www.dneg.com

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14 15
Framestore Images Courtesy of DNEG. Dune © 2021 Legendary and Creative Assembly
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – Marvel Studios / Framestore, 2017 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. © SEGA
 Studio name: Jellyfish Pictures
Established: 2001
Studio locations: London and Sheffield
Size: 200 employees
Speciality: Founded in 2001, Jellyfish Pictures
has grown from the original “two-man band”
into an internationally recognised operation
with over 200 employees working across
five studios. VFX credits include blockbuster
movies such as Lucas Films’ Star Wars series;
TV Dramas including Black Mirror: Hated in
the Nation; TV Documentaries such as Planet
Dinosaur and Inside the Human Body. Since
2014, Jellyfish has taken on the design, story and
execution of top rated kids’ series including the
reinvention of Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed
(Beano Studios/CBBC), Floogals (Universal
Kids/Nevision) and Bitz & Bob (Cbeebies).
Recent credits include: Watchmen (HBO),
The Innocents (Netflix), Star Wars: The
Last Jedi (Lucas Film), Stranger Things,
Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed and How
To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming.
Awards include: 2 VES Awards for
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast
Miniseries, Movie or Special, BAFTA for Best
Visual Effects and Emmy for Outstanding
Art Direction and Graphic Design.
www.jellyfishpictures.co.uk
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16
Jellyfish Pictures
Image courtesy of Jellyfish Pictures. © Lucas Film
Studio name: Blue Zoo Animation Studio
Established: 2000
Studio locations: London
Size: 260 employees
Speciality: Blue Zoo are experts in characterful
animation. The studio's reputation for creating
charming, comedic and educational children's
content is second to none. They have 20
years experience of production long-form
episodic content. Their recently opened
dedicated 70-seat 2D animation studio means
they can now extend their 3D capabilities
to 2D shows using Toon-Boom Harmony.
Recent credits include: Go Jetters Series
3, Numberblocks Series 2, Paddington,
Ada (short film), Supertato (CBBC)
and Superworm, Miffy (TV series).
Awards include: BAFTA Winning Studio.
www.blue-zoo.co.uk
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Blue Zoo
© Blue Zoo Productions Ltd credit.
Studio name: BlueBolt Studio name: The Mill
Established: 2009 Established: 1990
Studio locations: London Studio locations: London, LA , New
York, Chicago, Bangalore
Size: 100 employees
Size: 1,000+ employees
Speciality: BlueBolt specialises in compositing,
computer graphics and digital matte painting Speciality: The Mill is a visual effects and
for the global film and television industry. content creation studio collaborating on VFX,
BlueBolt's team has extensive experience on digital and design projects for the advertising,
film and TV productions of all budgets. They games and music industries. They partner with
specialise in producing photoreal work using the world’s best agencies, groundbreaking
digital matte painting, compositing, 3D and FX. directors, creative firms and visionary brands.
Recent credits include: Game of Thrones Recent credits include: commercials
(Season 1), The Little Drummer Girl, James for Nike (Awaken The Phantom), Audi
Bond: Skyfall, The Night Manager, Peaky (Synchronised Swim), PlayStation (This
Blinders, Mission Impossible – Fallout, Could Be You), Corona (Paraiso Secreto), EA
Cobra, Belgravia, The Last Kingdom (Seasons Sports (Volta Fifa 2020) and ITV (Television).
1 – 3), The Northman and The Great.
Awards include: Cannes Gold Lions,
Awards include: BAFTA, AEAF and VES an array of D&AD Pencils, APA’s, British
awards, two Emmy Nominations. Arrows, AICP's, CLIOS and VES awards.
Fun fact: Every month BlueBolt puts on a www.themill.com
Bake Off competition where staff can bake
and judge each other's homemade treats!
www.blue-bolt.com
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17
BlueBolt The Mill
Caryn Mandabach Productions / Screen Yorkshire / Tiger Aspect Image courtesy of The Mill
 ESCAPEES
Escape Studios has
thousands of Escapees
(alumni) working throughout
the VFX, Animation, Games
and Motion Graphics
industries.
Some of them now work in typical VFX or
Games roles that we all know about at big
studios like Pixar, Industrial Light &
Magic or Sony PlayStation, but others
have chosen slightly less common routes.
Whether they work at Virgin Atlantic
or they’re an award-winning Animation
Director and Screenwriter or a freelance
Motion Graphics Designer having
worked for Google, they’ve all used the
skills they gained at Escape Studios
to build their own path and apply
them to the career of their dreams.
What makes our graduates
successful in their careers
is a good balance between
knowledge and practice that
is tailored to match what is
expected of them in the industry.
Allar Kaasik,
Visual Effects Supervisor at FlawlessAI
and previously a Compositing Tutor at
Escape Studios
18
EVGENIA GOLUBEVA
Award-winning Animation
Director, Character Designer
and Screenwriter (clients have
included Disney, BBC, Nickelodeon
and Blue Zoo) – Studied on the
Animation course in 2011
“It’s great to be able to create
characters, worlds and bring
it all to life. I love going to
animation festivals, meeting
other creatives and watching
my films with an audience.”
KAJSA CHRISTIANSSON
Senior Roto/Prep Artist at Cinesite
– Studied on the Compositing
for VFX course in 2013
“After Escape Studios, I worked
as Junior compositor and Prep
Artist on a few music videos, a
Champions League TV advert
and the UK feature film A Dark
Reflection. More recently, I have
been working on a project for
CERN, the high energy physics
laboratory where the web was
born, in Geneva, Switzerland. It has
been very interesting and fun.”
GEORGE O’KEEFFE ANDREA LACEDELLI JAIME RIVERA
Environment Artist at EA – Senior CFX Artist at Design, Motion, 3D & AR
Criterion Games – Studied on TRIXTER – Studied on the Artist at TikTok, Creative
the MA Game Art course in 2017 3D VFX course in 2017 Lab Europe – Studied on the
“Work hard but enjoy it! It is a
3D Foundation course
tough industry to break into,
and it does involve a lot of hard
work, but it is definitely worth it
when you get there. Whenever
I get stressed, I remind myself
“Well, you are making art
for video games, life could
definitely be a lot harder.”
TERESA TANG HOLLY PICKERING
Freelance Senior Motion Senior Artist at ustwo games
Graphics Designer and Animator and Narrative Designer (Feminist
(clients have included Google meetup and games showcase
and YouTube) – Studied on the event celebrating diversity
Motion Graphics course in 2014 in the games industry) –
Studied on the Game Art
Production course in 2009
CARLOS MIRAS
2D Compositing Supervisor
at ReDefine – Studied
on the Compositing for
VFX course in 2009
“I’ve worked on movies including
Ghost in The Shell, The Jungle
Book, The Martian, Avengers
RAPHAEL DIAS
and Terminator Genesis! ANAÏS MAR
Award-winning Advertising
Working on such big projects TORREBLANCA
with so many talented people Director and Co-Founder
of Global Film Production
Associate Product Manager
in both DNEG and MPC gave – Compositing & Finishing at
Company SquarePixel
me an invaluable experience. Foundry – Studied on the MA
Films – Studied on the MA
It’s interesting to see how the Compositing for VFX in 2017
Compositing for VFX in 2016
approach and workflow changes
not only between companies
but also between projects.”
19
 JARGON
AGILE BLUE SCREEN COLOUR DIFFERENCE
A method of project Often used referring to blue METHOD

BUSTER
management (mostly used
in software development)
by which tasks are divided
and solutions are adapted
through a collaborative effort
and constant reassessment.
It can be easy to feel like you’re
ANIMATION
drowning amongst all the industry The technique of developing an
terminology, but don’t worry apparent continuous motion
you’re not alone! Our A-Z by creating moving imagery
jargon buster will help on a frame-by-frame basis.
you demystify it all. AMBIENT LIGHT
screen photography, can
use other colours than blue.
Technique used to remove
a background from the
object or subject of an image.
See also Green Screen.
BLUE SPILL
Any reflection coming off the
blue screen which appears
on the foreground subject.
See also Spill, Green Spill.
CAMERA MAPPING
A technique that uses the
difference in colour between
elements to extract a matte.
To apply this technique, the
subject should be shot in
front a coloured background
such as a blue screen.
COLOUR GRADING /
COLOUR CORRECTION
Process of altering the colour
of an image using a computer
as part of the final steps of a
post-production process.

An omni-directional light A technique used to project

CONCEPT ART
source that distributes light an image from a camera onto
VFX AND ANIMATION SOFTWARE evenly in all directions and a 3D object to simulate a 3D
An illustration used to convey
a visual representation of an
3D Equalizer: 3D tracking that affects all objects equally environment using 2D elements.
idea, style or mood before being
After Effects: Motion graphics and visual effects regardless of their disposition. Also called Projection Mapping.
added to the final product.
Arnold: 3D rendering
Autodesk: 3D design, engineering and animation AMBIENT OCCLUSION CEL ANIMATION
What I look for DESATURATION
A CG shading technique used A traditional technique of
Houdini: 3D animation The process of reducing
Toon Boom Harmony: 2D Animation in an entry level to calculate the exposition animation where each image
the colour in an image.
Maya: 3D animation, modelling, simulation and rendering applicant during and simulate the shadows is drawn individually and by
caused by objects that hand on acetate cels. This
Mudbox: Digital painting and sculpting the interview DECALS
block the ambient light. method is being replaced
Nuke: Digital compositing process, is a Textures with transparent
by digital techniques.
Photoshop: Imaging and photo-editing really good ANIMATIC
properties projected
Silhouette: Compositing (roto and prep) understanding of A preliminary animation, similar CGI OR CG
onto existing surfaces to
create special effects.
ZBrush: Digital sculpting the industry, why to an animated storyboard, CGI stands for ‘Computer-
E.g. used for bullet
they want to do produced to inform about Generated Imagery’ and refers
GAMES SOFTWARE what they want the timing of a sequence. to the creation and animation
impacts, blood, stains

of 3D digital elements which,

Maya: 3D animation, modelling, simulation and rendering to do and a good DIFFERENCE MATTE
ANIMATION RIG composited into a scene, will
Ndo: Normal map creation understanding A method used to extract the
A rig is a CG structure created give the impression of all being
Photoshop: Art bibles of the career as a sort of skeleton of a 3D part of the original shot.
difference between two images
Substance Painter: 3D painting progression in that model and is used by Animators
that have the same background
Substance Designer: Advanced material creation (one has a foreground subject
particular role. to make the model move. CHROMA KEY
Speed Tree: Vegetation programming and modelling and the other doesn’t). The
A technique used to composite
Unreal Engine: Game engine mask created is composed of
Gareth Gaydon, BACKGROUND (layer) two frames or images
the foreground subject only.
ZBrush: Digital sculpting Outreach & Recruitment The basis element on which together based on colour or
at Untold Studios and all other elements are colour ranges. Used mostly to
EDGE MATTE
Advisory Board member composited. It usually represents remove a background from the
To learn more about different types of software A matte that only includes
the majority of a shot. subject of a photo or video. See
used in the VFX, Animation and Games at ACCESS: VFX the outlines of an object.
also Green Screen Compositing
industries, download our Software Handbook
EDITING
escapestudios.ac.uk/software-handbook CLEAN PLATE
Process of putting shots and
Refers to a plate that doesn’t
scenes together and choosing
include the subject(s)
their length and ordering in
contained in a frame.
order to form a final product.

20 21
 EFFECTS ANIMATION
The animation of non-
character elements such as
fire, rain, sparks, smoke, etc.
Usually created using digital
rotoscoping or cel animation.
‘FIX IT IN POST’
A turn of phrase used when the
decision is made to correct a
shot during post-production,
using visual effects, rather than
shooting it again and delaying
production. Commonly used if
time and conditions don’t allow
to shoot a scene as expected.
FIXED MATTE
A matte that will not change
shape or position from
frame to frame. As opposed
to a travelling matte.
FORCED PERSPECTIVE
A technique that creates an
optical illusion of depth in a
scene by making objects appear
farther away or closer by making
them smaller or bigger.
FOUR-POINT TRACK
A method that allows to capture
a subject’s movement related
to a camera by recording the
position and movement data
of four points selected from a
shot. See also Corner Pin Track.
FRAME
A single image, which
when viewed as part of a
group will eventually form
a moving sequence.
GARBAGE MATTE
A matte designed to define
which area of an image should
be removed or ignored.
22
GLOBAL ILLUMINATION
A process that models all
the light reflected and
transmitted from a surface to
others in a scene as opposed
to being limited to the direct
light that hits a surface.
GO MOTION
A form of stop motion animation
which includes motion blur into
all frames that involve motion.
GREEN SCREEN
A green background that
will be replaced with a
digital background in post-
production. Technique used
to remove a background from
the object or subject of an
image. See also Blue Screen.
GREEN SCREEN
COMPOSITING
Process of replacing all the green
elements of a background by a
different digital image to give
the illusion that the subject
shot in front of the green screen
is in a different location.
See also Chroma Keying.
GREYBOX
A term used to describe
the blocking out of a
game environment.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE
IMAGING (HDRI)
A technique used in imaging and
photography to reproducing a
greater luminosity by shooting
multiple images at different
exposures to finally combine
them into one final image.
INTERACTIVE LIGHTING
Lighting that evolves over
time to respond to the
activity within a scene.
KEY OR KEYING
The process of isolating an
object from its background
and compositing it onto a
different background.
KEY FRAME
A frame which holds a record
of information (e.g. scale,
rotation, brightness). It is used
on a timeline to mark the start
and the end of a transition.
LAYERING OPERATION
A compositing operation
that composites elements
together based on their RGB
values or alpha channels.
LUMA KEY
A technique used to keying
and compositing two frames
or images (or a subject
and a background) based
on brightness levels.
LIGHT MAP OR
LIGHTMAPPING
The process of precalculating
and storing (in a light map) the
brightness of surfaces in a level
or scene. It is done by baking
static lights into the textures of
a level to reduce the amount
of memory used for lighting.
MANDREL
A form used to simulate the
volume and shape of an
object for on-set acting and
shooting. The final image of
the subject will be composited
in post-production.
MASK
A selection of (or the process
of selecting) part of an image
to then be able to modify its
properties separately from
the rest of the image.
MATCHMOVE
The process of extracting
the camera move from
live-action footage in order
to replicate it in CG.
MATTE
An image used to combine two
images or elements into one
final single image. See also Key.
MATTE PAINTING
A hand-painted image, usually
representing a landscape,
combined with live action
footage to create the illusion
of an environment that is
not real or present on the
set or filming location.
MODELLING
The process of producing 3D
objects with a computer.
MOTION BLUR
An effect that causes moving
objects to appear blurred in an
image or film. It is caused by
rapid movement of the subjects
or long exposure of the camera.
MOTION CONTROL
The use of mechanisms
controlled by computer
to dictate an object’s
movement in order to allow
for continuous repetition.
MOTION CAPTURE
OR MO-CAP
The process of digitally recording
the movements of a subject.
PERFORMANCE
CAPTURE OR MOTION
CAPTURE ACTING
A Motion Capture process with
the emphasis of recording the
more detailed and intricate
movements of the actor’s facial
expressions and hand gestures
for more precise results.
MULTIPLE-PASS
RENDERING
The process of rendering a 3D
object or scene multiple times to
create a series of images which
all have different characteristics.
MULTIPLANE
COMPOSITING
A technique that associates a
different amount to different
layers in a composite based on
their intended distance from
the camera in order to simulate
the movement of said camera.
Layers that are moved
by a smaller amount will
appear further away.
NGON
A polygon with 5 sides or more.
NORMAL MAPS OR
NORMAL MAPPING
A technique used to create the
illusion of depth, relief or bumps
with high resolution details using
lighting and colour (RGB) values
without using more polygons.
ON-SET PREVIS
OR ON-SET
PREVISUALISATION
The production of real-time
visualizations on-set to help
the crew to evaluate the
imagery before it is fully shot
and sent to post-production.
OPTIMIZATION
The process of reducing the
amount of memory used for
an asset. E.g. reducing the
polycount of a model without
affecting its silhouette.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
The process of analysing
several 2D images shot from
different angles in order to
create texture 3D geometry.
PHOTOREALISM
A generic term used to describe
computer generated images
that can’t be distinguished from
real-world scenes or shots.
POLYGON COUNT
OR POLYCOUNT
The polycount of a model
is the number of triangular
polygons it takes to render it in
3D space. The rendering time
depends on the polycount.
POST-HOUSE
Generic term to refer to a post-
production studio or facility.
POST-PRODUCTION
Refers to the work (editing,
visual effects, sound effects,
sound design…) that is done
on the footage once the
principal photography has been
completed. It is the final stage
of the filmmaking process.
POSTVIS OR POST-
VISUALISATION
The process of incorporating
digital elements or Previs
elements into live-action plates,
providing placeholder shots
to use for test screening and
production budgeting and
planning before the film goes
into final VFX production.
PRACTICAL EFFECTS
Effects that are created live,
without using post-production.
They include explosions,
rain, and smoke, etc.
PLATE SHOT
An empty shot including a
background only without any
other elements such as actors
or objects. Often used to clean
a scene from elements such
as wires and light stands.
23
 PREVIS OR
PREVISUALISATION
The process of creating
preliminary versions of shots or
scenes mainly using 3D animation
tools. Enables filmmakers and
producers to discuss creative
ideas and plan production.
RENDERING
The action of generating
an image from a 2D or 3D
model using a computer.
RENDER FARM
A collection of computers that are
used to render images without
interactive human input.
ROTOSCOPING
OR ROTOING
An animation technique used
to trace mattes frame by frame
around subjects. The matte
produced is a Rotoscoped Matte.
SHADER
A type of simple computer
programme used to store the
information (texture, colour,
position, lighting, etc) to be
applied to a model. There are
different types of shaders:
geometry shaders, vertex shaders,
fragment shaders… They allow the
user to change the parameters
of the model at any point.
SHADOW PASS
A specific render used in
compositing that only shows
the shadows cast by a subject.
SPILL
Refers to light falling where it
is not intended to, such as a
glass reflection onto a prop.
24
STABILISATION
The process of repositioning
a frame for all elements in a
scene to stay in place, which
cancels out any undesired frame
movement (often caused by an
accidental camera movement).
STOP MOTION
An animation technique used
to bring inanimate objects to
life by animating them by hand
and photographing them shot-
by-shot. See also Go Motion.
TECHNICAL PREVIS
The process of generating
information about a scene (layout,
lighting, design, equipment…) in
order to help define the technical
needs of a production. Often
presented through diagrams.
TEXTURE MAPPING
The process of applying an
image or pattern to a CG object
to enhance its realism.
TILING TEXTURE
A method used to apply a small
texture to a model and repeat
it infinitely. Often used on large
surfaces like walls or floors.
TOPOLOGY
The organisation and layout of the
edges and vertices of a 3D model.
TRACKING
The process of capturing
the movements of a subject
within film footage and
relative to the camera.
TRAVELING MATTE
A travelling matte is a matte
that changes frame by frame
in order to reveal or mask the
shape of a moving subject.
UV MAPPING OR UV MAPS
The process of laying out a 3D
model into flat UV coordinates
in order to project a 2D
texture or image onto it.
VISUAL EFFECTS (VFX)
A generic term used to refer
to all the elements that can’t
be captured using traditional
photographic techniques.
Incorporates a wide range of
post-production processes and
is often abbreviated as ‘VFX’.
WIRE REMOVAL
The process of digitally removing
wires, harnesses or other on-
set materials that were used to
support stunts or practical effects.
WITNESS CAMERA
A camera that is used to film
an action from a different
viewpoint than the primary
camera’s. Used to provide
animation and 3D reference.
WITNESS POINTS OR
TRACKING MARKER
A collection of items intentionally
positioned in a scene allowing
for the motion and set-up of
the cameras to be determined
through different image-tracking
processes in post production.
Image courtesy of ILM
25
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