ITV News

Or just record three Big Breakfast style fly aways either from grays inn road and into the air, or taking the shot from the wall and flying towards the windows. Just something that could be pre recorded and not look as stupid as pre recording end sequences.

How is the current situation anyway? Have they got any camera operators, or are all of the shots set up?

[QUOTE]
Rat wrote:
Those two are simply terrible.

I think that's being a bit unfair to Geraint and James. Geraint, after a slightly shaky start, has developed into really solid performer in the studio. Agreed, he could do with looking a bit older, but that tends to come with time! And whatever one may think of James's on screen personality (I don't mind it), I don't see how you can say he lacks authority or gravitas. The guy's been a top correspondent for it seems like forever - wasn't he in Washington for ages? More than most presenters he seems to know what he's talking about.

Back in 99 when the Evening News was first introduced they used to show pictures of todays top stories at the end why not do something like that again on every bulletin, either that or a pan of the skyline in London

Couldnt They just do a Old News At Ten Style ending where the presenter is viewed in a small box with their name in it? Why can the ending just be from Static??

True, that would make quite a nice shot, set up a camera at the side of the desk in the corner of the studio, and dim the lights as they walk back to the desk.

How about a CGI close where the "camera" twists behind the set into the atrium, and it looks like a glass wall or something. I'll try to mock it up later.

Sounds like it could look good, but it would be tricky to produce.

It's hard for me to produce myself, but I mirrored this image and it sorta gives an idea on how it would start out:
The presenter says their closing lines or something.
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/0410230015_15.jpg

The camera would seem to enter the atrium, panning around the artium, then finally revealing the back of the studio once it reaches the other side of the atrium. It would be hard to produce, but would be visulally stunning. Feel free for anyone to mock this up.

I don't think that James or Geraint are bad reporters/correspondents, far from it. Geraint's youthful vim is actually quite endearing but he is sloppy (see others' posts passim). I really can't agree with you about James, however. He is mono-tonal in a way that practitioners of Buddhist single-breath meditation can only dream of. Inflection of any sort needs to be dragged out, kicking and screaming, and the upshot of this is that, while for the duration of a two minute piece to camera on a serious issue in a report from DC or wherever, he seems authoritative (and I'm NOT suggesting he doesn't know his onions, btw), over the course of a whole bulletin you get a vocal and facial performance which seems as laboured as dragging a dead body through molasses.

Blimey...

I have to agree with you, Rat. Both Mates and Vincent are capable reporters, but they are disastrous as presenters. Mates does not have enough onscreen charisma and enthusiasm while Vincent looks physically awkward, with strange hand gestures and he constantly sways his body while reading the autocue. He also tries to adlib from time to time and nearly always fluffs what he's supposed to say.

Ideally, I would rather they use Steve Scott or Bill Neely more often as relief male presenters instead of Mates/Vincent. It's a shame that Nicholas Owen left for the BBC, as he's left a rather large hole in the presenting team. That's also compounded by Trevor McDonald and John Suchet retiring. In any case, Alastair Stewart should definitely get the 10.30, reducing Mark Austin to just the Evening News. I also think the Lunchtime News should go back to one presenter, with Katie Derham at the helm.

I totally agree with all of that, as I'm many others would as well, with Nina as female relief, and Steve as male relief. Geraint, IMO is quite a good presenter, but as others have said, he looks quite uncomfortable, as if he has something wedged in an awkward place.