The Digital Media Center in Santa Ana is part classroom, part incubator.
The center helps fledgling digital media companies get off the ground and offers college courses and programs in digital media arts, which includes television, video and the Web.
The Rancho Santiago Community College District runs the center. It was started through a $1.6 million grant from the Department of Commerce, state bond money and land that was donated by the city of Santa Ana.
“The center was created to stimulate economic growth in Orange County,” said di-rector Bart Hof-fman.
It attracts “emerging businesses to the area and provides education programs for the burgeoning digital media industry.”
The 28,000-square-foot center, which opened last year, has two parts: a “business incubator” section for new digital media companies that pay rent to use the facility; and classrooms equipped with production equipment and remote desktop connection software.
The operations also house Santa Ana College’s TV/video department and SAC-TV.
About 10 to 15 startup companies at a time can use the center to “develop and grow their business,” Hoffman said.
They pay a lease and get services that include basic business consulting, marketing and advertising, human resources, accounting and Web and promotional design.
Some users include Irvine-based MaMoCa Inc., which develops motion capture technology for the video game, TV and movie animation sectors; Santa Ana-based Teresis Media Management Inc., which makes software for the entertainment and broadcast industries; and Irvine-based Reazon Systems Inc., a software development company.
Hoffman said so far the center has gotten a lot of interest from startups, which must go through an application process to be admitted.
“As the digital media industry continues to grow and evolve, the Digital Media Center will continue to provide programs and services based on industry need,” Hoffman said. “We will ensure that our programs remain cutting-edge through close involvement with the business community.”
Ramesh Sabetiashraf, founder and chief executive of Reazon, said he moved his company to the center two weeks ago so he could get help launching some educational software.
“We’re looking forward to working with Santa Ana College in a way as a testbed,” he said.
Sabetiashraf said he also liked the center’s technology resources and the fact he has access to interns from Santa Ana College.
“All of this helps a small business, especially in our business since we are in the education space,” said Sabetiashraf, who teaches at the college. “For us, it made a lot of sense.”
Reazon also has the ability to expand at the center, which is a plus, Sabetiashraf said.
The center partners with other groups, such as the Tech Coast Angels, the Tech Coast Venture Network and the Orange County Small Business Development Center.
There are four full-time administrative workers that staff the center plus instructional employees and faculty from Santa Ana College, which runs classes geared toward careers in the digital media industry.
Students can earn associate degrees and vocational certificates through programs in television production, broadcast journalism, television scriptwriting, graphic design, 3D animation and modeling, digital music production and digital media art.
The center also offers seminars.
Eventually the Digital Media Center could become a spot where local advertising shops and other multimedia shops hunt for talent.
For now, few big shops have heard of the center since its main focus is on recruiting startups that meet admission criteria, Hoffman said.
