>>> WHEN YOU THINK OF A LOCATION FOR AN ANIMATION STUDIO, YOU
WOULD PROBABLY THINK OF NEW YORK OR L.A., NOT SPRINGFIELD,
MASSACHUSETTS.
BUT FOR THE THREE FOUNDERS OF OPEN PIXEL ANIMATION,
SPRINGFIELD MADE PERFECT SENSE.
THEY MET WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL AT U-MASS AND HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE,
AND ALTHOUGH THEY SPLIT WAYS AFTER COLLEGE, IT WAS A SENSE OF
COMMUNITY IN WESTERN MASS THAT BROUGHT THEM BACK WHEN STARTING
THEIR BUSINESS.
OUR PRODUCER, DAVE FRASIER, BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> THAT'S ONE LAYER AMONGST MANY LAYERS HERE.
>> WITH ROOTS STEMMING FROM COLLEGE, A LOCAL ANIMATION
COMPANY RECENTLY OPENED THEIR OFFICE AT VALLEY VENTURE MENTORS
IN SPRINGFIELD.
WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL?
BECAUSE THIS COMPANY, CALLED OPEN PIXEL, IS ONE OF A FEW
WOMEN OWNED AND CERTIFIED ANIMATION PRODUCTION STUDIOS IN
THE AREA.
>> I KNEW WHAT ANIMATION WAS.
I WAS FASCINATED BY IT, BUT WHEN I SAW MY TEACHER MOVE A BOX FROM
ONE SIDE OF THE SCREEN TO THE OTHER, I WAS, LIKE, YES.
SIGN ME UP.
♪ ♪ >> SINCE THEN, THE TRIO OF
CATHERINE, WILL, AND WEBB CREATED PROJECTS USED IN
ADVERTISING, EDUCATION, AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE
CONTENT.
>> YOU'LL SEE ANIMATION IN VISUAL EFFECTS.
YOU'LL SEE IT ON WEBSITES NOWADAYS.
THEY HAVE MOTION.
AND SO WHETHER LARGE OR SMALL, THEY ARE ALL USE USING THESE TU.
2-D IS HAND DRAWN ANIMATION, WHICH CAN BE DONE DIGITALLY NOW,
3-D ANIMATION IS, YOU KNOW, THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELS AND
GRAPHICS LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN DISNEY OR PIXAR MOVIES, AND
THERE'S THIS MIDDLE GENERA, NOW, THAT'S 2.5D INCORPORATING
ELEMENTS OF BOTH.
>>>> THE COMPANY, ITSELF, WENT THROUGH THE VALLEY VENTURE
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM SEEKING TO ACCELERATE THE GROWTH OF STARTUP
COMPANIES IN WESTERN MASS.
>> THIS SPACE IS THE INNOVATION HUB, THE VALLEY VENTURES
INNOVATION HUB, IT'S IN THE CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD, AND IT'S
HOME TO, LIKE, A DOZEN-PLUS STARTUPS.
THEY ARE LOOKING TO BOTH GROW THEIR BUSINESS, LEARN MORE ABOUT
BUSINESS, UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE GOING TO GROW, WHAT STEPS TO
TAKE, AND IT'S A FANTASTIC PLACE TO WORK.
>> WE WENT THROUGH THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
IT WAS ABOUT SIX MONTHS LONG AT THE TIME, AND IT KICKED OUR
BUTTS.
IT WAS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WE WERE THREE ARTISTS THAT HAVE ALL
HAD OUR OWN UNIQUE PER SPECK SIEVES ON THINGS, BUT WHEN WE
HAD THE QUESTION OF WHO THE CUSTOMER SEGMENT WAS, WELL,
DOESN'T EVERYBODY USE ANIMATION?
AND SO WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
>> IN THE EARLY YEARS, THE AN ANIMATION BUSINESS WAS NOT A
PLACE TO EMPLOY WOMEN, AND IF IT DID, THEY WERE LIMITED TO JUST
COLORING ON MANY ANIMATION PROJECTS, AND NOT ALLOWED TO DO
ACTUAL ANIMATION THEMSELVESES.
THIS IS SOMETHING CATHERINE HOPES TO CHANGE AND INSPIRE MORE
WOMEN TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY.
>> BACK IN THOSE DAYS, LIKE, WOMEN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BE
ANIMATERS.
THEY GOT REJECTION LETTERS FROM DISNEY BECAUSE THEY WERE
ANIMATERS -- IT WAS A BOY'S CLUB, AND SO WE'VE COME A HECK
OF A LONG WAYS SINCE THEN.
THEY ARE TRYING TO, ESSENTIALLY, BRIDGE GAP, SO I THINK IT'S
STILL GROWING, AND WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT IT'S -- I'M
REALLY PROUD OF THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR.
>> MANY THINK TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ANIMATION COMPANY, YOU NEED TO
BE IN NEW YORK OR L.A., BUT THE GROUP AT OPEN PIXEL FOUND
WESTERN MASS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES OF THE LARGER
CITY, BUT MAINTAINING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO
THEM.
>> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BOSTON.
I CAME OUT HERE FOR COLLEGE, FOR MY ACADEMICS.
I STAYED HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH A LOT OF MY
COMMUNITY WAS BUILT HERE THROUGH THOSE YEARS AND YEARS AFTER.
BIGGER CITY CITIES HAVE A TENDEO ALIENUATE PEOPLE IN WAYS BECAUSE
THEY ARE SO BIG, IT'S HARD TO FIND YOUR GROUP, AND SO COMING
BACK HERE WAS NICE BECAUSE IT FELT MUCH EASIER TO BUILD THAT
COMMUNITY.
>> TO BE ABLE TO, LIKE, CREATE A FOUNDATION HERE AND HOPEFULLY BE
ABLE TO HAVE A SPACE WHERE LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND
WOMEN CAN JOIN AND REPRESENTATION CAN HAPPEN, THAT
WOULD BE AN AWESOME, AWESOME THING TO HAPPEN.
I THINK BEING IN WESTERN MASS CREATES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY,
NOT JUST FOR OURSELVES, BUT FOR THE GENERATION TO COME.