Televisual articles from April 2001

Televisual archives from April 2001

Boyle is back on the beach.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Danny Boyle returns to UK TV screens with two feature-length dramas for the BBC. Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise stars Timothy Spall as a vacuum salesman who travels round bizarre housing estates with an assistant who has musical...

UK production hit by epidemic.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Brian Hill's Cow for Channel 4 is the latest victim of foot-and-mouth in the TV community. The documentary (Televisual, January), which follows the life of a beef-cow, may be suspended. Lulu, the cow in question, is currently healthy, but...

Pearson's Eva Entertainment on the market.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pearson's animation output could be at an end as Eva Entertainment prepares to sell itself as well as its films at Mip. Insiders say Eva's future is in doubt as it has had few major projects, due partly to executive upheavals before and...

Attaboy TV's active ingredients.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Broadcast production house Attaboy TV (Road Movies for C4, Life at the Sport for C5) is moving into commercials, promos and new media production with the launch of Attaboy Active. The new venture will represent directors Angela Conway, Sean...

ITV.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... ITV has acquired UK Internet rights from Celador to host Who Wants to be a Millionaire? online gaming on itv.co.uk ITV2 has acquired the show's interactive TV rights. One of the four web games will be synchronised with the TV transmission,...

Rob Harvey.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Latest from Rob Harvey, who picked up an Oscar for Mill Film's work on Gladiator, are visuals on 3x10-second spots for Thorpe Park's new rides. The ads were directed by Phil Dupee at Clinic. Lola's Graham Andrew built cg models and, after...

FilmFour.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... FilmFour subscribers on Sky Digital get three new channels for their [pound]6 fee from 7 April: classics like Secrets and Lies (right) will be available via FilmFour Extreme, Plus 1 and World. It is also launching an enhanced website, with a...

A Jack Morton Company.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Creation: A Jack Morton Company is rebranding itself as The Digital Media Division of Jack Morton Worldwide - part of a restructuring and recruiting programme to gear up for the broadband revolution. Creation md Jim Wilson's job-title will also...

Nexus wins new spots for Q, Sky and the BBC.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Latest in a spate of ad commissions for media clients at animation house Nexus are four spots for Q4music.com, the sister website of music magazine Q. The spots are designed to encourage users to register at the site and feature the "www...

Dancer Wayne McGregor brings.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Dancer Wayne McGregor brings his contemporary zeal to BBC2 with Horizone. This nine-minute, part-animated short was choreographed by McGregor and benefits from Arts Council funding and a [pound]25k grant from NESTA for post-production. It was...

Pioneer test-drives popular science for C5.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pioneer has won a batch of new commissions as Channel 5 explores the potential of popular science programming. The 4x30-minute programmes (Life on Mars, The New Zodiac, Who Wants to Live Forever? and Britain's Big Freeze) will show from 9...

Clapton: this is not a rehearsal.
April 1, 2001... 30,000 feet of 35mm capturing Eric Clapton in action are being converted to HD at The Farm for his new promo, I Ain't Going to Stand for It. It was shot as he rehearsed for his world tour, which kicks off in the US in May to plug his...

Two Four Productions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Two Four Productions is set to trace the history of Britain's best- known food-and-drink brands with new series Brand Leaders. Commissioned by Taste/CFN (formerly the Canton Food Network), the 15 half-hour episodes will include food issues, vox...

Eye Animation.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Eye Animation has cracked the home-spun US cookie market with two spots for Nabisco Chips Ahoy and FCB New York. Due to air stateside this month, Peanut Butter and Candy Blast feature exploding "jewel-like" chocolate and a nightclub with...

Serious Pictures'.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Serious Pictures' promo Free at Last for dance artist Simon is a mixture of illustrated 2D graphics, archive and original footage, creating a montage that synchronises with the track's rhythms and vocals. Directors Rod Chong and Sharon...

Telemagination sees a ghost.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Little Ghost, the first production from Telemagination under its new owner TV Loonland, rolls out at Mip TV after a chequered development. Two seven-minute episodes will be at Mip, with another 37 to follow. They are produced by TV...

Kemistry sets Cathay's TV image.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Cathay Pacific's in-flight entertainment service Studio CX gets a makeover with new idents from on-screen branding/design consultancy Kemistry. Shot on 16mm and 35mm motion-control, the idents package and introduce the airline's 20...

Cut called on principal on Hardcore doc shoot.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Principal Films' Hardcore, a harrowing documentary that takes a close look at the porn industry for Channel 4 this month, faced its production team with an ethical dilemma. Shot over three weeks, the film is the story of Felicity, a...

"Blade of light".(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Mysterious wobbles on the "blade of light" bridge are explained in a DVD from Uden to be shown as part of an architecture exhibition at the British Museum this summer. The eight-minute programme, commissioned by engineering firm Ove Arup and...

Tomboy Films.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Polo Smoothies get a make-over to tie in with the cinema release of Bridget Jones's Diary. The spot for the new flavour Polo mints parodies French haute couture. The sweets are shown as must-have accessories draped over chic models: "Pour...

Pearson Television and 19 TV.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pearson Television and 19 TV have taken up the challenge of matching LWT's Popstars' success with Pop Idol, another search for a pop performer for the ITV network. The format closely follows the Popstars structure and was devised by the 19...

Oasis Television.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Oasis Television has spruced up Living's new channel idents, due on air early this month. Ortmans Young designed and produced the eight-second identities for the Flextech lifestyle channel. The Super 16 shots, together with various graphic...

Smith's digital switch-off.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Who'd have though that Chris Smith's plan to convert TV to a digital platform would lead to complete havoc? Not the consumer, it seems: 49% of non-adopters of digital TV aren't even aware of plans to switch off the analogue signal, according to...

BBC.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Joyous celebrations among the nation's broadcasters met the news that Blair buddy and current crime tsar John Birt had been tipped to bag the top job at new communications regulator Ofcom. BBC boss Greg Dyke is thought to be particularly...

Kirch.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The chances of catching the World Cup on terrestrial TV slipped further away from British footie fans this month after German media giant and owner of the 2002 TV rights, Kirch, went to the European court to challenge UK legislation...

Comic Relief's Celebrity Big Brother.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Comic Relief's Celebrity Big Brother turned out to be even more gripping than the original, as the nation squinted through its fingers fearing a shot of Vanessa Feltz on the bog could flash on to their screens at any moment. Highlights included...

OPINIONS.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... iTV: more than a TV add-on I have to disagree with the assertions now frequently being made that echo those of NTL's John Hondros (Televisual, October): that the move from television to web work for TV production companies is just a matter...

Country plague, City panic.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... This has been a cruel spring. With the countryside cowering before the spread of imported foot-and-mouth, the City's nerves are also taut after the half-percent US interest-rate cut went off half-cock. And media shares bore the brunt. ...

Ghost in the machine.(Brief Article)(Interview)
April 1, 2001... Known for his work on spots like BMW's Luge, SVC's Inferno artist Chris Mortimer looks through the television programming schedule and points the finger at the good, the bad and the ugly. Ultimately, he says, a bad idea will remain a bad idea...

Mortimer's millions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The BBC's deputy controller of documentaries and investigations has a big bag of cash to spend on one-off documentaries. Jon Creamer finds out what he wants in return for his money Smashed windows, police cordons and heavy security on Wood...

An eloquent mime.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Tiger Aspect is currently in production with the animated series of Mr Bean. With teddybear in hand and wearing the required tweed jacket, Sam Espensen joins the team in Bean-world to watch the transformation of Rowan Atkinson's "live-action...

Export or die.(United Kingdom television exporters; includes movie synopses)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... "Must try harder" is the message from the top to the UK's TV exporters on the eve of the Mip selling-fest. We look at why there seems to be such a big trade gap, then flag the freshest UK product going to market this month Did you know...

BT eyes up TV.(British Telecommunications PLC)
April 1, 2001... Broadcasting is changing, and what used to be the distinct worlds of audio and visual communications are coming together. After four years in Hong Kong as director of BT North East Asia, Mark Smith returns to the UK to head-up BT's Broadcast...

Corporate.net.(includes lists of events, awards, training, etc.)
April 1, 2001... This year's awards line-up shows a decisive shift towards new and convergent technologies, according to the IVCA. Jon Creamer finds out how corporate producers are preparing for broadband as we roll-out the winners Broadband revolution,...

Switch pitch.(television commissioning; online idea bank)
April 1, 2001... There's no doubt that commissioners will always occupy the cat-bird seat in the production chain. But there's also no doubt that the process is changing. Anastasia Kershaw asks producers' key clients about ideas-labs and web-pitching and finds...

Kit counts the cost.(contract production companies)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... The kit hire business is currently a rollercoaster ride. Cheap production gear - the saviour of the producer - has turned out to be the bane of the hirer. So forget about consolidation and building monopolies: look instead to the smaller...

Curious Software at the BBC.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Two travel series are in development using Curious World Maps software as the predominant graphics generation tool. Employed as a post-rather than a live production tool, as originally intended, the software is being used to generate maps...

Skillset fends off the hotel trade.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Bectu is reacting strongly to suggestions in the DfEE paper, Building a Stronger Network, which imply that Skillset could be forced to merge with organisations ranging from media through to hotel management. Although the BBC management may...

John Hollis.(television commerical director)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... John Hollis (400 Films) has directed a sfx-laden spot for the Royal Mail. The ad, animated at Realise Studios, features a series of transitions of the world - from outer-space zooming-in to a man sitting on a sofa reading a letter. Each image...

Post alliance in the delivery.(Beam.tv online collaboration platform for agencies, production, studios, and editors, post-houses)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Mill is working with technology providers Wamnet and Telestream to set up an online service to bring global players in post-production on to one platform. Launching this month, Beam.tv aims to provide a secure platform for online...

CCTV van hits the hire market.
April 1, 2001... Hire company Prime TV is offering the first CCTV-kitted OB truck - now on location recording CCTV, a gameshow for BBC Choice rebrand, BBC3. The compact-van can be fitted with up to 12 cameras, six of which can be remotely controlled by the...

DGP uses best light for budget.(Best Light mastering process)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... DGP has gone out on a limb for Anthony Horowitz's forthcoming 7x60-minute BBC drama series, Murder in Mind, using a Best Light mastering process to allow the series a commercial-type finish within the production budget. Using this film transfer...

The White House enters The Lookinglass.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... London's The White House Post Productions has joined forces with American facilities The Lookinglass Company to create an international film editing operation. Adopting the British brand, the new company is already planning expansion in...

Pinnacle Systems.(software upgrade for FXDeko)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The software upgrade for FXDeko is now available through Pinnacle Systems. Version 4.1 features real-time clocking that can be used across multiple layers of the graphics tool. It also allows playback of animations and full-frame looping...

On Sight.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... On Sight has dipped its toe into the HD-hire waters after six month's heavy marketing in the format. It supplied two Sony HDW9000s to Paul Weiland for the filming of the latest Doritos spots - the company's first foray into filming in HD,...

Glassworks.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Glassworks has snatched senior Inferno artist Ludovic Fealy from Rushes, where he has spent the last eight-and-a-half years. Previous projects include the Macqueen/Hopper Ford Cougar spots and work on Tomorrow Never Dies. He joins Glassworks to...

The lure of the flashing lights.
April 1, 2001... Here are the three things that will draw you to Las Vegas: gambling, Elvis and... well, NAB. Simon Meek takes a look at the line-up at this year's show and tries to guide you into the exhibition hall and away from the casinos There are...

Risen from the ashes.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A year-and-a-half after the fire that almost wiped it out, Frontline Television is taking new shape, with a fresh look and with expanding business streams, as Simon Meek finds out With the smell of paint fresh in the air, the finishing...

iTV at the front line.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... There's a lot of excitement about the potential of interactive TV, but the gap between expectation and reality isn't getting any smaller. Canton Active's creative director sees a bright future for the medium, but prefers to deal with the here...

Not in front of the children.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The prospect of two ad-free BBC kids' channels that so thrills pestered parents is a red rag to the commercial kids' TV sector. The new md of Nickelodeon pitches camp for the white paper scrap I arrived at Nickelodeon UK at a time of huge...

GearBox hits the G spot!(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Does your facility have the benefit of 24-hour technical support? How about an almost unlimited pool of additional equipment you can bring into the studio at short notice? Or a trusted member of the team, who will stay in touch with...

The Mezzanine studio.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... What's the difference between The Mezzanine suite and a high-end commercial audio post facility? Not a lot, apart from the fact that The Mezzanine is available free to GearBox customers. The GearBox team built The Mezzanine to help...

Shepperton Sound.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The UK's premier Pro Tools facility Shepperton Studios, one of Europe's most famous film facilities has an international reputation for excellence spanning more than fifty years. It now houses one of the most comprehensive Pro Tools...

GearBox: the best system integrators in the world?
April 1, 2001... PRO TOOLS Of course 'best' is a subjective concept, as a major Scandinavian brewer knows. But there are many indisputable reasons why GearBox should be your first call for Digidesign Pro Tools and related systems. GearBox is a...

Kind of Loud makes 5.1 kind of easy.(Kind of Loud Technologies )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Software developer Kind of Loud Technologies has released two versions of its SmartCode Pro plug-in, enabling Dolby Digital or DTS format surround mixes to be encoded within Pro Tools. Both versions of SmartCode Pro are AudioSuite software...

Digidesign Reverb One.(Avid Technology Incorporated, Digidesign Division)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Digidesign's latest TDM plug-in offers an astonishing combination of characteristics. Pro Tools users who have heard it are already comparing its sonic performance to the industry's best loved 'hardware' reverberation processor. But at the same...

Rocket Network gets you there faster.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Increasing compatibility between file formats and the use of networking have helped to speed up transfer between media systems. At the same time, the diminishing use of 'SneakerNet' has meant easier tracking of resources and less physical...

Apple G4s go faster still.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Already the world's first desktop 'super computers' and classed by the US military as weapons due to their awesome power, Apple's G4s are now available with dual processors, or in faster than ever single-processor configurations. For instance,...

Avid Unity.(Avid Technology Incorporated)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... With v5.1 and AVoptionIXL increasing the interoperability between Avid and Pro Tools, the next logical step would be to bring together every seat in the operation with a LAN. Fortunately Avid has already developed a solution, in the form of...

DigiDrives: optimum storage.(Avid Technology Incorporated, Digidesign Division)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... As every Pro Tool user knows, all hard drives are not the same. Recording and playback performance depend on the drives' ability to deal with continuous, real-time media. Available in 18GB or 36GB configurations, Digidesign's own...

Rorke: simply the best.(computer storage systems and fibre-based networks)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... With 15 years experience serving the professional AW market, Rorke knows more about rack-mounted storage systems and fibre-based networks than several other manufacturers put together. The originals and still the best, Rorke products can be...

Back-up options.(computer storage devices)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... If you're working with digital sound or video in a non-linear environment, you're storing and retrieving gigabytes of data. But storing your valuable media resources once is not enough. For security reasons, you should always have a back-up...

Doremi - non-linear video for post.(video disk recorders)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... How non-linear is your set-up. As non-linear as your editing and dubbing equipment or as non-linear as the VTRs that support it? It's a compelling question and one which has helped Doremi to supply more than 10,000 of its V1 video disk...

Plasma proves brighter idea.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Plasma screen technology has always promised so many advantages but has also presented considerable challenges to the manufacturer. Arguably, no one in the world has more experience in building large plasma screens than Sony - and it's an...

Sony Digital Betacam and Betacam SP.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... In a world full of formats and competing technologies it's reassuring to know that Sony can still develop video formats with staying power and provide clear upgrade paths which 'future-proof' its users. That has certainly been GearBox's...

AkaiDD8plus - a leader in multi-machine solutions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... GearBox always believed that Akai's DD8plus would prove to be a strong contender among the new generation of digital dubbers. Factors in its favour include: build quality and Akai's excellent reputation; exceptional 24-bit audio quality in...

Tascam MX-2424.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... As the name implies, the Tascam MX-2424 differs from some of today's digital dubbers by offering 24 tracks of 24-bit recording in one compact package. It is also designed to interface well with other equipment and offers some interesting...

Tascam goes Hi-Res.(high resolution audio recording and playback)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Tascam's DTRS format has cornered some sections of the industry, with the DA-88 and DA-98 machines becoming a standard. The latest addition to the family is the Tascam DA-98HR, which offers High Resolution record and playback. In 8-track...

Mackie HDR24/96.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A perfect partner to the D8B, or many other recording combinations, the Mackie HDR24/96 is a 24 track, hard disk-based system. The 20GB built-in drive gives more than 100 minutes of recording at 48kHz but, as he model number implies, the system...

Mackie d8b adds features.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... What have US producer Don Was LA post house 48 Windows BBC Scotland and film composer David Arnold got in common? They're all using the Mackie Digital 8Bus -- and now there are even more reasons to join them. Version 3.0 software has just...

Sony DMX-R100: post perfection.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Until very recently, many facilities were faced with the choice between the digital console the operators really wanted and the one the hourly rate would sensibly justify. With clients also on tight budgets, the luxury option has frequently...

Yamaha AW4416 audio workstation.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Have you ever looked at the 'studio in a box' system made for musicians and thought: "I wish someone made something that simple but with really professional performance"? Well, it looks like -- Yamaha had the same idea because the new AW4416...

Surround monitoring come and hear the difference for yourself.(Genelec)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Genelec -- a sound choice When Genelec started making monitor systems 22 years ago, they had some ideas that other people thought were a little crazy. Like putting the amplifiers and active crossover into the speaker cabinet, not next door...

Focusrite: cool Reds and warm Blues.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... It is a fact that Focusrite dynamics and EQ units far out-sell any other brand GearBox stocks. This of course, speaks volumes about the keen ears of GearBox customers and also stands testimony to the legendary design and build quality of...

Microphones.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Whether you are recording voice-over, filming on location, or about to capture an entire orchestra, GearBox has the appropriate microphones to hand GearBox particularly recommends the classic microphone designs from Neumann, AKG and Sennheiser....

TC expands 5.1 spaces.(TC Electronics Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The massive growth in 5.1 mixing has set new expectations in reverberation and acoustic processing. Fortunately TC Electronic has developed a device which exceeds everyone's expectations, regardless of the format they are working with. TC's...

Apogee converters: purity for all.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... As a broad range of audio professionals will testify, converter quality is a major factor in record and replay transparency - and Apogee is the No 1 choice in stand-alone converter technology. Always innovative but never sonically compromised,...

AD8000 - the premier solution.(Apogee multitrack converter system)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... This is the multitrack converter system producers demand on world-class sessions, as the AD8000 can enhance even the best digital recorders. Each eight channel AD-8000 unit provides 24-bit resolution with 114dB dynamic range. In addition,...

Trak 2 - perfect for Pro Tools.(Apogee)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... It's now more affordable than ever to ensure audio transparency from the very first stage of recording. Apogee's Trak2 reference-standard microphone preamplifier/conversion system combines two vitally important stages in one unit. First,...

IntelliDAC - a converter with brains.(Apogee)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Apogee IntelliDAC 9616 is a 16-channel 24-bit D/A converter system, capable of operating at sample rates up to 96kHz. The converters can source their digital input from either AES/EBU, ADAT (or optionally ST) optical or TDIF sources, and...

Mastering DAT master recorders.(Sony Corp.)(Tascam)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Sony and Tascam DAT recorders continue to be best sellers at GearBox. That's no big surprise. Both manufacturers have an excellent track record for build-quality and continue to innovate new features to keep DAT a true mastering medium with...

Sony CDR-W66/W33.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The very latest in CD recorders, the W66 and W33 both incorporate DSP pre-mastering capabilities. This provides functions normally associated with a premastering suite: reequalising, levelling and programme limiting. Also supported is CD-Text,...

MIDI and samplers.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... ak.Sys software for Akai S5/6000 now V2.0 Prefer standalone hardware samplers but wish you had the centralised control and on-screen feedback of a fully integrated system? Akai has the answer with ak.Sys control software, which runs on a...

Make your money go further with finance.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Leasing equipment makes big sense for a lot of businesses. The most obvious benefits come from separating the purchase from the capital investment, Typically, that means the business gets the equipment it needs sooner rather than later. Perhaps...