Page 21 - BusinessWest May 12, 2021

At one of Open Pixel’s production stations, well- communicated concepts become animation.
test a little bit. But there was almost no shift; our business did not waver at all.”
In some ways, COVID-19 actually provided more opportunity.
“What ended up happening was more people asked us for more work,” he went on. “Normally, a production requires filming and video and people in a studio or on a production set. Those
roles diminished overnight, and everyone said, ‘what else can we do? Instead of having people on a screen, or talking heads, let’s do animation instead.’ It was a really big boost to our company.”
And it’s not all remote, even during the pandemic, Taccone was quick to note. “We pride our- selves on being able to commu- nicate with clients in a way that’s comfortable for them. Sometimes clients prefer to be in person, and sometimes it’s totally fine send- ing e-mails. We try to match how the project is managed, and the way we communicate, to their personalities, so everyone is comfortable.”
Using animation for market- ing and messaging is nothing new, Colón said, citing the well-known example of Walt Disney producing animated shorts for every branch of the U.S. military during World War II, putting beloved characters
to work rallying support for the war effort.
“I don’t think the things we’re doing are much
different than Walt Disney creating content dur- ing World War II. Those were ‘explainer videos,’ talking through the points the military wanted to talk about. So this isn’t new technology. What’s new is the application.”
Meaning, while animation has been a main- stay during the internet age — as part of web- sites, mobile games, and in movies and television — it remains underused by businesses. Colón,
Taccone, and Webb are hoping to change that. “A lot of businesses haven’t realized they can
do amazing things,” Colón said. “Our job as a studio is to introduce businesses to animation for the first time.”
And do it, for the most part, remotely.
“We have 20 freelancers across the country, and I’ve met only a few in person,” he noted.
“
do? Instead of having people on
a screen, or talking heads, let’s do animation instead.’ It was a really big boost to our company.”
“We’ve always been remote, always done Zoom calls, always done projects managed through cloud-based solutions. It’s been a breeze, and that’s a testament to our process. We were one of the first ‘pandemic industries’ pre-pandemic. We were ready for it.”
Now, they’re ready to move the needle even further when it comes to the power of animation in the business world.
Crossing Paths
Colón’s journey to the world of animation began at Hampshire College, where, during his first year in 2009, he tried to get into an advanced
Everyone said, ‘what else can we
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