HARD fest

For every Batman there is a Lucious Fox, for every 007 there is a Q, even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had Donatello. The gadget guy is a fundamental part of every heroes success, but everyone isn’t out fighting villains. Bryan Jaycox has a little bit different style and show that some of us are battling the limitations of reality against our  limitless imaginations. He throws a middle finger to “the man” by creating an outlet for technological exploration that circumvents the traditional channels of entry. He has hacked into the world of applied science and is leaving the back door open. Bryan Jaycox is the Robin Hood of hi-tech fabrication.

He hails from the great land of San Diego but came to Los Angeles to complete a Masters Degree in Interactive Media from USC. After graduating he stuck around and eventually created his multi-use work space, The Build Shop. With a background in game design he brings all of the fantasy  and creativity from video games to life in his workshop. We began talking about his business and ended up discussing how intellectual property law can inhibit progress and why he doesn’t charge as much as could for the services he provides.

In short, The Build Shop specializes in hi-tech fabrication of wearable technology and 3d Printing. They also have several other derivative services, like LED programming, and laser etching that have endless applications. If he were the type to brag, which he isn’t, he’d say that he’s been working for the better half of the last decade with independents as well as studios like Blind Wink and Lucas Arts. He  has prototyped and designed wearable technology for electronic music festivals like the Electric Daisy Carnival and HARD fest. Bryan wanted to design in an open space without having to trade off his intellectual property for use of the facilities. There was a void in this, and he created The Build Shop to fill it, in doing so he has created a work space for himself that he also is able to share with others.

Uniquely, The Build Shops offers high end fabrication with low minimums compared to what you might find in asia or even in larger operations domestically. Standard minimum order quantities elsewhere are often in the thousands but Bryan allows for custom work in the hundreds or even less. He is perfect place for one offs, prototypes or custom point of sale materials.

Not only is his operation a place where you can go an get great services but Bryan gives the option to let the costumer run the machines. By going to see him you have an opportunity to learn and create yourself, buy time on the machines, and save yourself money. 

Bryan has created the Build shop to allow people to openly use his facilities and retain the intellectual property of what they create, which is not the case if you were to use most facilities at a lab where you worked. His goal is to avail his technology to public use.

Bryan aims to  move beyond  just profit to give people access to the tools. “… a lot of people like to pinpoint capitalism [for the exploitive nature of our society], but its the industrial revolution where we began  giving efficiency precedence of the social good.” 

His comments on art and compensation struck me as particularly poignant.” the internet has enabled us to take our art and distribute it to a million people for  relatively the same cost as it takes to reach one person, as an artist, why would you want to limit your reach?… People should be paid for the value they bring to society.”

As a businessman he certainly has shown a knack but he says  the biggest reward is  “hosting a space where people can come and create”.

When you think of the things he can assist with it be comes apparent why his operation is needed in our community. In a city filled by film-makers, costume designers, sculptures, dancers, and boutique retailers he is in the perfect location to make a mark, and help a few others make their own as well.

What makes Bryan’s venture different is that he is not just providing services to turn a buck but he is providing a cost friendly solution for creatives of all types to learn and create their vision. Seems like the Gadget man is finally becoming the hero.

www.thebuildshop.org
201 Westmoreland Ave UNit 128
bjaycox@gmail.com