Redefining "The College Try:" FOX Sports Engages Students to Design Super Bowl XLVIII Opening Animation

SAVANNAH, Ga, Feb. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the airing of Super Bowl XLVIII, 20 Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) students became the first to have a hand in designing the opening animation for FOX Sports' broadcast of the NFL's annual championship game. A television event that likely will be one of the top 10 most-watched programs in history, the broadcast was expected to draw an audience of more than 100 million.

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The opening animation of the broadcast was set in New York's iconic Times Square, and brought the worlds of art and football together to capture the superior athleticism of NFL players. SCAD students helped create the concept and design for the animation using assets provided by FOX Sports and by fashioning new creative elements.

The project was part of FOX Sports University, the company's education initiative that partners with universities to give students real-world experience in sports media and marketing. The graphics team at FOX Sports, which includes several SCAD graduates, further developed the students' concept and professionally produced the opening animation.

"The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event of the year," said Noel Anderson, a SCAD student who contributed to the project. "Helping create the opening animation with FOX Sports was a tremendous opportunity. I'm proud to be one of just 20 students who are now part of this select group of artists. The experience of working with the FOX Sports team to capture viewers' attention is one that I'll never forget and that definitely helped prepare me for what lies ahead in my career."

As part of the first partnership between SCAD's Collaborative Learning Center and the FOX Sports University program, the talented motion media, illustration and animation students at SCAD gained a real-world understanding of how creative graphics and motion transport fans from their couches into the stadium during the annual broadcast event.

"This was a once-in-a-college-career opportunity for our students," said Austin Shaw, professor of the motion media class that worked with FOX Sports. "At SCAD, collaborative learning is a core element of the university's mission. I can't think of a more high-profile opportunity for our students to help prepare them for professional creative careers."

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors. Visit our official blog or scad.edu.

FOX Sports University
FOX Sports University is an education initiative developed in conjunction with prestigious academic institutions from around the country.  The program allows FOX Sports to cultivate the creative minds of the future and expand its sports platform into the academic realm at select universities.  Each class partners with a FOX Sports business to address a marketing, research, technology or strategy challenge that the business faces.  Students team up to create real-world solutions, products and campaigns to address the business challenge.

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SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design