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BBC Oneness - idents and presentation

"Watch this space" as BBC Creative respond to ident change request (December 2016)

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WO
Worzel
Overall, a good idea let down by the production. Just for a bit of comparison with two very similar idents.



CU
Custard56
If these were intended as New Year idents simply for January on the theme of new year resolutions (e.g. keeping fit and active), I'd forgive them. This is like someone's idea of a joke - but without the laughs.

We've got stings for a SAGA channel masquerading as full-time idents on BBC One for heaven's sake.
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BR
Brekkie
This is like someone's idea of a joke - but without the laughs.

So they were commissioned by the BBC's comedy department then. Very Happy

Even the local channels haven't got idents looking this cheap.
Stuart and Custard56 gave kudos
CL
clarky
How did anyone at the BBC genuinely think these could stand up as an ident. That comparison perfectly demonstrates they can't.
Stuart, Custard56 and Brekkie gave kudos
BR
Brekkie
Overall, a good idea let down by the production. Just for a bit of comparison with two very similar idents.

With ITV the logo is very much the star and what is happening in the ident is somewhat irrelevant - but collectively they are identifiable as ITV thanks to the style and the soundtrack - so much so they could probably be played without the logo and still be identified as ITV.

With BBC One the logo is just there with nothing else to indicate that it is BBC One - and the logo itself being white and hidden at the bottom doesn't help either.
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WO
Worzel
Quote:
I want BBC1 to continue to evolve creatively so it’s important that the channel idents continue to move with the times, too, and feel relevant and in touch with a big and broad mainstream audience,” said Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s director of content.

“What better way to demonstrate this than by commissioning Martin Parr to create idents from a series of portraits which reflect and represent the rich diversity of communities living in the UK today.”


Here's the problem. There's a big difference betweeen storyboarding an ident set and making it happen and taking a single stock or portrait image and making it into a visually aesthetically pleasing moving ident.

I'm the first to admit that TV ident production isn't my thing as I work in radio imaging/ident production, but there are some similarities. You don't have to pay a ridiculous amount to someone to make a consistent, quality ident set and creativity costs nothing.
Last edited by Worzel on 1 January 2017 12:44pm
WL
W1LL
Surely there must be a 'safe' news ident, a group of people moping about and smiling in the sea or prancing around in a village hall is hardly appropriate to introduce a news programme.
CU
Custard56
Overall, a good idea let down by the production. Just for a bit of comparison with two very similar idents.

With ITV the logo is very much the star and what is happening in the ident is somewhat irrelevant - but collectively they are identifiable as ITV thanks to the style and the soundtrack - so much so they could probably be played without the logo and still be identified as ITV.

With BBC One the logo is just there with nothing else to indicate that it is BBC One - and the logo itself being white and hidden at the bottom doesn't help either.


I fully agree. If the BBC One logo was more prominent and at the heart of the package rather than a side note, it would make these that much more tolerable.

The flipside of this is that you'd end up with idents very similar to ITV's (which these are a pale imitation of, as they are).

What was Charlotte Moore saying about being distinctive? Distinctively crap? First you lose Bake Off. Now this. Get rid.
IS
Isonstine Founding member
Terrible. Just absolutely terrible.

There's not even an "At least..." that can help justify this.

Don't particularly like the concept of "Oneness" either - think it's something that sounds great to a marketing team on paper but does absolutely nothing to help explain what the channel is actually about.

Can we not just spend a little bit of money on some decent designers and end this trend of live action "idents"?
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BR
Brekkie
Quote:
“What better way to demonstrate this than by commissioning Martin Parr to create idents from a series of portraits which reflect and represent the rich diversity of communities living in the UK today.”

Many better ways it turns out.

Even slapping some BBC News style pulsating rings over it and turning it into some arty black and white thing with pulsating red rings, ultimately revealing the BBC One logo in the middle, would at least make it look like some effort and thought had gone into them - even if the raw footage is still poor.
DP
D.Page
Here's the set, so far, all in one place ...for all the masochists out there.

Exercise Class #1:


Exercise Class #2:


Sea Swimmers #1:


Sea Swimmers #2:


Swimmers (used with the News):



Of course, because the change came at the turn of the year rather than some random point in the year, we didn't even get a farewell compilation of the Circles idents in the early hours. It's one disappointment after another (or should that be Oneness).
Last edited by D.Page on 1 January 2017 1:57pm
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RE
Rex
Surely there must be a 'safe' news ident, a group of people moping about and smiling in the sea or prancing around in a village hall is hardly appropriate to introduce a news programme.

It's also having a personality problem when introducing certain programmes - they are far too lighthearted to introduce through to serious programming.

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