the great big BBC News studio shuffle

Thanks for that noggin. The lino must be pretty robust with the weight of the cameras, even if it's usually only one that tracks. Even heavy use of swivel chairs in offices can wear down lino - from experience

Here's the BBC News Newsnight set story from the day of launch

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38095000/jpg/_38095132_3setwide300.jpg

That suspended unit was inspired, it adds such drama. So simple but hugely effective.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/2063155.stm

Depends how you light the set. If you use gels then you need to take the lamps down and change them, if you use LED lighting you just change the combinations of LEDs that you illuminate. The Newsnight set uses both - you can see the LED chroma units inset into the circular set as uplighters - and they are, presumably, also used within the light boxes to give the cycling blue/magenta background. However the lighting on the floor is likely to be gelled lamps, as LEDs wouldn't be bright enough to generate that amount of light.

No idea what ITV use - I noticed that Look North in Leeds and Hull were using chroma panels (also LED based) to allow for panels of different colour behind their presenters. These are often a bit dim though - as they use thin strips of LEDs around the edges, whereas chroma hearts and chroma pars use a lot more.

If you look at how the One, Six and Ten is shot you'll see that many of the cameras are actually operating on the wooden area of the floor - certainly all the upstage cameras have to be to get the shots they do. If you only partially covered the floor with lino you'd either have a step up (which murphy's law says you'd want a camera half way across) or you'd have to cover the rest of the floor with something of the same height. Easier just to do the whole floor. I think the lino was quite rigid stuff- not the soft stuff - as other wise the cameras would have sunk into it, making tracking a nightmare.



And very big.

And I note a grey painted floor...

Nice bright lighting for Anna! Other than that, no major difference at all.

I think it actually looks better with the brighter lighting.

Is that it? Is that what we were waiting for? Please tell me there will be some other change soon.

So, this is in the other studio now ? Not the current one thats getting a new set built inside it?

Yes, the lights will get so bright that in June 2006, she will turn into Sophie Raworth.

It looks more like she's turning into Mother Theresa - those bright lights do nothing for her wrinkles.

I'm sure if it was anyone else, it would look better. To be honest, I doubt anyone else would notice the difference - to me it actually looks like a CSO (but it's obv. not) what with the bright presenter lighting and all - but I commend the setting people for managing to get the projectors and the set moved so quickly!

oh yes, that lighting is far superior. I presume Newsnight will be the only *interesting* studio we get as the rest of them will essentially look the same (bar the better lights) until we see the new sets.