The Newsroom

How are the BBC’s Opening Sequences Designed

The interconnected locations. (December 2020)

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RK
Rkolsen
I’ve always wondered how the various BBC News locations and their intersecting points were designed. I understand that the locations are all to scale and relative - (making this up here) for example New York is closer to DC but DC is farther from London. Would these locations and relevant distances to scale be designed by hand in a graphics program. Or is there some sort of program that allowed a designer to chose a location, it’s two points it connects two and the distance between them and output a sequence of sorts? Where a designer would then maybe manipulate it and insert it into the spinning globe?

What are the location identifiers called internally with in the BBC? I think of them as the children’s game cats cradle for some reason with string between ones fingers.

Does anyone have any videos how they were designed?
BA
Ballyboy
Are you saying you want to learn cats cradles and place names?
RK
Rkolsen
Are you saying you want to learn cats cradles and place names?

Obviously no. But how the opening was designed.
BA
Ballyboy
They have rings and maps. connect layers and all in a null project.
IS
Inspector Sands
The original title place-names were called 'destinations' I think because they were based on the type of displays seen at railway stations.

Not the first TV graphics to be based on that idea, LWT in the 80s had an ident called Solari which was based on the station display boards of the same name
AndrewPSSP, Rkolsen and deejay gave kudos
AL
AaronLancs
I know this may not be exactly what went into the titles. Here is MDTA's breakdown of what went into his BBC World News loops based upon the 2008 look. Reposted with permission.

ANIMATION BREAKDOWN


BBC WORLD NEWS LOOP VERSION ONE


BBC WORLD NEWS LOOP VERSION TWO
RK
Rkolsen
Thanks for all the responses.

They have rings and maps. connect layers and all in a null project.


I guess that’s the easiest way to plot the points using a world map and then just remove the globe afterwards.

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