The CEO and founder of a Utah-based company that helps create animation and motion pictures for video games, is making a mark as one of the few women in the industry.
Call of Duty and The Amazing Spiderman are just two of the videogames that Animation Vertigo has helped create. CEO Marla Rausch believes spinning around on a web in The Amazing Spiderman isn’t just entertaining, but actually helps people empathize with and understand others.
“I think our brains need the ability to not just think rationally and logically and linearly," Rausch said. "I think our brains need to be able to see things in different perspectives. I think that art kind of gives you a different perspective on things that you may not be aware of or that you would be surprised to see.”
Seeing different perspectives is kind of Rausch’s thing, and she used her background of being raised in the Philippines to kick off her career.
“The world market now is big, wide, and open," she said. "And when I saw the opportunity that companies in the U.S. [and] companies in Europe and North America were looking for ways and means to save money but not save on quality, I saw the Philippines as an avenue to meet that need.”
While Rausch’s route to gaming was unusual, she would like to see other women choose to use their skills and creativity in the world of gaming.
“I’d like to encourage more women to join in," shesaid. "I think the hardest thing for me being a women in animation and technology and gaming and entertainment, is that we need more of our views - we need more of our thinking.”
Rausch said different perspectives allow diverse people to engage in this type of industry.
“My biggest thing is what do the girls want," she said. "What do the women want? Sure there are lots of women that want to play the first person, what is currently available in the market-but other women aren’t. What makes them interested in videogames?”