Month: March 2008

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New Zealand TV Videos: Idents

New Zealand’s new look Sky Sport.

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The New Zealand arm of Sky Sports got a rebrand recently, with a new logo, and some new idents. Designed by Brandspank, the new look is intended to capture those milliseconds of sporting greatness “when something spectacular occurs in sport that jolts us typically laid back Kiwis out of our seats and cause us to show our passion”.

– Thanks to Steve from Brandspank for supplying the videos.

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Seven Network Videos: Idents

The very polished Seven HD.

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Among the commercial networks Ten HD appear to have gone to the most trouble with their branding, and the slow, steady and lackluster look of Nine HD isn’t anything spectacular.

For Seven HD however the current look is a sublime and creative execution of the networks slogan “the difference is clear”, and a huge leap forward from the ident that opened the network back in October.

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BBC Three Videos: Idents

BBC Three says buh-bye to the blobs.

Download the whole H264 bunch in one swoop here (50.2mb *.zip).

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BBC Three relaunched its whole brand last month, and these are a selection of the old-look idents, including the first video above, which is the “blobs” final adieu just before the new look arrived.

These Aardman inspired spots have been on-air since the networks launch in 2003, and while I’m not often a fan of purely CGI idents, as they often create stale nothingness, these are quite an exceptional concept, often funny and beautifully executed.

BBC Three is the network responsible for bringing Little Britain to television, along with the short lived but awesome architecture series Dreamspaces.

– Cheers to Andy for supplying the videos.

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ABC1 Videos: Promos

Summer Heights headed for HBO and BBC Three.

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It’s just been reported that the Australian mockumentary Summer Heights High has been sold for international broadcast to BBC Three in the UK, and none other than HBO in the United States.

Chris Lilley won a Rose d’Or for his previous show, We Can Be Heroes, and will no doubt garner even greater attention with these new distribution deals. And while various other Australian productions have made their way onto American television, this will certainly be one of the most high profile.

Continue reading “Summer Heights headed for HBO and BBC Three.”
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Nine Network Videos: Idents

You’re (finally) watching Nine HD.

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Last week Channel Nine became the last of the commercial networks to begin broadcasting breakaway programming on their HD channel.

Nine HD joins the heavily promoted Ten HD, and the first on the scene 7HD.

While its very much early days for multichanneling in Australia, the real fun should begin January 1st next year when the networks get the chance to start broadcasting additional SD channels, and finally fulfilling the promise of digital television by hopefully embracing UK style multichanneling… e7, TenTwo, 9b etc.

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New Zealand TV Videos: Idents

The light surrounding you on New Zealand’s ONE.

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TV ONE is part of New Zealand’s largest free to air broadcaster TVNZ, which among other channels includes the previously mentioned TV2.

The first video is a 90 second brand spot for the network, while the second video is a 2008 season promo, both videos heavily feature Evermore’s track Light Surrounding You. The third video is a timelapse ident for the channel, and the last video is a promo for its netball coverage feature the song Dream Catch Me by Newton Faulkner.

– Thanks again to TVNZ for supplying the videos.

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Nine Network Videos: Openings

Nine gets nostalgic with WWOS relaunch.

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Channel Nine rebooted its Wide World of Sports franchise last Sunday and opened its first episode back in a over a decade with a look back at the shows history and various opening sequences.

– Big thanks to Christian for the video, much appreciated.

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Videos: Top Gear

Top Ground Gear Force.

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If you thought mash ups were only good for combining The Killers with The Clash, think again! Top Gear has again collided head on with another show for charity. Last year it was Top Gear of the Pops for Red Nose Day, and now we have the comedic train wreck that is Top Ground Gear Force, all in the name of raising money for Sports Relief (over £19 million so far).

Top Gear again shows its amazing range and breadth in this comedy of errors, I can’t think of another show scripted or otherwise that so seamlessly switches one episode to another between comedy, drama, slapstick, visual beauty and adventure the way this show does.

I’ve said it before, but I love the one-off formats and genre transcending content that comes out of British television in the name of charity, its not always great, but at least its kinda fun and inventive (just like that Killers mash up).

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S4/C (Welsh) Videos: Idents

All the new S4/C idents, plus how they did it.

Download the whole H264 bunch in one swoop here (97.4mb *.zip).

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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s4cLights - Twango

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s4cMuseum - Twango

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s4cCrane - Twango

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I first gushed all over these ‘audio reactive’ idents back in December last year, and that was when I’d only seen three of them. Now I’m happy to present the whole collection, along with a making-of video. And while my absolute favourite of the bunch remains the “lamp store” spot, some of the new inclusions such as “welding” and “power lines” are just as excellent.

And while the concept for these idents continue to blow me away, I think the more successful spots tend to be the ones that have the voice altering the environment in a more natural and realistic way. For example the “car park” ident doesn’t have the same impact when the visual reaction to the voice is quite so surreal. And as for the “ice cream truck” spot, I’ve been told its used during children’s programming, which makes sense, because compared to the rest its straight out bizarre.

Check out the making of video below, and a big thanks to folks at Proud Creative and Minivegas for the videos.

s4cCrane - Twango

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ABC1 Videos: Promos

Hello Future: The ABC’s digital ambitions.

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The ABC made some big announcements about its digital future today, including the launch of an iPlayer-esque service called ABC Playback, a for-pay download store, and the groundwork for the long anticipated 24 hour news channel.

And while theres plenty of time to talk about the need for platform agnosticism and critique the interface and branding, the one thing that is entirely clear is that the national broadcaster is leading the way among Australian broadcasters, and further demonstrating its relevance during this digital revolution.

Read all the details here or check out some of the action in the video above.