Amazing how the current graphics still look brilliant after 5 years yet the set that came before (in 2008) looked outdated on the first day.
We've basically had the same title look for almost 10 years now. The only thing that really changed in 2013 was the lower thirds, and that was it. Graphically, I feel like we've had the same basic look for almost 10 years, with the most minor of refreshes 5 years ago, which really wasn't that much of a refresh.
To my eyes, the whole thing looks positively stale, and yet in that time ITV News has refreshed twice, and probably needs a refresh soon, though I would say, not a major change required there. BBC News on the other hand, looks so stale, that it needs a major change of look.
Titles maybe stale, the studio design is fantastic though, all the main news studios in broadcasting house look fantastic although I must be the only person that gets excited when I see studio e lit up differently from the usual Red and White.
Amazing how the current graphics still look brilliant after 5 years yet the set that came before (in 2008) looked outdated on the first day.
We've basically had the same title look for almost 10 years now. The only thing that really changed in 2013 was the lower thirds, and that was it. Graphically, I feel like we've had the same basic look for almost 10 years, with the most minor of refreshes 5 years ago, which really wasn't that much of a refresh.
To my eyes, the whole thing looks positively stale, and yet in that time ITV News has refreshed twice, and probably needs a refresh soon, though I would say, not a major change required there. BBC News on the other hand, looks so stale, that it needs a major change of look.
Titles maybe stale, the studio design is fantastic though, all the main news studios in broadcasting house look fantastic although I must be the only person that gets excited when I see studio e lit up differently from the usual Red and White.
I think the studios are generally fine but I suppose the first things that'll need to be replaced in studios C and E will be those large HD screens because they'll inevtably come to the end of their lives at some point.
Would be nice to see the backdrops in C (and indeed the background screen in C) updated or refreshed.
The studios are okay, although I do think they look a little tired, but the titles and astons etc are so out of date. They were bad when they were launched and have needed changing for a long, long time.
I know there is something to be said for keeping branding consistent, but there has been practically no variation for 10 years and only fairly minimal variations in the 9 years before that. The overall brand has essentially lasted for 19 years at this point which is staggering. If you had told me in May 1999 that the branding they introduced then would essentially remain in one form or another for that long, I'd never have believed you.
It was very fresh and unique in 1999 and although there was a bit of a lull between 2003 and 2008, the re-introduction of Lambie-Nairn designs in April 2008 was very welcome indeed. I do think they missed a trick in 2013 - although the introduction of HD was welcome and freshened things up a bit, I personally would have liked more of a departure in branding than we got. Looking back on the late '90s flags era BBC World, it does look remarkably fresh and hasn't really aged at all. I don't think the same can be said for the current branding now.
I know ITV News gets a lot of criticism for changing their branding too often, but I do think cityprod is right here. They have moved with the times but have always retained those recognisable branding elements - the theme music, the bongs, the clockface etc. But they have done well to modify it each time without it becoming stale in the process.
I think the problem for us presentation fans is that because the BBC News branding has lasted so long now, the BBC are going to be very reluctant to change it, so I think we will be stuck with it for some time yet. One thing that would be interesting to know is if and when they will start to look to a future without David Lowe's music. According to Wikipedia, he is about 59 now and I suppose the likelihood is that he will probably retire at some point in the next 10 years or so. That's if composers do retire - or do some of them just keep composing beyond regular retirement age? Anyway, at some point they would have to start looking for a successor. The same could be said of ITV News and Dave Hewson really. I know Alan Hawkshaw hasn't composed the last couple of Channel 4 News remixes; they have been done by Phase Music instead. So they made the transition quite well. Food for thought, anyway.
I know Alan Hawkshaw hasn't composed the last couple of Channel 4 News remixes
And it's all the poorer for it.
Yes, the 2005 and 2015 mixes weren't as good as the 80s and 90s ones. I think the last one he was involved with was the 1999 mix. That was a great version!
I think the problem for us presentation fans is that because the BBC News branding has lasted so long now, the BBC are going to be very reluctant to change it, so I think we will be stuck with it for some time yet. One thing that would be interesting to know is if and when they will start to look to a future without David Lowe's music. According to Wikipedia, he is about 59 now and I suppose the likelihood is that he will probably retire at some point in the next 10 years or so. That's if composers do retire - or do some of them just keep composing beyond regular retirement age? Anyway, at some point they would have to start looking for a successor. The same could be said of ITV News and Dave Hewson really. I know Alan Hawkshaw hasn't composed the last couple of Channel 4 News remixes; they have been done by Phase Music instead. So they made the transition quite well. Food for thought, anyway.
Also according to Wikipedia, Dave Hewson will be 65 later this year - which actually surprised me at first, before I realised that it's been a good 30 years since he composed this epic tune:
Alan Hawkshaw, meanwhile, is about to turn 81. Whatever about "Best Endeavours", I can't see the Countdown theme tune or clock music being re-recorded again while he remains with us - the current recording of the theme tune is still going strong after 22 years, and the clock music is surely too iconic to be tinkered with at this stage (indeed, it was already very iconic in 1996).
What I like about BBC News presentation is its ability to keep things simple, yet still use innovation to keep things fresh, such as Afternoon Live and Newsroom Live, as well as the recent refresh on The Papers, which has given the segment a bit more "oomph".
Only thing I think is in serious need of a revamp is Breakfast. The titles have remained the same for almost a decade now (when before that they were always updated about every 2-3 years) and the general feel of the show to me is just dull and lifeless. I actually prefer GMB with Piers and Susanna nowadays. I just find Dan and Louise so boring especially compared to the couplings of Bill/Sian and Charlie/Susanna in years gone by.
The one thing we have to keep in mind is that the BBC has decided to go for a unified (or adapted look) across all their channels - the nations, regions, News, World and all the World Service language programs they produce. And the fact that there’s no standardized character generator. Only a handful of regions have VizRT, there’s a little over a dozen engines in NBH (from what I’ve heard), some outposts running Caspar CG and some regions are running hardware from the turn of the century.
It would probably take a year to map out plan a package that would work not only in English but all the others. And probably just as long to get it coded to work on all their systems.
I don’t see the BBC buying a hundred or so VizRT engines or Chyron boxes for a new package. Supporting two systems is probably a lot easier than all the different ones across the world.
Now I wonder if anyone at the BBC explored outfitting all their regions that are lacking HD capability with Viz Opus - the box does graphics, audio, has a video switcher and it all automated on Mosart. They could use their house standard camera (HSC series?) and install a small house router (how many OS does the average show need and how many outputs would be needed?)
I suspect that if the regions do get a virtualization solution along to same lines as ViLoR for local radio that would surely standardise the graphics kit.
One thing that would be interesting to know is if and when they will start to look to a future without David Lowe's music. According to Wikipedia, he is about 59 now and I suppose the likelihood is that he will probably retire at some point in the next 10 years or so. That's if composers do retire - or do some of them just keep composing beyond regular retirement age? Anyway, at some point they would have to start looking for a successor. The same could be said of ITV News and Dave Hewson really. I know Alan Hawkshaw hasn't composed the last couple of Channel 4 News remixes; they have been done by Phase Music instead. So they made the transition quite well. Food for thought, anyway.
John Williams is 86 and he's still composing music for films. Was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on The Post and an Academy Award for his work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I don't think he'll ever retire.
But I do feel that BBC News needs to move on now from the David Lowe era, and create something that will take BBC News forward, like David Lowe himself did in 1999. The early work was great, now it's been done to death.
Similarly in a graphical sense, BBC News needs to move on from this 10 year old look, and find a new way to incorporate the globe into a news open, and graphical look.