Ross Video XPression Powers Studio, Postproduction Graphics for Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune, one of the most successful syndicated game shows in the history of television, recently started using Ross Video’s XPression Studio Flex motion graphics system to create in-game graphical content and animations. The show uses one XPression system in the studio control room and another duplicate system in the postproduction facility. XPression is used to create in-game player identification graphics, including animations on the LED screens on the front of the podiums where the players stand and graphics for the game’s “RSTLNE” bonus round.

“We began this process of finding a new graphics partner for the show with several clear objectives in mind, and I’m incredibly pleased that our workflows have been simplified, the new system is much easier to operate and gives us more flexibility than before,” says Bob Sofia, Coordinating Producer & Technical Supervisor for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!.

When evaluating the various options in the market, it quickly became clear that XPression could replace the show’s two incumbent graphics devices with one single system that would replicate all the important capabilities while also adding new, additional features and functionality. The show’s subsequent adoption of the XPression system has been both easy and straightforward. Ross provided two days of pre-launch training and then returned to offer launch support on the first day that the XPression was used on-air. After the launch, the show producers organized one more day of training to take full advantage of XPression’s potential and capabilities, adding some additional functionality to their graphics workflow.

“Wheel of Fortune is obviously an iconic and much-loved show, so it’s a big compliment to be working with them,” says Patrick Twomey, Director of Graphics Product Management at Ross. “Most of us grew up watching the show and it’s very satisfying to know we’ve helped refresh the show’s visuals for another generation.”