Their first day with the new look and it all went ker-plunk at the end. The weather was a weather report from sometime last week with the old logo and old weather sting. Wes & Hannah stopped it halfway through giving their own weather summary before going over to London. The only bit i liked really, I can see the look and feel becoming stale before long and both Wes AND Hannah at lunch is a bit too much. They should just stick to six when their together.
It's a projection screen, it was showing a different image in one of the earlier previews. I'd say it was tiny by old standards ten or fifthteen years ago, tiny now days means the size of the Meridian studios! You can just about fit the presenters in those studios.
My sources tell me that it's actually a static transparency backdrop - the one you saw earlier in the week (on the Tuesday caps) was the design originally sent to Abingdon in December. Apparently when the new set was built it was lit and dressed for the 2004 ITV regional style. Then they decided to wait until Jan 16th to go with the new set, so it was re-dressed and re-lit. That's why they've been in the 'soft area' for so long...
It IS a rear projector screen instead of a static cardboard backdrop, there were images on the screen during the main programme which has now taken the title Central News at Six.
It's a projection screen, it was showing a different image in one of the earlier previews. I'd say it was tiny by old standards ten or fifthteen years ago, tiny now days means the size of the Meridian studios! You can just about fit the presenters in those studios.
My sources tell me that it's actually a static transparency backdrop - the one you saw earlier in the week (on the Tuesday caps) was the design originally sent to Abingdon in December. Apparently when the new set was built it was lit and dressed for the 2004 ITV regional style. Then they decided to wait until Jan 16th to go with the new set, so it was re-dressed and re-lit. That's why they've been in the 'soft area' for so long...
It IS a rear projector screen instead of a static cardboard backdrop, there were images on the screen during the main programme which has now taken the title Central News at Six.
Isn't it funny how people are easliy fooled? The image inside the box behind them was keyed on using a Chromatte curtain draped over the transparency backdrop. http://www.reflecmedia.com/content.aspx?Content=chromatte.htm The Chromatte curtain was then removed during the top package to reveal the backdrop transparency (lit from behind).
The Chromatte system is really quite amazing - it works by having directional LEDs mounted on the camera lens; the light from these is then reflected back to the camera by thousands of tiny glass beads in the Chromatte fabric. The colour it produces is absolutely fantastic, and makes an excellent keying background.
Is anybody else thinking they only built half the set?
That's because there's only room in Abingdon for two thirds of the standard set! CNWest and CNEast's studios here in Birmingham have room for the full set.
I think Central South's studio does actually look slightly smaller now than it did before, when they had the desk and the soft area as two completely separate areas.
Wes away today to do Central Lobby and the stand in (John Willets) was sitting right on the end of the seat, as if he was trying to move away from Hannah.
I've been on holiday for the last couple of weeks really excited at coming back to see Central South's new set but I have to say I dislike it. The old one needed a lick of paint but the half-hearted attempt at the corporate look looks just that - cramped and dodgy to shoot - really wierd camera shots were being used in the week.
I used to really like Central South opposed to the Beeb's offering where I live but over the last few months it has become ropey - sometimes cringeworty with loads of mistakes and poor news coverage in my mind.
Wesley Smith is always the star though - can't fault him. I've always wondered why we didn't see him on the ITV News Channel or even doing some national news.
