Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them VFX talk by Framestore confirmed for the VFX Festival

THE VFX FESTIVAL 2017 is thrilled to announce that headliner Framestore will be hosting an exclusive talk on Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. This will be the first time that the VFX effects for the new film have been discussed at length. We are also pleased to confirm that ILM, known for their revolutionary CGI and visual effects, will also be presenting on a ‘top secret’ new project to be announced soon. Presented by Escape Studios, part of Pearson College London, The VFX Festival is back for 2017 and is bigger, better and bolder, than ever before. The festival will be running in London from 7^th – 9^th February 2017, in association with arts and cultural venue, Rich Mix.

Top visual effects (VFX) companies who have worked on some the latest and biggest blockbusters will also be in attendance, including world-leading visual effects and animation facility Cinesite who will be discussing their work on blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence. MPC will take us into the jungle, giving insight on their innovative and ground-breaking approach to filmmaking on The Jungle Book. Jellyfish will be discussing the creation of the captivating ‘Black Mirror’ universe. Lastly, The Mill will be discussing their work on a range of new and unreleased projects.

From the gaming world, State of Play will take us behind the scenes of their Apple Design Award winning iOS game, INKS. Leading game developers Climax Studios and Creative Assembly will also be talking about their latest game creations. Multi-BAFTA award winning animation studio Blue Zoo will be talking about their top-notch CG character animation, alongside animation studios Seed Animation and Glassworks.

The festival will also be delving into the past year’s biggest technology trend, VR. REWIND, the award winning company harnessing these immersive technologies, will be discussing their VR production. EMMY and BAFTA winning studio MOMOCO will be discussing the process of making titles on key projects including Doctor Who spin-off Class. The line up will also include Man vs Machine and motion Graphics superstar, the man behind the graphics on some of the last decade’s most impressive visuals, Danny Yount will be flying in from LA to present on his career defining title sequences.

Whether you are passionate about VFX, animation, games or motion graphics, The VFX Festival 2017 truly offers something for everyone. The schools day will feature a range of exclusive workshops, from Escape’s industry leading and expert tutors, who have worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest films. Days One and Two will be tailored for graduates, enthusiasts and professionals, with an array of headline talks and recruitment sessions, from some of the world’s award winning studios. The festival remains dedicated to inspiring the next generation of filmmakers, gamers and animators, whilst offering an opportunity to celebrate the success of Escape’s graduates, who have gone on to work on Oscar winning and nominated pictures, including the likes of The Jungle Book and more.

The Festival is housed in a new venue for 2017, in association with arts and cultural hub Rich Mix. Rich Mix is East London’s independent arts venue, currently celebrating its first 10 years in the capital. Having created a public space for the creative industries to thrive and for people to come together to make and experience world-class art, Rich Mix is committed to delivering excellent art to increasingly diverse audiences. Rich Mix work with both emerging and established artists, and creative businesses, supporting them to deliver and develop their artistic practice. It is truly a perfect venue to host The VFX Festival 2017.

Dr Ian Palmer, Director of Escape Studios has commented, “The VFX Festival is committed to attracting and showcasing the very best this vibrant creative industry has to offer in London; whether it’s from VFX, Gaming, Motion Graphics, or Animation. Now in its fifth year, the 2017 festival will be our boldest offering yet. Whether you’re already established in the industry, looking to network and raise your profile, or find out how to break in to it, we’ve something for everyone over three jam packed days.”

The VFX Festival was developed by Escape Studios, part of Pearson College London, in 2013 and has run every year since. The festival aims to bring together a number of highly respected colleagues from all spectrums of the VFX, Games, Animation and Graphics industries.

Tickets are available to buy now from www.thevfxfestival.com.

List of announced speakers to date:

Schools Day – VFX, Games and Animation Newcomers – 7th February 2017

• London Creative Edge – Divergent Futures: How VFX is Changing the World: An exploration of VFX in and beyond film and also presenting on ‘How to Break into the Industry’
• Climax Studios – How to make it into the games industry (Games)
• Animator Alex Williams – Tips for making a career in film animation (Animation)
• Escapee Ricardo Musch – From the classroom to the film studio (VFX)
• Exclusive session with Creative Skillset and 3Dami – more details to be announced soon

Day 1 – VFX, Games and Animation Enthusiasts, Graduates and Professionals  – 8th February 2017

HEADLINER – Danny Yount – STORIES IN MOTION: MAIN TITLES (Motion Graphics) 

Feature presentations:

• Blue Zoo – Masterclass in Cartoony Character Animation (Animation)
• Aardvark Swift – ‘Get in the Game’ Industry Careers Talk (Games)
• JM Blay – Creating Motion Graphics sequences for a Sci-Fi film (Motion Graphics)
• Jellyfish Pictures  – Black Mirror: Swarms and Drones (Animation and VFX)
• MPC Advertising – Showcase of their latest work including unreleased and top secret projects (VFX)
• Climax Studios – The Challenges of VR Development for Games (Games)
• Seed Animation – For the love of Animation… The importance of creating your own work (Animation)
• Man vs Machine – Exploring procedural workflows with Houdini and its use as a design tool across a range of new projects (Motion Graphics)

Day 2 – VFX, Games and Animation Graduates and Professionals – 9th February 2017

HEADLINER – Framestore – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (VFX)

Feature presentations:

• Cinesite – Independence Day: Resurgence (VFX)
• MPC – The Jungle Book (VFX)
• REWIND – VR production from Storytelling to Storyliving (VR)
• The Mill – Discussing their work on a range of new and unreleased projects (VFX)
• State of Play – Delving into the Graphics Behind INKS (Games)
• Glassworks – (Animation)
• MOMOCO – The Title Sequence: Concept to Screen (Motion Graphics)
• Creative Assembly – Talking about their latest game creation, more to be announced soon (Games)
• Studio Recruitment talks from MPC, Framestore and Jellyfish

Additional VFX talks by a range of leading studios to be announced.

General Information:

Date: 7-9th February 2017

Address: 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA