Look East

(Previous thread has got archived)
Just thought I'd mention that on Friday Look East got a new title sequence. I don't know if anyone captured it though in they showed how they made the new titles.

I take it that the new titles featured stuff from around the whole region, rather than being Forum-centric?

If so, then good! About bloody time, IMHO! I never liked the idea of a regional news programme having a title sequence based purely on the studio building they're in.

Just watched bits of a bulletin via bbc.co.uk

New titles are very nice.

I'm always amazed at how few placenames are marked on the weathermap. Most regions have plenty of placenames marked, to give you a good sense of the shape of the region.

I wonder why Look East don't? Is it because the overlaps with neighbouring regions make the non-coast borders of the region debatable? But that would be a poor excuse - considering that all neighbouring BBC regions have much more placename-intensive weathermaps, regardless of any hefty overlaps that there might be with Look East.

Maybe they think viewers know where places are. They also don't use the same places every day. They often have a theme connecting the places appear. When they have run the A-Z of the region feature the places are selected using that days letter.

From watching last night's 10:25pm (ish) bulletin it looks like they've finally axed the old Cambridge (opt-out) title sequence. The titles had been running from before the forum set when it used to be used in the evening bulletin for the opt-out also, though now they only use the 'breakfast sting' as an intro.

For anyone who missed it I've captured the new title sequence...
http://ikonforums.com/junkyard/LookEast.flv

Last time I bothered to check (at least a few weeks back) I'm sure that the Cambridge set still had the 1999-style desk!

It's about time that the Cambridge set looked more like its Norwich counterpart, so that the programme looks less disjointed for "west" viewers. Here's what I'd like to see:

The secondary brand (i.e. "Close Up") should be dropped. It must seem very odd and pointless to "east" viewers, as it signifies nothing more than the "news round-up" segment of the programme, rather than an opt-out or anything. The "west" opt should take a leaf out of South Today (Oxford)'s book, and go for this:

[ B ] [ B ] [ C ] Cambridge
Look East

The outdoor backdrop for the Cambridge opt (is it King's College or something?) is also at odds with the indoor backdrop of the main Norwich set.

The Cambridge back-projector could also show the Forum view, for continuity. (Yes, I know The Forum's in Norwich. But as it's the inside of a building it doesn't scream "Norwich" at you to look at - it looks like it could be anywhere. And the computer jiggery poker to add BBC-red-and-white to the Forum view means it now doesn't even look much like a real view anyway. It's almost like a CGI virtual newsroom).

If the sub-opt wants to maintain at least some "west" identity, they again could take their inspiration from BBC Oxford by having a static "cardboard" picture of Cambridge stretching away down one side of the set wall.

And a miniature clone of Norwich's "Tefal thermospot" desk, of course.

EDIT: Just watched last night 6:30 show via the BBC Cambridge website. The sub-opt bit seemed to have a single locked-off front shot throughout, and no visible desk in bottom of shot. I live in hope that this maybe means that the Cambridge set is finally getting updated, and that this week's sub-opts are in a CSO cupboard?

The original reason that Cambridge wasn't updated is probably due to the fact that Cambridge was a stop gap until Milton Keynes was completed. The studios at Cambridge, the BBC have admitted are not designed for television, and the studio itself is tiny. It's not unusual for a one camera shot. I think it depends on the content.

I definitely don't agree with the idea of Cambridge using the Forum as a back drop. I think the viewers in the West realise its a separate segment and aren't concerned with it looking slightly different.

The one thing they could consider is changing the opt to the beginning of the programme and both editions leading with different stories, or at least having more flexibility; so where the two areas have different priorities they lead with them, and where they have a clear region wide headline they run with that.

I would also like to see the Friday edition. be separated. They did try this once or twice but they said that there isn't additional funding for this. It would certainly allow for improved sports coverage. As someone pointed out the other day, when were Bedford Blues ever mentioned.

Jesus! just watched that clip. How small is Amelia's Heid? or is his massive?

Well now that the BBC have cancelled all further regional expansion - that surely means Milton Keynes is off - and Cambridge is here to stay...

I doubt we'll see many changes for a little while.

I think I remember the BBC confirming Milton Keynes was cancelled. I have a feeling someone mentioned that BBC Radio Cambridgeshire were looking for a new site, it maybe that when this happens they try to find a site that is more suitable for the television service than the present setup.

MK has been confirmed as being scrapped as part of the cuts. The BBC had identified a preferred site apparently but hadn't gone any further than that. So for the time being Oxford and Cambridge are set to continue their sub-opt relationships with Southampton and Norwich respectively.

Cambridge do still have the 1999 oval wood/smoked glass desk, cream set, 'window on the world' and plasma screen. True you don't often see the desk & plasma in shot. I've no idea why, but it's not a terribly good shot as it's at a pretty oblique angle to the set.