To celebrate the cream of the UK’s computer graphics community, Escape Studios has partnered with Autodesk and AMD to host 2008’s inaugural Escape Awards. The awards will be held at the Tate Modern in London on Thursday 27 March and will include categories for both professionals and students in visual effects, games and design visualisation. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 13 February.

Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam, whose credits include Chariots of Fire and Midnight Express, will preside over a panel of more than 30 judges, including director Danny Boyle, Autodesk’s EMEA director Patrick Jocelyn and leading industry figures from companies such as Pixar, DreamWorks, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Foster + Partners.

“The creative industries are very much a jewel in the crown of UK business and this country's excellence in the field of computer graphics deserves to be celebrated,” said Lord Puttnam.

According to Escape Studios’ CEO Dominic Davenport, “We've had nothing but support from everyone we've spoken to proving that a major annual event that brings together the UK CG community is long overdue.”

“We feel it’s very important for both professional and up-and-coming talent to be recognised within the industry and the Escape Awards will give them the exposure they deserve,” added Patrick Jocelyn.

Entries can be submitted through the Escape Awards website www.escapeawards.com
The categories are:

• Visual effects in film
• Visual effects in broadcast
• Visual effects in commercials
• Visual effects in music
• Games
• Design visualisation
• Technology
• Student in visual effects
• Student in games
• Student in design visualisation

About Escape Studios
Escape Studios is Europe’s first dedicated computer graphics and VFX school that opened its doors in London in 2002 to attract a new generation of creatives. It was launched by Dominic Davenport in response to the lack of training facilities outside the US and has been endorsed by Oscar-winning movie director Ridley Scott and some of the biggest names in film, games and animation - including Pixar, Autodesk and Sony. No stranger to big name Hollywood blockbusters, many of the world’s major movies, such as X Men 3, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass have all been worked on by graduates from Escape Studios.

Courtesy of  Autodesk