GadZook! Lincoln's outpost12 studios on track to the big screen
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By JEAN ORTIZ/Lincoln Journal Star
Michael Domgard II has had the conversations before.
You know, the ones in which he explains where Lincoln is.
No, it’s not in California, says the president and co-founder of outpost12 studios, a Lincoln-based video production, visual effects and animation company that has a fondness for the lowercase.
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Michael Domgard II and Chad Gleason launched their production and animation studio three years ago and have worked their way into the local and Hollyw...
Lincoln company gaining recognition
Michael Domgard II and Chad Gleason launched their production and animation studio, Outpost12, three years ago and have worked their way into the...
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Location: 1033 O Street, Suites 12 and 625, Lincoln
Company history: Launched in 2005 from a Lincoln basement. Today operations are based out of an office and studio in the Gold’s Building downtown. Recently completed a state-of-the-art studio.
Services: Animation, visual effects and video production for advertising agencies and other clients.
Employees: five full-time employees plus freelancers
Domgard, president and co-founder of the fledgling company, can understand why some people might assume such a studio would be in the motion picture industry’s backyard.
But for three years, outpost12 has laid its foundation and grown all without the advantage of a Los Angeles or other big-city address.
Don’t get Domgard wrong, the studio has had its share of challenges — challenges that will continue as the company wiggles its way into widespread recognition from its Midwest base.
“That is our biggest hurdle that we’re going to have to overcome,” Domgard said.
He and his business partner Chad Gleason have big plans, with the recent addition of a state-of-the-art studio and a long-term goal of ramping up to handle a feature film.
The plush leather couches, Star Wars memorabilia and contemporary look of their fish-bowl-like office in the Gold’s Building downtown doesn’t exactly scream humble beginnings, but by Domgard’s description that was certainly the case.
The two got their start in early 2005 in Gleason’s basement with a couple of desks and computers.
They met while working at a local advertising agency. With Gleason’s talents in animation and Domgard’s skills in sales and production the two decided to venture out on their own.
They wanted a destination-like name — one that played off their personalities and interest in science fiction, Domgard said. They added “12” to Outpost believing that made it sound better, though Domgard jokes the first 11 were destroyed.
In June 2005 they moved into the Gold’s Building and began drawing interest from foot-traffic, including the advertising agency personnel cutting through the building en route to Taco Thursdays at Knickerbockers, Domgard said.
But it wasn’t until 2006, while attending a motion picture industry trade show in Las Vegas called ShoWest, they got their big break with help from a little guy named Zook. Their green-skinned alien creation and star of a short animation was featured in the Hollywood Reporter sandwiched between two animated movies released that year — Pixar’s Cars and DreamWorks’ Over the Hedge.
Zook was eventually signed to to serve as mascot of an East Coast movie theater chain, Frank Theatres, and a string of family entertainment centers, Superplay USA.
Domgard and Gleason, meanwhile, got the attention needed to jump-start their business.
The company now has enough work through advertising agencies and direct clients for five full-time employees and three or four freelancers.
Work has come from as far away as Peru, though about 80 percent of the studio’s work now is for Nebraska clients, Domgard said.
The studio has produced spots for EyeCare Specialties, HobbyTown USA and nonprofits like Cedars. They also just finished pre-production for what would be a feature film that Domgard describes as “basically Stuart Little only with a fly.”
HobbyTown USA found its way to the small studio via an advertising agency’s referral and a check of the studio’s Web site, said Mollie Cox, marketing director for the toy and hobby store.
“We thought it was a good match,” she said.
Production began last week on three more commercials which should be ready for nationwide distribution in about a month.
Short of sitting in the studio to make sure the radio-controlled toy boat, helicopter and cars are moving correctly, all creative control is in the studio’s hands, she said.
“It’s what their forte is,” she said. “We decided to let them do what they’re good at.”
The Lincoln location has served them well for its central location and low cost of doing business — and that’s enough to drum up some work, Domgard said.
“Thankfully with the advancement of technology and the Internet ... doing work from a remote location, whether we’re here in Nebraska or in Alaska, it really doesn’t matter,” he said.
But Domgard is kicking around the idea of opening a satellite office in a larger city, primarily to handle sales that would direct more work back to Nebraska.
The studio is ramping up by first investing in what it has here.
That investment is by way of a state-of-the-art studio with 1,300 square feet of shooting space and adjoining editing and audio recording areas. The HobbyTown spots were the first real test of the new equipment.
The studio features a 36-foot, two-corner green screen that will allow rotation 240 degrees around a subject. It’s equipped with a digital audio booth, four-screen editing bay and 24-fixture lighting grid.
Domgard also hopes to have a hi-tech conference room done this fall.
But fancy equipment or not, Domgard and the rest know the future of their company rests on their finished products and reputation. After three years, he said, they have not lost a client and don’t intend to break that streak anytime soon.
“Everyone comes back,” he said.
Reach Jean Ortiz at 473-7107 or jortiz@journalstar.com.
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