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The studio ident for Film4 Productions is a new take on the “Channel 4 formula”, that sees the logo slowly revealed to the viewer through the magic of perspective.
Check out more from Film4, or just more studio idents.
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Last week Channel 4’s digital sibling More4 launched the Stanley Kubrick season, a ten day film festival of some of the celebrated directors work. This stunning promo was shot in one long take, and is a look behind the scences of Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining, all from the perspective of the director himself.
The spot produced by Channel 4 Creative, was meticulously researched and was even shot using the directors favourite lens. Truly fitting for such a influential filmmaker.
British television seems to love the idea of programming “seasons”. More4 won an award for this promo used for their State of Russia season a few years back, and earlier this year BBC Four took its viewers on a trip into the Medieval mind.
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A few hours ago Channel 4 broadcast what The Guardian is calling Britain’s first ever live commercial during a break in the reality show Come Dine With Me. The three minute ad came live from the skies above Spain and featured a team of professional skydivers demonstrating Honda’s latest tagline “Difficult Is Worth Doing”.
The live nature of television is one of its biggest redeeming features, and while this commercial is certainly full of the novelty factor, its an example of the innovation that not only the advertising industry will have to adopt, but also the whole television sector in general.
For more advertising fun check out a new show that started this week on ABC1 called The Gruen Transfer, a very funny and interesting look into the industry. Or just check out some of my favourite ads, here and here.
– Thanks for the video Craig
The concept behind Channel 4’s iconic idents have lept from behind your television screen and into the real world…
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Like everything Channel 4 does, they’ve managed to make their digital switchover campaign that bit more creative then the rest of the bunch. Not only have they dug up bizarre eighties television icon Max Headroom, they’ve paired him with Ewen Macintosh from The Office.
Max Headroom made his television debut in 1985, the same year I was born, so the reference is going a little over my head. The BBC however refers to Headroom as the “original digital TV star” which makes him and his claim that “the future is here” a highly original and wry choice for Channel 4’s campaign.
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I realise I’m probably giving this show a disproportionate amount of attention, especially considering I’m not even sure I like it, but its always had fairly cool promos, and really, at least it looks interesting, something thats been lacking lately on Australia’s prime time schedule… Whacked Out Sports? Really?!
Skins starts from season one tonight on SBS, and a new season starts soon on E4.
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Channel 4 relaunched the branding of its digital sibling E4 last Monday with five new idents and a refreshed on-air look. Above are four of the new idents (will post the fifth when I find it). The concept needs a bit of explanation, but unlike some other idents, these seem to make some sense. Basically they are meant to;
transform a typically British scene – such as a barn, a beach hut or a hotel – into a “deranged E4 space” where the “weird and wonderful colourfully unfolds”
Thats the word from the networks senior producer anyway. Whatever they are meant to be, they will probably appeal to the networks target audience, and really can a network that plays this much free-to-air Scrubs be all that bad? An example of a new look promo is after the jump, so..
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Channel Four’s long running, and very creative series of idents got a new addition recently. This one, taking place on a roller coaster won’t go down as my favorite of the collection, but stays true to the formula and is impeccably produced.
Check out the entire collection here, including special Simpsons and Killers idents.
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Skins is a British teen drama whose first series was broadcast earlier this year on Channel 4’s hip digital sibling E4 to some of the networks highest ratings. In Australia the show is set to air Mondays at 10pm on SBS over summer.
Having only watched the pilot episode when the show first launched, and breaking my own oft-proselytised rule of at least watching a second episode before giving up on a show, I don’t have much to contribute review wise about the show..
For an actual review of the show though, from someone whose watched it, and almost convinced me to give it another chance, check out Triple J’s film critic’s thoughts about it here. And I tend to agree that ABC2 needs to score some content like this to help build an identity for itself, Peep Show was a good start, but it needs more.
– Much belated thanks for the video Craig.
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British public service broadcaster Channel 4 is turning 25 this year, and along with other celebrations More4 is broadcasting a “quietly celebratory, but not uncritical” documentary about itself called Channel 4 at 25.
Within the documentary some moments in the broadcasters identity were relived, and this is what I’m sharing today. The first video is a special montage ident merging the various looks that the network has had over the past quarter century. The next video relives the first moments of the channel on air, and the final video is a recreation of the original ident that made such a big splash when it first launched.
Channel 4 continues to make some of the best on air branding, check out their current set of idents, their special Simpson’s ident, the 20 questions collection and Judi Dench in a lobster costume spruiking FilmFour.
– Thanks for the videos Craig.