With the #10YearChallenge making its way across social media feeds, we at FableVision Studios thought we’d get in on the action with our own 10 Year Challenge. As a new decade begins, we’re reflecting on the great innovations and changes that have occurred in the last ten years.
To take a look at exactly what has and hasn’t changed from 2010 and 2020, we asked some of our staff members who have been at the studio for over ten years to reflect on some of the changes at the studio over the last decade. Though many of the people, projects, and software that we use have changed, the thing that has always stayed constant is our mission to tell “stories that matter, stories that move” using engaging and innovative educational media.
As co-founder of FableVision, what was the original vision for the studio? How has FableVision Studios continued to work towards that vision this past decade?
Gary Goldberger, President & Co-Founder: The original vision for the company was to use media, art, and technology to move the world to a better place and to help all learners reach their full potential. In the past ten years, this vision has stayed very near and dear to our hearts. People and technology change, but the mission has continued to be the core of the studio’s success. A big part of this is finding like-minded partners that come to us because they believe in using media to engage their audience to think or act differently. We’ve always believed that making small changes in our current system can cause long-term positive effects in schools, culture, and communities. This belief doesn’t just stop at the company level, but it also influences what we want to do in our lives; it comes from our personal beliefs and goals.
For the past 24 years, the ways to reach our audience have changed. We’ve seen a technology evolution, and with every new technology that comes, there’s a short “a-ha!” period where we see the potential. At FableVision, it’s our job to turn that potential into actuality. Personal connection and meaning need to exist within whatever technology you’re using to deliver an authentic experience. That’s been crucial to FableVision’s mission since the beginning, and something we’ve stayed true to throughout the years. I’m still really proud of that.
How have the types of projects and how FableVision approaches those projects changed from 2010 to 2020?
Leigh Hallisey, Creative Director: The biggest change that I’ve seen is in subject matter, driven by the fact that we are designing learning experiences for older audiences. Although we love to produce media for younger children, FableVision is reaching more learners in middle school, high school, and college.
Within this last decade, we’ve tackled a lot of complex subject matter: bullying, financial literacy, substance use, neurodiversity, empathy, anxiety and peer pressure, mental health awareness, and more. I love that the educational media umbrella is always expanding—learning about being a human in the world, how to respect difference, how to take care of yourself and others. We continue to use our signature blend of storytelling, relatable characters and situations, and authentic language, but we are doing a deeper dive into researching the subject matter and working with experts in the field.
It’s amazing to have a job where you learn new things with each project—the effects of drugs and alcohol on an adolescent brain, mindfulness techniques for relaxation, digital citizenship, managing crops, tips for resisting peer pressure, and how to save for retirement by managing a vampire nightclub (no joke). It’s never boring! FableVision’s work has always been unique and quirky, and a lot of that comes down to the trust our clients put in us because of the reputation we’ve built over the years. Between art, game design, production, and content, we have the vision to push the expectations around educational media, and we have the amazingly talented people to make beautiful things that really impact the world.
What did FableVision’s animation process look like in 2010, and how has it changed over the last decade? What impact have these changes had on studio projects?
Didi Hatcher, Lead Animator: This past decade, we’ve made a lot of improvements to the animation process to ensure better organization, optimization, and streamlining. One main focus has been better documentation and communication. We also learned to use a lot of new software and tools, and gained a lot of new skills. Before, we primarily animated in Flash (now named Adobe Animate), but to adapt to new platforms like mobile and AR, FableVision artists and animators have learned After Effects, Unity, Spine, and many other software platforms along with Adobe Animate. We have also expanded our process to include a lot more freelancers, and our management of the workflow has improved to accommodate that, especially given that most freelancers are off-site and often in different time zones.
These changes have improved our performance tremendously. Projects run smoother and faster, and our process is a lot more efficient. This allows for better quality of our work, and it lets us stay competitive by achieving more for less time and money. And, last but not least, it makes working less stressful and more enjoyable. All in all, it’s been a good decade of growth!
What kind of technology was the studio using in 2010? How has technology changed this past decade, and how does FableVision stay on top of emerging trends?
Brian Grossman, Technical Director: The vast majority of the games, animation, and interactives we developed in 2010 were created using Flash. Knowing that Adobe’s support for Flash Player officially ends in December 2020, we switched to using HTML5 and Unity. We continue to push these technologies and use one of them on almost all of our projects.
In 2010, we just started developing iOS apps. Even though no one could have predicted mobile's full-scale takeover at that time, we made sure we were getting up to speed. In the past 10 years, we’ve created dozens of apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets for our clients. On the other hand, the technology in 2010 that people predicted would have huge growth in the education space was interactive whiteboards. At that time, we had several, large-scale projects designed specifically for classroom instruction on a whiteboards, including our own Big Screen Books. While the demand for interactive whiteboard projects has died out, we learned about the nuances of developing software for teachers to teach and entire class using a large display.
We’ve always strived to balance the need to deliver quality products built on stable, proven technologies with the need to research and learn about the latest and greatest technologies. We’re currently working on several extended reality (AR and VR) projects, and keeping an eye on advancements in AI and IoT. As we look toward 2030, it’s impossible to know which technologies we’ll be using, but FableVision will definitely be ready.
Where do you see FableVision in 10 years?
Allie Caton, Production Assistant: In 10 years, I see FableVision reaching more and more communities and broadening our knowledge in new, upcoming technologies! I also see the "FableVision jokes" folder on my computer growing to take up 10GB of my computer storage.
Monica Chen, Communications Strategist: In 2030, I see FableVision continuing to break barriers in storytelling, technology, and interactivity through our engaging educational media. I also see FableVision using media to teach and inspire in new, innovative ways with our own educational games and animation.
David Welsh, Game & Narrative Designer: In 10 years, I expect FableVision will take our experiences to the next level as we continue to innovate new ways to use storytelling to move the world to a better place. I'm already working on some exciting games that I think will be fondly remembered and still played in the next decade!
Peter Stidwill, Executive Producer: I see FableVision working with even more fabulous partners to create impactful experiences, celebrating success with our latest research-proven XR game, and kicking off another season of our own original animated series! (And I see myself still gorging on super-tasty staff-made snacks).
