AXS: A Convergence Success Story
INTRODUCTION
Whether it’s creating stunning animations for television, developing an interactive web application, or helping visualize the effect of a new pharmaceutical, AXS Biomedical Animation Studio is all about the convergence of science, technology and art.
Armed with diverse backgrounds in engineering, entertainment, science and communications, the three-member team at AXS is bringing a unique blend of skills and knowledge to the marketplace.
Jason Sharpe, Sonya Amin and Eddy Xuan started AXS in their basements in 2003, working together as best they could via telephone and the Internet. Less than two years ago, they made the move into the MaRS Centre as an Incubator tenant.
IDENTIFYING A MARKET
AXS’ attraction for pharma companies is obvious – AXS takes a theoretical, invisible concept and turns it into a beautiful, engaging animation that clearly explains exactly how a biological process or drug works. So it seemed early on that the pharmaceutical industry was the ideal marketplace for this service.
Sharpe says the company wants to raise the bar. “There’s a certain level of quality that is still rare in medical and healthcare communications. That’s what we offer that other people don’t,” he says.
But bringing “new” to a sector that tends to rely on traditional, tried-and-true methods hasn’t been easy. So, while they continue to work at staking out a place in the pharma field, AXS has done well to identify a number of more progressive markets that have historically embraced innovation.
BRANCHING OUT
Recently, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) wanted to bring information about age-related macular degeneration to an online audience. They wanted to get the message across in a way that was both educational and non-threatening. AXS was the natural choice.
The team created a fully accessible, 2D animated flash application that helped explain the symptoms, causes and treatments for the disease.
They developed a friendly illustration style targeted to a demographic of 75 to 85 year-olds. “We wanted the visuals to be both fun and straightforward enough that they don’t turn people off with overly technical descriptions of the anatomy and disease process.”
Despite the differences between this web application and some of AXS’ other work, Sharpe says that it’s all visual communication.
“I don’t think that showing how macular degeneration manifests itself in the back of the eye to a web audience is all that different than showing a cellular or molecular process to a TV audience watching ReGenesis,” he said.
“The fact that we used different media – those are just different tools. The skill sets are very related.”
EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES
Film and television has long been on the visual cutting edge. Special effects on the big screen and in the living room are blurring the line between reality and fantasy at an incredible pace. It’s a place where “new” is not taboo.
Not surprisingly then, the biggest splash the trio has had so far is their work on the Canadian television drama ReGenesis. AXS created spectacular 3D animations for the show and they were recognized for their work with a Gemini Award nomination.
ReGenesis presented some unique challenges – the show’s storyline centres on a rogue scientist and his team of researchers who investigate cases involving deadly viruses, mutant bacterium…even bio-terrorism. The producers wanted the show to be scientifically accurate, engaging the Ontario Genomics Institute to produce science fact sheets and extensive episode guides.
With a science background to go along with their computer animation experience, AXS was a clear choice to handle the show’s visual effects. “The medical artists [at AXS] are actually running the company, and meeting with the clients doing the jobs,” Sharpe says.
This allows the team to react quickly, drawing on an understanding of how the technology is used to create the animations, and still maintaining a commitment to scientific accuracy.
For a client like ReGenesis, one of the advantages AXS can offer over the competition is a full understanding of the many facets of each job.
“When we meet with somebody, as we begin talking about a project, we’re already beginning to think about how we’re going to design it,” Sharpe says.
Sharpe is justifiably proud of the work they’ve done on the series. “With ReGenesis, we get to visualize cutting edge science, and also make it beautiful for a television audience,” he says.
IT'S A BALANCING ACT
Sharpe says the biggest challenge for the company right now is staying focused on building the business, while still maintaining the flow of work for current clients.
It’s a battle that is familiar to many entrepreneurs: AXS as a company is kept purposefully lean. When the work does come in, there’s little time left over to work on business development.
“That’s probably the biggest challenge … anytime we’re busy, which is what we want to be, we’re all working six and seven days a week,” he says.
Sharpe says in the past 18 months he’s learned that the company needs one person focusing solely on business development. MaRS is helping the company in that area. Sharpe welcomes the assistance, as he’s learned that building the business can be difficult to do only in the breaks between projects.
THE MaRS IMPACT
The MaRS approach has helped the company a great deal, according to Sharpe. The impact goes beyond something as simple as the lowered costs and a robust IT infrastructure that comes with being in the Incubator. Sharpe points to benefits on the business side as well.
“We’ve done some business development exercises with [MaRS Venture Group Advisor] Peter Evans where we’ve looked at the competition; we looked at the different markets we wanted to work in. We put together an action plan and we’re following up on that,” he says.
Sharpe and his partners recognize the value of the space they have in the MaRS building as well. He likes being in what he calls “the heart of Toronto’s research area.”
The advantages offered by teaming with MaRS are paying dividends for AXS. “Part of why we’re here at MaRS, and part of what we’re using our time here for, is to try out these different markets. We want to see what is not only profitable, but what are interesting and useful applications for what we do,” he says.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
From advertising to marketing to film and television to the web, AXS understands the power of visual communication and has uniquely positioned itself to offer quality solutions to a range of demanding clients.
AXS is multi-disciplinary; melding high-end animation skills and tools together with biomedical science, mechanical engineering, industrial design and filmmaking. It’s this high-tech mash-up of expertise that gives the trio its advantage. It’s a great fit for the MaRS mandate: an innovative young company that’s bringing science, technology and business together.
