System Integrator ABS, Set Designer FX Group Work Together

Systems integration firm Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS) has joined forces with the FX Group—a lighting, set design, and graphics company based in the Orlando, Fla. area—to cross promote and expand each other’s complementary portfolio of services to broadcast customers.

With many Emmy and PROMAX BDA awards to its credit, FX Group specializes in custom set design and construction, set remodeling, and lighting design and integration services for news, sports, weather, Webcasts, and other live broadcasts. As part of their turnkey services, they design and integrate live motion graphics and on-set media displays—such as rear projection, plasma monitors, and video walls—in a manner consistent with the station’s channel branding.

“With today’s increasingly discriminating TV audience, broadcasters feel compelled to enhance the look of their live shows with visually striking sets, dramatic lighting effects, and splashy electronic displays–especially if they’re migrating to 16:9 SDTV or HDTV production,” says Mark Siegel, president of ABS.

“To meet our customer’s growing aesthetic and technical expectations for lighting and sets, we are now leveraging the FX Group’s craftsmanship, design experience, and creative energy as part of our broad-based systems integration efforts,” Siegel adds. “While set designers and systems integrators don’t typically join forces, we believe that this innovative association will align our complementary core competencies to the benefit of our respective broadcast customers.”

The FX Group recently provided The Golf Channel, in Orlando, Fla., with set design and lighting packages for two studios used to produce “The Sprint Post Game Show” and “The Approach” respectively. The company’s client roster includes dozens of call letter stations and broadcast networks and groups, such as Meredith Broadcasting, based in Des Moines, Iowa. FX Group also offers lighting programs that recommend and implement “green” technology for cost and energy savings, as well as an analysis of the expected return on investment.

“At FX Group, our approach is to listen carefully to customers, and then design and build dynamic sets and lighting that express their creative vision while achieving their financial and operating goals,” says Kathy Mosher-Boule, vice president, FX Group. “We’re excited about the opportunity to provide ABS’ customers with set and lighting design services and to introduce ABS to our customers in need of their broader systems integration services.”