RTÉ News

That has to be the best post I've ever seen in TVF, never mind this thread! Now why didn't you post those pictures before!! I'm quite surprised actually at how small Studio 3 seems to be in those caps but as you said the News on 2 "set" makes it look a bit cramped. The current set seems to be much bigger! Very interesting to see the arrangement of cameras - the very same as we have now! And you can easily see how the motorised one is much higher than the rest as well. I wonder whats the area behind Anthony and all of the cameras? Is it some sort of store room? Could they expand into that if they wanted to?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/Studio31.jpg

You know the promo for RTÉ News with the nice endboard? I don't know why they made the cameras in Studio 3 appear to be creamy-yellow in colour in the promo when the'd have looked much better if they were the same colour as in real-life. Just a thought.

I'd say the lighting rig might be a bit tidier today since they don't have the extra set bit added onto the current set. I really hope they start using a wider shot of the studio at the start of the bulletins like BBC World - I love to be able to see the cameras in shot! I know they'd be copying the BBC yet again but whats wrong with that? Afterall, the BBC is the benchmark that every broadcaster should try to emulate! A shot like this of Studio 3 would look great IMO:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/bbc_world_wide_shot.jpg

PS: any chance you might upload the whole report?

NO NO NO! Cameras should never be in shot in IMO! As much as I love to see them too from a personal interest perspective, it shatters the whole illusion of television, looks untidy and wholly defeats the purpose of creating an image or a 'look' and designing a set. Were that logic to be extended to graphics and VTs then we'd get to see timecodes and station clocks and digital info on our screens. No No No !!!!
In any event, from our nerdy perspective, images like above wouldn't be remotely interesting if we saw them all the time would they? The mystery vanishes!

I'm annoyed at you now Phen for planting the idea in their heads! - it was bad enough TV3 and News 24 going that route, without people on the internet advocating it too! Now RTÉ will go out of their way to try and look 'cutting edge' and show all that sh*te in shot, in spite of the fact that no national bulletins of a major broadcaster ought to do this. Not even in the UK!


So, eh, rant aside, yes sorry it took so long to upload the pics. Just I kept putting it off at the notion of trying to find the tape and then dismantling half the sitting room to get the VCR out and hooked up the computer, but better late then never
I haven't a notion how to record the video Phen never mind upload it - I'd need help there Nothing much of interest visually in it though - an excellent report all the same, beautifully made by Murnane - reflective, analytical, concise, good contributors etc.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/Studio31.jpg


As for the area at the back, very simply it is the wall of the studio, clad in soundproofing panels - there is nothing there! Indeed those panels don't seem to have been replaced since '61 either! There does seem to be a small dressing table there - is that a mirror in a vanity unit we can see?

It's interesting to reconcile the above image with that of the on-screen image - the wall in between the two illuminated piers appears to be the side wall when in fact it is the back wall of the studio along with the curved wall to the right!

http://thetvroom.com/images-rte-one/rte-one-news/images-01/six-e.jpg
www.thetvroom.com

How things look much bigger today I'd imagine is because the angle has changed - the current set now faces to corridor wall head on, making maximum use of the space available, with all the cameras lined up close to that wall I suspect.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/Chroma4.jpg

The light coloured floor also makes all the difference. When you consider that the robot camera taking the above image is pushed right up against the wall, it's easy to see how small things still are. Look how close it is forced against the desk even.

I'd like to think they could extend to the back and left too - there's only offices either side as far as I know, though there may be a corridor at the back to cause problems. Width is the main problem though - guests have to be pulled away from the set walls.

Ok so ... we'll have to agree to disagree about the cameras in shot! I suppose I can see your point. I think I just get carried away with anything that's done by the |B|B|C|. I automatically think that RTÉ should do the same!

RE the area behind Anthony - I think that is indeed a vanity unit there but I could have sworn it was a doorway way off in the distance! Thats what made me think it was a separate room altogether!

RE the size of the Studio now - if they had used a smaller desk the camera wouldn't look like as if its actually sitting on top of the desk with no pedestal at all! But really - there's no need for such a big desk. It takes up a huge amount of space and then - as you say - the guests are shoved up against the wall. The 2000-era one was just the right size.

RE capturing video - can you not record video with your TV card? I know its a lot of hassle hauling the VCR into the computer - I have to do the same! But what I usually do is record the video then import it into Movie Maker and you can easily shrink it down to a manageable size like 1MB or whatever. Thats what I did with the special ident they had a few weeks ago.

RE 6.01 today - I didn't see any cock-ups today (but the studio will probably catch fire tomorrow to make up for it) but there was a very bad cringe-worthy moment when handing over to the sports. Tony Connolly was wearing jeans with his suit and its bad enough when you can see a little bit but with that shot you can see everything and it looked diabolical to say the least. I was very surprised at him. And this thing of doing live football draws on the 6.01 is ridiculous. Its not a bloody sports programme! Why do they devote 10 whole minutes to a relatively unimportant item? Whats wrong with just reading out the results of the draw afterwards and only taking up about a minute?

Anyway ... what would ye all like to see happen in September studio and graphics-wise? I've already said I'd like a cross between |B|B|C| World and $ky News. If you were the designer, what would you do? IE: colours, projection/plasma, standy-uppy news or sitty downy news? etc.

heheh - I guess you weren't watching Nine tonight then Phen: the satellite link went down to Washington. Watch the farce unfold here at 2.47:

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2153295.smil

'Video Alarm Detected' comes up, with 'User ID' and a series of digits after it.

Why oh why must RTÉ continue to suffer these breaks in satellite?! They have more breakdowns with links than any other broadcaster I know - it's a joke. Yes it happens rarely, but still way more often than other broadcasters. Why so? Is it their service provider or technicians at Montrose or plain bad luck? Even links to Dublin city centre go down the odd time! - nothing short of unheard of in UK broadcasting and their use of regional sat links.

And as for Anne - she's like a feckin robot in how she deals with the matter! As always!
At least she always keeps a very professional veneer to her credit and always manages to produce a concrete, unflappable apology - no dithering with her. Note she's listening to the director as she glides in the chair

The cut by vision mixer to a wide was an interesting choice, as they couldn't stay with Robert but equally Anne wasn't ready in shot. The ideal situation would have been for Anne to immediately address the angled camera she was facing and apologise, and then cut and turn simultaneously to the standard mid-shot for the next story - suppose the director told her to address the principal camera hence the awkward delay.
Excellent the way she said 'we may' be able to return, without making any promise. Very professional Anne!

Which is more than can be said for the return to the link later at 21.15 - just watch the full minute or so of it and watch how utterly contrived and pointless the whole thing is, both Anne and Robert. Shortt is one of the worst reporters RTÉ has - for him to be in Washington is an embarrassment. Even look how nervous he is, and the lack of information we get out of him. I’ve nothing against sat links if there’s something to be gleaned from them, but this is just a ridiculous distraction , used for the sake of it.
There were no less than three sat links in this bulletin – watch Tommie Gorman’s equally ridiculous (if better presented) link at 19.04. Utterly pointless distraction.

Only Richard Crowley provided a decent link at 8.17. Only his lack of use of hands, as if they’re tied behind his back! He’s an excellent reporter but is always let down by the most appalling feed from the Middle East. What the heck is with the service that RTÉ uses that such abominable sound quality permeates every report the poor man sends home?! Listen to his report just before the link – this has been like this for years with RTÉ and the Middle East. It’s a disgrace it hasn’t been sorted – I’d be furious if him at the sh*te that RTÉ turns his reports into.

I’ll have a go at the video Phen – or rather get someone else to have a go
Not sure the video recording element works on this card – that’s the problem.
Will reply to future news proposals later!

Teilifis, you posted this pic in the previous page:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/Camera1.jpg

Would I be right in assuming this is Emma O'Kelly, the gorgeous Education correspondant?? Don't remember her presenting news but the outfit, height contrast with the screen, notes and body language from that photo alone scream on-screen appeal to me and a couple of guys and gals at the office here who've seen it.

The pics of Anto Murnane and his walkabout tour are pretty cool. The TV Room links for the VTs from 1999 are brilliant also. I noticed that the website address was given with it's full 'http://' prefix also - in 1999! Today on NewsOnTwo we have this rotten newsontwo@rte.ie thing that appears (since TV3 offered the 'text us a story' routine).

I cannot believe that I missed that era in televisual delight. Contrary to what others say, the portal looks cool in the 1999 opening - and the wire-frame buildup of the 'news' bit looks very well, even if the 9.00 bit looks a bit old-fashioned. The music was brilliant to and I love the contrast between the green of the opening titles and the blue astons and graphics in the News room.

The virtual Newsroom is something I remember with a hatred that ran deeper than the one i have for Dobbo. Absolutely yuk. TBH, ITV is the only one that can competently use the virtual newsroom anymore, and i'm glad most networks have gotten rid of it.

Ta again Teilifís, excellent as always!

It's interesting how most people forget this scheme - suppose it was a rather low key look, and blue by its very nature is a fairly neutral colour.
It also only lasted 2 1/4 years - that above all is probably the reason for the forgetfulness! It had to make way for the 2000 'Millenium Scheme'

That is indeed Emma O'Kelly diarmy. No she's never read the news before - this was only a stand-up act for part of a report she made. Agreed she could make for an excellent newsreader - she's got the most marvellous diction, whilst also being conversational, and of course the journalistic clout behind her. Most definitely a contender! - the only disadvantage being her loss from the Corr and reporter ranks - she's desperately needed in there for the time being!


As for any new look, assuming they're using the existing Studio 3, some points:

Set
I think things need be 'opened up' a bit with something that gives us a window to the outside world. Even the monitor banks in the 1997 scheme did this to a degree, or the use of a CG backdrop. A view of Dublin would be most controversial, but considering that everyone knows RTÉ are based in Dublin, I really don't see the problem. It's not as if the current sheets of blue perspex are representative of people in Donegal or West Cork! As such a view of the city could really liven things up - it would have to be a nice one though, no O'Connell Bridge House as per old Ireland AM thanks very much!

Green also ought to be the dominant colour – to the extent that I’d ditch blue altogether. Shock!, I know , but green can stand up on its own, as has been proved by ITV. Theirs is very washed out and ‘minty’ – a more solid green would be in order for RTÉ, complimented by all means with other shades, and crisp white of course in graphics.

It's important that they get the balance right between 'old and new' - new being clinical ITV, old being say RTÉ 1997 packed with traditional furnishings etc.
It is possible to use traditional materials and themes in a very contemporary way, as was proved with BBC 1999. If this could be achieved with RTÉ, even a little more up to date, that would be superb. Indeed one thing the BBC failed to capitalise on with that set was the possibility of a muted spotlit Ten, something RTÉ must do for Nine. I've only just realised that they tried to do this with the 2000 look by turning off the illuminated piers in studio for the Nine - that's why they did it! Alas I don't think it worked as they just looked too dull switched off!

Back-lit Perspex is of course massive nowadays and is very effective in looking professional very cheaply, but too much use of it can lack identity which I think News 24 suffers from to a degree, as does ITV. Too wishy washy and lacking in distinctive lines and an overall definitive form. If a more solid set could be concocted by RTÉ, but making use of illuminated panels as inserts rather than the dominant theme, this would be a more acceptable solution.

Graphics
Clean, crisp, white outlines, mid-dark green as a theme colour, the RTÉ or RTÉ News graphic is essential on astons, astons must be the same size regardless of holding text, less intrusive DOG as per the better one of the 2000 era, better and greater use of graphics in reports, better geographical graphics, and more use of global ones to use as LVO screens over newsreader intros to foreign reports. Keep picture windows, and on-screen, not keyed in behind newsreaders. Lots of other things…..

Format
Nine should stay where it is of course, and doing pretty much as it does already. No stand-up. More investigative/analytical reporting is needed for Nine, and indeed a greater amount of time given to report duration, especially in Part Two.
Six One has a lot of variety at present and generally works very well, with sat links, in-studio interview, regional news, sport news, and financial news. The return of the Close-Up report is desperately needed, and more substance added to regional news wouldn’t go amiss either. Not sure anything else is needed – if it’s not broken…
And in saying what RTÉ ought to do, it’s important to highlight what they ought not to do – namely turn Six One into the charade that is BBC Six! If they so much as dare dumb things down…..!
Not pushed either way on a stand-up – though generally against it. Perhaps a stand-up halfway through, though anything like this will only come across as a gimmick in mimicking the BBC…

One is quite good, just needs more subtance in reports, and maybe a slight extension overall. A greater business focus is desirable too.

News on Two needs to be extended, and I'd include a Newsnight/Sky-type roundup of the newspapers. It'd be great to have a more relaxed tone like this.
It'd be a bonus also to have a regular 11.00 or 11.30 pm slot, but the films of RTÉ Two really throws this about.

I'd echo much of what you said there Telefís. I like your thinking about green graphics. Whereas the current package is about 70% blue and 30% green, I'd like to have the new graphics set 30% blue and 70% green. However, I wouldn't ditch the blue completely...its a very safe colour and ties in nicely with the RTÉ brand. I'm trying to imagine how they'd incorporate a Dublin skyline into the set...all I can think of is a big newswall on the back wall of the set...how else would they do it?

I'd also like to see a more structured bulletin on RTÉ Two. However I'd keep it as formal as bulletins on RTÉ One though in part one but the second part would be more relaxed with a good look at the papers etc like you say. But none of this shirt and jeans business and rough-looking presenters. Suits all the way!

And finally - do you think that anybody at RTÉ actually reads this thread on TVF? People have reported seeing TVF on computer screens behind the BBC News sets! But more importantly, if they did read TVF, would they pay attention to what we say? I DONT THINK SO!

EDIT: Now we can say the revamp will happen the month after next!

I remember hearing that RTÉ were interested in setting up an international television service with a particular emphasis on the UK so I was just experimenting with the idea of a channel called RTÉ International. Here are some 'caps' of some idents. The idents would be very simple. They are of famous Irish scenes and would be in slightly fast-motion and the camera would slowly pan aronud the scene. I know they're nothing special but since I had them I said I might as well post them up!

Dublin's Skyline:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/slide3.jpg

The Ha'penny Bridge:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/slide1.jpg

The Cliffs of Moher:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/slide2.jpg

The Giant's Causeway:
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/slide4.jpg

Cool idents Phen - very nice indeed
The shaded area is nice and fresh, as is the font used. And by their nature, it's a format that can be continuously added to with new images. Perhaps the scenic theme has got a bit tired on the national front after six years, but certainly something worthy of keeping on on an international basis - and in any event, those abroad won't have seen the older idents anyway!
I'd like to think a stable RTÉ station could be set up internationally - Tara got off to a rocky start, but that was also pre-digital. Times have changed a lot since.


Could not agree more about News on Two - it must be an equally formal affair to RTÉ One. In times of ever-increasing competition and fragmenting audiences, the RTÉ News brand must be maintained across the two principal channels. If nothing else, this bulletin is about the only regular programme on RTÉ Two that links the channels together, and it to the station as a whole!

I was just thinking there, what could be very effective both from a branding perspective as well as in RTÉ providing an all-day news service in the absence of a dedicated news channel, is to turn News on Two into a fully-fledged half-hour bulletin, complete with a distinctive dual-presenter set-up, i.e. Anthony Murnane and Sharon Ní Bheoláin, every week night. It would essentially be a shortened version of Six One (the same in length as a weekend Six One), but more reflective on the day's events by including a newspaper round-up and/or an in-studio interview, and a short sports results section. Weather could also be incorporated into the bulletin, either via in-studio presentation, or a direct link to the weather studio.

The overall idea being to create a professional late evening news production worthy of a national broadcaster, with the aim of rounding up and reflecting on the day's events, and looking forward to the following day. It's also a format that's perfectly fitted to RTÉ Two - tight and concise, the conversational elements more appealing to that channel's 15-34 target audience, and as a bulletin that serves the needs of RTÉ Two by providing a news service late in the evening after all the stcoms and audience-pulling international dramas have finished - as well as contrasting well with RTÉ One which still has relatively prime programming running up to 11.30 or so. Indeed that is a factor that is rarely considered by people, especially critics of RTÉ's acquired programming output – the fact that a lot of effort is usually made in ensuring that a broad-ranging service is offered at any one time across the two stations, so even if populist foreign drama is on RTÉ Two, there’s usually home-grown material on RTÉ One.

So in this way, providing a decent news service on RTÉ Two, they’re going at least some way in redressing this balance by putting home-produced news/current affairs content on RTÉ Two at a time when it is needed. Giving News on Two some decent production values, a regular format, strong material instead of the scrappy rubbish we get at the minute, and decent presenting talent doing more than acting as robots, would do wonders for the image of RTÉ News.

To give it a regular 11.00 or 11.30pm slot, even alternating if necessary, would be wonderful, only for the small matter of TV3 News Tonight…
Then again, this bulletin constantly varies in time, they don’t seem to have one at all on Wednesdays, and RTÉ generally beats TV3 hands down anyway! Especially if News On two was made as engaging as we would hope it to be.

As if by odd co-incidence, I came up with a mock too of a graphic system RTE might use, taking on board Teilifis's comments about green and Phen's comments on blue retention. It's basic but I think it has to be basic and informational - taking into account the elderly audience of RTE news (a lot of young people i know never watch the news).

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/rtegreen.gif

A rather presumptious storyline but hey, we can always dream. The addition of a clock on-screen I think is essential in helping the audience see what stage the news is at. RTE makes no use of a clock when all the major international networks do. A simple ticker / pop-up scroller at the bottom would allow people quickly glance at news stories coming up. The inclusion of the RTE logo in it's official colours keeps everything on-screen linked to the RTE colour scheme and also offers better branding for transferred clips to other networks.

I just think it's best keep it simple. RTE will undoubtedly retain the current gallery staff after the RedBee overhaul so simplicity is key to saving on the cringeworthy f**kups.

One more point, News On Two should be made more topical and reflective. I've noticed the editing and direction on it lately has been fantastic and Anto Murnane is a class act in the hotseat. David McCullogh's stand-up piece on the Red C poll last night along with the plasma-screen graphics far outshone the rubbishy tat that shows up on Six One. More of that please!

diarmy

So refreshing, Diarmy! I love that colour scheme. As for the headlines, we can only dream...

Just to make my point over how age ravages a person's looks (with the argument about Una O'Hagan earlier), I would like to show you these photos

This photo is from 1996, on the opening night of TG4 (then TnaG)
http://thetvroom.com/images-tnag-news/images-1996/main-7.jpg
www.thetvroom.com

This photo is from 2004, on BBC News 24

http://www.geocities.com/currentbunsuk4/Gillian_Ni_Cheallaigh__004.jpg
http://www.currentbuns.cjb.net/

The person pictured above is Gillian Ni Chealligh (sp?), and look at the wild difference in her looks from 1996 to 2004?