Televisual articles from August 2000

Televisual archives from August 2000

DAG gives birth to TMmy.(Digital Animations Group)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Digital Animations Group, creator of virtual presenter Ananova, has built "the next generation of virtual character technology." Christened TMmy, the character is intended to be more lifelike and expressive. "Virtual characters are going to...

Ludgate gets naked for iTV.(Simon Ludgate forms Naked Media)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Simon Ludgate, Caribiner's former head of digital media, has teamed up with TV presenters Anna Walker and Tim Vincent to launch a new media production company, Naked Media. "Our goal is to be one of the leading players in interactive TV -...

Interactive ads by Phosphorus.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... New interactive media outfit Phosphorus opened its doors last week, launched by Jon Dobinson (md of ad consultancy Other), Richard Forbes-Robertson (TBWA's ex-head of TV) and Simon Smith (Static's former creative manager). "Interactive...

Paul Knight brings drama to Sky1's makeover.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Paul Knight Productions is to make its second two-part drama for Sky1. The Bombmaker (2x90-minutes) stars Dervla Kirwan, is directed by Graham Theakston (The Politician's Wife, Cadfael) and shoots in Dublin and London from September for...

London Effects and Animation Festival.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The 7th London Effects and Animation Festival is now accepting entries. This year, it includes a new category of web animation, and is inviting shorts made for the net. The deadline is 15 September, with the awards taking place at Digital Media...

Hawkshead Production.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Award-winning corporate producer Hawkshead Productions, part of GMG Endemol, has seen changes in its management team, after former md Angela Law vacated her post to be replaced by Sarah Beardsmoore. Law will continue to work with Hawkshead...

Just Entertainment.(Independent Television)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Butt-Ugly Martians, the new 26x30-minute 3D cg animation series from Just Entertainment, has been acquired by ITV and is due to appear in the CITV block from October. The series is co-produced with US animation houses Mike Young Productions and...

Diverse conjures up Crowley for Channel 4.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Diverse Productions has completed Aleister Crowley, the Wickedest Man in the World, a Channel 4 commission for its The Real... strand. The 50-minute documentary is directed by freelancer Neil Rawls and produced by Marcus Sulley. ...

Godman and Clear strip Bobbie to the bone.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Robbie Williams's new promo is another near-the-knuckle offering from Godman's Vaughan Arnell. So far it has only aired in its entirety in late-night showings of TOTP and CD:UK. Produced by Godman's Emma Glare, it has Williams stripping...

ANIMATION.(Nickelodeon's summer roadshow)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Nickelodeon's Red Hot Lobster children's summer roadshow offers bored schoolkids fun, games and some animation from The Hive. The VTR-owned animation house supplied the broadcaster with 30-seconds of 3D work, created in under three weeks by...

4:2:2 fights fat for AstraZeneca.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The first collaboration between 4:2:2's interactive and 3D departments is a computer game for AstraZeneca. Vascular Quest, produced by 4:2:2 Bristol's Richard Moore, promotes a new anti-cholesterol drug. Players travel through a...

Static.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Static has supplied the new look for Studio Universal, the design company's second consecutive branding deal from the channel. A commission from Universal Studios Networks' creative director, Michael Barry, the abstract idents involve catherine...

Kemistry.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Kemistry's re-branding of the digital channel Expo 24x7 "speaks about design," according to co-director Graham McCallum. Idents for the UPC-owned arts and design channel not only had to be modern but also had to be built to last. The designer...

Crimson Production.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Crimson Production has finished a 15-second spot for Sporting Bet, via agency Futura Interactive. Directed by Simon Crawley, the ad was shot in East London on DigiBeta over two rainy days. DoP was Nathan Shepard. Crimson also did the post, with...

BBC1 gets down to earth.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Shooting on the BBC drama Down to Earth, which began in London in June, ended late last month after the production had moved to the tiny hamlet of Cheriton Bishop on Dartmoor in Devon. Produced in association with Whistling Gyspy...

Survival shoots sharks for C5.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... United Wildlife-owned Survival Productions is in post with its latest natural history commission from Channel 5, Jurassic Shark. Produced by Jacynth O'Donnell and executive produced by Petra Regent, the 60-minute special was a commission...

Blonde goes bluescreen for Ryad promo.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The new Ryad promo Kill Me Now, from MPC-owned production company Blonde, presented MPC's fellow Soho facility with a challenge. Director Iain Titterington tried out a novel way to create the promo's ghostly background figures: he shot them...

BROADCAST.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... BBC Manchester's Steps into Summer airs on the 26 August on BBC1, produced by Robin Ashbrook and executive produced by Kieron Collins. The 50-minute entertainment spectaular will features live songs from the popsters plus interviews with Lulu...

Initial Kids.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Initial Kids, part of GMG Endemol, has produced a 13x25-minute series, Run For Your Life, for Channel 5. The series, produced by Susan Crook, documents a bunch of teenage sprinters competing to represent England overseas. The show, a commission...

Z Film.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Z Films has completed promo spots for Sci-Fi Channel's forthcoming surrealist-themed Head Fuck Weekend, commissioned by creative director Tor McLaren. The 60- and 30-second trailers were produced by Dan Curwin and directed by David Chaudoir to...

BBC Creative Service.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... BBC Creative Services, part of BBC Resources, produced the bumpers for Kellogg's sponsorship of Worldwide's international commercial channel, BBC Prime. Created with JWT, they were illustrated by Brian Larkin of Animation People and will air...

And then there were two.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2000... Stephen Byers's ruling on the proposed merger of Carlton and United "will only delay the creation of a single ITV." That's the near-universal sentiment of the UK TV industry, as voiced in this issue by one of its former top-brass, Vernon...

ICG.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Last month was one of old faces in new places. For instance, Peter Grimsdale returns this month to Horseferry Road to head up Channel 4's new Broadband Lab. After 15 months of ICG life and death, his new brief to predict the future direction of...

Blue Yonder.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... A further refugee from White City last month was master of all things digital and card-carrying Birtist, David Docherty, whose escape tunnel surfaced in the offices of Telewest. Now the company's director of broadband content, he will oversee...

CITV.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... TV's recent round of musical chairs also saw Nickelodeon's md, Janie Grace, take David Liddiment's shilling and fill Nigel Pickard's old seat at CITV - after Pickard himself beat her to the new post of BBC controller of children's. Pickard's...

The Guard brother.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... * The Guard brothers' Inside Out is remarkable for being shot on 16mm using absolutely no lights. Their next short, described by Tom as "another urban adventure," is presently being cut at The Film Editors.

Hammer and Tongs.
August 1, 2000... * Hammer and Tongs' six-minute Coffee and TV promo was put together using Inferno, a short actor, a green screen and a suit from The Jim Henson Creature Workshop. Garth Jennings directed and Nick Goldsmith produced.

HoHoHo.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... * The 11-minute HoHoHo has the distinction of being the only film completed by the muchvaunted production outfit, Alchymie. Produced by Polly Duval and directed by JJ Keith, it's due for theatrical release this year.

The Man with the Beautiful Eyes.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... * Sherbet's five-minute The Man with the Beautiful Eyes stands out for its old- school method, with animator Jonathan Hodgson employing very little post-production, and using gouache paint on watercolour paper and animation paint on cels.

Tim Webber.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... * The 10th Kingdom's title sequence is a Spectre Framestore collaboration. Director Tim Webber, who started as an operator, honed this look after an Emmy for Gulliver's Travels and an Emmy nomination for Merlin. Andrew Duffy created the...

Excursions and alarms for E&P.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Normally I'm the last person to moan, but if one more person comes bounding up to me with a copy of Televisual (July 2000) opened to page 9, pointing at the bottom righthand corner exclaiming, "have you seen this?" I might just explode.... ...

Trainer, train thyself.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... As someone who has made three attempts to get into TV and failed, it was interesting to read your article Mine's Two Sugars in your July issue. Yes, I did the tea-making, and the researcher bit and the PA bit. And here I am now very...

Who gets rich in the regions?(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Warm words from new BBC head of nations and regions (p18) about the readiness of One BBC to go after niche audiences in the regions - or "audiences where they are." As the BBC's commercial rival looks to wriggle out of the regional premise...

Radio with pictures.
August 1, 2000... The man who shook-up speech radio diehards by stripping and stranding Radio 4 is turning to TV as non-executive director at Wark Clements. Now back in his native Scotland, he tells how he regained a perspective of the medium with a little help...

Going to the country.(British Broadcasting Corporation Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The new head of nations and regions sits with fellow directors at the right hand of Greg in the new BBC. But, he tells Mundy Ellis, this promotion of regional programming isn't a]1 just about structure Moving to London in later life, says...

Television's final curtain.(John Hodge's film)
August 1, 2000... Early next year, DNA rolls out its black comedy The Final Curtain which sees Trainspotting scriptwriter John Hodge teaming up with a new producer and a first-time director to turn his viciously funny pen on TV. Christina Pishiris watches film...

Toonz reach flashpoint.(Web use)
August 1, 2000... The web has allowed previously unknown animators to get their work seen, thanks to cheap toon software. Now the broadcasters and indies are getting in on the action. Animators rejoice! Never before has the short toon been in such demand....

Walking with Diana Dors.(BBC1)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... With a first-look deal with BBC1, Baby Cow Productions - home of comedy team Steve Coogan and Henry Normal - is finding its feet with sketch-show Walking with Diana Dors. Belinda Hanks finds out how they plan to tailor new talent for a...

Audio for video.(Arena Digital)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Sighs of relief all round from audio houses this year as the low end has failed to destroy the market once again. Indeed, according to the results of this year's audio survey, we're on the verge of an audio boom - though not in factual or...

MPC raids SVC and Peerless.(Sally Balkwill)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Two SVC staff have quit 4MC's Film House headquarters and crossed Wardour Street to join MPC, including the company's head of production. Sally Balkwill is to become a senior producer at MPC after three-and-a-half years at SVC, while 2D...

Dyke splits up BBC Resources.(Greg Dyke)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Greg Dyke's resources review is to split up BBC Resources Ltd. The plan is to hive off BBC Technology Ltd, a new company offering consultancy and internet broadcasting services, also to be run on a profit basis, as well as splitting off...

4MC.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... 4MC pursues its bid for Soho domination this month by buying Magmasters. More of a real-estate deal after the loss of five key personnel, it adds "audio expertise and facilities, especially for extensive tracklaying and foley projects," says...

Pavement recruits in League.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... DVD house The Pavement, set up earlier this year and already expanding into two new offices, had the entire League of Gentlemen on its hands when it authored the disc of the BBC2 show's first season, due out in November. Producer Kristen...

Emerson quits Tele-Cine.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Tele-Cine's md Jeff Emerson has left the company while on paternity leave and Graham Hall, boss of sister-facility Todd-AO, has taken over his duties. The company says Emerson's departure was "most definitely voluntary" but, as yet, he hasn't...

Virtual Video upgrades to Inca for streaming.
August 1, 2000... Virtual Video Studios is moving to RT-Set's new Inca system at a cost of [pound]125k. The north-London company has acquired a four-camera system with two moving and two fixed cameras for its virtual studio. It currently operates on an...

Quantel drops free Monty plan.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Carlton has finally sold Quantel to its management team. But the new Quantel has a shock up its sleeve - its Monty add-on is no longer going to be free. The firm is promising its customers "the vitality of a start-up with the experience of...

Rushes.
August 1, 2000... The first post-buyout departure has hit Rushes, with producer Paul Branch leaving for VTR's animation house, The Hive. Branch, who becomes senior producer/studio manager, says the spur for his departure was not the buyout but the chance to work...

Colour Film Service.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Film-processing company Colour Film Services (CFS) has branched out into post, opening a new facility in Soho. Facilities manager Graham Tolley reckons that "setting up a facility gets us closer to the commercials and effects market that we are...

Eidos Technology.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Eidos Technology has bitten the dust, following the decision of Lara Croft-creator Eidos plc to cut back following large-scale losses. The move, which has also hit the Eidos-backed Glassworks, means that non-linear editing tools Judgement and...

Walking to New Orleans.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The Siggraph cg show is here again but, with IBC just round the corner and NAB just gone, Rob Buckley asks who now needs to go to the conference that post forgot Siggraph ain't what it used to be. Gone are the days when the graphics elite...

Enlightened editing.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Start small but aim big is the motto of a new editing boutique set up by some familiar Soho faces. Rob Buckley ventures across Oxford Street to meet the not-so-new kids on the block Every start-up has plans to get to the top as soon as it...

DV opens wide.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... How do I shoot widescreen on a mini-DV camcorder without huge loss in quality? That's the question that the md of VMI has been asked so many times that he wants to explain it once and for all (and the answer's not to use the "16:9 mode") ...

Waiting for something.(Yorkshire TV)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Three months after retiring, former chairman of United Productions is back producing for his old stamping ground, Yorkshire TV. He tells how the coming broadcast power-struggle looks from the set of Micawber After over 40 rewarding years in...