The IMG Studio – a San Antonio-based video production, animation and video game development company – has quietly carved out ground as one of the few game designers on the local tech scene.
The creative agency isn’t out to create game franchises like “Call of Duty” or “Madden NFL”. It doesn’t make battle royales like ‘Fortnite’. It’s not trying to be the next iD Software — the Dallas-Fort Worth-based creator of the long-popular “Doom” series. The games do not contain gunfights or fantasy missions. And they are not available on Xbox or PlayStation.
Rather, the studio, occupying a 5,000-square-foot office on the Northwest Side, has found a niche: “Most of what we do is educational or through marketing agencies,” said James Chandler, president of the interactive division at The IMG Studio. .
The IMG Studio developed the “NavNow” app, a digital map of the Henry B. González Convention Center, to help people move around the 514,000-square-foot building.
Thanks to The IMG Studio“I know my place,” Chandler said, smiling. “I’m not going to compete against EA Sports or iD.”
In “Dog Dash”, a 2021 video game, Chandler created a digital garden where a dog runs away from his owner who wants to give him a bath. He worked with the San Antonio Humane Society to bring attention to pet adoption.
Likewise, in 2020, he teamed up with the Texas Education Agency’s local Education Service Center to design a mobile game called “Doctor Grammar”, which puts players in the role of the Golden Robot created by a mad scientist to solve language puzzles. The game is playable in English and Spanish and is intended for students in the sixth through eighth grades.
Heather Angel Chandler, the CEO of IMG Studio, wife of James Chandler and native of Alamo City, founded the company in 2007, after ten years as a TV reporter in Las Vegas and then on FOX 29 San Antonio.
Heather Chandler, 46, launched the company to tell stories through video, mostly in documentaries produced for clients including the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and Methodist Healthcare. The company has won four Lone Star EMMY Awards and numerous other awards.
James Chandler, president of the interactive division at The IMG Studio, demonstrates the 360-degree camera the company uses to create some of its projects.
Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / StaffographerJames Chandler, 44, joined the team in 2015 after serving as lead web developer for San Antonio Express-News and senior digital manager for Spurs Sports and Entertainment. He brought the idea of adding virtual reality products and video game development to The IMG Studio’s repertoire.
“I’m more experienced with the traditional video, but he showed me that we could do 360-degree (virutal reality) video, and it was this other sensory storytelling experience that I thought was really cool,” Heather Chandler said. “We are storytellers and you can tell stories through video games. Technology makes this completely different way of communicating possible.”
In recent years, she has led the company’s animation and video production while dealing with the development of video games, mobile apps and virtual reality. With 11 employees, their company stands out.
Although the pair declined to disclose annual revenue from The IMG Studio, they said it has achieved average revenue growth of 17 percent year-over-year since 2019. The typical contract amount for a video game ranges from $50,000 to $100,000.
As video game companies have become pandemic winners, The IMG Studio has generated revenue from a mix of niche clients, such as the San Antonio Food Bank and its “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign, which aims to reduce and manage road litter. by the Texas Department of Transportation.
Recently, the company has been working on a recruiting game for AFWERX, the US Air Force’s internal innovation accelerator.
“There’s talent here and we want to nurture that industry, kick-start it, and in that way support San Antonio’s technology scene,” said Heather Chandler.
The IMG Studio also deals with mobile applications for iOS and Android devices.
In 2020, it began designing “NavNow,” a 3D digital map of the Henry B. González Convention Center, directing users to restrooms, ATMs and meeting rooms in the 514,000-square-foot building.
The IMG Studio also sells virtual reality-based games.
In 2018, after years of work, the company launched an immersive VR wheelchair basketball game for the Spurs and South Texas Regional Adaptive and Paralympic Sports nonprofit at Morgan’s Wonderland, a San Antonio theme park designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. physical disability.
The IMG Studio also developed a VR safety training program for the production facility of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc. in South San Antonio.
The IMG Studio is developing a 360-degree, virtual reality-based safety training module for the production plant of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc. in South San Antonio.
Thanks to The IMG Studio“It’s fully submerged 360 degrees, and then we put it in a game engine to make it interactive,” said James Chandler, adding that he showed the automaker an updated version of the workout last month. “So, if I’m not wearing a hardhat, we can report that.”
In San Antonio, which bills itself as “Military City USA,” he plans to partner with government agencies, who continue to show an interest in VR-based training.
The IMG Studio is working on a VR application for law enforcement agencies in the region to train officers “to recognize mental illness in a civilian and work with that person to de-escalate situations,” said James Chandler.
He also supports Capital Factory, the Austin-based accelerator that recently opened an office at the Port Tech Center + Arena on the Port San Antonio campus. Capital Factory brings its Center for Defense Innovation program, established in 2019, here to further its mission to build partnerships between the private sector and the Department of Defense.
“There’s the money,” James Chandler said. “I hope Capital Factory can forge those relationships because unless you go through AFWERX these days, the military – which usually looks to big companies like Boeing for contracts – don’t often go to small companies. For a small company, it doesn’t make sense to have four years waiting for a contract.”
Looking back, he recalled the difficulties of creating the VR wheelchair basketball game with technology that was bulky, limited, and expensive.
“We thought it was a cool project and we thought we would be so ahead of the curve,” he said. “But over time, we’re going to look back at this game and it’s going to look like ‘Pong’.”
Today, VR isn’t just for gamers. It’s becoming more and more commercialized, especially as businesses and enthusiasts flock to the metaverse — the immersive version of the web accessible through VR headsets, augmented reality glasses, phone apps, or other devices. At about $300, the Meta Quest 2 – made by Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc. – one of the least expensive VR headsets available.
“The hardware is still not there, but it’s getting closer,” James Chandler said.
“It’s grown,” Heather Chandler said. “A lot of it is educating people about the applications. VR is weird, and you have to do it on your face, and it’s different. But it’s not just for gamer kids. It’s not a gimmick, but it has real applications in business. As that technology improves, we will see more of it.”
eric.killelea@express-news.net
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