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ITV Christmas Hearts era

1999-2001 (December 2016)

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TE
tesandco Founding member
Back to topic: and does anyone remember this one?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6ZS-iTIv4


Interestingly this clip demonstrates how the GMG regions lazily just squished the full 16:9 ident into 4:3 when going into non-widescreen programmes, rather than cropping it at the sides. So we ended up with the logo looking too tall in many junctions.


They did the same thing with their playout of The Golden Jubilee ident in 2002. It seemed a bit odd at the time, as the regular idents were all set up and *cough* usually played out correctly into 4:3 stuff. Even if by that point they weren't using much outside of the somewhat butchered heart re-edits.
TT
ttt
Back to topic: and does anyone remember this one?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6ZS-iTIv4


Interestingly this clip demonstrates how the GMG regions lazily just squished the full 16:9 ident into 4:3 when going into non-widescreen programmes, rather than cropping it at the sides. So we ended up with the logo looking too tall in many junctions.


They did the same thing with their playout of The Golden Jubilee ident in 2002. It seemed a bit odd at the time, as the regular idents were all set up and *cough* usually played out correctly into 4:3 stuff. Even if by that point they weren't using much outside of the somewhat butchered heart re-edits.


I suspect that playout was treating the ident as 16:9/4:3 as normal, but they'd only loaded a single version into the servers and not bothered to change the settings for playout (how hard would it have been to down-up after the ident rather than before for those few days?).

That said, none of this is as unprofessional as a nasty little trick I saw on UTV around this time (or maybe slightly earlier, I don't recall). They actually (on a few occasions as well) wiped from a 16:9 promo to the IVC studio (which was still 4:3) while doing the AR change. We were talking about possible lack of professionalism at Thames at the end of that Rainbow episode a couple of months back with the picture jumping after a fade, but that really takes the cake. Eurgh.
JB
JasonB
ttt posted:

Interestingly this clip demonstrates how the GMG regions lazily just squished the full 16:9 ident into 4:3 when going into non-widescreen programmes, rather than cropping it at the sides. So we ended up with the logo looking too tall in many junctions.


They did the same thing with their playout of The Golden Jubilee ident in 2002. It seemed a bit odd at the time, as the regular idents were all set up and *cough* usually played out correctly into 4:3 stuff. Even if by that point they weren't using much outside of the somewhat butchered heart re-edits.


I suspect that playout was treating the ident as 16:9/4:3 as normal, but they'd only loaded a single version into the servers and not bothered to change the settings for playout (how hard would it have been to down-up after the ident rather than before for those few days?).

That said, none of this is as unprofessional as a nasty little trick I saw on UTV around this time (or maybe slightly earlier, I don't recall). They actually (on a few occasions as well) wiped from a 16:9 promo to the IVC studio (which was still 4:3) while doing the AR change. We were talking about possible lack of professionalism at Thames at the end of that Rainbow episode a couple of months back with the picture jumping after a fade, but that really takes the cake . Eurgh.


The Central Cake?
ST
steddenm
The Central Cake?


The Central Christmas Cake!
AE
AlexEdohHD13
Back to topic: and does anyone remember this one?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6ZS-iTIv4


Interestingly this clip demonstrates how the GMG regions lazily just squished the full 16:9 ident into 4:3 when going into non-widescreen programmes, rather than cropping it at the sides. So we ended up with the logo looking too tall in many junctions.

It's a shame really because those idents look perfect in widescreen. Put the ident in widescreen and then lead into the 4:3 programme.
SP
Spencer
Back to topic: and does anyone remember this one?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6ZS-iTIv4


Interestingly this clip demonstrates how the GMG regions lazily just squished the full 16:9 ident into 4:3 when going into non-widescreen programmes, rather than cropping it at the sides. So we ended up with the logo looking too tall in many junctions.

It's a shame really because those idents look perfect in widescreen. Put the ident in widescreen and then lead into the 4:3 programme.


At the time GMG's policy was that the ident would be shown in the same aspect ratio as the programme it introduced, with the ARC switch before the ident. In contrast Carlton would show all pres as 16:9, with the switch going into the programme.
ST
Stuart
I don't understand. You didn't like the celeb idents, yet you don't like later ones as they don't say anything to you about the channel where the celebs ones arguably did. Begs the question - what actually would you have liked?

Sorry Phil, I thought I was quite clear. I didn't like either the celebrity idents, or the later 'emotions' set with a logo slapped on - or the current meaningless 'Art College' videos, with their colour-picking logo, which became boring after a week.


However, I did like the CGI set that they used between those creations:







I'm sure they were cheap to make, but they happen to appeal to my personal taste, and each to their own, of course. Thumbs up
Last edited by Stuart on 23 December 2016 10:21pm
RE
Rex
I don't understand. You didn't like the celeb idents, yet you don't like later ones as they don't say anything to you about the channel where the celebs ones arguably did. Begs the question - what actually would you have liked?

Sorry Phil, I thought I was quite clear. I didn't like either the celebrity idents, or the later 'emotions' set with a logo slapped on - or the current meaningless 'Art College' videos, with their colour-picking logo, which became boring after a week.


However, I did like the CGI set that they used between those creations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMojzg87Ddg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZg9RIJmjOw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0aLVj_dFy0

I'm sure they were cheap to make, but they happen to appeal to my personal taste, and each to their own, of course. Thumbs up

The celebrities ident package of 2002 was nothing more but cringe to me at its finest when I look back - the set after that in 2004 (aligning ITV1 with ITV2/3 logos and timed well with ITV3's launch) was far more presentable and appealing to the eye.

Sadly however it didn't last long, as ITV decided in mid-2005 to scrap the 1998 logo.

The current set is quite bland in production values - but ITV's quantity over quality strategy keeps them constantly fresh, something that other broadcasters have struggled with, especially with regards to the BBC.
LL
Larry the Loafer
My only problem with the 2004 set was the ITV 'squares' looking a bit too much like they were trying to emulate the BBC logo.
VM
VMPhil
They never used those idents to their full potential of course. Well, they did for about a week before they decided they couldn't be bothered.

Never really liked that ITV1 logo though and in hindsight it's obvious the 1998 logo itself was on its last legs by that time. They needed something more adaptable to each brand rather than using yellow and blue for everything (or, just to shake things up, white and blue for ITV3). Fast forward to 2006 and the ITV logo changes colour depending on what channel or brand it's for.
RE
Rex
My only problem with the 2004 set was the ITV 'squares' looking a bit too much like they were trying to emulate the BBC logo.

My sentiments exactly. It felt quite tacky and similar to the BBC logo, which is timeless in comparison.
HA
harshy Founding member
They never used those idents to their full potential of course. Well, they did for about a week before they decided they couldn't be bothered.

Never really liked that ITV1 logo though and in hindsight it's obvious the 1998 logo itself was on its last legs by that time. They needed something more adaptable to each brand rather than using yellow and blue for everything (or, just to shake things up, white and blue for ITV3). Fast forward to 2006 and the ITV logo changes colour depending on what channel or brand it's for.

I always preferred the regional brands with a little itv logo approach but that thinking is from a bygone era Sad

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