Trevor Pryce’s Outlook Enterprises wants to turn Charm City into Animation City

Outlook Enterprises (OVFX), the animation studio founded by former Baltimore Ravens lineman Trevor Pryce, is expanding in East Baltimore with the help of six-figure loans from the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Baltimore Development Corporation.

OVFX intends to add an additional 27,000 square feet of space to the East Biddle Street location and hire 150 new full-time jobs in the next two years. After success bringing two shows to Netflix, the studio is looking to turn Baltimore into a creative hub for animated stories akin to Hollywood.

The company has further local ties via Maryland Institute College of Art, and prepping students for professional work in the field.

“The relationship between Trevor Pryce, Outlook OVFX and MICA started with his incubation on our campus, where Trevor quickly took on our students as interns and our alumni as among his first hires,” MICA VP for Strategic Initiatives Sheri Parks told Technical.ly. “He is also now hiring students from art and design colleges from across the country. Trevor’s approach of hiring from a variety of arts and design majors has not only benefited those graduates, but also his productions. As of recently, he has also started reaching out to area high schools. Trevor’s commitment to not only Baltimore, but to helping the industry to develop a more diverse talent is truly an exciting combination.”

The Maryland Department of Commerce gave OVFX a $450,000 conditional loan through Advantage Maryland. Any Maryland-based business in an industry that’s poised to boost employment and economic growth for the state can apply by reaching out to program reps.

OVFX also was approved for a $200,000 conditional loan through the Baltimore Development Corporation by the Board of Estimates last week.

“We chose Baltimore for its perfect blend of technology, art, and know-how,” Pryce said in a statement. “As a computer-based animation studio, we could have set up operations pretty much anywhere. It all came down to will and support. As one of the first animation/VFX studios in the region, we couldn’t be happier with the decision to park Outlook in Charm City.”

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.