Visual effects studio coming to Plymouth could employ 200 by year's end

For decades, the brick buildings in Cordage Park provided a home for Plymouth's biggest industry: making rope. Now, an old factory building could play a key role in what David Kirkpatrick hopes will become the town's biggest new industry: making movies.

Kirkpatrick, a former president of Paramount Pictures, plans to open a studio there next month for Rock CGI, a new firm that will specialize in creating computer-generated imagery for movies and TV shows. He said Rock CGI has leased 6,000 square feet in the Cordage Commerce Center, with a goal of adding more space over time.

As many as 200 people could be working at Rock CGI by the end of the year, he said.

Rock CGI is an offshoot of Plymouth Rock Studios, a company that is working to develop a large film studio in South Plymouth. Kirkpatrick said he decided to start Rock CGI as a separate company when he noticed that films were being shot in Massachusetts because of recent tax breaks, but much of the visual effects work couldn't be done here because the state lacks a major CGI house.

Kirkpatrick, one of the Plymouth Rock Studios principals, has entered talks with two production companies to bring CGI work to Plymouth. He said Rock CGI will keep operating regardless of whether Plymouth Rock Studios gets the town meeting approval it needs to build the movie studio complex in the woods in South Plymouth.

''The bottom line is this is a wonderful business to be in that can support a strong work force,'' Kirkpatrick said.

Jon Chesto is at jchesto@ledger.com.

The Patriot Ledger