Televisual articles from February 2001

Televisual archives from February 2001

Red lets loose Linda Green.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Red Production Company's new 6x30-minute drama series Linda Green goes into audio in Manchester this month ready for what's tipped to be a March airing on BBC1. Directed by commercials veteran Syd Macartney (who helmed Ecosse's The...

Cash on offer for animation.
February 1, 2001... Animate will this month put out its call for proposals for 2001. The C4/Finetake/Arts Council of England collaboration offers funding to work that "could not be realised in direct live-action film." Celluloid, tape and digital are all...

Monkey magic makeover.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Monkey King, a 2x90-minute miniseries based on 70s cult TV show Monkey, is set to air on NBC next month with all physical and digital effects created in the UK. Directed by Peter MacDonald (Rambo, Batman) and produced by Steve Harding,...

Clear Ltd dips its toes into production.(post-production company)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Post-production company Clear has taken a sidestep into production by helping commercials director Oliver Ashton cut a short film, Psychotown. The film was sponsored by Absolut vodka, for whom Ashton directed "in-club" visuals, and was...

Two Four Productions.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Two Four Productions has appointed Rukhsana Mosam as broadcast development producer. She will liaise with commissioning editors as the company expands into factual, CA and documentary production. Mosam's credits include Children's Hospital for...

Wild Dream.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Wild Dream director Stuart Clarke has been shortlisted for the Celtic Film and Television Awards for the factual documentary Dressed to Kill, shown as part of A Very British Murder strand on Channel 4 last year. Other programmes in the pipeline...

Ecosse Films.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Two UK companies are among 11 nominees for the third European Producer Award this month at the Monte Carlo TV market. Ecosse Films, whose Monarch of the Glen (right) is now airing on BBC1, and Hewland International are in the running for the...

DAG creates virtual presenter for Channel 4.(Digital Animations Group)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Digital Animations Group (DAG) is currently completing negotiations with Channel 4 to produce a 30-minute pilot show starring its new cg character: a disembodied come-dian known as The Head. The Head will provide irreverent links between...

New Channel 4 comedy with Metrosexuality.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Metrosexuality, the new 6x30-minute comedy drama for Channel 4 from Feelgood Fiction/Vicarious Productions, awaits confirmation of a TX date this month. The pilot Heterosexuality was shown as part of Acts of Passion, a series of one-off...

Big Meg Little Meg.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... TSI Design is behind the graphics for Granada series Big Meg Little Meg, set for a March TX on CITV. The seven-part live-action sfx series features a young girl, Little Meg, and her mother Big Meg, who have their minds spontaneously swapped by...

Red Pepper goes global.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Red Pepper's Andy Godden has designed content for Gillette World Sport, a weekly sports/entertainment magazine show which goes out this month in 150 countries. His brief was to create opening tides, closing credits and bumpers. Like...

Televirtual.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... VR company Televirtual shows its latest real-time animation package (RAP) to producers early this month, with founder Tim Child hoping to show it off at M2. It allows multiple 3D characters to interact live and can be operated by producers...

Ichoosetv.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Internet-TV station Ichoosetv is on the lookout for short-form content about street fashion and clubwear in preparation for the launch of its Fashion Channel next month. Ichoosetv's ninth internet genre (others are music, movies, lifestyle)...

Maguffin.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Maguffin is hot with firsts as its new director David Chaudoir completes his first promo, for new artist Sean Escofferey. Space Rider was commissioned on the back of ex-graphic designer Chaudoir's treatment featuring a model of part of the set....

Rapture goes to Gatecrasher.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Super-club Gatecrasher in Sheffield is making a foray towards iTV with a new series of clubbing programmes. The club joined forces with Rapture TV for a series of live broadcasts last month, filming seven hours from Sheffield. Straight TV,...

The nauseous, spinning, Swiss alcohol-repellent.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The Swiss government has commissioned a 30-second ad to spearhead its anti-alcohol campaign described as a "friendly warning on the hazards of alcohol to the citizens of Switzerland." Due to air this month in all major European languages,...

Twisted tales from Channel X.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Channel X begins filming Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement for BBC Choice on 5 February. The 13x15-minute series of dark and twisted morality tales has been written by comedy duo Kirk and Messingham. The pair also stars in the series...

Griffilms.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Griffilms has completed the graphics and titles for S4C's youth-music show Hipstar, to air this month. Created using Toonz and XSI, the content was produced and directed by Hywel Griffith and edited by Geraint Parri Huws. Griffith also...

The Big Breakfast's.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... A more lively Pepsi Chart show could hit Channel 5 after Dave Skinner, currently VT producer for The Big Breakfast's sizzler strand, starts as series producer this month for the Initial production. There will be no 'major changes," he says, but...

Baraka and Image.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... A second promo for A1 comes from Baraka and Image Dynamic Pictures. Featuring the band abseiling, kickboxing and speedboating, No More needed work in Jaleo by David Cox to remove safety cables. It is directed by Stuart Gosling, who also worked...

Molinare.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Molinare's graphics arm has produced new dents for the rebranding of Granada. From print work by The Partners, the idents were originally meant for Granada's sell-through titles, then expanded to on-air, and have now been completed for Granada...

Will he turn the ship around?(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Greg Dyke will review his first year as DG to BBC staff this month. Those lucky enough to nab a ticket to what in-house organ Ariel bills as "an Audience with Greg" will get the low-down first-hand of how he thinks he's done so far. When...

Sky 1.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Sky 1 squared up to last month's launch of E4 by reverting to type after seeing the back of Sunny Delight family-man, David Bergg. With his new deputy director of broadcasting Kate Marsh still on her way down from BBC Birmingham, James Baker...

Peter Salmon.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... All became crystal last month concerning the apparent mismatch of roles for ex-BBC1 controller Peter Salmon. If you were puzzling over how he'd blend his job as head of sport with his hideous new one as champion for racial diversity (the one he...

Shaun Williams.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Sad to see outgoing Pact champion Shaun Williams sleeping with the enemy and joining the ranks of the spinners. But it looks like he'll be living in interesting times at the number-two TV broadcaster, honing a softly-softly approach new to...

Tina Bull.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Futurebrand English & Pockett designer Tina Bull has created 13 characters for the Turkish children's channel Oxopixo (meaning Abracadbra). Animated at Eye, the four-second dents show manic skits from freaky creatures. The producer was E&P's...

Bye Bye.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Director Liana Dognini is currently working on Bye Bye for Halo Productions. For TX on Channel 4 this summer, the six-minute piece has been hand-drawn, then scanned and treated in Photoshop and After Effects. The drawings were composited with...

European Tour Weekly.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Sherbet director Sandra Ensby sees her golf graphics package airing this month on Sky Sports. Created for European Tour Productions, the titles and graphics are for European Tour Weekly. Going out worldwide, it will also be broadcast in seven...

Zzaap and the Wordmaster.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Zzaap and the Wordmaster is a 6x20-minute animated children's series, made by 422 in Bristol for part of the BBC's strand of education programmes Look and Read. Voiced by Neil Morrissey and made for BBC2, the series features two children who...

Astro Knights.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Still being developed, Astro Knights is the "first wholly computer-animated sitcom," says Synthetic Dimension's Kevin Bulmer. "It's a cross between The Simpsons and Star Wars." Starring characters like Brain, the dark overlord of the cosmos...

OPINIONS.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Westminster Live issue Thank you for the article in January's Televisual. However, it was a bit premature: exciting things are planned for early 2001, and I would have liked to have included these. Despite the failure by SNG...

Pact's new TV guide.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... John McVay heads down south from Scotland this month to become Pact's new leader, and hopes to develop a new-media role and extend the association's presence with the viewing public. That's not to mention catching up with all his favourite...

Daytime believer.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Last year saw the BBC's daytime numbers nudge ahead of ITV's for the first time. Jon Creamer asks BBC queen of daytime, Jane Lush, how she plans to fight the increasingly-bloody daily ratings war The BBC is proud of its daytime...

A cow's life.
February 1, 2001... Drinking for England director Brian Hill follows the life of a beef-cow from birth to the plate. Sam Espensen gets her wellies on and goes to see Lulu In our society, what's seen as important is urban, and connected to technology. People...

The rate for the job.(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2001... At the cusp of the new century, Televisual's annual survey shows pay recovering from fin de siecle jitters, and for the first time compares the earning-power of workers in production and post Good news to start the year came from over 200...

Reality bites.
February 1, 2001... From controller of entertainment at LWT/United to "the new Nasty Nick." It's been an interesting month for Nigel Lythgoe. Jon Creamer asks Mr Saturday Night about the future of entertainment TV There's a queue forming outside Nigel...

Coffee and television.
February 1, 2001... As voted by more than 200 independent producers... Simon Meek catches up with this year's top video editors, and where better than at a coffee shop? A moderately-full coffee bar somewhere in Soho. Gentle murmurs form the blanket of noise...

Get it taped.
February 1, 2001... Stay with tape, or move to DVD? This year's production services survey offers facts and figures to compare prices and yields for tape, standards conversion and telecine - as well as that ubiquitous DVD. Plus the lowdown on how to prepare for a...

422 North West goes interactive.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... 422 is expanding its interactive department into the north west, opening new offices in Manchester this month. The Manchester team, as yet unidentified, is to be headed-up by Pete Bellingham who joins from Liverpool's Amaze. "Up until now...

Apple takes a bite from pro-DVD.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... News of Apple choosing to bundle iDVD pre-installed on its G4 with Superdrive - capable of reading and writing both CDs and DVDs - has left a sour taste in the mouths of many in and around Soho. However, being kept fairly low-key is that at the...

Video Forum.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The dawn of iTV (as promised this year in the UK), real-time desktop editing and home-DVD studios announced by both Apple (iDVD) and Avid (Express DV) are burning issues in this year's Video Forum exhibition, 6-8 February. Held at Wembley...

Frontline Fellows suite.(Frontline Television does audio post; Robin Fellows)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Covent Garden-based Frontline Television is branching out into audio-post with the arrival of Robin Fellows and the opening of a dedicated dubbing area and voice-over booth. Due for completion in the first week of March, the audio suite -...

Digital effects house breaks away from VTR.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Alan Church and Simon Giles have left VTR's Film Factory to set up their own digital visual effects company, Hypnosis, taking what Church claims is "90% of its staff" and purchasing its Domino. Based in Archer Street, this makes Hypnosis "the...

Clipsalesnow secures contracts.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Clipsalesnow.com, the online resource for footage research, has secured deals with Minotaur, ARTV and September Films and is in "serious negotiations with Channel 4" prior to its launch this month. The deal is identical in all cases; a...

The economies of merger.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... As the DTI rules in favour of the proposed BBC Resources and Granada Media joint production venture, stating it will have no detrimental consequences for fair trading in the north west, 3sixtymedia begins preparation for a March launch. ...

Cinewave HD.(non-linear editing from Pinnacle)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Cinewave HD, a G4-driven high-definition system for non-linear editing and post, has been released by Pinnacle. Enabled by version 1.1 of the Cinewave drivers, the combination of the Targa Cine engine with a range of video authoring tools,...

Ken Morse Rostrum Cameras.(to move facilities)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Ken Morse Rostrum Cameras is to move from its Dean Street facility to TSI's Covent Garden site. The renowned rostrum cameraman, known for his work on The Wild One (left) and Shadow and Light, has been in negotiation with TSI over the move for...

Red Post Production.(to edit Portrait)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Red Post Production is to edit Portrait for director Paul Archard the first project to be undertaken in its first Fire suite, installed this month. A mix of 2k-based material and video footage, the project examines the concept of beauty: as a...

Film by numbers.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... What is the future of film post? Is film itself about to become obsolete? Simon Meek visits Digital Film Lab's new London facility and finds out how it's positioning itself in the market "Within three to five years every feature film will...

It's time to deliver.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... In the suspense running up to BT's ADSL lines being installed across the UK, Roger Moffatt, md of Resolution TV, redefines his outfit as an application service provider, bringing the post-facility one step closer to its customers. before it's...

4MC UK.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... 4MC UK's duplication facility in Golden Square has promoted Danny Martin to operations manager after seven-and-a-half years at the site. Rick Halsall (left) has also been appointed as facility manager, following five years as head of operations...

Peloton Media.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Peloton Media has enrolled Paul Thomson (left), ex-Y&R and Picture House, as creative director to head-up the group's production aim, Peloton Productions. He will be responsible for the everyday running of the Mayfair Bridge operation. Matt...

DGP.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Kelly O'Rorke has joined DGP's multimedia quality control department with specific responsibility for its DVD department. ORorke moves from CoventGarden-based Black Diamond Films, where she was video operations manager. Her new role will...

So what's the big idea?(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... They all laughed when Endemol took a leaf out of advertising's book and introduced a new breed of "creatives" to the TV industry. But, asks Initial's new md, who has the last laugh now they're all at it? TV is now run by a new elite. They...

Independence won't buy equality.(Broadcasting industry statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2001... If Greg Dyke perceives his particular broadcaster to be "hideously white," this year's Televisual pay survey (page 22) finds UK broadcasters overall to be hideously male: 80% male, in fact. But, pension apart, signing on at a broadcaster...