Trickbox brings Fresh Focus to Tower Bridge TV Studios

Dominic Reynolds, a broadcast television journalist, runs Fresh Focus, a bespoke presentation and performance training service. He uses his expertise as a television reporter, often working under extreme pressure, to deliver communications training to people working in the corporate world. Dominic required a high-quality studio to host half-day and one-day courses for delegates wishing to sharpen their communications skills.

“I was looking for an environment that could provide all the studio bells and whistles but also something that looks impressive,” explains Dominic. To hone the delegates’ communication experience, Fresh Focus creates a newsroom environment tailored around exercises that a news reporter would use daily. Dominic says, “Being put in the spotlight and working under pressure, the delegates learn from the experience of having to think and react on their feet. The course is for anyone in the corporate world who wants to communicate better with those around them, whether that’s management, delivering presentations, talking at the AGM, handling meetings; it really helps in any area.”

Trickbox’s Tower Bridge facility provides a fully equipped, multi-camera HD television studio situated on the banks of the River Thames. Its sixth-floor location boasts spectacular views of the iconic Tower Bridge, City Hall and the London skyline. It offers an ideal location for corporate productions looking for high-quality HD production services.

The Fresh Focus courses generally hold six people, who may all be from one company or from different companies. “They divide into two groups and become news teams for the day – an anchor, a reporter and a writer - and at the end of the day they put on a news programme in the Trickbox TV studio,” says Dominic.  Throughout the day the delegates work in both the meeting room and the studio writing scripts, shooting live reports on camera against green screen and doing a two-way studio interview using hypothetical UK news stories. Dominic adds, “We give them limited time to digest the story and then they have to put everything they’ve learnt into practice. The bulk of the course is teaching the delegates how to handle different situations, how to recognise and deal with anxiety and stress, and how to perform despite them.”

The large video wall in the event space enables the delegates to watch each other via a live feed. Dominic says, “We scouted various locations but Trickbox has the combination of an impressive studio in an amazing location, which we can proudly show to corporate clients, and a large event space right next door with floor to ceiling windows and a fantastic video wall. It ticks all our boxes.”