Press Release 2
The Age, Tuesday 17th August 1999
Internet office
A local graphics company directs its clients to the Net to do business.
By DAVID ADAMS
The founders of a Melbourne based digital effects company breathing 3D life into architectural plans have found themselves working in the virtual environment they specialise in creating.
Michael Tomlinson and David Fardon say the Internet is a vital tool in running their business, Digital FX, not only allowing them to keep overheads down by eliminating the need for an office but also for gleaning the tips and tricks of their trade.
"A lot of it is a cliché in our industry, but you really do need the Internet to survive," said Fardon.
Fardon, a photographer who had his own digital photography business, and Tomlinson, a computer graphics programmer who formerly worked on the Defence Department's Jindalee over the-horizon-radar network, launched Digital FX in October 1997, after discovering a mutual interest in the fast changing world of computer graphics.
Using custom-built hardware and software applications, including 3D Studio Max and Digital Fusion, they create realistic three dimensional images - including building exteriors and interiors, streetscapes, animated logos and product design, photographic stills and video for multimedia presentations and even accident reconstructions - and allow clients to "walk through" the finished product.
Although the Internet has not eliminated the need for Ace-to-face meetings, Fardon and Tomlinson say they encourage their clients to get access to e-mail because of the time and cost benefits.
They already communicate with some clients via e-mail - including showing them product previews in jpg and video format - and even pay subcontractors using Internet banking systems.
"The virtual office is fantastic - we can work anywhere, and our clients can be anywhere - yet we can cooperate closely to get a project finished quickly and to the client's requirements," said Tomlinson.
Fardon added that "as much as we wouldn't mind having a front door to impress clients, at the end of the day we've got so much less overhead to pass on, it's not funny".
Digital FX is run out of premises in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, but Fardon says that the company's website is its "real shopfront".
"Exactly what we deliver is very nebulous to most people," said Fardon. "So when a potential client rings up, it is nice to be able to direct them straight to the website to see an example before we even meet. We have found that just being able to say we can make anything is not enough - clients need to be able to see an example."
The company is in the process of renovating its website to enable clients to access a database of jobs and see how the work is progressing.
The aim, said Fardon, is to have their computers networked "so whenever I hit save in Excel, the information is automatically formatted into HTML and uploaded to the site".
Fardon and Tomlinson also believe there are advantages in exploiting the Internet for tips on using the software by using web forums.
Despite their reliance on technology, computer power is important to them, they say they're not into anything glamorous, just "lots of cheap, fast computers". (They use dual CPU/Windows NT ranging from 200MHz up to 550MHz, mostly with 512MB RAM.)