University of Tennessee Goes Long With New Studio Set
Story Highlights
The SEC is known for being ultra competitive on the field, and it has been the same behind the scenes in the first year of the SEC Network. The conference’s 14 schools are doing everything in their power to show that their live video productions are better than their rivals’. The University of Tennessee has made a bold statement about its video presence with the introduction of one of the largest studio sets in college sports.
University of Tennesse has introduced a new studio that features a 19-ft. wide anchor desk.
Built in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio inside the Brenda Lawson Athletic Center by FX Design Group, the new studio set includes a 19-ft.-wide anchor desk and a camera grid that make it a highly customized space.
“The UT broadcast set is unique in its scale,” says FX Production Manager Brannen Acor. “Many studios do not have the area or height for such a massive set. The chroma-key area is approximately double in height those typically found in broadcast-news studios.”
The physical space and length of the set offered unique challenges, including a camera left and camera right grid that are 18 feet tall. FX had to use minimal framing for internally lit columns to create space between two connected pieces of the set. To meet this need, customized aluminum extrusions create a shape not available for purchase.
Handling set construction, fabrication, and installation, FX Design Group collaborated with design consultant AJP, integrator Unity Systems Integrations, general contractor Rouse Constructions, and architecture firm Cope McCarthy.
The studio is yet another example of growth in college sports-video production.
“The college market is booming in the broadcasting arena, and we are happy to be a part of it,” says Bonnie Barclay, VP of marketing, FX Design Group. “With new conference alignments, new conference networks, and the broadcast of more and more college sports, the needs continue to grow. Plus, there is that added factor of keeping ahead of your competition, both on the field and on the set.”
