CNN Moving to Hudson Yards -NYC

They certainly do like their 'breaking news' over on CNN - every one of those clips seemed to start with some breaking news even on a fairly quiet news day.

And while it's not presentation related, that 'At This Hour' clip reminded how little I miss 'State of America' being daily on CNNI - Kate Bolduan's presentation really isn't for me. It always feel as if she treats any programme she's anchoring as one big in-joke that the viewer's not in on.
Compare to Early Start which seemed from that brief clip to be much more about the news.

Reliable Sources in the new set. There was no State of America this weekend.

First look at one of the other new studios.



https://twitter.com/DavidClinchNews/status/1127998222776119297

I think we'll get our first proper look tonight. One of Erin Burnett's producers said they'd be at Hudson Yards starting tonight, they had a goodbye party at Columbus Circle on Friday.

Not crazy about it. Looks like a cold, industrial version of the old cosy, apartment set. Their desks keep getting worse, just glass floating around. Also what's with that staircase in the middle of the shot. WTF

https://twitter.com/GSorensen/status/1128073774379819008

That has Clickspring written all over it. Looks fine, though I'm getting tired of all of these sets that are almost entirely video walls. These big cable and network sets were more interesting when they didn't rely entirely on video displays for scenery.

It's the same exact thing that the BBC discovered with N6 and TC7 – sure, you can build a set of nothing but video walls, but does that mean you should?

I like it. Clearly this is what the channel needs. Im sick of sets using fake brick. The feels big and expansive and spacious and modern.Clearly the set will having multiple broadcasting points and the staircase it use for visual interest and many American and Canadian sets have used staircases so its nothing unusual at all. As seen on CNN Tonight the desk is moved around with the CNN logo behind the presenter. The CNN logo seems to hang from the railing that leads to elevated position. The staircase leads to workstation balcony which in the pic above would be behind and above the cameras.


In fact their brick set had a spiral staircase. This set is clearly something the Newsroom set lacks. And those video walls look great and if you have nothing interesting to show or you continually show the same images over and over on the videowalls then of course they are boring and uninteresting. But they are massively versatile and allows for a quick turnaround.
IMO Anything is better than those awful fake empty newsroom/ empty conference room/ empty galley images. Looks like the broadcast is happening during a fire drill or a zombie apocalypse.
Unfortunately the set wasnt showcased very well on OutFront programme so far. And they used it exactly how I thought they would. A couple of sweeping shots in and out of the show, but so far during Outfront its just tight shots of talking heads in boxes. Fairly boring. CNN Tonight did a much better job. Without going too OTT.

Sorenson Twitter



Its a true 360 degree set

I think video wall sets can look good if you vary it up. I’m thinking like the different depths used in NBC’s 3C or sizes combined together at ESPN.

Quest will be in the new studio from next week. I hope it's not the one above.

Who's the anchor and who the guest here?

I think video wall sets can work, but they don't when the set is just badly designed; in this case, the giant blank expanse behind the giant CNN logo and pointless stairs just look strange.

Sorry folks, the bricks are staying and look to be a permanent feature of the set.