ITV used cue dots to cue the regional transmission centres to roll their ads - As I recall, Dots on meant one minute to the break (or for live shows,
approximately
one minute to the break). Dots off meant 5" to the break. They're still used on many live shows on ITV.
On the BBC, cue dots were used to tell a live programme when they were going on air (particularly programmes being produced by a regional centre or an OB as they didn't automatically receive flashing red lights from the presentation control rooms). Pres would put the dots on at TX -2 minutes, take them off at -10", back on at '5" and off at TX.
The only part of the BBC to use Cue Dots in the commercial manner was BBC World and BBC Prime until about 2002.
To add :
Whilst off at -10 and on again at -5 was a common convention at the BBC, it was usually the result of an agreement between the PA in the live gallery and the presentation area, and could be varied - and thus when lining up it was always agreed what the cue dots meant. It wasn't that unusual, in the later days of cue dots, to bring them back on at -3 rather than -5 if the gallery was running their titles from a -3" (common if they were starting on early vision rather than a clock)
In the days of BBC Europe aka BBC One/Two mix, it was also possible for OBs in Europe to get their cue dots from Net 1 or Net 2 by watching BBC Europe. I know a number of Sunday Morning Worship shows did this when they were in France in the early 90s. There WAS a delay, but in the days of analogue satellite it wasn't as bad as now - and could b compensated for.
These days Wimbledon is the only time you often see BBC originated cue dots - as an indicator to other broadcasters that a court multi-lateral feed is about to become a BBC unilateral for a court-side interview. (i.e. you've got 30" to get off this before you hear a BBC presenter/reporter)
In the days of BBC Europe aka BBC One/Two mix, it was also possible for OBs in Europe to get their cue dots from Net 1 or Net 2 by watching BBC Europe. I know a number of Sunday Morning Worship shows did this when they were in France in the early 90s. There WAS a delay, but in the days of analogue satellite it wasn't as bad as now - and could b compensated for.
That's interesting - I didn't know that!
Wasn't a 7" preroll common for film items run on TK? Isn't that equivalent to 10 feet of film or something like that ... ?
In the days of BBC Europe aka BBC One/Two mix, it was also possible for OBs in Europe to get their cue dots from Net 1 or Net 2 by watching BBC Europe. I know a number of Sunday Morning Worship shows did this when they were in France in the early 90s. There WAS a delay, but in the days of analogue satellite it wasn't as bad as now - and could b compensated for.
That's interesting - I didn't know that!
Wasn't a 7" preroll common for film items run on TK? Isn't that equivalent to 10 feet of film or something like that ... ?
ISTR that when running a TK the number in the gate wasn't indicative of how long the TK would take to run up.
These days, when you run a VT with 10" on the clock, it takes 10" to get to 0. In the days of TK it wasn't that simple...
Running 2inch vt always involved a bit of trust in your vt operator, since the old quad machines didn't offer a picture while they were parked up waiting to run. I remember the feeling of comfort when C format 1inch became the norm and you could see the output sitting there on preview.
Running 2inch vt always involved a bit of trust in your vt operator, since the old quad machines didn't offer a picture while they were parked up waiting to run. I remember the feeling of comfort when C format 1inch became the norm and you could see the output sitting there on preview.
Yep - well with Quad you only got a picture at play speeds didn't you? No shuttle or jog modes - images only in play.
On the other hand, I had the joy of working on a show which didn't edit their tapes with early vision, and then the play-in machine refused to instant start - so had to be run from a -3" - which meant running every insert cued from black.
(Nice to know that some of the old disciplines still hang around though. When a VT suite can''t talk back to you - it is still nice to have a conversation by them flashing their bars!)
with Quad you only got a picture at play speeds didn't you? No shuttle or jog modes - images only in play.
Yep! Hit the remote start and watch furious frame rolling on the pvw monitor as the machine heaves itself into life. Will the picture steady in time? Phew!
noggin posted:
When a VT suite can''t talk back to you - it is still nice to have a conversation by them flashing their bars!
ISTR that when running a TK the number in the gate wasn't indicative of how long the TK would take to run up.
These days, when you run a VT with 10" on the clock, it takes 10" to get to 0. In the days of TK it wasn't that simple...
It's because the standard 'Academy' film leader with which most people are familiar (and includes the countdown) was developed before talkies, so was designed to run at 18fps, in which case starting at the 10 will give you a ten second run-up.
When doing change-overs in a cinema it is usual to line the 7 up in the gate of the incoming machine, which at 24fps works out about right - as long as you start up on the first 'motor' cue dots - for getting more or less first frame of the next spool when you react to the 'over' cue. It's not crucial (as long as you don't let the outgoing spool run out) as you'll notice there's generally a static shot or scene change, and no dialogue across a changeover. There are exceptions though, and they call for accurate set-up and fast reactions!
In the days of BBC Europe aka BBC One/Two mix, it was also possible for OBs in Europe to get their cue dots from Net 1 or Net 2 by watching BBC Europe. I know a number of Sunday Morning Worship shows did this when they were in France in the early 90s. There WAS a delay, but in the days of analogue satellite it wasn't as bad as now - and could b compensated for.
Yes I witnessed the Beeb doing just that at the Lilliehamer winter Olympics in 1994.
