FableVision Summer Open House

Do you know about FableVision? You should! Their home page states, "FableVision is a company dedicated to helping all learners discover their true potential." They live up to that mission. In addition to FableVision, which produces mobile applications, web sites, software, and books (among other things), FableVision Learning provides resources that help teach 21st century kids. The company also owns an idependent bookstore in Dedham, MA.

The company hosts seasonal open houses in the Boston studio, right above the Children's Museum. These are fantastic opportunities to meet the people behind the magic. Whether you're interested in having a book signed by Peter Reynolds, trying out their Animation-ish software, or networking, the event is always lively and fun.

This week Dan and Jackie from my program joined me. It reminded me how much I'll miss my graduate school experience, especially now that we have really started to form our own media lab structure at Tufts! I know those two are going to do amazing things next year, and I'm excited to see who joins them!

Perhaps my favorite part of the studio is the center of the office, what seems to be an animation/illustration pit. Pit in a good way! How awesome it must be to be surrounded by so much creative energy each day! If I ever open that beautiful studio in Red Hook, BK, I will definitely have a "pit" of my own.

The parting gifts? Old-fashioned treasures that teachers would hand out to students: temporary tattoos, compasses, stickers, etc. The perfect end to a perfect evening!

Many thanks, FableVision!

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Open House!

A while back, my friend recommended I check out the work of FableVision. Please visit their website! They are a fantastic example of a for-profit company that is able to live and work by its mission: which apparently is a 200 year goal to change the world using media. Bravo! At the helm of the FableVision boat is Peter Reynolds. It seems as if Reynolds has his hand in all aspects of children's media but is most successful, I think, in his pursuit of quality visual art for children. His books are beautifully illustrated, the company's website designs are fun to play with and look at, and their software Animation-ish is a great tool to teach visual art and, more specifically, animation to children.

I was able to visit their studio this evening at an open house they hosted. It was such a fun environment and seemed to foster fantastic creative energy amongst the staff. Artwork and recording are done in-house, which I LOVE. It made me start to think about my studio; what will it look like? I'd love to develop a company of creative, mission-driven artists just as Reynolds has done.

My favorite part of the open house was experimenting with the company's educational software Animation-ish. I got to design my own characters and bring them to life using a simple, directed format. The company seems to be using it primarily in classrooms, but I have a feeling this will be tops on my Christmas list and will most likely be the gift I purchase for my younger cousins (ages 6 and 9).

When I received the open house invite (which I got simply from being on the listserve), I was unsure about it. Head into Boston to check out someone's office? Meh. I was encouraged by one of my classmates who came with me. I really learned appreciate this opportunity. Particularly as someone who will be looking for employment in 9 months, I now realize how valuable it is to get a feel for a work environment and know more about a company before sending in a resume or completely writing them off.

Please check out the company's site and experiment with Animation-ish! You won't regret it...