Election 2005 -Pre-Election discussion here

Firstly, I don't know about Sky, but ITV certainly didn't use VR as their main set in either 1997 or 2001. And If you mean that the BBC will "outdo" Sky and ITV specifically because the BBC won't be using VR, I wouldn't be so sure. I understand that the Beeb will be using a lot of VR this election. The BBC may well fair better in the ratings on election night, but I'm sure the vast majority of viewers won't be choosing which channel to watch based on who has VR and who doesn't.

Sorry - blame that on confusing punctuation, and perhaps a slight over-reaction on your part. Not sure where I said anything about ratings on election night and it being remotely linked to the presentation of the channels.

I meant "we now know what ITV are doing"... "and I am assuming Sky will do VR again, as they have in 97/01", not "we know know that ITV and Sky will do VR as they both did in 97/01.

Didn't mean the Beeb would outdo because they wouldn't use VR, just that in 2001 Sky's was a pretty weird looking job, and ITV's was pretty uninspiring being stuck in the atrium and with minimal movement, the giant that was the Beeb's set looked more impressive than either of them.

But then, with all these cuts, VR would make sense. A lot cheaper to create the image of a big studio than create one for real.

If they're worried about technical problems, the least logical thing would be to launch it on election night and potentially stare disaster in the face if it goes tits-up. They have a tradition of fairly quiet launches, so I think there'll be more caution than celebration. Would be absolutely amazed if they went for election night to launch the studio.

The studio in 97 was virtual, or at least in part... I'm sure of it. The background and floor was a virtual style affair and there were flying graphics; Martin Stanford had his virtual maps and stuff.

Ah, I understand your punctuation now! I don't think I over-reacted, I just replied to what I thought you meant - my apologies. I simply assumed when you said "outdo" you were referring to viewing figures. I guess you just meant a subjective assessment of how it will look! As for your last comment, it certainly is cheaper to create a big set in a small (ish) box of electronics - but I find it can often still lack believeability.

Glad we've cleared that up!

Did just mean my personal assessment of the studios.

Out of interest, where was the Beeb studio of 2001? I seem to remember it having a shot of the news centre in the background but couldn't quite work out how.

Haven't Sky gone and bought themselves some new graphics kit for the election?

It was in TC1, the biggest TVC studio. I think the Beeb election night programmes have been coming out of TC1 since at least 1970.

Probably the same this year, except the set may not be as big as it looked in 2001, if they go for a simular VR setup to the Local/Euro elections last year; a lot of studio space might be needed for that.

Don't they have some of the election team gathered behind the main set to make it look like a newsroom - a la Sky News. Surely using a real set can work out far easier and cheaper than a VR set for a long, long programme? Am not well versed in the technicalities, but to be able to put a real shot to air rather than tinkering with chromakeys and layers etc must be a plus?! Or am I being naive!

The images on the TV Room (http://thetvroom.com/p-bbc-one-net-news-elect-2001-a.shtml) make it look like the news centre, or at least some fairly large thingy, is behind the desk and below the upper level.

Either way, was a very nice set, if a bit 'daytime' esq.

I reckon producing a computer image of part of the set is vastly cheaper than producing the thing itself - cuts out labour costs of building it and putting it together, reduces lighting costs, production costs, etc. I'm sure it would be cheaper to do an entirely virtual set and operate the computers all night than spend a fortune designing and building a real one... that's why Sky do it, because it's cheap.

The studio itself wasn't virtual - the only virtual part was Martin Stanford's 'cyberset', which was in another studio.

The main studio had 2 areas. There was the presenter area where Laurie Mayer and Kay Burley stood behind a round desk with a small videowall behind them. The other, larger, area had a ?-shaped desk with the Houses of Parliament as the background. This is where Adam Boulton was based with a changing panel of guests.

I have a feeling it was actually a shot of the election studio itself, from another angle.

I vaguely remember seeing the actual presentation desk in the shot behind Dimbleby!

EDIT: Yes - that's right. If you look at this shot, the desk that Dimbleby's sitting at is in the top-left of the projected image (a small white line).

http://thetvroom.com/images-bbc-one-news/election/election-2001/main-c.jpg

Pic from The TV Room.

I, I suppose you're right as ever sir... Just me being simplistic!

Who knows what we'll see from the cost-cutting BBC - election night live from the News 24 set...!?

I stand corrected, then!

I really hope Sky don't try to stay in Studio 2 for election night and do things from there with newswall/floor maps, etc. That'll look crummy.

Hopefully they'll go for one of ORAD's cybersets again... only with a bit more depth than 2001's.