The Newsroom

BBC News Channel: Presentation

Move to Broadcasting House and new look today (April 2008)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
BE
Ben Founding member
Sky haven't mentioned where he is standing, the BBC did but not in the same breath as his name and ITV also mentioned the constituency and went as far as to mention that he was a controversial figure.
CH
chris
I notice that even though the Ten is supposed to be coming from TC1 tonight, the business is coming from N8 as normal (for the 9:30 to 10:00) slot. Does that mean they still use N6's gallery even while they're in TC1 and need time to rehearse?
WE
Westy2
chris posted:
I notice that even though the Ten is supposed to be coming from TC1 tonight, the business is coming from N8 as normal (for the 9:30 to 10:00) slot. Does that mean they still use N6's gallery even while they're in TC1 and need time to rehearse?


Would they have used a combination of both galleries? Perhaps there's some things the TC1 desk can't do for News, that can be piped through from N6. (Similar to what someone explained recently about the 2 regular feeds, one for BBC One that's clean, while the other goes through to NC output with ticker on!)

Slightly off topic, when BBC News use studios other than N6, N8 (& TC7 probably?), why do the standard BBC News graphics look slightly different?

(I guess it's something to do with the graphics coming through a different desk?)
NG
noggin Founding member
chris posted:
I notice that even though the Ten is supposed to be coming from TC1 tonight, the business is coming from N8 as normal (for the 9:30 to 10:00) slot. Does that mean they still use N6's gallery even while they're in TC1 and need time to rehearse?


Would they have used a combination of both galleries? Perhaps there's some things the TC1 desk can't do for News, that can be piped through from N6. (Similar to what someone explained recently about the 2 regular feeds, one for BBC One that's clean, while the other goes through to NC output with ticker on!)

Slightly off topic, when BBC News use studios other than N6, N8 (& TC7 probably?), why do the standard BBC News graphics look slightly different?

(I guess it's something to do with the graphics coming through a different desk?)


Probably because the main news studios use different graphics platforms to those used in other areas. Things like typeface kerning, keying, artwork layout etc. can all vary subtly between platforms (and even between typeface providers on the same platform AIUI)
DE
deejay
Indeed, the same font can differ subtly when transmitted from Aston, VizRt, Clarity and from an edit system. It makes fitting your graphics to a common style an absolute nightmare. TC1 generated most of it's graphics for the Election night on Viz I think. Most bits of news use Viz now for all straps, but some Astons remain here and there. Most regions use Aston too - nationwide rollout of Viz is on hold AIUI...

Here's a little thing you can all see quite clearly to demonstrate:- watch one of the national daytime summaries on BBC One, the ones from the little CSO studio, and wait for a strap which contains the lower case characters 'a' and 'u' in succession. The word 'lauded' for example. There's something corrupt with the prescribed version of Gill Sans for Aston apparently which leads to the a and u being merged and slightly squashed horizontally. It also happens on some regional output.

Marketing send out huge documents about how to make up branded slides, graphics and so-on. They all specify positions and font sizes along with font names and colours. While the colour is pretty easy to get right and on-screen position is usually fine, getting the fonts right can be troublesome. The BBC One font is bespoke, and has had to be sent to anyone who makes graphics. The BBC Two font costs a fortune if you source it locally as it's non-standard. Gill Sans, while fairly common, comes in lots of flavours and on Pixel Power kit (Collage and Clarity) is known as Humanist!!

Aston fount size (Aston insist it's a 'fount' for some reason) refers to the height of the character in TV lines. Font size on most other systems seems to be very different - I've never really worked out why. Make something on some VizRt platforms and it seems entirely arbitrary almost as if you're working in a word document!
HO
House
This studio-type set up outside the House of Commons - is it a temporary set up and where is it? It would be great for the BBC to have a permanent set up outside Westminster imo.
MI
m_in_m
House posted:
This studio-type set up outside the House of Commons - is it a temporary set up and where is it? It would be great for the BBC to have a permanent set up outside Westminster imo.


From what I have seen it is a pod (like a portacabin style) sat on the grass of College Green. Looks like it is double height. It seems fairly effective though I Harriet Harman did have a strange shadow at lunchtime. I guess though lighting in that environment is never going to be easy.
MD
mdtauk
House posted:
This studio-type set up outside the House of Commons - is it a temporary set up and where is it? It would be great for the BBC to have a permanent set up outside Westminster imo.


From what I have seen it is a pod (like a portacabin style) sat on the grass of College Green. Looks like it is double height. It seems fairly effective though I Harriet Harman did have a strange shadow at lunchtime. I guess though lighting in that environment is never going to be easy.


Don't they usually construct these "Glass Cube" OB studios around westminster for the Opening of Parliament, and other Royal occasions?
WA
watchingtv
House posted:
This studio-type set up outside the House of Commons - is it a temporary set up and where is it? It would be great for the BBC to have a permanent set up outside Westminster imo.


From what I have seen it is a pod (like a portacabin style) sat on the grass of College Green. Looks like it is double height. It seems fairly effective though I Harriet Harman did have a strange shadow at lunchtime. I guess though lighting in that environment is never going to be easy.


Don't they usually construct these "Glass Cube" OB studios around westminster for the Opening of Parliament, and other Royal occasions?


Probably need to get planning permission and pay Laughing
RO
roxuk
They've had temporary studios outside before, I seem to remember glass walled ones in front of the Palace. The glass walled ones usually look small and cramped but the bubble looks really good!
HO
House
Thanks for your replies!!
ST
Stuart
From what I have seen it is a pod (like a portacabin style) sat on the grass of College Green. Looks like it is double height. It seems fairly effective though I Harriet Harman did have a strange shadow at lunchtime. I guess though lighting in that environment is never going to be easy.

They're certainly getting value from it. It was used for Andrew Marr's show this morning, and now for the Politics Show.

Newer posts