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ITV1’s good-looking-but-confusing idents got a refresh recently with the addition of four new spots. This is just one of them; fountains. Check out the rest of ITV1’s idents here. When ITV isn’t broadcasting conceptually odd idents, or documentaries about sex, they’re running premium rate telephone competitions, which they’ve been apologising for after the jump.
In April 2006 the BBC ran a competition asking for a new design for the frontpage of their crazy popular website bbc.co.uk. I entered that competition and was one of ten runners up. My design for the site scored me a iPod Nano which I later gave away to a reader. The BBC has finally launched a beta version of the new look front page and its available for the worlds criticism here.
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Proud Creative, working for Welsh broadcaster S4/C have created some of the most stunning videos I’ve posted on this site. I was immediately impressed by the “invisible patriotism” of the Welsh people that they captured in their earlier idents for them, and everyone was mesmerised by the infinite loop that filled S4/C’s on-air down time.
Now though it’s time for something new from Proud and S4/C, something technically very tricky and something thats a world first. Basically they have shot some new idents on film, but with some computer wizardry from Minivegas and some custom designed audio reactive software they are able to create “realtime rendering of live action elements”. Which means the continuity announcers voice actually effects what is on screen, similar to what BBC Four used to do, but on a whole new level.
Watch the videos above in order for the best experience, as they give an explanation as to what is going on, and start thinking about the endless possibilities S4/C have to expand this series.
– Thanks to Dan and Roger from Proud for the videos.
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So far on this blog I have managed to feature European television from Norway, Belgium, France, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK. Which considering how little Australian content is on this site, shows just how lazy I am, and just how proactive and generous my readers are (thanks again!).
Well we now have another European country we can add to that list: Sweden, thanks to Simon who has supplied me these videos from SVT (thats Sveriges Television) the license fee funded national broadcaster of everyones favorite high tax paying country.
I’ve always been fascinated by Sweden and its literally at the top of my “next holiday” list. I don’t know what my attraction is, maybe its the Saab’s, maybe its the The Knife, whatever it is I can’t wait to hopefully visit for myself sometime soon.
Enough about my travel plans though, these videos are a mix of promos, idents and programming from SVT1 and SVT2, for a run down of whats in each video…
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This time last year I posted BBC One’s Christmas promotion for their upcoming holiday programming, went off on a little tangent about the non ratings period, and romanticised the idea of actually sitting around the television with your family. I’ll spare you from hearing about the last two again, and instead just post this years BBC One Christmas promo.
The music is ‘Let Me Entertain You’ from the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy.
UPDATE: Another BBC One Christmas promo (second video), this time featuring ‘Make Someone Happy’ by Jimmy Durante. This time predominantly featuring the upcoming comedy on BBC One over the Christmas season.
– Thanks Andy for the second video, and thanks anonymous internet for the first.
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The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has just flicked the switch on its new software offering ABC Now. Currently only available on PC (with Mac on the way) the desktop client is an audio/video hub for ABC content that allows you to stream and download programs and listen to live radio. And while comparisions are bound to be made to the BBC’s iPlayer this isn’t quite it, not yet at least.
The software is currently pretty basic, and doesn’t offer anything you can’t already get through the ABC’s website. What I find exciting about this is the potential it has. The fact that the ABC is building its own software is great, and its promise to be cross platform is also nice, what it needs though is much more content, much better quality streams and downloads, an integrated media player and library for your downloads, live streaming of ABC television channels, and a huge video back catalogue of every ABC production they have the rights to give away or sell to us.
And while my wish list is probably a bit of a stretch, I think this very first release is a nice start, with a lot of room to grow. Try it out for yourself here.
In related news: The ABC have announced that vodcasts are being downloaded at a rate of 327,000 per week, with over 14 million video downloads so far this year.
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Australian’s welcomed a new channel onto their subscription television platforms today, that new channel is Showcase. Available to subscribers of the Foxtel, Austar and Optus networks the new channel is being described as the home of “dramatically different TV” while extolling the old chestnut that “TV is the new hollywood”. I’m a huge fan of what you might call “alternative” or “cult” television, with most of my favorite shows not even airing on Australian television, at least not with any regularity or respectable time slots, unfortunately for this post though, I haven’t watched any of the shows making their local premier on Showcase.
Series like Dexter, The Riches and The Tudors are all finding their way uncut, and uninterrupted to Showcase, however I’ll have to leave it up to you guys to let me know if they’re worth a try. Documentaries and movies will also fill some of the Showcase schedule with Little Miss Sunshine and An Inconvenient Truth some of the first to air.
Showcase, along with its sister networks Showtime and Showtime Greats are jointly owned by NBC Universal Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Liberty Global International, and although this channels free to air debut would make for much more exciting news its still nice to see television being treated with a similar respect to films, even if you’re going to have to pay for it.
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With just over a fortnight left until the December 16th launch of Ten HD, more details continue to emerge, including some more specifics on the first week of programming, and a new video to compliment the earlier introduction to Ten HD promo.
Unlike the first video, theres no talking (or accents) to worry about, just a cover of Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now and a concept that visualises for us how much better the world can apparently be in high definition. Again, the very slick production is the work of Jane Eakin and Motion Foundry who it seems will be responsible for the on-air look of the new network.
With Seven HD already on the air, and Ten HD just a few weeks away, its just Nine HD, not due until March next year that will round out Australia’s commercial networks first foray into digital multichanneling.
– Thanks again to Alex from Motion Foundry for the video.
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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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Australian’s went to the polls yesterday, and we voted ourselves in a new government. The “Ruddslide” was pretty apparent from early on in the evenings coverage, but the outlook of the incumbent Prime Minister losing his own seat in parliament to a former ABC journalist kept the night pretty interesting.
Of the five free to air networks, Seven, Nine and the ABC offered “non stop” coverage from around 6pm, with SBS and Ten opting to only cover the election through updates and a late bulletin. Sky News also covered the event in full, and I’m pretty sure they haven’t stopped talking about it since.
A very vocal tally room (bloody Canberran’s) no doubt spurred on in part by The Chaser’s presence wasn’t particularly welcome by most broadcasters, but should make for a very good episode next Wednesday of The Chaser Decides.
The ratings for last nights coverage not surprisingly saw the ABC win the night, followed by Seven’s very slick coverage that was actually much better than their own promos would’ve suggested. Channel Ten’s repeat of The Empire Strikes Back came in third beating Channel Nine’s election coverage, which looked and felt like they were broadcasting from the mid nineties.
Update: Get a four minute recap of the whole election night below.
The ABC’s Insiders program compiled a montage of the entire night spanning the various networks coverage, it includes Kerry O’Brien’s ABC/ALP gaffe as mentioned in the comments.
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