Class is back in session with FX University

FX Design Group has relaunched its online education tool, FX University.

“The FX team is excited to offer this free, interactive digital campus discussing all things set and newscast-related, from design to lighting and will eventually include topics on motion design and on-air graphics” said VP of Business Development for FX Design Group Kathy Mosher-Boule’.

FX Design Group’s resource initially debuted in 2007, creating an easy-to-access educational tool for the television industry.  At that time, the digital transition was looming. Much of the early content of FXU focused on digital and HD issues, such as the challenges with the new wider aspect ratio (16:9) and the fact that set and anchor imperfections would be more visible to the viewer.

With How-To Guides and Industry Resource links as part of the FXU site, FX created a comprehensive source for news teams on subject matter ranging from sets and lighting, as well as quick links to Journalism sites and Broadcast Industry News.

The new site’s content features Case Studies covering FX project-specific challenges and resulting solutions, to assist stations in visualizing how to proactively solve their own problems.  In addition these may help them gauge what other expertise they may need from an outside expert such as FX.

“Case studies can be a great catalyst in jump starting a station’s project team in the planning process, identify challenges they might not normally have considered, and can be invaluable in helping avoid pitfalls,” said Mosher-Boule’.

FXU still contains Guides on topics such as Why Get a New Set and HD and Set Design.  Since there are a significant number of stations in the U.S. – an estimated 40% – that have yet to convert to HD, the site offers information on the potential challenges of HD conversion as it pertains to sets, as well as lighting.   As with the previous iteration of FXU, talent coaching and newscast pacing How-To Guides are available to help improve newscast content quality, alongside Guides to improve the visual aspects of a newscast.

For 2013, fresh content will be added on a regular basis.  Future topics will include segments pulled from a 2008 research study on viewer preferences in HD, which FX conducted with Frank N. Magid Associates.  As a follow up to this past study, FX will be unveiling a new research study again with Magid, so valuable content from this new study and additional Best Practices, will be posted on the site throughout 2013.  The FX team will be conducting webinars during 2013, based on the new research results and other appropriate topics.

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The first webinar will be offered March 20 and the subsequent webinar schedules will be posted on FXU with special access to FXU users.

Users can return as often as they like to download the Guides, Case Studies, Station Summaries, Best Practices and other new content as it is updated.  The purpose of this wealth of free information is to provide knowledge about what works.

“The FX team uses the tagline – we take the guesswork out of what works” said Mosher-Boule’.  “We help stations ensure they are effectively targeting their capital” which is especially valuable in today’s budget-challenged climate.  The information is free – subscribers will only need to register, in order to receive a “key” that gives them access to the interactive FXU Campus whenever they want.

FX Design Group is an advertiser with NewscastStudio and provided this news release.