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The London Studios

Split from New look Loose Women (September 2014)

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BL
bluecortina
noggin posted:
http://www.londonstudios.co.uk/studios/studio-details/

TLS3 has quite a small floor area - less than half that of TLS1 or 2. All three have decent studio-height lighting grids as you would expect in a proper, custom-built, TV studio rather than converted office space.

In comparison with TV Centre studios :
TLS3 is a bit bigger than TC2 at TVC, and TLS2 is a bit bigger than TC3. However TLS1 is smaller than TC1



St1 was built for LE, St2 was built for drama and St3 was built for Current affairs. Times have moved on of course.
IS
Inspector Sands
bluecortina posted:
Yes really. All the main studios are the same height so that the studio lamps can be moved between the studios on a common rail system.

So are there holes in the walls to allow them to move between the studios?
HC
Hatton Cross
noggin posted:
deejay posted:
I always though it interesting that TLS1's audience always looked enormous on screen compared to the audience in TC1, plus back in the day LWT always gave the audience 'that sound' (which I always thought was bordering on 'distorted')

Ah - LWT in the 80s - the home of square audio and French pictures.


I know its wandering o/t a little, but was the sound really distorting by a tiny amount (then amplifed by naff 1980's TV speakers) in TLS1, or was it very creative mixing of the reverb and bass levels in the sound gallery?
DK
DanielK
bluecortina posted:
DanielK posted:
bluecortina posted:
DanielK posted:
The thing is, most of the studios here are small and 1 storey tall, maybe 1.5. All of these American studios are like the big ones at TVC, spread across 2, maybe even 3 office floors. Big and brash sets only work in big studios.


TLS main production studios 1,2 and 3 are all 3 storeys in height.

Really?! 3 looks so, so, SO small on screen.


Yes really. All the main studios are the same height so that the studio lamps can be moved between the studios on a common rail system. The lighting maintenance areas etc are also at the same height so that they can be easily taken out of service for maintenance.

Daybreak and Lorraine's sets look(ed) but really wide at the same time, Loose Women's sets looked pretty much the same.
NG
noggin Founding member
Hatton Cross posted:
noggin posted:
deejay posted:
I always though it interesting that TLS1's audience always looked enormous on screen compared to the audience in TC1, plus back in the day LWT always gave the audience 'that sound' (which I always thought was bordering on 'distorted')

Ah - LWT in the 80s - the home of square audio and French pictures.


I know its wandering o/t a little, but was the sound really distorting by a tiny amount (then amplifed by naff 1980's TV speakers) in TLS1, or was it very creative mixing of the reverb and bass levels in the sound gallery?


It was basically totally devoid of any dynamic range and compressed to hell and very "harsh". We were listening to the TV through hour HiFi from about 1983 (we had the Philips version of the Sony Profeel (separate monitor and tuner units - and we used our HiFi for the sound) and could clearly hear the difference between LWT and BBC (and other ITV) companies' sound.

The pictures from the Hitachi tubed cameras (and later CCD?) were also remarkable for their distinctive look, which was borderline French (i.e. all edge and no detail)

*** EDIT : I was wrong. Looks like the nasty "French" pictures were the result of a British camera - a Marconi model. The BBC seldom bought colour Marconi cameras - instead buying from EMI then Link, and finding a route to buy Phillips cameras as "Peto-Scott" ***
Last edited by noggin on 8 September 2014 5:32pm - 2 times in total
WH
Whataday Founding member
Did anyone find the weird look of LWT programmes kinda scary as a child? Or just me? Embarassed
BL
bluecortina
Inspector Sands posted:
bluecortina posted:
Yes really. All the main studios are the same height so that the studio lamps can be moved between the studios on a common rail system.

So are there holes in the walls to allow them to move between the studios?


There are full man height access doors in the corner of each studio at base lighting grid level. Lamps are off loaded directly from the lighting grid onto tracking which passes out of, and in between, the 3 studios. If you visited the studios and walked down the corridor between studios 1 & 2 on the 2nd floor you will pass directly under the tracking as it crosses the corridor. If lamps are being transported between studios there is a red warning light notice to alert casual passers by that a lamp may make its way across the corridor without notice - so take care. Lamps are never moved without responsible people undertaking the work so it's not a real danger, but hey H&S you know. It's a very efficient lighting system.
Last edited by bluecortina on 8 September 2014 5:01pm
BL
bluecortina
noggin posted:
Hatton Cross posted:
noggin posted:
deejay posted:
I always though it interesting that TLS1's audience always looked enormous on screen compared to the audience in TC1, plus back in the day LWT always gave the audience 'that sound' (which I always thought was bordering on 'distorted')

Ah - LWT in the 80s - the home of square audio and French pictures.


I know its wandering o/t a little, but was the sound really distorting by a tiny amount (then amplifed by naff 1980's TV speakers) in TLS1, or was it very creative mixing of the reverb and bass levels in the sound gallery?


It was basically totally devoid of any dynamic range and compressed to hell and very "harsh". We were listening to the TV through hour HiFi from about 1983 (we had the Philips version of the Sony Profeel (separate monitor and tuner units - and we used our HiFi for the sound) and could clearly hear the difference between LWT and BBC (and other ITV) companies' sound.

The pictures from the Hitachi tubed cameras (and later CCD?) were also remarkable for their distinctive look, which was borderline French (i.e. all edge and no detail)


The Hitachi cameras were CCD and gave perfectly normal pictures. You're probably thinking of the Marconi cameras.
MA
Markymark
bluecortina posted:
noggin posted:
Hatton Cross posted:
noggin posted:
deejay posted:
I always though it interesting that TLS1's audience always looked enormous on screen compared to the audience in TC1, plus back in the day LWT always gave the audience 'that sound' (which I always thought was bordering on 'distorted')

Ah - LWT in the 80s - the home of square audio and French pictures.


I know its wandering o/t a little, but was the sound really distorting by a tiny amount (then amplifed by naff 1980's TV speakers) in TLS1, or was it very creative mixing of the reverb and bass levels in the sound gallery?


It was basically totally devoid of any dynamic range and compressed to hell and very "harsh". We were listening to the TV through hour HiFi from about 1983 (we had the Philips version of the Sony Profeel (separate monitor and tuner units - and we used our HiFi for the sound) and could clearly hear the difference between LWT and BBC (and other ITV) companies' sound.

The pictures from the Hitachi tubed cameras (and later CCD?) were also remarkable for their distinctive look, which was borderline French (i.e. all edge and no detail)


The Hitachi cameras were CCD and gave perfectly normal pictures. You're probably thinking of the Marconi cameras.


The Marconi MK 9s ? Many ITV companies (and ITN, TV-am, and C4 at Charlotte St) had them.

The Beeb kept away from them, only a single studio at Glasgow (which rumour has it were virtual gifts from Marconi, to get them into the Beeb), and a BBC news OB truck used them I think ? I recall them being used at Portsmouth by the BBC in 1982 for the Falklands return. (TVS were there with theirs too !)

The head amps gave that nasty edgy look, it even shows through multi-generation VHS dubs, which is quite an achievement !
NG
noggin Founding member
bluecortina posted:
noggin posted:
Hatton Cross posted:
noggin posted:
deejay posted:
I always though it interesting that TLS1's audience always looked enormous on screen compared to the audience in TC1, plus back in the day LWT always gave the audience 'that sound' (which I always thought was bordering on 'distorted')

Ah - LWT in the 80s - the home of square audio and French pictures.


I know its wandering o/t a little, but was the sound really distorting by a tiny amount (then amplifed by naff 1980's TV speakers) in TLS1, or was it very creative mixing of the reverb and bass levels in the sound gallery?


It was basically totally devoid of any dynamic range and compressed to hell and very "harsh". We were listening to the TV through hour HiFi from about 1983 (we had the Philips version of the Sony Profeel (separate monitor and tuner units - and we used our HiFi for the sound) and could clearly hear the difference between LWT and BBC (and other ITV) companies' sound.

The pictures from the Hitachi tubed cameras (and later CCD?) were also remarkable for their distinctive look, which was borderline French (i.e. all edge and no detail)


The Hitachi cameras were CCD and gave perfectly normal pictures. You're probably thinking of the Marconi cameras.


I must be. Could have sworn LWT had some tubed Hitachis - but it must have been the Marconis. Don't remember the CCDs being stellar either - the Ikegamis that replaced them were massively better. (Not that the BBC were a beacon of quality with their Thomsons by then. OBs were luckier as they got Sony models to replace the LDK5s that were in widespread use.)
NG
noggin Founding member
Markymark posted:

The Marconi MK 9s ? Many ITV companies (and ITN, TV-am, and C4 at Charlotte St) had them.

The Beeb kept away from them, only a single studio at Glasgow (which rumour has it were virtual gifts from Marconi, to get them into the Beeb), and a BBC news OB truck used them I think ? I recall them being used at Portsmouth by the BBC in 1982 for the Falklands return. (TVS were there with theirs too !)

The head amps gave that nasty edgy look, it even shows through multi-generation VHS dubs, which is quite an achievement !


Must have been the Marconis. They certainly gave Blind Date a very "distinctive" look...
DE
deejay
I was always aware of the fact that LWT shows sounded and looked different to BBC LE shows. I have the An Audience With Victoria Wood and Billy Connolly VHS tapes and even now it's very apparent that they have a particular 'feel'! Even now the square sounding audience applause still reminds me of Telethons, Aspel and Company etc.

Whatever we might now think of the quality of such treatment, it still is blindingly obvious (to me at least) where those shows were made. Which is, let's face it, quite an achievement. I can't think of any other studio centres that have an obvious look.

Why did LWT go for such a look and sound I wonder?

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