> READY FOR PRIME TIME

The founders of Fifteenhundred, a local TV set design and news graphics firm, saw their work debut this week on KQTV-TV, the ABC affiliate serving St. Joseph.

The station is the first to use Fifteenhundred’s new motion graphics service, which includes the design of newscast opening sequences; the so-called “lower thirds,” where the names of people appearing on-screen appear; the template used to present the extended weather forecast; backgrounds for displaying lists of information or photos; and the boxes that appear over anchors’ shoulders.

[ Read More in the Columbia Daily Tribune ]

> Custom webcasts pave way for targeted ads

A local company called HD Media Ventures has developed a product that its founders say will help TV stations retain viewers and reap more revenue from their Web sites. The product, NewscastMix, aims to capitalize on the move toward “personalized” news by allowing viewers to pick what type of stories they want to see and when they want to see them.

HD Media Ventures was formed by Fulton native and University of Missouri sophomore Dakota “Dak” Dillon and Michael P. Hill, Web coordinator for the University of Missouri System.

[ Read More in the Columbia Daily Tribune ]

> New Set Design Firm, Fifteenhundred, Launched

A new set design firm, from the team behind the TV news creative Web site NewscastStudio, has opened its doors in Columbia, Mo. The new company, Fifteenhundred, is owned and operated by Michael P. Hill, NewscastStudio's founder, and Dak Dillon, the site's editor.

At the core of Fifteenhundred is a fresh perspective and approach to design, according to the owners. "Each client presents a new challenge and gives Fifteenhundred the chance to fill a blank slate with innovative ideas," said Dillon.


[ Read More on TVNewsday ]

> Fifteenhundred promises fresh approach

Dakota "Dak" Dillon has had a busy week. On Monday, the 19-year-old Fulton native began his first year at the University of Missouri, and on Tuesday he launched a TV set design firm.

Dillon co-owns the firm, Fifteenhundred, with Michael Hill, Web coordinator for the University of Missouri System. Dillon said the goal of the business is to deliver a fresh approach to the design of sets for TV news, sports, weather and entertainment. "We want to change the way that television news sets look," he said. "They’re traditional now. We want to redefine what it means."

[ Read More in the Columbia Daily Tribune ]