When I first saw the backdrop, it looked like an error. Surely the screens behind Christine and Duncan are meant to represent windows? If so, why doesn't the view fill the screens top to bottom rather than those awful black strips?
Because the size of the view is the size of the screens, with some black panels behind the glass above and below the view. Presumably there wasn't the budget for a full wall of screens.
When I first saw the backdrop, it looked like an error. Surely the screens behind Christine and Duncan are meant to represent windows? If so, why doesn't the view fill the screens top to bottom rather than those awful black strips?
Because the size of the view is the size of the screens, with some black panels behind the glass above and below the view. Presumably there wasn't the budget for a full wall of screens.
From what I've seen/been told the scope is there that they could double up on the existing screens to expand the view, but that's a long way off, if it ever happens. That being said why they couldn't have done a Midlands Today and installed lightboxes I'll never know! It's an elegant set, but it's lit too dark to avoid reflecting everyone in the panels above and below the screens.
The main problem, especially with the low desks, is the "windows" are never framed correctly. If the black was only in the wide shot they'd just about get away with it, but they're in every studio shot and as they contrast so much with the "view" they just look nasty.
With the resources they have got they'd have probably been better off just using panelling on the side walls (the "view" there is rather pointless!) and then flipping the screens and using all five of them on the backwall. They'd still need a thinner strip of panelling but I think they'd get away with it much better, though at the price of having more vertical columns to separate five (rather than three) screens.
SF
Selwyn Froggatt
Oh dear! During the late news, they had a backdrop of the Humber Bridge in the daylight, when it's pitch black outside.
I think they could have used the 2 "windows" on each side to double up on the main area, then they'd only need to buy one extra screen to make six across the middle.
They then could have done an East Midlands Today with the mirrors (thanks TV Live):
I feel like the black parts wouldn't matter so much if they would just light the corner pillars from behind the screens, and allow more reflection from the main part of the set. Look at Rob's cap of the first Channel bulletin from their new set (SW/CI thread, p82), and indeed the cap just two posts above this.
Partly just reflection, I'm sure, but it mirrors the existing set and just looks rather more like the set continues behind, and avoids the huge swathes of black. Looks far better.
Hmm. What I've noticed since the back panels seem to be reflecting so much of the lighting and autocue screen and glare and reflection of the studio, they shouldnt have installed them 90 degrees to the floor. The simplest solution would have been to slight tilt the back and side walls at the top so they are at a slight angle. This would be take care of much of the problem. But unfortunately they decided to oddly use those black bars so they made their job that much harder.