DI
Interesting as ever Teilifís. Great insight into the place.
Have you or anyone else got a hi-res video of the 1999 SMIL link you posted? It's coming down on 20Kbps (which considering it's from 1999 and still hosted on RTÉ's servers is amazing) and I barely remember that format and set. It looked fab... and now I can finally see your point about the massive regressive step they took in doing in that set and "building" this one (despite my fondness for the colour scheme outside of astons and graphics).
anything at all??
d
Have you or anyone else got a hi-res video of the 1999 SMIL link you posted? It's coming down on 20Kbps (which considering it's from 1999 and still hosted on RTÉ's servers is amazing) and I barely remember that format and set. It looked fab... and now I can finally see your point about the massive regressive step they took in doing in that set and "building" this one (despite my fondness for the colour scheme outside of astons and graphics).
anything at all??
d
TE
Yes The TV Room has some higher res clips. Here is a Nine from about 1999. Alas it seems to be a bank holiday bulletin so there's only three headlines and no zoom in the wide shot, which used to make the whole opening sequence. The clip is also a bit dark, but do fill the whole screen when watching to let the graphics be seen in all their glory 
http://thetvroom.com/video-10/AR-BE-RTE1-NEWS-1999-01.rm
There are various other bulletins on the page too:
http://thetvroom.com/p-rte-one-news-1997-b.shtml
Note on this One bulletin those classic wood-effect keyboards
http://thetvroom.com/video-10/AR-BE-RTE1-NEWS-1997-04.rm
Overall a fantastic scheme, the only gripes being the lack of a wider wide shot, the clunky over-scaling of the principal RTÉ News graphic:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/one/titles-1d.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
...and this part of the graphics, that while very impressive when animated, nonetheless looked a bit too techno and childish, like a portal opening up 'to the beyond' in a kid's cartoon
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/generic/titles-1b.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
An impressive package though - everything is so fast and efficient, the cues nice and tight, the studio coming in at the right moment, the wide zoom perfectly blending the graphics into the studio, the nice crisp cut to the newscaster - wonderful! Also note how the title music continues in full blast over the studio wide - it doesn't end before it like we have now, with that silly boring 'dum dum, dum dum, dum dum' bed running underneath. This is one of the worst parts of the current scheme I think - instead of making the wide shot a pleasure to see, you're just waiting for the newsreader to kick in, embarrassed at the awkwardness generated by the length of the wide and lack of catchy music to hold the viewer’s interest.
It’s also hardly surprising RTÉ went for this kind of look in 1997, remembering that was also the year of our last Eurovision, making use of tens upon tens of monitors integrated into the set. This ‘modrin’ theme is carried through to this news scheme with the monitor banks, as is the sultry blue look which again was a hallmark of Eurovision that year and indeed much of the late 1990s. It was also approaching the height of the Celtic Tiger, when RTÉ wanted to be seen to be businessy and professional, with the use of integrated monitors, the corporate timber panelling with embedded metal strips, the uplighters, the increased status of the One bulletin etc. George Lee, RTÉ’s first ever Economics Editor had also just been hired – an exciting time for News.
One strange feature of the set was this moveable panel that used to slide over the panelled wall like this on occasion - haven't the faintest idea why:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/one/main-3.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
http://thetvroom.com/video-10/AR-BE-RTE1-NEWS-1999-01.rm
There are various other bulletins on the page too:
http://thetvroom.com/p-rte-one-news-1997-b.shtml
Note on this One bulletin those classic wood-effect keyboards
http://thetvroom.com/video-10/AR-BE-RTE1-NEWS-1997-04.rm
Overall a fantastic scheme, the only gripes being the lack of a wider wide shot, the clunky over-scaling of the principal RTÉ News graphic:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/one/titles-1d.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
...and this part of the graphics, that while very impressive when animated, nonetheless looked a bit too techno and childish, like a portal opening up 'to the beyond' in a kid's cartoon
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/generic/titles-1b.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
An impressive package though - everything is so fast and efficient, the cues nice and tight, the studio coming in at the right moment, the wide zoom perfectly blending the graphics into the studio, the nice crisp cut to the newscaster - wonderful! Also note how the title music continues in full blast over the studio wide - it doesn't end before it like we have now, with that silly boring 'dum dum, dum dum, dum dum' bed running underneath. This is one of the worst parts of the current scheme I think - instead of making the wide shot a pleasure to see, you're just waiting for the newsreader to kick in, embarrassed at the awkwardness generated by the length of the wide and lack of catchy music to hold the viewer’s interest.
It’s also hardly surprising RTÉ went for this kind of look in 1997, remembering that was also the year of our last Eurovision, making use of tens upon tens of monitors integrated into the set. This ‘modrin’ theme is carried through to this news scheme with the monitor banks, as is the sultry blue look which again was a hallmark of Eurovision that year and indeed much of the late 1990s. It was also approaching the height of the Celtic Tiger, when RTÉ wanted to be seen to be businessy and professional, with the use of integrated monitors, the corporate timber panelling with embedded metal strips, the uplighters, the increased status of the One bulletin etc. George Lee, RTÉ’s first ever Economics Editor had also just been hired – an exciting time for News.
One strange feature of the set was this moveable panel that used to slide over the panelled wall like this on occasion - haven't the faintest idea why:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-1997/one/main-3.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
PH
Ahh...those were the days. The 1997 look was very professional indeed and thats very interesting about the monitors used from the Eurovision 1997 set. But that portal at the start of the titles was a bit naff really!
But my personal favourite has to be the 2000-era. Everything about it was so elegant (with the sole exception of the astons). The set was a great colour with the subtle animations in the background and the blue neon lighting under the desk and walls was just brilliant. The only thing I'd change would be the overly bright wooden desk-top and perhaps a silver surround around the plasma would have looked better. But just look at the set here: it looks fantastic:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/six-e.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
The titles were great too - not too dramatic but not as boring as the current ones:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/images-six-one/titles-1d.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
However the music was dreadful to say the least - well executed but awfully boring. If they had the current music for the titles it'd have been a perfect match.
But what was the deal with the really squashed globe background they always used?:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/six-x.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
I'd love if they brought back the same colour scheme again but varied it with a nice bright studio for the One, a bit darker for the Six One and then a nice dark set for the Nine.
But my personal favourite has to be the 2000-era. Everything about it was so elegant (with the sole exception of the astons). The set was a great colour with the subtle animations in the background and the blue neon lighting under the desk and walls was just brilliant. The only thing I'd change would be the overly bright wooden desk-top and perhaps a silver surround around the plasma would have looked better. But just look at the set here: it looks fantastic:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/six-e.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
The titles were great too - not too dramatic but not as boring as the current ones:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/images-six-one/titles-1d.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
However the music was dreadful to say the least - well executed but awfully boring. If they had the current music for the titles it'd have been a perfect match.
But what was the deal with the really squashed globe background they always used?:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/six-x.jpg
www.thetvroom.com
I'd love if they brought back the same colour scheme again but varied it with a nice bright studio for the One, a bit darker for the Six One and then a nice dark set for the Nine.
TE
Indeed a great scheme, and of course it
always
looked good - changes in lighting were never apparent, and scuff marks or chips and scratches to the desk never in sight. A really hard-wearing set.
That stretched globe was very dodgy alright!
The only flaw though, and a major one I think, is the two shot as mentioned before - incredibly dull and lacking in identity:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/weekend-six-d.jpg
It was a shame, as it let down an otherwise highly professional look. And not forgetting that wonderful vivid blue on One
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/daytime-a.jpg
And just to clarify about Eurovision, the exact monitors weren't recycled (they were supplied by Mitsubishi as I recall, though it's possible!), but rather the theme of monitors was borrowed! It's also something of a cliched early 90s business news ploy that they clearly wanted to replicate
Regarding the studio floor you mentioned earlier Phen, most studio floors are made from a resin that is pumped in in liquid form from a truck outside, a bit like laying new floors with concrete in construction. Because it's liquid, it is of course self-levelling, so you end up with an immaculately smooth and level floor for cameras to move about on. How they dig the stuff up again however I have no idea! In most cases I think it's only renewed every 5 years or so when it gets too bumpy and pock-marked, and in the meantime the floor is just painted every time a new look is required.
There may also be roll-out rubber mats available that Studio 4 appeared to use on occasion...
That stretched globe was very dodgy alright!
The only flaw though, and a major one I think, is the two shot as mentioned before - incredibly dull and lacking in identity:
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/weekend-six-d.jpg
It was a shame, as it let down an otherwise highly professional look. And not forgetting that wonderful vivid blue on One
http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/daytime-a.jpg
And just to clarify about Eurovision, the exact monitors weren't recycled (they were supplied by Mitsubishi as I recall, though it's possible!), but rather the theme of monitors was borrowed! It's also something of a cliched early 90s business news ploy that they clearly wanted to replicate
Regarding the studio floor you mentioned earlier Phen, most studio floors are made from a resin that is pumped in in liquid form from a truck outside, a bit like laying new floors with concrete in construction. Because it's liquid, it is of course self-levelling, so you end up with an immaculately smooth and level floor for cameras to move about on. How they dig the stuff up again however I have no idea! In most cases I think it's only renewed every 5 years or so when it gets too bumpy and pock-marked, and in the meantime the floor is just painted every time a new look is required.
There may also be roll-out rubber mats available that Studio 4 appeared to use on occasion...
SE
Was looking at the tv room, and found this on a monitor!
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/rtetv3.jpg
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/rtetv3.jpg
TE
Hee hee - I remember avidly watching those monitors over the lifetime of that set 
, but don't think I ever came across TV3, as much as it was desirable! It seemed to be mostly foreign stuff that was streamed to them, not just UK material, but also probably EBU content from the Continent. Indeed that seems to be Anna Ford on the new Lambie Nairn set almost above TV3!
, but don't think I ever came across TV3, as much as it was desirable! It seemed to be mostly foreign stuff that was streamed to them, not just UK material, but also probably EBU content from the Continent. Indeed that seems to be Anna Ford on the new Lambie Nairn set almost above TV3!
PH
HA! You wish! Its cheap plastic painted blue and orange with a light shining through it from behind it
.
Hey, whatever works Phen...
Phen posted:
seamus21514 posted:
Projection?
HA! You wish! Its cheap plastic painted blue and orange with a light shining through it from behind it
.
Hey, whatever works Phen...
SE
Didn't see that!
Telefís posted:
Hee hee - I remember avidly watching those monitors over the lifetime of that set , but don't think I ever came across TV3, as much as it was desirable! It seemed to be mostly foreign stuff that was streamed to them, not just UK material, but also probably EBU content from the Continent. Indeed that seems to be Anna Ford on the new Lambie Nairn set almost above TV3!
, but don't think I ever came across TV3, as much as it was desirable! It seemed to be mostly foreign stuff that was streamed to them, not just UK material, but also probably EBU content from the Continent. Indeed that seems to be Anna Ford on the new Lambie Nairn set almost above TV3!
Didn't see that!