Various questions

1) Why, in some instances, credits feature two people under a certain title, but one name is significantly smaller than the name above it? Sometimes this in the form of one name being in CAPITALS when the other name Is Not.

2) Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't CITV during the late-80s/early 90s have two idents, and if so, why? Most notably, the ident with the corportate ITV logo would run alongside the ident with the long purple ITV typeface and, in the early 90s, the big red C. I'm interested to know why two idents needed to be in use around this time?

3) I've been wanting to know about the certain points of a VT clock. I know that at 20 seconds, the ident is meant to play, and that at 3 seconds, the clock disappears ready for the network to cut to the VT and whatnot. Is there anywhere explaining the functionality of a VT clock or, better yet, is somebody willing to explain these points to me? (Such as the flash at 10 seconds?)

...nobody?

Hi Larry

I always presumed that the person in the mixed or smaller case is junior position to the bigger credit, but has probably made some special contribution to warrant a credit.

I may be wrong, but this is what I have always thought. As for you other question, I will have to pass on those I'm afraid.

1) Why, in some instances, credits feature two people under a certain title, but one name is significantly smaller than the name above it? Sometimes this in the form of one name being in CAPITALS when the other name Is Not.
This is usually, but not always, a "main" someone and a "trainee/apprentice" someone, be it lighting, camera or sound. Most productions won't list Camera Operator, Assistant, Loader Etc as separate roles as films do, so anyone who worked on camera goes under that heading with the main operators on top.

3) I've been wanting to know about the certain points of a VT clock. I know that at 20 seconds, the ident is meant to play, and that at 3 seconds, the clock disappears ready for the network to cut to the VT and whatnot. Is there anywhere explaining the functionality of a VT clock or, better yet, is somebody willing to explain these points to me? (Such as the flash at 10 seconds?)
A video tape clock is just that, a clock on tape (or now servers and whatnot) leading up to the start of the programme, or insert. Television despite how it may sometimes seem is strictly timed and runs according to the second. VT Clocks allow playout or live progammes to cue tapes to come in on time. They can run as long as 60 seconds or just 10 seconds depending on the need. The "20 ident" is merely a guide, it may not be an ident but it allows the producer to give a heads up when the VT should play and thus tell the director and talent over talk back how long till the VT starts. It disappears at 3 seconds so if in the event they cut to it a tad early you just see black rather than the clock.

They also serve as a good ident of what is on the tape (presuming whoever made it bothers)

http://www.meldrum.co.uk/mhp/images/westone.jpg

This for example tells anyone viewing the tape where it was made, which suite it was edited in, where it was edited, what it is and how long it is. All this information is useful in insuring the right thing gets played out at the right time. The flash isn't used that often that I've seen but logically this serves as an obvious visual clue that the VT is now playing, gallerys/control rooms are generally dark places with lots of monitors and lots going on, the screen flashing on the VT preview helps alert the gallery crew that its in play.