When it comes to playing video games, each gaming platform offers something different for players. Realizing the business potential for creating content for different systems, three friends who worked together at a local simulation company decided to strike out on their own in 1994 and create n-Space.

n-Space is Florida's largest headquartered game development company with over 100 employees based in Orlando. They create games from concept to completion, working on existing game franchises as well as original concepts.

Over the years, n-Space has created over 30 titles for every platform and partnered with nearly every major game publisher and was one of the first developers for the Nintendo Wii. A few of the recent games they've worked on include: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized (Nintendo DS); TRON: Evolution - Battle Grids & TRON: Evolution (Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS); Hannah Montana: The Movie (Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3); and Toy Story 3 (Nintendo DS), which is currently one of the top selling video games. Up next? 3D games.

To learn more about n-Space, click here to watch Dan O'Leary, CEO and co-founder of n-Space.

For many students, the idea of playing video games for homework is a dream come true. For others, it's a reality.

Thanks to 360Ed - a City of Orlando-based digital media company with the goal of getting students as interested in education as they are in games and movies - students have a fun, interactive hands-on approach to learning.

Created by video game industry veterans in 2006, 360Ed is "taking content that may not be interesting and adding production value to it in order to make it engaging," explains Ben Noel, president and CEO of 360Ed.

One of their first projects was partnering with the Florida Virtual School to create "Conspiracy Code", an American history adventure game complete with ongoing instructor feedback for 10th graders. In the game, students use characters to solve clues and each clue acts as a history lesson.

360Ed also teamed up with the Florida Department of Health and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop Burn Center, an interactive 3D game-based technology used to train medical professionals at trauma centers, hospitals and universities across the country. The purpose of the program is to improve the triage and care of critically injured victims of burn, bomb and blast disasters.

Below, Ben Noel explains Burn Center.

From a fry cook at Mickey D's to the co-founder, president and director of Orlando-based Vidaroo, Mary Spio has revolutionized film distribution and video interaction.

Spio began her studies at Syracuse and Georgia Tech as a rocket scientist. Since then, she has not stopped reaching for the stars. At the age of 29, she created Boeing Digital Cinema and began engineering a technology to deliver videos and movies via satellite.

In 2002, she launched One2One Living--a specialty media company which targeted singles including a nationally distributed magazine and a strong web community presence. The growing success and publicity of One2One Living received national recognition, attracting shows like ABC's The Bachelor into partnership.

With the growing trend of her evolving interactive video technology, Vidaroo has found extraordinary success. Mary Spio is now currently the president of Vidaroo, her Internet-based video production and distribution company based in Orlando, Florida. Vidaroo works with large corporations such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft XBOX, Clear Channel, and several other businesses to deliver customers custom video content.

So what else has she not accomplished? How about her induction to the prestigious list of "100 History Makers in the Making" along with rapper Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey. Mary Spio's leadership, innovative talents and technology has allowed her to conquer astronomical heights and create a legacy in the film and video distribution technology industry.

To read more about Orlando's digital diva Mary Spio, click here

This week, Winter Park-based Full Sail University opened its much anticipated Full Sail Studios Gateway Project, a 2.2 acre landmark project.

The project includes:

• Full Sail Live Venue - a 22,000 square foot multi-purpose facility

• new complex with state-of-the-art game production studio and recording studio

• outdoor plaza courtyard

• expansion to the on-campus professional film studio backlot

The Live venue will offer students the chance to work behind-the-scenes on a variety of on-campus events to be held, including live productions, panels, guest lectures and more.

The film studio backlot is the final phase to the existing backlot that will now offer 19 different outdoor scenic environments.

Internationally renowned Full Sail University has 28 entertainment degree programs with more than 8,800 students.

The film industry nationwide is abuzz with news of the State of Florida's recently passed Film and Entertainment Incentive which goes into effect on July 1.

To promote use and significance of this fund, the EDC's Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission teamed with Women in Film & Television Florida (WIFT) to co-host a "Business of Entertainment" symposium this past week at The Plaza Theater in downtown Orlando. The day-long event attracted close to 100 film and entertainment industry representatives.

The EDC's own Suzy Spang, vice president of entertainment and technology, served on a panel discussing the Florida tax incentive. Panel members agreed that this revamped incentive program is great news, allowing Florida to compete on a more level playing field with states offering higher incentives.

Watch Suzy describe below how the new incentive is a "game changer" for film and entertainment in the State of Florida.

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Incentive Program Materials Available Online

Florida Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program materials are now available at: http://www.filminflorida.com/ifi/incentives.asp.

For more information, a teleconference will be hosted by the Governor's Office of Film & Entertainment as follows:

Incentive Teleconference Call Information
Date: June 2, 2010
Time: 1:00pm EST - 2:30pm EST

Call in number: 1.888.808.6959
Conference code: 4104765

The purpose of the call is to provide an overview of the program, point out differences from the previous program, provide information about the application process, and respond to pre-submitted questions.

High caller volume is anticipated. We recommend that you review online materials prior to the call and submit questions by close of business on Tuesday, June 1st via email to: film.incentive@myflorida.com.

Note: Incentive applications will be accepted no earlier than 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, June 9th.

The 19th Annual Florida Film Festival - a 10 day celebration of the best in independent films - wraps up this weekend in Orlando. In its history, this "home grown" festival has become a marquee international event. On average, more than 23,000 people attend each year, where they experience premieres of the best in cutting-edge cinema; a star-packed attendee list; and a mix of industry parties and special events. The eyes of the world's film industry are upon us, and the EDC's Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission has learned to take full advantage of the spotlight.

Again this year, our Film Commission participated in and sponsored two events: a panel discussion on "The Art of the Producer" with veteran film producers and a VIP party for filmmakers whose work is showcased during the festival. Past participation has paid dividends leading to additional filming in the region.

The Florida Film Festival is a program of the Enzian, a Maitland-based nonprofit organization which exists to entertain, educate, inspire and connect the community through film.

Metro Orlando is known worldwide as a leader in entertainment. We're also known for our $13.4 billion technology industry. Thanks to the synergy and collaboration found in this region, many of our industries are blending together, including entertainment and technology. The fusion of these two industries results in the digital media industry. We believe each of the ingredients for success in this industry sector is found here - workforce, education and a nurturing creative environment. We believe this so strongly, in fact, that our goal for this industry is simply stated: "Global Domination!"

The newly released edition of the EDC's award-winning Texture magazine focuses on our lofty goal of global domination of the digital media industry. And the spring 2010 Texture that is on its way to you this month outlines why there's nowhere better positioned to reach this goal than Metro Orlando.

In this issue you'll discover the creative collection of companies that are found here, including Electronic Arts - Tiburon, House of Moves, n-Space, Helios Interactive, IMI Labs and IDEAS, as well as the schools where the professionals who work in this industry train. From music to film to art, you'll learn about some of the festivals held throughout the year and the museums in Metro Orlando.

This issue introduces you to Mary Spio, President of Gen2Media and a true digital diva who is having a profound effect on the digital media industry, and a Lake County innovator, Pranam Ben, CEO and Founder of Visions@Work, a company that could transform the healthcare industry though its online file sharing system between doctors, hospitals and patients. You'll also learn how Jim Jardon, CEO of JHT, Inc. and Marty Rubin, President and CEO of Smart City Holdings, are keeping their technology firms in growth mode, despite tough times. And so much more!

Texture is published semi-annually. The EDC's production partner is the everything ink team of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Special thanks to Orange County, University of Central Florida and Florida High Tech Corridor Council for their sponsorship of this valuable community marketing resource. Click here to view Texture online!

RealTime Immersive, a newly-established simulation industry software and support company, announced this past week that they have established their headquarters in Orange County. The organization is off to a good start; they serve as North America's exclusive representative for CryENGINE® in the serious games and simulation market space, which is a critically-acclaimed game engine developed by Germany-based, award-winning game development studio Crytek.

RealTime Immersive has leased space in Avalon Park, where they intend to take advantage of their new headquarter location's proximity to UCF to tap into the region's skilled technology workforce as they look to build the company in Metro Orlando.

Company CEO John Brooks indicates that the decision was made to locate the company here based on our region's established industry strengths in defense simulation, medical simulation and digital media. "Orlando's proximity to the joint military commands and the fact that I/ITSEC [major defense simulation industry conference] is held here every year were major contributing factors in our decision to locate in Orlando," says Brooks. "We determined that this was THE place to be."

The Metro Orlando EDC assisted RealTime Immersive with commercial real estate and other local resource needs. We look forward to watching this dynamic new company grow.

Today kicks off the fifth annual OTRONICON - (O)rlando Elec(tron)ic (I)nteractive Entertainment (Con)vention - event at the Orlando Science Center.

A four day event, Otronicon is a celebration of interactive technology using video games to demonstrate the future of how we live, learn, work and play.

Otronicon spotlights Metro Orlando's growing digital media and simulation industries and helps introduce those industries to students throughout the region through several game design workshops taught by Full Sail University.

The 2010 Orlando Filmbook is here! This is the go-to guide for the film industry in Metro Orlando. Everything about filming in Orlando is included - incentives, sales tax, labor laws, locations, permitting, etc. In addition, the Filmbook provides information on all aspects of the film industry - directors, producers and production companies; backlots, stages and locations; crews and technicians; talent services; equipment; production support; and post production.

The Orlando Filmbook is published annually by the Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission - a division of the Metro Orlando EDC. The Film Commission provides the following services:

• 24 hour access to the Orlando Filmbook online at www.filmorlando.com
• One-stop permitting for location filming
• Use of an extensive digital location library...accessible anytime, from anywhere
• Preliminary scouting, evaluation of locations, and familiarization tours
• Assistance with local hotels and accommodations
• Support throughout the entire production schedule

Order your 2010 Orlando Filmbook online today!

And be sure to connect with the Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission via social networking on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube to stay updated on the latest film and digital media news.

Several events of the past week reinforce again why Metro Orlando is so often envied for its unique collaborations; and how the University of Central Florida has earned its reputation as a leading "partnership university".

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer helped UCF Provost Terry Hickey welcome UF President Bernie Machen to downtown Orlando's growing "Creative Village" last week. Together they officially opened Citylab-Orlando, a research and teaching center from UF's College of Design, Construction and Planning, that will collaborate with UCF faculty. The new program - which is already involved with local urban design projects including redesigning space under Interstate 4 (dubbed "Orlando's Bridge District") - will be housed within UCF's Center for Emerging Media located in the former Orlando ExpoCentre in downtown Orlando. According to Dr. Machen: "Orlando has a special place in this state and indeed the nation. What's emerging here is a new fusion of culture, commerce, imagination and industry."

The fusion continued as Valencia Community College and UCF dedicated a new shared facility that allows the nation's third largest university to further expand its offerings on the west side of Orlando. The $23 million, three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility, located on Valencia's West Campus, accommodates classes offered by both institutions, with more than 40 classrooms, a state-of-the-art testing center, computer labs, study rooms, faculty/staff offices and a café. With this opening, UCF now offers complete bachelor's degrees in Nursing, Electrical Engineering, Applied Science, Business Administration, Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology through the campus on south Kirkman Road. Valencia's engineering programs are also housed in the building.

Florida Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp was in Maitland last week to help announce the expansion of Digital Risk LLC, a leading risk mitigation solutions provider for the mortgage industry. Headquartered here in Central Florida, the company also has offices in New York and Dallas.

In a new era of mortgage risk awareness, this company is experiencing explosive growth. It recently increased its employee base to 400 and 240 new high-wage, knowledge-based jobs are anticipated with the expansion announced this week. "When we talk about targeted industry growth and diversified job creation, this is just the type of company that makes it happen," said Lt. Governor Kottkamp.

In addition to the job creation, the company has committed to a minimum of $1.2 million capital investment in equipment, research and development.

Over the last eight months, the Metro Orlando EDC led coordination between the Governor's Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development (OTTED), Enterprise Florida, Orange County, and the City of Maitland to secure this project. Digital Risk qualified for a Qualified Targeted Industry (QTI) tax refund, as well as for support through the state's Quick Action Closing Fund program.

More jobs

Orlando-based Gen2Media Corporation - a fully integrated digital media, technology and marketing company whose clients include Microsoft Xbox and Coca-Cola, among many others - recently expanded into nearly 6,000 square-feet of office space near Kirkman and Sand Lake Roads in the City of Orlando. Capital investment is estimated at $150,000 and the company plans to add 40 new jobs within the next 36 months.

One of Metro Orlando's hidden gems; Gen2Media's proprietary Digital Video Publishing Platform enables companies of all sizes to create and deliver video via traditional, online and on-location media. Most recently, the company provided all digital video production and technology for Grammy® award-winning artists Black Eyed Peas' concert performance during the "NFL Opening Kickoff 2009 Presented by EA Sports" pregame show, which aired Thursday night.

The EDC assisted Gen2Media throughout their expansion with regional industry information, facilitation of applications for various incentive programs, introduction to key local contacts, and workforce resources.

Still more jobs

In Seminole County, Pinnacle AMS has been approved to receive $52,324 in Quick Response Training funds. The company, which currently employs 160, will use grant dollars to train 50 new full-time employees over the next two years. Pinnacle provides property management and accounting services for clients worldwide. While based in Seattle, the company's Central Florida location serves as their East Coast Regional Office and headquarters for company-wide accounting services. Seminole Community College and EDC staff assisted in the application process.

And, Lake Mary-based Laser Photonics' expansion into 100,000 square feet has resulted in 72 new jobs, bringing the companies total employment to 102. Capital investment for new equipment and tenant improvements is estimated at $7 million. Laser Photonics is an industry leader in developing high-tech fiber and CO2 laser systems for various manufacturing applications. The EDC assisted this company with financing, incentives, utilities, training, and workforce.

There's Mosaic, Arcadian Broad and Drew Thomas Magic. If you're not familiar with these names, they're among the folks that made it to the Top 40 in the popular America's Got Talent show. They have something else in common. They all come from a city where creative talent is building ... and in the eyes of Richard Florida (of the popular 'Creative Class' theory), that's one of the key ingredients to economic competitiveness, transformation and innovation.

Orlando, Florida, has become a place where creative talent is flowing and in multiple industries. The region, long known as an entertainment destination, has transformed into a technology hub that's entertaining company leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, workers and young minds alike. Here are some reasons why:

This week, Orlando welcomed its inaugural class of 41 med students at the University of Central Florida's (UCF) new College of Medicine -- the first medical school in U.S. history to offer full, four-year scholarships to an entire class. The new college is one anchor in a new 'medical city' underway - one of only two such developments happening in the world right now. It's joined by the recently opened East Coast hub for The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and forthcoming openings of the University of Florida Research Facility, Veterans Affairs Hospital, M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Institute and Nemours Children's Hospital. Economic analysts predict that by year 10 of operation, the world's newest life sciences cluster here could create 30,000 jobs and $7.6 billion economic activity.

At UCF, research and patents are on the rise. UCF, now the fifth largest university in the nation, has seen research funding (and subsequent lab space) grow exponentially in the past decade, from $37.5 million in 1999 to the new record high of $122.8 million in 2008. Additionally, UCF's patent portfolio was ranked in the top 10 of 122 universities in the U.S.

Inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs are thriving here. New drugs, therapies and vaccines are being developed ... one scientist is genetically modifying lettuce heads to produce insulin in the quest to develop a cure for diabetes. An entrepreneur has developed ultra-portable personal air-conditioners for military personnel. Another is developing advanced micro-batteries for use in medical, alternative energy and other applications. In addition, the number of incubators has grown rapidly here, opening the door to more entrepreneurs.

A new Photonics Academy was created at a local high school in partnership with Northrop Grumman to encourage student interest in the laser/photonics field. This new academy joins others already in existence, including one focusing on simulation (an industry with a top-ranked cluster in Orlando).

Nation-leading digital media schools in Orlando-- Full Sail University and UCF's Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy -- continue to see enrollment grow in this burgeoning field.

Entrepreneur Magazine recently recognized Orlando as one of best places to start a business. Forbes recently recognized Orlando one of best cities for tech jobs. And Next Generation Consulting ranked Orlando as a top hot spot for young professionals.

Signs of economic development success have been seen on many fronts the past couple of weeks. Here is a round up of images reflecting some of the highlights.

Game Launched
Florida Governor Charlie Crist got an up-close look at our region's booming digital media industry. He visited Electronic Arts' (EA) Tiburon (pictured above) in Maitland - getting a preview of EA's highly-anticipated NCAA Football 10, which was released last week; the University of Central Florida's (UCF) Center for Emerging Media in downtown Orlando - chatting with students and visiting the House of Moves motion capture studio; and the Employ Florida Digital Media Banner Center located at Seminole Community College's Center for Economic Development in Heathrow.

Dirt Flew
New ground was broken at the Central Florida Research Park recently, as representatives from the University of Central Florida, Florida Legislature and Orlando-based military commands gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the Partnership III building. When complete in fall 2010, this building will be shared by UCF and the military, and home to the UCF Institute for Simulation & Training. It will also be "green"; as Partnership III is designed to meet at least the silver level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. To watch the UCF Reports YouTube video on the project, click here.

Film Wrapped
DNP Studios wrapped production on the feature film Letters to God, scheduled for release in early 2010. The film, which employed over 100 local crew and talent, was shot at multiple locations in Orlando, including Universal Studios Florida, Winter Garden and Kissimmee. The EDC's Film & Entertainment Commission assisted with scouting, permitting and other support services.

Digital media industry leaders, including the EDC's vice president of technology and entertainment Suzy Spang, recently gathered at Digital Media Alliance of Florida's (DMAF) quarterly Digital Media Seminar (DiMeNar) hosted by Full Sail University to discuss the latest trends and developments in the industry and their impacts on Florida's digital media businesses and professionals.

The result of the discussion? Florida is clearly ahead of the "game" when it comes to digital media and the Metro Orlando region is on path to our goal of "world domination" in this industry sector! Already a leader in digital media, Metro Orlando is home to industry resources such as DMAF and the Employ Florida Banner Center for Digital Media. In addition, companies such as Electronic Arts (EA) Tiburon, n-Space, and Helios Interactive - a full-service game development studio and 3D software technology company - call Orlando home.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was also on hand at DiMeNar to kick off the international product launch of Helios Interactive's flagship product, GameCore 2.0. This new technology is designed to create full 3D games, virtual worlds and other interactive 3D content without the traditional barriers of complex technology, programming expertise and high development cost. It is thought that this product could revolutionize the 3D game and simulation industry.

Helios' launch is a sign of the ongoing evolution of Orlando as THE place for digital media companies.

From the creation of simulated trauma patients used to train military medics, to virtual 3D people used to diagnose and treat patients, the place to be for some of the latest gaming and digital media technology for health and medical applications is Orlando, Florida.

Orlando is one of the top 12 clusters in the country for digital media, as well as one of only two cities in the world with a large-scale 'medical city' complex underway. The digital media and medical sectors are converging, bringing new innovations to life. Numerous people and organizations are leading the way.

360Ed has teamed up with the Florida Department of Health and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop Burn Center, an interactive, 3D, game-based technology used to train medical professionals at trauma centers, hospitals and universities across the country. The purpose of the program is to improve the triage and care of critically injured victims of burn, bomb and blast disasters.

Virtual Reality Medical Center - Orlando (VRMC) develops and uses computer-generated simulations and other special effects to treat clients with panic disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia and social phobia. VRMC has partnered with the University of Central Florida to create a virtual game (featuring flying, smash-able insects) to aid stroke survivors in expanding their range of movement.

To become better doctors, the new University of Central Florida College of Medicine will engage its first class of medical school students in playing games. A web-based avatar program developed by UCF Assistant Professor David Segal will help students learn how to properly evaluate and diagnose a variety of patient ailments. The digital patients can respond to questions, sneeze, cough, age and even call students in the middle of the night with an illness.

Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS) developed a virtual world called Nexus to help first responders train and collaborate during natural disasters. The company also has a contract with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to train military medical professionals.

GeoMotion Group is dedicated to being an innovative fitness leader. Its goal is to meet the training needs of individuals and groups, for all fitness levels and for any age. Two innovative products, the GeoMat and the GeoFloat were created to meet this goal. Used in elementary, middle and high schools, the GeoMat is used to teach locomotor moves, number recognition, number sequencing and math problem solving using a variety of activities and aids. The GeoFloat is used for exercising in water and works the core and stabilization muscles more effectively than other existing products.

Emergency Medicine Learning & Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing emergency medicine, disaster management, prehospital emergency care and public health by providing annual continuing medical education and research activities. Its 45-foot Mobile Simulation Lab (motor coach) trains emergency providers around the state. The Lab utilizes simulation technologies to train real lifesavers on everything from ER care, to pandemic flu, nerve agents, blast injuries and more.

The University's of Central Florida's (UCF) Studio 500 - UCF's Center for Emerging Media - has attracted a steady stream of film and digital media work in its first 18 months of operation.

Working with studio partner Vicon Entertainment's House of Moves, faculty and staff from UCF's graduate game-development program, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), have worked on video games for Electronic Arts, 360Ed, and n-Space (including "Hannah Montana: The Movie" video game), national commercials (including Gillette ads starring Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter and Roger Federer), feature films and more.

For more information, click here.

This week, Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed the 2009-10 budget preserving economic development items. Among those items, the Film and Entertainment Incentive received $10.8 million - more than double the $5 million that was allocated last year. Thanks to State Legislators and the Governor for recognizing the importance of the film, digital media and entertainment industry to the state of Florida, especially during these tough, economic times.

Starting June 1, filmmakers and others can visit www.filminflorida.com for an incentive application for projects beginning on or after July 1, 2009. Applications are accepted starting June 15.

Last week, i.d.e.a.s. opened its new headquarters in downtown Orlando. This creative production and digital media studio, one of Central Florida's largest, becomes a new "anchor tenant" of the Creative Village evolving in downtown Orlando.

As part of the opening ceremony, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer helped company founder Bob Allen unveil a new "Creative Village" logo. The logo will be used to help identify the growing number of companies that comprise this sector of our economy.

i.d.e.a.s. moved to downtown from their longtime location on the backlot of Disney MGM Studios.

Accelerating growth of Orlando's life science industry. Global domination of the nation's digital media industry. Two bold goals of the Metro Orlando EDC. Real strides were made toward realizing those goals recently with groundbreakings on both fronts.



Nemours Children's Hospital broke ground on its Lake Nona "medical city" campus. The 620,000-square-foot facility will include 95 beds, an 18-bay emergency department, a neonatal intensive care unit and departments specializing in complex childhood diseases. The hospital, scheduled to open in 2012, will be the central hub of a 60-acre pediatric health campus featuring a children's clinic, emergency department, diagnostic and ambulatory programs, education centers and research programs. The Nemours Children's Hospital investment is expected to pump $400 million into the Central Florida economy and eventually create 2,600 new jobs.



In addition, Full Sail University, a Winter Park-based education program that focuses on entertainment-related industries, broke ground on its new Full Sail Studios Gateway project. The 32,000-square-foot, 2.2-acre project will be equipped with a live performance venue, a two-story complex for game production and recording studios, and an expansion to the on-campus professional film studio backlot. The Hollywood-style backlot will complete the existing backlot and will offer 19 different outdoor filming locations.

The opportunity to seek instruction outside the classroom walls through online education is not a new concept. Most colleges and universities have offered courses over the Internet for the last decade. But today, more and more middle and high school students are using this method of instruction thanks to the Florida Virtual School - an accredited online school serving students in grades 6-12.

The Florida Virtual School currently serves between 55,000 and 70,000 students and offers 90 interactive courses. With the ability to slow down or speed up the curriculum based on individual needs, the program is good for students who are struggling as well as students who want to get ahead. This helps to further expand the scope of Florida's educational programs.

And the newest plans have the Florida Virtual School partnering with Orlando-based 360Ed - a digital media company with the goal of getting students as interested in education as they are in games and movies. Together, they are working to enhance online learning through interactive virtual technology in audio, video, movies and games. The newest innovation, Conspiracy Code, invites students to embark on an "American History Adventure" complete with 10 virtual missions and ongoing instructor feedback.

It is for these reasons and more that the Center for Digital Education recently ranked Florida #1 in the nation when it comes to the state's vision, policies, programs and strategies in online education.

For more on the Florida Virtual School, click here.

While Orlando conjures up images of fun and entertainment, it doesn't necessarily bring to mind a hub of filmmaking activity. But the reality is just that - Orlando offers much more than you would expect.

While Orlando's entertainment industry is based in theme parks and attractions, a closer look reveals the high tech production facilities (many of which are based on the backlots of the region's theme parks), talented professionals, diverse landscapes and much more.

Along with feature films, commercial productions and reality TV series find everything they need in Orlando: superior film crews, equipment, post-production facilities and cooperation from both public and private sectors. In terms of filming resources and production variety, Metro Orlando has it all.

For more on what Orlando has to offer, click here.

Digimation, a provider of 3D content and related services to the entertainment and defense industries, will relocate their headquarters from St. Rose, Louisiana to Metro Orlando.

The company's headquarters location will result in 30 new jobs; will generate $750,000 in capital investment; and will lease over 4,000 square feet of space on International Parkway in Heathrow/Lake Mary.

Digimation's first two new hires are already operating here and the team will complete their relocation to Metro Orlando in March 2009.

Dream Balloon Productions, a digital media production studio devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation, has relocated its headquarters from New Jersey to Orlando. The company now occupies 10,500 square feet of space in the DrewTina Commerce Center in Orange County. They expect to add up to 60 new employees over the next three years.

Dream Balloon Productions co-founder Michael Attardi wrote and directed the multiple award-winning "Once Upon a Christmas Village", a 15-minute animated short that features the voices of Tim Curry, Jim Belushi and Amanda Davis. The animation, created in collaboration with animators from the DAVE School at Universal Studios Orlando, serves as a prototype for the full length feature, Snowyville, which is currently in pre-production.

Companies and government agencies alike are all looking to cut costs right now. However, they don't want to sacrifice training for employees. The solution? Using virtual worlds for training purposes.

Virtual worlds provide a safe, secure and private training environment while reducing expenses incurred from traveling for conferences and other training.

Here is what three companies in Orlando are doing:

Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS) is in the process of designing a new virtual classroom which utilizes avatars for instructional delivery that will provide the Department of Homeland Security online/virtual world with 3D secure social network capabilities for training and education. Previously, ECS provided the National Guard Bureau will a virtual world called Nexus. And under a new contract with U.S. Army's RDECOM, ECS will adapt its Nexus virtual world program to train military medical professionals.

Forterra Systems, Inc builds distributed virtual world technology for defense, homeland security, medical, corporate training and education industries. The company's On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) technology provides private, service-oriented virtual worlds for global collaboration, training, simulation and planning.

Lockheed Martin has created Virtual World Labs to shape the future of training with the creation of collaborative simulation learning and data visualization solutions for government, military and corporate sectors. The company utilizes tools that enable it to modify the virtual world capabilities to the customer's needs and to maximize human potential. The company's UltiSim platform can be used to develop rules-based learning scenarios, as well as true non-linear simulations using high-fidelity dynamic/physics based models.