A c c e l e r a t i n g u t a h ’ s D i g i t a l M e d i a

Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership Executive Summary Fall 2011 Accelerating Utah’s Digital Media Industry About This Report

his report presents specific strategies designed to accelerate and support the growth and expansion of TUtah’s digital media industry and to fashion a well-trained workforce possessing the critical skills needed by this industry.

These recommendations were generated by a number of dedicated leaders from within Utah’s digital media industry as well as by public, academic, and business leaders. Each of these participants has contributed his or her time, ex- pertise, and insight to this collaborative effort that sets the direction for the expansion and acceleration of this vital industry in Utah.

This Cluster Acceleration Partnership has been authorized and sponsored by the Utah System of Higher Education, the Utah Department of Workforce Services, and the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Utah Valley University has led the project and served as the primary convener.

The consulting team from Grow Utah Ventures, a nonprofit organization, served as the strategic facilitator and acceleration advisor on the project.

For more information on this and other Cluster Acceleration Partnerships, please contact the Utah System of Higher Strategies to accelerate expansion of Utah’s digital media Education. industry by focusing on technology and creativity.

2 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 3 Executive Summary he Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Partnership Strategy defines a specific course of action to sustain Tand grow this vital industry cluster in the state of Utah. This strategy lays out a specific direction and high-level plan of action to guide the collective efforts of academia, the public sector and Utah’s digital media industry both in the short and long term. Our major conclusions include the following: •Utah has a rich legacy in pioneering digital media innovation and technology advancements. •Utah’s digital media cluster employs over 1,500 workers. •Utah businesses in this cluster have direct annual revenues exceeding $415 million. •In general, workers in digital media are paid above-average wage rates. •41% of all digital media jobs are in the video gaming sector. •20% of jobs are in the simulations sector. •Utah can best accelerate the expansion of this industry by fostering creative talent and technology innovation that will drive the future of the industry. As a result of these findings, the Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Partnership recommends this comprehensive strategy that includes enhancing the state’s workforce and A strategic direction and high-level action plan to increase relevant educational curriculum. Finally, long-term success the existing 1,500 jobs and $415 million in revenue. is dependent on a partnership of industry, business, com- munity and academic leaders.

4 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 5 Contributors and Commitment

his Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Partnership Strategy state’s many early commercial leaders, Utah is a strong contributor in Tincorporates the views, insights and recommendations contributed both the creative and technological components that are integral to by a wide spectrum of representatives from industry, academia and the the digital media industry. Building on this legacy, this acceleration public sector on how best to accelerate the growth of the industry. strategy charts the direction for future growth and a strong economic impact to the state. Utah’s digital media industry employs over 1,500 workers statewide and has combined revenues of $415 million. This workforce includes The partnership between academia, public sector entities and industry artists, designers, technologists, developers, and engineers who work specialists formed through the course of this project is essential for together to create and deliver dynamic, innovative digital content. long-term success. Achieving what we envision in this strategy will They provide consumers of all ages with rich media experiences, such require aligned resources and a focused commitment to the initiatives. as leading edge video games, digital effects and feature animation that We are confident, as we do so, that our combined efforts will yield continue to engage and excite consumers of all ages. positive individual, corporate, and statewide results as we accelerate We are proud of Utah’s heritage in the digital media industry. From the expansion of Utah’s digital media industry. the pioneering research conducted at the University of Utah to the

Members of the UCAP Digital Media Industry Kent Thomas- Advanced CFO Val Peterson- Utah Valley John Blackburn- Avalanche Russ Kendall- Kaleidoscope Squares Animation Ernie Carey- Utah Valley Oversight Committee Adam Abel- Go Films Solutions University Pictures Dave Rushton- Sensory Sweep University Commissioner William A. Lee Baker-Sandman Studios Kasandra VerBrugghen- SpyHop Anthony Romrell- Utah Valley Joshua Buhler- Rain Robb Kunz- Venture Blue Capital Clark Schaffer- A Schaffer Studios Riley Cutler- GOED Sederburg- Commissioner of University Jim Banister- Spectrum DNA Hal Widlansky- Mangia Daniel Burman- Holorad Emily Lawrence- Zygote Nathan Smith- Tandem Rodayne Esmay- Utah Valley Higher Education Anna Szbados- Salt Lake Media Group University Mike Bartholomew- Eat David Wiener- DWV Christopher Clark- Solar Motion Picture Studios Kristin Cox - Executive Director Community College Sleep Play Public Sector Monkey Media Jonathan Lund- Garafa, LLC Stephen Sobisky- Sandman Robert Kessler- University of Utah Workforce Services Project Consultant Jeff Bunker- Disney Avalanche Ryan Angus- USTAR Devlin Daley- Instructure Chad Lee- React Games Studios John Kilbourne- Neumont Spencer Eccles-Executive T. Craig Bott- Grow Utah Ventures Andra Duke- Kaleidoscope Darin McDaniel- Lumenas Studios Derrick Sorensen- Lumenas University Director Governor’s Office of Scott Campbell- Eat Sleep Play Ricardo Flores- GOED Utah Digital Media Cluster Pictures Studios Kelly Loosli- BYU Economic Development John Corser- Corser Inc. John Pierpont DWS Dave McGinn- Agilix Labs Acceleration Strategy Bill Eggington- Eggington Steve Spencer- Twelve Horses Kent Millington- UVU Tech Mathew Holland- President Ben Dahl- Pelion Venture Partners Jake Randall- EDCU Micah Merrill- Kaleidoscope Review Committee Productions Commercialization Utah Valley University Pictures Andrew Stack- Steep Produc- Jon Dean- Electronic Arts Cristy Rodriguez- USTAR In addition to the steering Jon Foster- Impatient Cow, Inc. Laura Mustard- Chair Enter- tions Inc Dan Olsen- Brigham Young Members of the Digital Salt Lake Steve Roy- USTAR committee, the following leaders Peter Fuszard- 3DMI tainment Gavin Sullivan- Prox13 University Media Cluster Acceleration Josh Jones- Smart Bomb provided critical insight to the Marshall Wright- GOED productions Mark Van Langeveld- Univer- Strategy Steering Committee final digital media acceleration Calvin Gaisford- Appigo Dave Owen- Bend Reality Studios Lane Kiriyama- Wahoo Education sity of Utah Utah Valley University strategies and their implementa- Brad Hintze- Bungee Labs Ryan Owen- Protoven Phillip Windley- Kynetx Dave Peterson- Hill Air Force Brent Adams- Brigham Economic Development Convening Institution tion. Matt Hoffman- BluFire Studios Les Pardew- Alpine Studios Scott Witt- Salt Aire Films Base Young University Special recognition and Digital Media Industry and Media Todd Brightwell- EDCU Howard Phillips- Independent Derek Jackson- GND-TECH Annie Perng- WTCU + MMI appreciation to Utah Valley Craig Caldwell- University of Utah Education Elizabeth Goryunova- WTC Jared Allgood- ClassTop, Inc. Dylan Jobe- Light Box Interactive Jill Porter- Workman Nydegger University for serving as the Clark Stacey-Smart Bomb Alan Hashimoto- Utah State Jim Alvey- Alvey Media Group Mike Alder- BYU Technology Kim Lofgreen- EDCUtah convening institution for this Rachel Stewart- Department University Jones Ammon- BluFire Studios Angelic Quintana- Eat Sleep Play Commercialization Richard Nelson- UTC project. Workforce Services Steve Avery- PMG Geoff Keene- Sandswept Adrian Rupp- Circles and Cameron Martin- Utah Roger Altizer- University of Utah System of Higher Education Ben Bell- EA Studios, Inc.

6 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 7 Table of Contents

Introduction 10

Digital Media Cluster Assessment 12

Utah’s Digital Media Cluster Today 18

Strategic Position in Response to the Industry 22

Acceleration Strategies 26

Key Supporting Strategies 29

Appendices

A. Recommended Elements of Business Attraction Incentive Package

B. Required Workforce Skills

c. Coordinating Educational Program

Utah’s digital media industry capitalizes on the convergence of creativity and technology.

8 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 9 Introduction

The Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership (UCAP) is an initiative focused on increasing the economic impact of Utah’s critical industry clusters and the contribution made by the various institutions of higher education.

Utah’s higher education institutions are strong drivers In order to achieve these general purposes, the UCAP of economic development in the communities they initiatives have been organized into two specific serve. In addition to educating a well-qualified work- phases of effort. force for local employment, these institutions are Phase I: Cluster Assessment committed to doing more to further expand Utah’s This phase has focused on conducting a strategic economic base. assessment of the cluster to determine the overall value, economic status, growth potential, and com- SPONSORING PARTNERS petitive positioning of the cluster. Key sponsors of the UCAP include the Utah Depart- ment of Workforce Services, the Utah System of Phase II: Acceleration Strategies Higher Education and its member institutions, the The second phase has focused on developing accel- Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and eration strategies with specific emphasis on developing critical private employers in industry clusters across talent and ideas that support and drive expansion of our state. the cluster.

For the digital media cluster, Utah Valley University PROJECT LEADERSHIP has served as the project lead and convener. The UCAP is under the direction of an oversight committee consisting of the Executive Director of PROJECT SCOPE the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the An economic cluster acceleration strategy must Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of address a wide range of facets that contribute to Economic Development, and the Commissioner for the rapid expansion of the targeted industry. In the Utah System of Higher Education. this project, primary focus has been placed on two significant elements: In addition, a steering committee has been organized by Utah Valley University comprised of industry Talent and Workforce Development leaders representing various digital media businesses Determining what skill sets the industry cluster across the state as well as certain key public and needs to drive expansion. higher education leaders. Innovation and New Technologies Grow Utah Ventures has provided project leadership Identifying ideas and technologies essential for future in strategic economic and acceleration consultation. cluster expansion.

10 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 11 Digital Media Cluster Assessment

The digital media cluster is comprised of some of the most innovative, dynamic and broad-reaching companies in the world. Spurred by continual developments in both rich media content and ever-changing delivery and media distribution technologies, this industry is at the center of today’s consumer demands for entertainment and information.

Cluster Definition creation of all digital media such as feature animation, Given the far-reaching impact and diverse applica- 3D imagery, special effects, and video games. It also tions of digital media, setting a concise definition for includes the creation of digital audio content such as what is included in the industry can be challenging. music, voice, and sound effects. Today’s businesses almost universally use digital me- Content Publishers and Content Distributors dia to some extent to deliver their service or product. Created content is made available to consumers by The technology that makes access to digital content publishers and distributors. This includes content possible virtually anywhere and at any time as well as aggregators, large video game publishers and film the tools that facilitate the creation of digital content and animation distributors. have become integral to most business offerings. This has changed the once traditional definition of Content Consumers the digital media industry. Today’s consumers have a wide range of options for accessing digital content. No longer are people For the purposes of this acceleration strategy, we simply viewing content on a home computer or in a have chosen to narrow the definition with the intent theater. A vast array of technologies gives consum- of focusing our strategic actions. The following defines ers a host of alternatives for interacting with digital digital media as used throughout this report. media. Consumers access content in their homes Digital Media via cable and dish transmission, or more recently We define digital media as a collection of indus- over a string of mobile devices. Using mobile tries that work in the field of electronic media smart phones or tablets, consumers can view video created and displayed using computer technology. content, play electronic games and share digital These include digital audio and video, computer content. games, computer animation, and online and Enabling Technologies, Tools and Services internet technologies -- including web-based The rich media experience is enabled by a set of new tools, applications and services such as e-mail, technologies and tools that have standardized how e-commerce or social networking. digital content is created, which has made it easier and more cost-efficient. Value Chain of the Industry One of the most recent and industry changing en- Our acceleration strategy is best understood in the abling services is a part of the emerging concept of context of the value chain for the digital media industry. “cloud computing.” Enabling services, provided via Content Creators the internet, through the “cloud” make it possible to The value chain for the digital media industry begins deliver digital content to consumers anytime, with the creation of content. Content includes the anywhere over a variety of technical platforms.

12 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 13 Changing Technology Platforms transforming even non-gamers into active users of The dramatic changes in technology platforms and gaming technologies expanding the market size. their impact on consumers can best be illustrated by Similarly the addition of cameras to game devices considering how video game playing has changed enables game players to play and interact with the in recent years. Once dominated by retail packaged games using only their hands for input, providing goods purchased by consumers for stand-alone game even the technology novice access to a digital gaming devices and consoles, video games are now accessible experience. across various mobile platforms and are often available More recent developments include social gaming via for purchase as instant downloads. Facebook or other social media sites. Here consumers The impact has been an increase in game users from play digital games with people in various locations. 200 million to well over 5 billion. Facebook now has over 200 million logins per day for With the introduction of the iPhone and other such game players. devices, mobile games and other digital content The overall impact has been an increase in market. have become widely available to an ever increasing According to the Entertainment Software Associa- consumer base. According to Apple, the App Store tion, the average gamer is 34 years old and has now has over 65,000 apps from the 100,000 de- been playing for 12 years. Forty percent of gamers velopers who participate in the iPhone Developer are women and more than a quarter are over age Program. 50. In addition, a December 2008 study by the Pew At the end of 2009, 4.6 billion people worldwide Internet and American Life Project found that 53 subscribed to mobile phone service, up from one percent of all Americans over the age of 18 play billion in 2002. The mobile games sector is projected video games, as do a full 97 percent of teens. As to continue to expand and grow. these statistics show, today’s video game players include a wide variety of individuals including Motion control devices, such as offered by the students, employees, military personnel, seniors, , have expanded the market by mothers and fathers.

Global Digital Media Market $171.2 billion, and the combination of Germany, the The appetite and demand for more and more digitally United Kingdom and China at $70 billion. created and delivered content of all types is truly •China is projected to have the fastest growing market a growing demand that reaches across continents, at 12% annually. countries and cultures. Much digital media is instantly made available throughout the worldwide infrastruc- •Of the various market segments, video games leads ture of the Internet, making virtually all-digital media in growth at 10.6%. This is followed by increases in companies global in nature and directly impacted by internet advertising at 11.4% and film at 4.8% worldwide markets. •The video game segment globally is estimated by In spite of the recent economic downturn, the the industry to be $60.4 billion in 2009 and estimated global demands that drive this industry are increas- to grow to $70.1 billion in 2015. ing. Consider a few interesting facts: Industry Trends •In 2010 the global media and entertainment market The digital media industry is constantly changing. was estimated to be $1.4 trillion. With a projected These changes primarily are driven by advancements growth rate of 5% annually the market size will be in technology, dynamic consumer preferences and $1.7 trillion in 2014. the innovations of creators and artists. •The US digital media market in 2011 is projected The following highlight a few industry trends that to reach $445.7 billion followed closely by Japan at directly influence Utah’s acceleration strategy.

14 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 15 These trends have accelerated the need for rapid development cycles, more flexible development teams, and consumer pricing options that include providing it for free. Relocation The digital media industry, and, in particular, the video gaming industry, is on the move. Driven by the demand to reduce operating costs, major game producers are relocating to lower cost operating centers. As a result, economic development efforts have become increasingly more competitive. Some countries have offered extensive induce- ments to the industry to locate domestically. This has led to a general concentration of the industry globally. Game developers worldwide are located in four main countries, with the United States being first. Followed by Japan, Canada and Great Britain. Canada particularly has been aggressive in offering significant relocation incentives to lure companies to their region. Many of these efforts have been This trend towards relocation is expected to continue at any location, at any time of the day or night over successful. as cost of operation remains a driving success factor mobile devices. A similar situation exists among the states, with for the industry. The cloud is best understood as technology that over 74% of the video game workforce primarily in Access to Skilled Talent enables digital media services to be accessed on six states: California, Texas, Washington, New York, As the video game industry has changed, the skill set demand. Three layers of the cloud directly enable Massachusetts, and Illinois. and the mix of talent required by industry professionals both the consumer and the industry side of the has also changed. digital media industry. These are: For example, game development teams traditionally •SaaS- Software as a Service. This consists of end consisted of over 40 internal developers and relied users utilizing applications that are resident in the heavily on outside contractors. Game development cloud and accessed when needed. would cost in excess of $10 million per game and •PaaS- Platform as a service. Enabling technologies the development cycle would extend over a one- to have rapidly extended to platforms, web services and three-year period. components that are made available on demand. Today, games for smartphones or social media sites Google-type services are an example of this offering. are developed by a small, flexible team of some •IaaS- Infrastructure as a service. In this case, basic five internal developers working with a budget of infrastructure such as networks, data storage and $250,000 and a completion deadline of three to six middleware are provided to commercial users as months. needed. Examples include web services provided by These teams must be made up of skilled individuals Amazon. who are proficient in the latest technologies and The digital media cloud enables the seamless interac- have the ability to collaborate in small teams. tion between the significant players of this industry, Cloud Based Services including web application services, video and film The technology of cloud based services is the under- production, interactive producers, and content users. lying technology making it possible to combine The result is increased development speed, enhanced massive audiences sharing a digital media experience collaboration and rapid distribution of content.

16 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 17 Utah’s Digital Media Cluster Today

This section presents a current overview of Utah’s digital media cluster today, including an estimate of its economic value to the state.

Cluster Economic Value Utah’s Historical Strength in Digital Media Utah boasts a pioneering history in animation, digital In general, the digital media industry employs a media, and information technology. Many leading workforce that is paid significantly above the aver- experts and founding digital media companies— age wage rate and one which requires skill sets that Atari, Adobe Systems, Silicon Graphics, and , to extend across the technology to the creative arts. name a few—can trace their roots to research con- The following table highlights some of the Utah ducted in the early years of the industry at the Uni- wages paid to employees in this industry. versity of Utah. Ivan Sutherland, the creator of com-

Accurate and complete employment and revenue puter graphics and founder of the GUI Interface, was data for Utah’s dynamic digital media industry is not a University of Utah professor who later co-founded readily available. There is no complete list of digital Evans & Sutherland. Leading technology companies media companies and no one source for business including WordPerfect, Novell and Iomega were all data. An effort has been made to rely on an estimated founded and headquartered in Utah. list of companies. The Digital Media Industry in Utah Based on the data collected, the following high- Today, Utah boasts the presence of a number of indus- lights the economic value of Utah’s digital media try leaders and successfully continues to create vibrant industry: businesses in this industry. The following highlights •Total jobs- 1,460 some of the key points and players in this progress: •Total direct revenue $413,700,000 ChAIR Entertainment- •41% of all jobs are in the video gaming sector •20% of jobs are in the simulations sector In 2008, Epic Games Inc., creators of blockbuster •15% of jobs are in the support services video game franchises Unreal and

18 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 19 and the industry-leading 3, acquired tax credit of $5.25 million spread out over the Smart Bomb Interactive Provo-based ChAIR Entertainment, creators of the next ten years. The company is projected to create Smart Bomb Interactive develops new games award-winning Undertow and 500 new jobs paying wages at 240% of the county for National Geographic. In 2010, Smart Bomb video games. In 2010, ChAIR relocated to downtown median and to generate $15 million in new state launched an online virtual playground for kids in to expand its development capabilities tax revenue. partnership with the National Geographic Society. and released for iOS, which received Silverlode Interactive National Geographic Animal Jam drew over a half several “Mobile Game of the Year” awards and won Silverlode Interactive created the world’s first online million registered users in its first three months of “Excellence in Design” at the International Mobile operation, and continues to grow at a breathtak- Game Awards. real-time strategy game. Known as SAGA, Silverlode’s online gaming system is a free-to-play collectible ing pace. Animal Jam gives kids the opportunity to Creates Fall Line Studios model that established over 150,000 player accounts become their favorite animals and see the world In February 2008, Disney Interactive Studios, the in the first year. through their eyes, while learning about the natural world through the vast multimedia libraries of interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Electronic Arts Salt Lake Disney Company, announced its plans to expand National Geographic. its focus into the video gaming industry. The Walt Electronic Arts, one of the leading producers of Disney Company acquired and digital games, has recently completed a significant created Fall Line Studio, based in Salt Lake City. expansion of its Utah studio, moving it into a larger The company was awarded a state post-performance office in downtown Salt Lake City.

20 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 21 Strategic Position in Response to the Industry

Our acceleration strategy for the digital media industry in Utah is based on a careful review of the national and global trends of this industry and how we can best respond to these trends.

The following describe national and global industry will enable us to contribute to and lead the future of trends and the strategic response we recommend. the industry. This response is incorporated into the final compo- Trend: Reduce Operating Costs nents that comprise the acceleration strategy. Strategic Response: As digital media companies seek Trend: Concentration of the Industry in Major to lower their operating costs by relocating business Geographic Locations centers, we do not recommend competing on the Strategic Response: We recognize that Utah may not basis of lowest-cost location. We feel strongly that the be the lowest-cost location for operations of businesses industry values the skill sets and capacity required in this industry. We do feel however, that Utah can to create content and technology assets. Businesses become a “must connect to” state. By establishing will not outsource these vital functions. As they this position, Utah will come to be viewed within the seek to cultivate the core capabilities to create such digital media industry as a state the industry must assets, they will find this aligns directly with Utah’s connect to in order to better understand future strengths. trends and developments in both the creative and Trend: Need for Strategic Partners technological aspects of digital media. Strategic Response: The digital media players that Trend: Movement and Relocation of the Industry will be successful in the future are those that form a Strategic Response: Given the degree to which the range of public and private sector partnerships. The industry is relocating its operational centers, there synergy that has resulted from this UCAP initiative is strong merit in launching an aggressive business among Utah’s digital media businesses, public orga- attraction campaign. This campaign must include a nizations and academic institutions, reflects the spirit competitive incentive package offered to businesses of collaboration and support that will be vital to the considering relocating in Utah. future growth of the industry in Utah. Trend: Increasing Pace of Change Trend: Acquiring and Managing Talent Strategic Response: The digital media industry is Strategic Response: A key to future success is acquiring changing too rapidly for the state to emphasize training and managing excellent talent. Utah has an abun- and education available for any one specific platform dance of gifted talent in both the creative and the or technology. We feel, however, that we should technological fields. This talent will be cultivated and encourage leadership in the future by instilling in trained by curriculum and real-world experiences our students and workforce a creative mind-set and that are jointly shaped and offered by both industry a sound understanding of technology. This emphasis and academia.

22 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 23 Focus on Creativity and Technology Innovation Our Strategic Goal Recognizing the global and highly competitive nature Our overall goal is to become the creative and of the digital media industry, we choose to focus on technological epicenter for educating, training and the intersection of creativity and technology innova- stimulating both creative thinking and innovative tion as the area most likely to provide sustainable technologies that will shape the future of the digital growth and significant opportunity for Utah. media industry. Utah will be a “must connect to” state Through this focus we will leverage the creativity of our for any business that hopes to succeed in the global people – within digital media today and those of our digital media industry. future workforce – and innovate the technologies and We feel confident in setting a goal for 2016 that tool sets that will lead the industry’s design, develop- includes 3,000 total jobs and a direct revenue in- ment, delivery and use of creative digital media content. crease to $800,000,000.

24 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 25 Acceleration Strategies

The primary objectives of the UCAP are to lay out a strategy for accelerating the growth of the industry and, in particular, to determine how to provide the manpow- er and technologies required to meet future industry needs.

The overall goals of the project are to: Research and analysis were conducted to further Accelerate Economic Growth— Accelerate the assess unique elements of the industry and to growth of the industry to provide employment and determine the skill sets required in its future career opportunities in the future and expand the employees. While this research led to the refine- state’s overall economy. ment of specific strategies, this is not meant to be a comprehensive economic study of the industry. Create a Talent Development Strategy— Define the The collective expertise, years of experience, and workforce and talent base needed to grow the indus- in-depth understanding of the industry brought to try. This includes developing a sufficient talent base the project by the participating committee members to attract businesses to the state, expand current has shaped the final recommended acceleration industry employers, and create new entrepreneur-led strategies. businesses. Enhance Coordination— Enhance coordination of Growth Opportunities higher education, industry, and workforce training to Three specific growth opportunities are addressed, improve the education services that ensure a qualified each reflecting an increasing level of opportunity workforce. with a corresponding increase in risk. For this project, Utah Valley University, serving as the Sustain the Core—This category represents specific project convener, invited a group of industry leaders opportunities essential to sustaining the core of representing the various segments of Utah’s digital Utah’s current digital media industry. media industry to form the Digital Media Cluster Drive Growth Accelerators—This category represents Acceleration Strategy steering committee. These lead- the most important short-term opportunities that ers, along with representatives from higher education have the potential to expand the overall growth of and the public sector, participated in a series of work the cluster. sessions. Each work session was designed to identify the strategic drivers that influence the expansion of Explore Future Opportunities— This category repre- this cluster and to determine actionable strategies that sents future opportunities in which Utah has a strong could accelerate the growth of the industry. likelihood of succeeding.

26 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 27 Key Supporting Strategies

The following illustration depicts in detail the recommended Utah Digital media Cluster Acceleration Strategy.

28 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy 29 The following describe the supportive strategies that are A. Recommended Elements of Business General Skills required to fully achieve the overall acceleration strategy. Attraction Incentive Package •Ability to work well on a team. The following are recommended elements that •Ability to learn in a constantly changing should be included in a business relocation incen- environment. tive package targeted to the digital media industry. •Student portfolio that goes beyond school An incentive package should: assignments. •Be post-performance based, increasing the •Game film. incentive post-performance from 20% to 30%. •Emphasize cooperation with existing digital C. Coordinating Educational Programs media companies. As a part of developing a skilled workforce possess- •Be based on the incremental and extended in- ing industry-relevant skill sets, the curriculums and vestment in jobs that the company makes to their instruction provided at the following institutions products over time. should be coordinated. Extensive and ongoing in- •Include transferable tax credits. put from industry should also be provided in design- •Be made available to small companies. State in- ing and delivering the education and training. centives, such as EDTIFF, should be made available to companies with less than 10 employees to ad- Brigham Young University (BYU) Animation dress the trend to smaller, more agile companies. Program •Be provided for post-production and visual The animation major covers everything from effects companies. traditional cell animation to 3D animation and compositing. The program gives students broad B. Required Workforce Skills experience in art and technology, which is appli- Given the rapidly evolving nature of this indus- cable in a wide variety of career paths. Appendix try, specific career pathways in digital media are University of Utah (U of U) Scientific Computing and defined. Talent development should focus on Imaging Institute (SCI) and Entertainment Arts & acquiring the following skill sets: Engineering Master Games Studio (MGS) Programming Skills SCI is a permanent research institute at the U of •Ability to write in C and C++. U. SCI aims to develop innovative and robust soft- •Foundation in math, physics and Boolean Algebra. ware packages and make them broadly available •Understanding of the programming constraints to the scientific community. SCI is associated with of today’s actual gaming platforms. several national research centers. •Comprehension of version control. The Entertainment Arts & Engineering Master •Optimization. Games Studio (MGS) graduate degree program •Desire for career beyond game design. is a combined effort of the School of Computing and the university’s film department with the Film Skills objective of teaching students how to design, •Desire for career beyond film direction. develop and publish video games. •Technical skills such as grip and electric to re- Utah State University (USU) Center for High place an aging workforce. Performance Computing (HPC) •Accounting skills for short-term, project based jobs HPC enables research into activities dependent on advanced computing technologies and educates Art Skills students in all disciplines dependent on advanced •Talent for construction, set design, art, and computing technologies. The center enables edu- architecture. cation of advanced simulations and cyber environ- •Competency in the latest tools. Current key ments and the design, development and deployment tools include: Maya, Photoshop, and Flash. of new computing systems.

30 Utah Digital Media Cluster Acceleration Strategy I Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Center for Bachelor’s and Associate’s degrees. Students New Media explore applications in 3D Modeling, CAD/CAM, SLCC’s Center for New Media is home to students Graphics and Animation. in Digital Media Design, Animation, and Visual Art Dixie State College (DSC) Visual Technologies (VT) and Design. The school recently broke ground Dixie State College offers a 4-year degree program on 100,000 square feet of new space to host three in Computer and Information Technology with an new studios. Students specialize in one of six emphasis in Visual Technologies. VT coursework areas: animation, design, illustration, multimedia, includes Graphic Arts, Graphic Design, Desktop photography and electronic publishing. Publishing, Illustration, Computer Graphics, Web Utah Valley University (UVU) Digital Media Development, Multimedia Development, and Program (DGM) Digital Video Development. UVU is leading a statewide effort to accelerate Neumont University Computer Science Programs the growth of Utah’s digital media industry by Neumont University began with its first freshman bringing the state’s business, government, and class in 2004. This new private university offers academic leaders together to create an integrated Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science, and cohesive strategy. UVU DGM integrates Master of Science degrees in Computer Science conceptualizing projects through analysis, design and MBA’s in Enterprise Informatics. Neumont and evaluation and developing skills of creativity aims to educate the most sought-after software and teamwork to deliver products. developers in the world. They have partnered Weber State University (WSU) Computer Science with IBM and Microsoft. Program College of Eastern Utah (CEU) Graphic Arts Appendix In partnership with Disney’s Avalanche Software Program and Microsoft, WSU hosts an annual 2D video CEU offers many courses from its Graphic Arts gaming camp for high school students using Program. Coursework includes Basic and Inter- Game Maker. WSU’s Design Graphics Engineering mediate Illustration, Drawing Fundamentals, and Technology program allows students to receive 3D Modeling and Animation.

II Utah System of Higher Education Department of Workforce Services 60 South 400 West State of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284 140 East 300 South 801-321-7111 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 higheredutah.org jobs.utah.gov

Governor’s Office of Economic Dev. Grow Utah Ventures State of Utah 450 Simmons Way Suite 500 324 South State Street, Suite 500 Kaysville, Utah 84037 Salt Lake City, UT 8411 801 593 2267 business.utah.gov growutahventures.com