The Newsroom

ITV News

Widescreen - Sat 1st Dec (December 2005)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
FA
fanoftv
Brekkie posted:
ashley b posted:
I won't go on about the way the 'reflection' doesn't line up, that's something you'd only really notice if you were over analysing things *ahem*.

LOL - thanks for the image though, IMO that proves my point, just as in yours it proves your point. But hey, if a crowded red desk in front of a bay window is your thing, then so be it!

I think the general consensus from both fans and critics is the desk and platform lets the whole thing down - and I think it's time it was replaced.

However I think the election set shows potential for how they could revamp the rest of the ITV News output by making better use of the studio - basically replace the Whitehouse on the LHS with a view of the newsroom and then use the RHS as the "screen". As said then add a news desk, and then as the platform I'd have a clock face as ITV used to use in their CSO reports from the second studio.

News at Ten should keep it's own look, but be the inspiration for revamping the other bulletins by using the graphical elements of it (such as the stings) as the starting point for the revamp.


I think the main problem with using the atrium is the shape that they've had to design it to, and the fact that it's washed in blue.
I've wondered if it would be possible to create the illusion of the flat studio wall showing the atrium and then have the curved wall appear to be glass much like on News At Ten and the Election coverage.

The other idea was if they could create something similar to the old old rounded liquid news set, so add thicker white (as though they were lit up) boarders, and create a thinner wall that could display part of the newsroom or just for graphics. The idea to create a digital set, rather than to just have a wall, even go crazy and fake a full perspex floor underlit in a way that the original walkway was.

Saying that, a simpler option would be to use graphics only and have the pictures of the story across the whole wall.
Or even if they stick with the curved wall, how about creating a closer shot, and use the rounded part of the newsroom that features in the lunchtime news preview. When I saw them present the preview from there for the first time, part of me wanted the virtual studio to be broken so that they would have to present from there, obviously they didn't, and it was just for the preview.

Final point, but is it just me who finds the studio smaller, especially when looking back at old clips of the 2004 squares look to the studio? Maybe it was just the overhead shot back then. Though surely a view of something on the wall should add depth rather than bring it in?
NI
Nicky
fanoftv posted:
Final point, but is it just me who finds the studio smaller, especially when looking back at old clips of the 2004 squares look to the studio? Maybe it was just the overhead shot back then. Though surely a view of something on the wall should add depth rather than bring it in?


When ITV News revamped in 2006 the overhead shot remained, and at the time it looked absolutely lovely; as if you could walk off the set and fall into the ITN lobby! They seemed to have ditched this angle though when they washed the atrium view blue and yellow. A pity as it was a fabulous view, they just stick to the same angles all the while now.

I think ITV News needs a overhaul in general (I won't mention theme music as it's a subject I've pondered about too many times in this thread); the teal-coloured graphics need to be dyed blue to match the studio and the astons. It's all a bit disjointed at the moment. I'd replace the floor, like many have also said, by getting rid of the fake walkway - perhaps a News at Ten-style shiny floor. As for the atrium view - does anyone remember (or better still, have caps) of the 'Election 2005' studio? The atrium looked superb there - the colours were great and the newsrooms carried on into the distance, further than the view currently on show now. Something like this, with a light blue colour being washed over it would be really great. Alternatively design the studio around Big Ben; the roman numerals which are currently on the curved screen ('outlining' the studio) could be brought forward and 'into' the studio. Or they could indeed transform the floor into a clockface or something (I'm sure someone else has said that??)

As for the desk, why not go back in time? I'd love to see an 'updated' version of this desk, maybe changing the grey section into glass or something similar.
FA
fanoftv
BBCNicky posted:
fanoftv posted:
Final point, but is it just me who finds the studio smaller, especially when looking back at old clips of the 2004 squares look to the studio? Maybe it was just the overhead shot back then. Though surely a view of something on the wall should add depth rather than bring it in?


When ITV News revamped in 2006 the overhead shot remained, and at the time it looked absolutely lovely; as if you could walk off the set and fall into the ITN lobby! They seemed to have ditched this angle though when they washed the atrium view blue and yellow. A pity as it was a fabulous view, they just stick to the same angles all the while now.

I think ITV News needs a overhaul in general (I won't mention theme music as it's a subject I've pondered about too many times in this thread); the teal-coloured graphics need to be dyed blue to match the studio and the astons. It's all a bit disjointed at the moment. I'd replace the floor, like many have also said, by getting rid of the fake walkway - perhaps a News at Ten-style shiny floor. As for the atrium view - does anyone remember (or better still, have caps) of the 'Election 2005' studio? The atrium looked superb there - the colours were great and the newsrooms carried on into the distance, further than the view currently on show now. Something like this, with a light blue colour being washed over it would be really great. Alternatively design the studio around Big Ben; the roman numerals which are currently on the curved screen ('outlining' the studio) could be brought forward and 'into' the studio. Or they could indeed transform the floor into a clockface or something (I'm sure someone else has said that??)

As for the desk, why not go back in time? I'd love to see an 'updated' version of this desk, maybe changing the grey section into glass or something similar.


I can only find this image from TV-Ark, unfortunately it doesn't show it at a great angle.
But looking at images of ITV News, the set looked great when launched in 2004 with the bright white lit up walkway and desk.

http://hub.tv-ark.org.uk/images/news/ukelections_images/itv05wide_b.jpg
BR
Brekkie
fanoftv posted:
I think the main problem with using the atrium is the shape that they've had to design it to, and the fact that it's washed in blue.

...

Or even if they stick with the curved wall, how about creating a closer shot, and use the rounded part of the newsroom that features in the lunchtime news preview. When I saw them present the preview from there for the first time, part of me wanted the virtual studio to be broken so that they would have to present from there, obviously they didn't, and it was just for the preview.


Any caps of one of those Lunchtime News previews?

Completely agree with the atrium. I've always said if ITV had the BBC's box studio the atrium effect would look so much better - as of course it does on C4 News.

Fingers crossed that the silver lining of all these regions being axed will be a revamp across the board for ITV News considering they'll probably have to tweak the local graphics.
ST
Steve Founding member
Andrew posted:
noggin posted:
Hmm - isn't it about time that ITV/ITN ditched the virtual chroma-key studio concept. However many times they re-design it - it is still false, cold and alienating. It is technically very impressive - keyed reflections in the desk are very neat - but ultimately it doesn't actually work that well at engaging an audience it seems. (And you have to make sure none of your studio guests or presenters wear green - and can't have any bits of your set that are too shiny!)


It still looks better on screen compared with the BBC's 'real' alternative. The average viewer at home probably thinks the BBC News set is just a square version of the ITV News set using the same technology


I agree the BBC studio does look shocking at times - but I still think it looks better on screen than the ITV set. I simply find the lack of depth in the ITV studio doesn't work for me.

It's all personal taste though!
FA
fanoftv
Brekkie posted:
fanoftv posted:
I think the main problem with using the atrium is the shape that they've had to design it to, and the fact that it's washed in blue.

...

Or even if they stick with the curved wall, how about creating a closer shot, and use the rounded part of the newsroom that features in the lunchtime news preview. When I saw them present the preview from there for the first time, part of me wanted the virtual studio to be broken so that they would have to present from there, obviously they didn't, and it was just for the preview.


Any caps of one of those Lunchtime News previews?

Completely agree with the atrium. I've always said if ITV had the BBC's box studio the atrium effect would look so much better - as of course it does on C4 News.

Fingers crossed that the silver lining of all these regions being axed will be a revamp across the board for ITV News considering they'll probably have to tweak the local graphics.


I don't have any caps of it, but they've been doing the preview from there for the past few weeks.
They've redesigned part of the newsroom, and they have desks in a circle with multiple monitors of many channels, looks very nice.
AL
Alex
Brekkie posted:
Any caps of one of those Lunchtime News previews?


http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/lnpreview.jpg

It looks great for the previews but I think the apparent close proximity of the newsroom would be too distracting for that shot to be used in the main bulletin.
FA
fanoftv
Alex posted:
Brekkie posted:
Any caps of one of those Lunchtime News previews?


http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/lnpreview.jpg

It looks great for the previews but I think the apparent close proximity of the newsroom would be too distracting for that shot to be used in the main bulletin.


When I said use that as part of a new design for the newswall, I didn't mean as close as they are when standing in it, I was thinking more of a merger so that a view of that is on one side merged into another part of the newsroom across, as though they are in a large news room rather than at the top of the atrium.

And looking at that election image, it looks as though on the original they created it so that the newsrooms go across the back where they now have the window.
Was part of the election a live feed on the atrium, as I'm sure that they zoomed into it as part of the programme to see Mary Nightingale who was in the atrium.
NI
Nicky
fanoftv posted:
When I said use that as part of a new design for the newswall, I didn't mean as close as they are when standing in it, I was thinking more of a merger so that a view of that is on one side merged into another part of the newsroom across, as though they are in a large news room rather than at the top of the atrium.

And looking at that election image, it looks as though on the original they created it so that the newsrooms go across the back where they now have the window.
Was part of the election a live feed on the atrium, as I'm sure that they zoomed into it as part of the programme to see Mary Nightingale who was in the atrium.


The newsrooms do go back a bit further on that original image, but they do stop if you look closely. It's just another newsroom though instead of a window (the original is more true than the current 'view' to what the ITN atrium actually looks like!)

Yes I'm sure they had some sort of overhead (live) camera over the lobby; in fact on the TV Ark clip you can see via a steadycam Mary walking through the space, it then fades to the studio 'above' the lobby where she's in the same position. I'm not all that tech-savvy but they must have keyed the feed onto the image somehow.

Alex posted:
http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/lnpreview.jpg

It looks great for the previews but I think the apparent close proximity of the newsroom would be too distracting for that shot to be used in the main bulletin.


Incidentally, the Early Evening News and the generic bulletins looked quite alright when they were presented from the newsroom in the early '90s; there was a lengthy space between the presenter/desk and the workspace behind them, though, obviously less distracting than in that cap.
BR
Brekkie
Seems the sort of shot which looks fine for a preview, but not for a bulletin - though I do agree a newsroom backdrop for the non-News at Ten bulletins would probably be better than a skyline.
FA
fanoftv
Brekkie posted:
Seems the sort of shot which looks fine for a preview, but not for a bulletin - though I do agree a newsroom backdrop for the non-News at Ten bulletins would probably be better than a skyline.


The problem with doing a News At Ten style skyline for the daytime bulletins is the fact that where as by Ten it's dark, nothing can change that, where as in the day the light varies due to the weather, the daylight times change through the year, and not a true reflection, a bit like the recorded ITV Local newsrooms.
NI
Nicky
fanoftv posted:
Brekkie posted:
Seems the sort of shot which looks fine for a preview, but not for a bulletin - though I do agree a newsroom backdrop for the non-News at Ten bulletins would probably be better than a skyline.


The problem with doing a News At Ten style skyline for the daytime bulletins is the fact that where as by Ten it's dark, nothing can change that, where as in the day the light varies due to the weather, the daylight times change through the year, and not a true reflection, a bit like the recorded ITV Local newsrooms.


Indeed, you'd probably end up with News at Ten at 6:30pm in the winter months...

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