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Channel 4 Videos: Promos

Channel 4: Born Risky.

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Channel 4 stands up for what it believes in a new campaign designed to remind viewers of its remit and purpose.

We were set up to experiment, provoke and entertain, and to put our profits into our programmes. You may love us, you may want to punch our lights out, but we make programmes we believe in. We can do this because we were Born Risky.

Produced in house by 4Creative. Full credits here.

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Channel 4 Videos: TV

Adam Hills’ Alternative Christmas Message.

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Australian comedian Adam Hills delivered the latest Channel 4 “Alternative Christmas message” this year focusing on the Paralympics, with reference to the hugely successful Meet The Superhumans campaign. Shot in a single long take it’s a particularly sincere and poetic spin on the annual tradition.

Presenters of previous alternative Christmas messages have ranged from Marge Simpson to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Channel 4 Videos: Promos

Meet The Superhumans.

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Broadcast concurrently across 78 different UK television channels last week “Meet the Superhumans” is a 90 second film produced as part of Channel 4’s campaign to promote their coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Accompanied by ‘Harder Than You Think‘ from Public Enemy, it’s a spectacular piece of work from 4Creative and a powerful introduction to the Paralympics.

Full credits here.

Categories
Channel 4 Videos: Idents

Dancing with 4Music.

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British music and entertainment channel 4Music refreshed its on-air branding this month and introduced four new idents based around dance.

I’m reminded of the old BBC One ‘Rhythm and Movement’ idents that still remain a gold standard for television branding. And having recently seen Pina I still think there is plenty of room to further explore dance in idents.

For more info on the 4Music rebrand read this.

(Thanks for the details Nick)

Categories
Channel 4 Videos: Promos

The news needs more Steadicam (and laughs).

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The wit of David Mitchell and the profundity of Charlie Brooker have joined forces along with Jimmy Carr and Lauren Laverne for a new topical comedy programme on Channel 4 called 10 O’Clock Live.

In a similar vein to local productions Hungry Beast or the 7pm Project the show is a tight hour or news, chat and comedy. Visually the programmes colour palette and set design are decidedly un-newsy, and the use of Steadicam makes for a (quite literally) smooth viewing experience.

Something that’s meant to make us laugh, is somehow also making us smarter. The rise of comedy in the delivery of news is challenging new audiences to have a greater understanding of the world around them, and hopefully that’s a good thing.

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Videos: Idents

Planes, cars and Blackpool.

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Channel 4 have been producing some of the most beautifully executed and conceptually coherent idents on television for nearly six years now.

Yesterday they introduced three new spots (well two if you don’t count the 3D spot) with the clear stand out being the epic airplane graveyard ident.

Again, an absolute triumph in branding and incomparable to local offerings. For the full set of Channel 4 idents stretching back to the beginning look here.

Categories
Videos: Broadcast News

A day in the life of British news.

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The way a network presents its news, both visually and editorially says a lot about the channel. For the sake of comparison lets look at how ITV, BBC, Sky and Channel 4 covered today’s Ash-attack.

I’ll avoid making comment on the various broadcasters editorial skills, but to summarise the look and feel of each news bulletin:

– The BBC is the straightest, clean lines, serious look.
– Channel 4 is the edgiest, feels a touch alternative.
– ITV is the glossiest, very shiny, little to CGI heavy.
– And Sky News is by far the least interesting.

For some historical perspective, check out my 2007 edition of this exact same post.

With the launch of ABC News 24 getting close, I look forward to seeing how the ABC takes on the task of branding a whole news channel. Hopefully nothing like Sky.

Categories
Channel 4 Videos: Promos

The next big thing in promos? Parodying Apple.

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British channel E4 have looked to Apple and its soon to be released iPad for inspiration and parody in this new promo.

Mocking Apple’s product videos this new spot jumps on board the iPad hype machine with their very own, if not slightly bulkier alternative, the ePad.

Categories
Channel 4 Videos: Idents

Channel 4 goes 3D for a week.

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Last month Channel 4 embraced the 3D television fad with a week of special programming, and some nifty on-air branding to go along with it.

Along with the 3D promos, a special 3D ident was also produced. Check out the rest of the Channel 4 idents here.

Categories
Channel 4 Videos: TV

Channel 4’s truly alternative Christmas message.

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Since 1993 Channel 4 has been offering viewers an alternative to the Queen’s Christmas message. With the likes of Ali G, Jamie Oliver and even Marge Simpson delivering a speech it’s generally been a rather tongue-in-cheek event.

This year however Channel 4 decided to court controversy with their decision to approach Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (who was so beautifully satirised by SNL here) to deliver the address.