Official Discussion On C4’s New Look

I reckon the pure white should be given a slight gradient, like on these Carlton idents. This should give the impression that the background is a sheet of rubber (perhaps not the best way to put it, but I'm sure you get my meaning), which looks much classier.

This thing about announcers leaving a gap before the programme - I think what actually is happening is that the idents are played in full every time.

Which is nice.

Hmmm. Reminds me of this:

http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/itvmidlands/itvmidlands/idents/central1997us.jpg

Video Version

All credit to TV Ark.

Doesn't give them much choice if the programme fails to run though!

The announcers seem to be writing their scripts so that they say 'Channel 4' when the 4 logo has formed. Wonder how long that will last for?

I am wholly impressed with the new look Channel 4. The idents characterise precisely what Channel 4 is supposed to do, they are creative, alternative, and the viewer has to use one's mind a little more to work out where the '4' will appear from. The viewer is somewhat confused by the creation of the four, particulary in the housing estate ident, with the excess of Sky Minidishes. I wouldn't know where to begin to create a concept as clever as this.

The 'Now and Next' menu boards are different too, no other channel appears to be using that technique with particular reference to the addition of the previous programme.

Channel 4 News studio revamp is really good, fresh and it's not absent from the original studio design which works well. At least they have replaced that dreadful videowall with a decent screen!

I know what you mean, it does involve a lot of concentration to focus on the '4' unless you've seen it before, and it does give a great approach on things.
I'm not a great fan of the settings chosen, I like the ideas and concepts, but some of the pieces just blend into the background.

I do like the look of the UFO one, though I haven't seen it yet, just the captures from on here, though that's the sort of thing that I'd prefer to see more off.



These are very clever, and I'm not sure when they're supposed to be used. I've spotted them in random junctions between ad breaks of programmes, I'm not sure whether they're supposed to be used like SKY One's as in during the break or whether this is a coincidence. I've also seen them used for trailing other evening's line ups.

As for the break bumpers, I do like them, but I'm still not sure when they're supposed to be used, sometimes they air before the adverts and sometimes after, but never both which I presumed they would after seeing my first at the end of an ad break.

Is it the case that if a programme goes straight to adverts they use the break bumper and if there's a trailer there then they don't bother?



I watched Channel 4 news today, and I didn't actually notice that the screen had changed. I noticed that there was a silver border, but it didn't occur to me that the screen was different!

I quite like the contrast in the studio between the white on the graphics and the dark yet blue and purple lit set.
It's a nice subtle change to the set, more so to the titles, but I again like them.

Is it me being wierd again or did Channel 4 News NOT used to you Din, yet are using the new font? Are they trying to implement the font across the board?

I think the only thing that won't change is T4, mainly because it's as though Channel 4 has changed to a T4 Graphic style.

I think so. I reckon it's because the C4 logo doesn't appear at the beginning of trailers like it used to, so you don't go straight from an advert to a trailer - or straight from a programme to an advert - without seeing the C4 logo.

I wonder why they haven't implemented that. They may do I suppose. Surely it wouldn't take much. They'd just the breakbumper design/endcap design and reverse it, so that the shadow is made up of the programme to be trailed and they then zoom into it.

But I bet you're right.

I've just seen an ident which looked like it was in america. Typical Truck going past neon signs and circle-ing around them to get the 4 logo, very nice indeed that one as it did stand out well.

I must admit I don't like the shakey style of the camera work. Though I presume it's to make it look as though you're driving around it.

Does anyone have any idea how these were created. Surely they didn't hunt and create the pieces and film them, did they?

I'd presume more that they shot the scene and they added the 4 to them.

There are quite a few of them too, it must have taken ages!

Well, I know earlier I said I thought the new look was rather dull, after seeing the pylon ident. Well, I believe "Pylon" is the worst of them, and after seeing "Tower Blocks", the UFO one and the one with the American neon signs, I love them! Especially UFO, where the logo stays on screen long enough for you to see what it is, then flies to another point. It's very clever.



Pylon still sucks though...

Saw that one last night, it's my favourite so far, looks great and more realistic - nothing's floating in mid-air like the market one, anyway!



Seems to be a trend at the moment when combining computer animation with real footage to use a handheld camera to make it look even more like it's really there - that advert where there car turns into a Transformer-type thing is an example, or virtual reality studios a few years ago adding a little wobble to the camera to show it's not just a regular CSO. A smooth tracking shot would make it look like it's obviously done on a computer, the way they've done it makes you wonder how it was done a bit more.

And I like Pylon, the way the blocks are suspended is quite good, I wouldn't say it's dull - perhaps serious, it does seem to be the one they're using for news and things like that.

I've got the flat ident on my computer, and from watching that I have noticed that on screen it seems to be slowed down slightly?

It doesn't seem to me that I can find anymore than 7 Idents, but channel4 say they have made aprox 15 - will the rest of the idents be shown over the year?

My two cents on the new C4 idents - im only online for a little bit so haven't had chance to read much of this thread so far.

With regard to the fact that you only see the logo for a split second, well, i'm sure this is to do with the fact that its such a strong identity - that it only needs a split second to be identified. Also, when you're seeing things floating in midair - slightly sinister-like - you're instantly looking to see what they make up - i.e. you are drawn into the ident trying to make it out. It's like doing a MagicEye, or seeing a hidden face in a painting.

Love the font - DINMittelschrift was getting a wee bit boring

Liking the use of the shadows on the 3D menus.

Plus I like the separateness of it all - the fact that the idents are a completely separate idea to the menus etc. At least they haven't tried to combine two separate ideas and made a mess of it like ITV1 have.

So, the old logotype stays on. Save for the NBC peacock or the CNN logo, I'd say Channel Four is now perhaps the strongest TV identity in the televisual world.

Happy new year TVFers.