Wales Today - New Look

My little birds (no, not the type that rip off their thongs at the drop of a hat...although I'm not too sure!) have informed me that the design process for a new look Wales Today is underway.

It's been nearly 5 and a half years since the current look was introduced (October 1999), and apart from a couple of minor studio tweaks, it's remained completely the same, which I think is good. There's no need for BBC Wales to arse around with their news presentation every few months as the regions across the border in England have done.

Saying that, I do now think that the current look for Wales Today is getting a bit stale now. Nothing majorly wrong with it as it is, but the worst elements for me are those titles and music.

I have no information yet on what the new studio will look like, but I hope it's done in the best possible taste - unlike that vile new Tefal desk at BBC East.

What would Wales Today titles look like if they had adopted the previous English regions look? Maybe something very similar to this, which I knocked up earlier, and which I rather like.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/walestoday_small.jpg
BBC Wales Today - Mock Ident

Here are a few more ideas for the main for the programme. I understand that these strictly speaking should be in the 'Mocks' forum, but I wanted to start this thread speculating on what kind of thing we might see from BBC Wales.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/wt_logo.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/wt_2004.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/wales_today.jpg

And we need a dragon in there somewhere, so here we go...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/bbccymwales.jpg

maps seem to have gone out of favour in england and nationally. now bbc english regions seem to have taken overall responsibility for news design in england (meaning all the programmes are no longer poor imitations of the national) - it'd be nice to think wales will do an NI, and do something original.

Yes, and lets hope they don't do a Reporting Scotland and chuck out the desk and stand up in front of a fake newsroom.

I wonder how soon we could be getting a new set as Newyddion (18.30, Sat) has just come from the small set, fixed camera shot with a slightly different background - i haven't seen the N in the top left of the screen before and the close was an interesting mix of the opening titles.

I don't normally watch Newyddion on a Saturday so I don't know if this is normal

Gareth

The words "about" and "time" spring to mind.

Although good on Wales Today for sticking to the look, I've never been a fan of it - it's always looked quite stale and I'd have preferred something similar to the titles used in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Yet the BBC produced decent titles for both it's BBC Choice bulletin and Wales at Eleven. The 2W News graphics aren't too much to shout about though!


Hopefully the English regions look won't be adopted - I'd like to see predominantly black titles using the red dragon and map of Wales.



I think it is normal for Newyddion to use the smaller set at weekends.

Well I hope they adopt their own look, or something like Newsline, but lets hope they don't adopt the Rep Scot look, it's awful.

No map, but here's a dragon

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/wt_draiggochs.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.prout/wales_today.jpg

i really like this one

you should see my set i made in the mocks forum!!!

I really think that Wales Today desperatly needs a new look, it is putting me off it, looking at a 1999 studio!!

As Wales is a "nation", not a "region", a variation of the "national (UK)" news style, seems sensible.

After all, that's pretty much what Newsline have got.

BBC Wales' "look" to it's programmes is always very interesting whether that be the graphics packages or the camera angles and set. The current/old set had so many different looks and uses it will be hard for them to match it.

This set was the first (?) joint Wales Today and Newyddion studio so it will be interesting whether they adopt the same principle of having one larger set that's used for everything or many smaller sets, the former I think would be better.

Talking multipul uses, I assume this means a new look Newyddion?

Gareth

Hmm yes -- so much so I don't think they should change the layout of the set too much really. New desk, different colour scheme, maybe get rid of the steps [Derek can't be trusted with them anyway], and new titles/dragons.

It would be a shame to be all static [like Scotland], with all the sitting on desks and walking around the place that goes on now.

The recorded backdrop isn't very subtle anymore mind you, and I do wish they'd change back the way they start the programme -- sometimes you don't even get a hello [which isn't very nice].

Regards the steps; it just wouldn't be the same without "and now the main headlines from the BBC [crash]"

The way the camera sometimes moves from "window" round to the big screen varies the programme considerably making it much nicer on the eyes than ITV Wales News. I'd like to see more of the presenter on the sofa bit, maybe a coffee table? A different colour scheme would be good, kill the cream! The panels at the moment that change colour are good, very national news; but I've never worked out why the bit behind the railings is solid red and not coloured by the lights??? it looks silly when the panels are coloured purple in the top bit and red behind the railings.

I quite like the opening, very loud music giving a bit of a "dramatic" feel, the graphics are also timed well so it gives a fast pacedness to the programme. Maybe they should do a quick welcome after the headlines, just before the first story.

Gareth