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Martin Lambie-Nairn has died

(December 2020)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MI
Michael
The original C4 News ITN logo always annoyed me because it looks like it's rendered in the same font as the title font - the I bows inwards slightly and the N looks like it's slanting right.
AL
AaronLancs
Gutted to hear this. The man was an absolute legend.

And I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy of 'With Knobs On' to anyone who hasn't got one already.

The section on ITN kicks off with this splash page featuring various incarnations of the corporate logo before going on to explain Martin's reasons for re-drawing and simplifying it:

*


I'm guessing that's a chronological sequence of ITN logos- never seen that first one before, when and how long was that used for? Must be pre-1969 as the second version is on the 1969 News At Ten titles and can't have been for very long as the original 1955 logo was still in use in the mid-60s.

Also in that first logo, am I detecting a little London Weekend Television (LWT)-ness going on?
Anglialad, Media Box and Roger Darthwell gave kudos
MB
Media Box
Interesting observation. Hadn't really clocked that, but you're right - it does have similarities to the LWT logo.
VM
VMPhil
Couldn't help but notice one Jon Snow has left a message on the book of condolence.

Quote:
Above all, Martin was the father of the designs that lifted British television from the normal, to the exceptional. He revolutionised the LOOK of television. I work now for one of this elements of television that benefited most from his idea. Channel 4 News was revolutionised by his idea, ideas which sustain to this day. I feel both proud and grateful to be working for one of the elements of television that benefited most from his input.

Thank you Martin, we shall not easily forget what you have done for us all.


Lots of lovely memories from people who worked with him: http://ml-n.com/condolence/


Seeing tributes from Jon Snow and Paul Akinbola on the same page is quite something.

You can now add John Birt and Greg Dyke to that illustrious list!
LO
lobster
DJGM posted:
I'm wondering how much creative input MLN had with this . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FegmPKnARuo



I seem to remember a documentary or interview somewhere where they talked about this particular ad and they made mention how it was the first time they had to computer animate something that had to be funny. I don't suppose anyone remembers where that might have come from?


Actually found what i was thinking of, it's an interview with the man himself on Micro Live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHFR5W3ews8


I loved that video thanks for posting.

Amazing that today, all of those effects you can do on your home computer, with Blender, in some cases in real-time, for free and at one time, in my lifetime they were genuinely cutting edge!
Roger Darthwell, Mike W and DE88 gave kudos
JU
Justin
Gutted to hear this. The man was an absolute legend.

And I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy of 'With Knobs On' to anyone who hasn't got one already.

The section on ITN kicks off with this splash page featuring various incarnations of the corporate logo before going on to explain Martin's reasons for re-drawing and simplifying it:

*


I'm guessing that's a chronological sequence of ITN logos- never seen that first one before, when and how long was that used for? Must be pre-1969 as the second version is on the 1969 News At Ten titles and can't have been for very long as the original 1955 logo was still in use in the mid-60s.


I remember reading about Lambie-Nairn's work on Paul Robert Lloyd's website a long while ago, and that 1970s-era ITN logo for NAT was also apparently a period ML-N creation, before he went on to do Weekend World. Not sure if that's something which he had mentioned in his book.

Quote:
In 1967, he left the BBC to join Associated Rediffusion however, when Rediffusion lost its franchise to London Weekend Television (LWT), Lambie-Nairn decided to go it alone, and set up his own company to handle the freelance work he was acquiring. This proved to be a mistake and after a brief time at the Conran Design Group, he decided television was his home and moved to Independent Television News (ITN) were he became deputy to the senior designer.

Here he worked on the on-screen graphics for the Apollo space missions including the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission. An opportunity came up in 1970 with an open-brief for the design of a new company logo and title sequence for ITN’s flagship programme News at Ten. However, the senior designer, Malcolm Beatson, had cornered the brief, but Lambie-Nairn had been asked to have ago at the brief himself by ITN’s Editor in Chief. When his ideas were chosen over Beatson’s, he was seen to be undermining him and resulted with the whole design department refusing to speak to him for a while. It was because of this, that he left ITN and joined LWT.

https://paulrobertlloyd.com/1999/03/early_graphic_design_in_television/
JA
JAS84
I bet Beatson's design wouldn't have aged so well. The ITN logo has only had minor changes in the last 50 years.
DE88 and Roger Darthwell gave kudos

9 days later

CL
clarky
Chanel 4 to use original branding all day this Friday to mark the launch of ‘it’s a sin’
BR
Brekkie
Chanel 4 to use original branding all day this Friday to mark the launch of ‘it’s a sin’

That's getting as lazy as using the 2's was now - would much prefer they did something in the current bumper style but harking back to the 80s look. That would be much more interesting - and possibly a good basis for a refresh moving forward.
AS
Asa Admin
Not being overly keen on the current idents, I'm happy to see them use the original branding (it was a lovely touch for the MLN tribute the other week) I just wish they wouldn't use the zoomed versions. I know some of the effect is lost but the picture quality is poor. The ones on Lambie-Nairn's YouTube channel are better!

If I had the time and talent I'd like to see if it's possible to do a frame by frame accurate recreation of the original ident with the widescreen 'gaps' filled in. There must be some way to work out the perspective in 3D space.
MK
Mr Kite
Yes, a wide-screen, HD version of the original ident would be awesome. Would go great at junctions into the news and things that need a more authorative announcement.
DE88 and Roger Darthwell gave kudos
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Dave Jeffery is your man for that kind of thing

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