RTÉ News

A good point – they do have a habit of changing everything, lock stock and barrel, with every relaunch; very much an indication of the lack of emphasis placed on News presentation down through the years I think. As far as the News Division has always been concerned, presentation is only something to worry about for a couple of weeks every three years – let the poncy designer types in and get it over and done with very much being the attitude. There is no long term approach to it, and goodness knows this also extends to the production of bulletins on a daily basis – pres simply isn’t on the radar with RTÉ News management.

In fairness however, the RTÉ music that has been composed over the years has been very tailored to specific graphics packages and tends not to be transferable, notably 1997 and 1994. The BBC frankly barely even have ‘music’, and can be slapped down over anything, whilst ITV’s dramatic News at Ten was easily remixed and flexible for different visual schemes, as is their current theme.
I do agree that the current RTÉ music is capable of being reused, but still would prefer to make a clean break this time round. The place really does need to be gutted and a new beginning made – never has this been more needed with RTÉ News in recent memory. Better to compose a new set of titles now that will be more flexible in the future that reuse the current ones with all of the tainted baggage they carry . We need to wipe this scheme from collective memory!

Fully agreed about the three different news brands- was thinking that only the other day what mess it is. It’s nothing short of bizarre that the blocky ‘News’ part of their title graphic doesn’t appear anywhere else but the DOG – it isn’t used anywhere! The generic RTÉ News and Current Affairs ‘News’ is much more attractive. Indeed the logo in the titles is embarrassingly crass, and the crude, nasty blue block doesn’t do justice to the elegant backdrop of the rest of the titles.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/xx1.jpg


Breakfast is an excellent example of titles leading into a wide shot pickle - something along those lines is definitely in order for RTÉ, and perhaps with that level of movement too, though slower. It's tricky using tracking shots with news though as it’s difficult to get the movement exactly the same every time - hence most broadcasters use deflating or elevating shots, or a basic zoom as RTÉ did for 1997 - all generated from static pedestals. They could be innovative and go for a fixed railcam - it'd only have to be a metre long or so, nothing MTV-like!
It’s so important to get this part of the presentation right – it really defines the professionalism of a broadcaster.

The screens are certainly up in the air – one wonders if they’ll use a curved one as Phen says. Of course the 13.8 measurement could of course refer to a single giant wall they intend to use in a spanking new news facility in a cavernous converted Studio 4, but unlikely somehow dontcha think?

I think thats a bit too wishful of you Telefís! I saw on boards.ie that you think they'll have to replace all of the cameras in Studio 3. Is that really necessary? In the caps you posted of the report way back in 2001, the cameras seemed to be quite new-looking. I'm surprised the hear that they wouldn't be capable of filming in 16:9. Maybe you could clear that up!

The camera framing was bad on the Nine tonight. Too much headroom and a large gap between the picture-window and the newsreaser's right arm (Ken Hammond tonight - by the way - who is by far the best presenter who hasn't got a major rota shift - alongside Úna, of course). And for some reason, you really got the feeling that the camera was very far away from the subject. But I suppose you have to allow for that with them being operated manually. How do TV3 manage with no remote cameras? The framing is usually fine with them but I suppose they're used to having to do it manually.

I'm curious about exactly how the bulletins are being produced from wherever the temporary studio is. Presumably its all being done from the gallery in that particular studio or is there involvement from other areas such as pres? You mentioned the DOG Telefís but I don't think pres is generating it. Its lined up too well and it looks different to the DOG generated by pres during the late summaries. I know its a bit washed out-looking now but that might just be down to the new hardware in the temporary gallery. Are the astons being generated live or are they added to reports as the reports are complied? And how about the headline sequence: is that usually pre-prepared or is it generated on the spot? I presume they moved the cameras down from Studio 3 because they all have autocue fitted to them whereas I imagine any other set of cameras (in Studio 2, for example) might only have one or two of the cameras fitted with autocue? And it just boggles me how they managed to replicate the floor so accurately! As you explained before Telefís, its seems like a lot of hassle installing one of those floors. Sorry for all the questions but Telefís I think you enjoy writing essays about RTÉ News - we certainly enjoy reading them!

Essays?! That’s certainly one description – I can think of a few others too

To (speculatively ) answer some of the points there, regarding the cameras: we must remember that the picture posted before is at least five if not six years old now, and the cameras could easily be three or four years old even there. I suspect they were installed for the 1997 relaunch, as that scheme seems to have marked a departure from the frumpy pres of old with RTÉ. 1997 was also the year that the current Director of News Ed Mulhall came into position (it was him seemingly that instigated the 1997 scheme), suggesting a big investment in the news facility. The gallery ‘decoration’ also seems to date from around then…

Regarding 16:9, the current cameras presumably have 4:3-shaped chips and will have to be replaced with 16:9. Of course all studio pedestals are made up of gazillions of parts, and it is only the tube part that RTÉ may replace – not the massive job one may suspect! If the peds are old though, they might replace the lot.

On the cameras in the temporary studio, it’s very difficult to make out, but they would appear to be remote cameras as well, given the few movements I’ve seen. RTÉ has a lot of remote cameras now, like most broadcasters, which are used in a whole host of studio productions. The Afternoon Show uses them, Prime Time uses them, and a few others too. Indeed on any given Prime Time it appears that half the cameras are remotes! (hence the appalling composition at times, not that that’s any excuse). Similarly BBC’s Newsnight would use two remotes on average out of its five or so cameras. The Late Late is one of the few regular studio productions that is entirely manual – it has to be flexible.

Last time round RTÉ definitely used at least one manual camera for the temp set, but it’s possible they’re all remotes now – very hard to say. We’ll have to keep watching! Also autocues can be tacked onto any camera – not a problem, though I’d imagine there’s a bit of a shortage of house stock in Montrose at the moment alright . Studios tend not to have dedicated cameras either – they are only ‘owned’ by the studio as long as there is a regular production taking place. Otherwise they get tossed between studios as needed.

Astons are very much generated live – sure if nothing else have you not seen the countless cock-ups of name captions?! . They all have to be logged in order beforehand and the appropriate report time codes noted for each.

The titles are on the headline VT, so all of what you see playing from the initial presenter introduction right up to the first story is on a single tape. Obviously it’s an LVO (live voice-over), so each headline has to be timed exactly the presenter’s script, as does the kicking in of the titles. Not all broadcasters do this – the titles are often played on a separate VT, the BBC’s 1990s ‘transmitter’ titles being such an example. The headlines were on a different one. Indeed with RTÉ the newscaster often has to rush the final headline in order finish it before the titles kick in – a problem that has plagued RTÉ News for a decade! If they’re timed well beforehand, which to be fair they mostly are, then you’re grand.

The framing is a bit odd in the temp studio alright – also the picture window is much more noticeable as an on-screen graphic now isn’t it? It blended more seamlessly into the ‘reality’ of the studio in Studio 3, but is more detached now. And yes the gap between the newsreader and it is now more pronounced. As for the floor, if they planned things well in 2003, they’d have kept the same colour paint or at least its reference code to buy some more, and simply painted it over an existing smooth floor.

Couple of stills from last night’s Six One – the lighting is very harsh in places! It’s very notable how close they lights are to the set walls, which was avoiding in Studio 3. And the background has brightened up yet again! The ‘mahogany’ fittings look much better in this light though: much deeper and richer I think:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/new_news_studio_1.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/new_news_studio_2.jpg

I can' belive it looks so much better now then it did. It looks nice for once.

Thanks for your insight Telefís - informative as usual!

Ok I have set up a thread in the TV Home Forum about RTÉ. Lets just see how it works out. If it gets too complicated we can go back to just having this thread. Hopefully it will catch on and be useful but at least us few can keep it going! Now we can separate the discussion into general presentation etc. in TVHF and news in here.

I don't know anything about RTE News at all but looking at caps ive been inspired to want to do some mocks. Does anyone happen to have the opning titles music so i can make a video mock too...

and also, have RTE News relaunched or going to relaunch soon? if so when. thanks.

The relaunch hasn't taken place yet and no date has been confirmed but going on past experience, it will almost certainly be Monday September 4th 2006 at 12:00 GMT on RTÉ One to be precise ! There's no clean copy of the current title music (or any RTÉ music as far as I know) but here's the title music ripped from a recording I have: Titles.

Una is back! Albeit not on Six One, but she seems to have been on holiday for the past couple of months - an possible indication that she may make a return to Six One for the relaunch? Though the fact that she's still on the evening shift (for her own reasons) I wouldn't hold out much hope

I generally don't think it's necessary to comment on newscasters' appearances (save the odd remark on Sharon's wardrobe of course ), but good God who advises Una on her hair. I have yet to watch a single bulletin with other people presented by her that a remark hasn't been passed on how atrocious her hair is - its truly terrible, and seriously distracting from the content:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/UneTempStudio1.jpg

It gets worse ever time we see her! Not that it's great either, but even this from a year ago is streets ahead of the ridiculous mop she has now:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/RTE1TV/Una1.jpg


I mean, if nothing else, she's an attractive woman - she ain't doing herself any favours with that frumpy concoction! Also the exaggerated rouge on her cheeks of late (1st pic) is equally bizarre - all in all she seems to be going through a 1950s phase. Suppose she's at least by-passed Sharon back in 1903.

On a more on-topic note, the lighting of the principal newsreader in the temp studio is very lacking to the right of their face which is always in shadow - it seems the lighting director is applying the principals of conventional studio lighting i.e. a strong key light on one side with a softer fill on the other, to news, whihere it generally doesn't work - too distracting. Also too much headroom with Una lumped down the bottom, and the picture insert too detached from the presenter. It was terrible on Six One with John Finnerty - so wide it looked like the camera was miles way from him!

Una's presentation was refreshingly good tonight. Watch her first story here and see what a great deliverance it is - crisp, clear and steady, but conversational to just the appropriate degree.

http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/9news.smil

This is Una at her best - she can be rather staid and bland at times which is a great shame, so hopefully she'll keep this excellent performance up. Even her headlines are great, if just a little too statement-like - a more conversational element would be desirable there I think. Very good sat link with Richard Crowley too.

But most importantly just get rid of that hair !

Dear god!

Well, Telefis, you know about my opinions on Una O'Hagan, so it needs no repeating. I think the best thing that RTE News can do for itself is to allow Sharon Ni Bheolain to stay on Six-One permanently, while replacing Bryan Dobson with someone less frumpy and more telegenic. Bryan and Una should, instead, present some form of Crimewatch programme (whatever it is called). Una is still just a bit over the hill for Six-One, especially after the relaunch. I personally cannot imagine Una making a return to Six-One. It would be unbelievable.

Also, for god's sake, Una's hair! Makes her look much older.

BTW, how is Aengus MacGrianna doing these days? Any improvements?

May I just ask, what is the point in discussing about a relaunch, that is not due till next month!?

Everyone discussed the relaunch of the new BBC World (newsroom) back in 2004 2months before it actually happened. Same for Sky News.