Month: February 2007

The new ABC1 ident: News.

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The talented folks at zspace have released another new ABC1 ident on the world, this time promoting the online, television and radio news services of everyones favourite national broadcaster.

The ident has hard to describe but strangely cool music (better then the usual ad jingle) and features the new look abc.net.au/news which still hasn’t officially launched yet.

Check out the rest of the awesome new ABC1 idents here.

Foxtel Videos: Idents

When channels die, or at least get rebranded.

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 27, 2007
1 Comment on When channels die, or at least get rebranded.

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On the 12th of January 2007, Club [V], the pink-polo-turned-up-collar wearing sibling of Channel [V] became simply Channel [V]2 and dropped any remaining dance music focus.

Apparently people are annoyed because of the introduction of ads on the new channel, but except for a few months ago when I recorded the above video I really haven’t watched anymore of it besides the occasional flick through so I don’t really remember if it had ads or not.

BBC Two Videos: Idents

TV on the television: The new BBC Two idents

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 19, 2007
25 Comments on TV on the television: The new BBC Two idents

Download the whole H264 bunch in one swoop here (36.3mb *.zip).

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Update 08/04/07: Sunroof ident added.

BBC Two, the channel that delights me on a weekly basis with new episodes of Top Gear (promo below) relaunched its on screen look over the weekend, and I feel a little conflicted.

Maybe as an outside observer I can’t gauge how sick people may have been of the old look idents, but I still really liked them. They were easily the best entirely computer generated idents out there, and used a formula with seemingly (or I guess not) endless variations.

My favourite of the newbies is probably the zoetrope (first video), they could have even expanded that into a whole series with different projections being made. For now though, try and let the new teal coloured logo grow on you as you soak up the new look.

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European TV Videos: Idents

Norway: #1 in Human Rights, 2 on TV

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 18, 2007
12 Comments on Norway: #1 in Human Rights, 2 on TV

Download the whole H264 bunch in one swoop here (11.4mb *.zip).

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Along with the Benelux countries, Scandinavia is high on my list of groupings-of-three-nations I really want to visit (Sweden for the Saabs, Belgium for Antwerp).

Thanks to Hans I’m happy to be able to show off some of Norway’s idents from the countries largest commercial broadcaster TV2. In my research for something interesting to say about Norway I discovered that the country is rated #1 in the UN Human Development Index which isn’t too shabby at all (Australia is #3).

(It looks like BBC Two will be relaunching their idents, I’ll post whatever I can get my hands on soon.)

BBC One Videos: Idents

Life on Earth, in 1973.

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The BBC has not wavered from their 70’s theme when its comes to the promotion of the I’ve-heard-its-quite-good Life on Mars which started its second and final season last night in the UK.

While the beeb recently relaunched its BBC One idents, they took the ingenious step of having you “tune in” to the BBC of the 1970’s, idents and all, for their broadcast of last nights episode. Check out some of the other promos for Life on Mars here.

BBC Two Videos: Top Gear

For the next few moments our TV program became a radio show

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 12, 2007
5 Comments on For the next few moments our TV program became a radio show

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Scripted, unscripted, magazine style show, reality show, drama, comedy… whatever category Top Gear falls into it is one of the most entertaining shows on television, and the latest episode is the clearest sign yet that if a show about three guys talking about cars was capable of getting a theatrical release, this would be it.

Update: Read more about the making of this episode from the executive producer Andy Wilman and get James May’s response to getting run out of town by rednecks.

Channel 4 Videos: Idents

Four to the Floor: The fourth apostle

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 8, 2007
2 Comments on Four to the Floor: The fourth apostle

Download all the C4 idents in one swoop here (78.6mb *.zip).

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The beach, the waves, the rocks, a plug for Ugly Betty.. another awesome ident from Channel 4. See the entire collection of Channel 4 idents (including this one) here.

If you happen to have any of the ones I’m missing (sofa?), please email me.

ABC1 Web Misc

Will abc.net.au get ads?

The Managing Director of the ABC unvieled a new plan for the national broadcasters digital future yesterday. While I look forward to more video content online and expanded podcasting (apparently the ABC is the “largest creator of podcasting material in the world “) I’m less enthusiastic at the idea of the ABC carrying ads online.

I know there is the obvious argument that it will bring in revenue with very little effort, but I just believe that we are so fortunate to have a commercial-free national broadcaster. To quote Crikey the ABC needs to remain a “non-commercial public meeting space – a town square rather than a shopping mall”, its something other countries aren’t lucky enough to have and I think we should protect it.

Tags , abc.net.au, ABC1, web design

BBC One Videos: Promos

Life on Mars returns to the BBC, in Colour!

Post author By John Beohm
Post date February 6, 2007
7 Comments on Life on Mars returns to the BBC, in Colour!

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This is really pretty smart. Life on Mars, a show about a modern day policeman who gets hit by a car and wakes up in the year 1973 being promoted as if the show was being broadcast on the BBC of the 1970’s.

Its really well done, and the theme continues on their other marketing exercises. Graham snapped the below photo from a bus shelter in London promoting the series return. Keep reading for the photo….