BBC Arabic

I like the overall presentation and think that it suits the service they are offering.

The one element that I would like to see migrate to domestic BBC services are the sets which I think look great.

Am I the only one who thinks that the part of the titles where the sphere lights up above the other thing looks mildly like some sort of futuristic weapon of mass destruction? No? Oh, well, just me then. I am very impressed with the titles though, and the entire music sounds much better then the smaller recent snippets. And again, the lower third design is simply magnificent looking.

The 9.56am launch

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1ufoXiXIqQ8

The last minute is one of the countdown sequences.

Thanks for putting that on YouTube snarfu, but the sound seems to be out of sync

Why is it the BBC always seem to come up with better graphics and better music for their international channels - it all looks pretty good.


I still fundamentally disagree with the launch of this channel - the intention may be good, but it's very misguided IMO.

why

Just from browsing YouTube, it seems a lot of arabic channels tend to have a similar sort of presentation, which this new BBC channel has clearly taken cues from. Glass blocks are popular in title sequences, too...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-LUzW6AIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW4xoJ_Dflc

Thanks snarfu, but the video is very low quality. The audio goes out of sync, it uses a low framerate and it's a lower resolution than the standard one used by YouTube. If you could get a better copy, that would be great.

I believe this is pretty much the same clip. If you click on that user's profile (for the Youtube version) you can see some other branding clips in their recently posted videos.

does anyone have an mp3 of the countdown? i'd be glad to have it. thx

The arab 'world' has a different realationship with images in branding. faces, people and events can be viewed as un-muslim (remember the taliban banned photos!)

Geometric and geographic shapes are always a good bet in the middle east market.

You also have to remember that alot of western graphics take their cue from letterforms - the McDonalds 'M' arch a basic example - so with a different set of letterforms to play with things will always be very different.

From what I've seen the launch has gone really well.

There are a lot of ambitious programmes - the interactive one in particular integrates SMS, e-mail, phone calls, 3G, Webcams etc. in a very clean graphic way - with excellent use of a video wall and a presenter who seems to be able to deliver very well televisually, and looks to be very well produced and directed.

The studios look clean, simple, crisp and well lit. as does the newsroom backdrop.

I think the music is distinctive - and the titles and branding nicely executed. It does feel like the most modern BBC channel now - as it should.

It really looks very glossy - almost "commercial" - which is ironic I guess.

Of course I'm not its target audience - it will be interesting to see if its look, sound and production values work for the intended audience. I hope they do - it looks like a lot of hard work has gone into such a confident start to the service.

It's set the bar pretty high for the revamp of BBC News domestic services...