BBC News Pre-Launch Promo

I'm fairly certain that the desk is real too.

Right, here's how i reckon it's done.

Before starting work on the old studio, take away the desk, and record a few minutes' footage from each camera angle - like so:
http://homepage.mac.com/moof/tvforum/emptystudio.jpg

Then, move your desk and presenters into a big chromakey studio. Backgrounds for chromakeying don't have to be any particular colour, just make sure that the presenter's not wearing it.
It also has to be really evenly lit, and can be quite tricky to avoid getting either these lights or reflections from the chromakey screen onto the presenter or desk. Hence the purple tinge on the desk.

Once things are set up, put cameras into the studio, making sure that cameras are positioned in the same place, relative to the desk:
http://homepage.mac.com/moof/tvforum/csostudio.jpg

Then, stick the two images into a magic box o'tricks™, and you get a picture that more or less resembles a real studio.
http://thetvroom.com/images-bbc-one-news/news-01/misc/temp-studio-6.jpg

Repeat for any other camera angles, et voila...

I think this shot looks a little odd because the camera isn't at exactly the same angle - so they're not quite in perspective.

Also shots like the one below must have been done all the time with the old blue virtual studio, although it can't be easy for the presenter - they'll be looking at a purple wall, not a big screen!
http://thetvroom.com/images-bbc-one-news/news-01/misc/temp-studio-2.jpg

How d'you get rid of the desk on your pic?

with a clever bit of airbrushing, obviously!

same way I did this - Photoshop!

What makes you think the BBC Graphics dept had to remove the desk ? They have quite good airbrushes on Quantel Paintboxes.

ISTR that last time the weekend news moved studios to cover the minor relaunch :

The desk moved - allowing Darren a proper desk to sit at.

Large amounts of blue was used on the floor and walls to provide enough to key the areas that needed to be, i.e. the bits where the presenter got in the way of the backing. All the rest was hard-keyed (i.e. overlaid) using a mask - you only need to use CSO where you need to separate the presenter or desk from the background.

I think the desk was mounted on blue material (not sure if paint or felt/carpet)- and the lack of red reflection on the real desk from the electronically added carpet was the biggest give-away.

The purple lighting effect on the desk during down the line shots is probably blue spill reflecting from the CSO backing. Darren did presumably have to fake looking at a screen when he was looking at a mainly blue panel - but a plasma could have been put in front of the blue panel and masked out. (Again you only really need the blue areas where you need to decide foreground vs background - if you know there are areas that you only need one or the other you can do quite clever things)

The studio was not a virtual studio in the truest sense - the background did not move with the cameras - the backgrounds were static recreations of the standard backings used normally. No need for virtual set gizmos to do this.

Not sure if the same will be attempted next time there is a relaunch - whenever that is.

I think the Promo is hinting a bit more than people think.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/tindragon/6Newsall2.JPG
The White background with the presenters could mean that these graphics will be used for the 6 O'Clock News...
http://thetvroom.com/images-bbc-one-news/news-02b/daytime/titles-1d.jpg

I've managed to upload it here.
[URL=http://jolnetwork.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bbcnewscentre/6 O'Clock News Promo.ram]JOL Network[/URL]

Oh, you've opened a can of worms now!

You'll have people wetting themselves with excitement until the 20th!

I can't see it myself though, it'd mean throwing the corporate look out of the window.

...but then, of course, they can't keep the corporate look going all the way until the new news centre opens in 2007, and it has been 4 years now...

Sorry. Couldn't help it.
Nothing's really going to happen, probably.

Just a few things I think should be highlighted.

1) Studio changes. Why would they when its recently been redone? As for a big screen being installed on the right of the studio I doubt it as I don't think there is that much room and it would look quite odd. Sometimes ITV News coped with two presenters looking at the big screen for an interview so I'm sure the BBC will.

2) Graphics change. Well they've only recently updated the astons and I can't see the point of changing the sidebar again (especially when most of them are stored so can be used again and again).

3) Titles and music change. Perhaps this might happen. I can't see it changing to the morning style. That was done to match in with the new look morning show that BBC One is launching this month. That is a possibility.

So apart from that I wouldn't expect much in the way of major changes. I think people are getting a bit too excited over not much. The fuss over BBC World adopted the World Today music was a past example of this. It only meant a music change but people debated over set changes, graphic changes etc.

Could they use the two big back projection screens behind them for a video wall?

The image could slide up, covering the newsroom view.

Trouble is, where would the second presenter go? Wheel off on their chair to the left!!!!?

I am not sure how much I will be able to find out, but I am off to the news centre next Saturday and will get my snoopers hat on to try and see how much I can find out. My friend has promised me tours around all news sets.