Televisual articles from March 2003

Televisual archives from March 2003

MTV to develop big ideas for pan-European think-tank. (Broadcast).(MTV Networks Europe)
March 1, 2003... MTV Networks Europe is setting up its own in-house formats think-tank to create new shows specifically for MTV's European viewers. Head of UK and Ireland production Matthew Bowes is promoted to director of development for Europe, and will...

Film Council and Skillset launch training drive. (Film).(for the UK film industry)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The UK Film Council and Skill-set are launching a major training and education initiative for the UK film industry. The two-stage programme, based on a state-of-the-industry report and the formation of an action group, draws upon Film...

Exposure gets animation arm. (Animation).(Exposure Films launches Exposure Animation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Exposure Films, the ad and promo production company set up by HSI and Gerard de Thame Films, has launched a new animation division, Exposure Animation, to be run by head of animation Sam Hope. Hope joins the company from Bermuda Shorts,...

Tandem and Airside move closer. (Commercials).(Airside will be repped by Tandem Films for commercials)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Award-winning design agency Airside is to be repped for commercials by animation house Tandem Films. The relationship between the two companies grew from the recent Lemon Jelly promo Nice Weather for Ducks, designed and directed by Airside with...

Fox Kids UK. (In Brief).(Fox Kids UK releases four interactive games to the Two Way TV channel)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Fox Kids UK has released four of its interactive games to the Two Way TV channel on cable network NTL. The games were originally developed for Fox Kids Play, an interactive games channel which Fox Kids will launch in the UK later in the year....

VSI. (In Brief).(acquires Lucchesi)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... VSI, the broadcast and corporate voiceover and subtitling company behind international versions of programmes such as The Osdournes and Law and Order, has purchased long-time rival Lucchesi. In an undisclosed deal, Lucchesi's staff will join...

Jobim Sampson. (In Brief).(Flashback Television hires Jobim Sampson)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Former Channel 4 deputy history editor Jobim Sampson has joined Flashback Television to direct a slate of history commissions; he will also develop future ideas for the company. Sampson was at Channel 4 for 18 months, latterly in the specialist...

Screen West Midlands. (In Brief).(wins funding from Advantage West Midlands)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Screen West Midlands has won development funding worth [pounds sterling]1.5m from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands. Through strategic partnerships with independent production companies, broadcasters and commissioning editors,...

Sherbet brings secret diary to life for Girls in Love. (Broadcast).(a new animated series has been introduced)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Sherbet's Bafta-nominated director/producer team, Sandra Enshy and Jonathan Bairstow, have created the animation for Granada Kids' Girls in Love. Based on the books by Jaqueline Wilson, the 13x30-minute series is a live-action! animation...

Elephant brings on bad dreams and a nasty smell. (Animation).(Elephant Productions adds three new animated serices and a live-action program)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Kids' independent Elephant Productions has added three new animated series and a live-action comedy to its development slate. Waverly -- A Hamster of Some Importance tells the story of the Wilson family and their daughter Jessica's...

Promo. (News in Production).(Cartoon Network develops new show)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The latest manufactured Pop-act is the V Birds, with its own upcoming animated Cartoon Network show modelled on an arcade dance-game. Uli Meyer animation is currently putting together the first promo for the group for an April release. The...

Imago goes swimming with lions. (Broadcast).(50-minute documentary produced)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Lions that take to water star in a 50-minute documentary from Norwich independent, Imago. Unlikely swimming skills forced on lions by their watery Botswana habitat are the subject of years of study by Imago consultant Christiaan...

BBC. (In Brief).(series examines rock excesses)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The BBC's forthcoming series Lock up your Daughters takes a core sample of rock excesses from the 1960s up to the present-day, profiling the antics of bad boys from The Rolling Stones to Eminem. Titles were designed and directed by Ian Bate at...

Chris Horton Films. (In Brief).(produces music video)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Chris Horton Films' new signing, director Massimo Garlatti-Costa, has directed his first job for the production company: a promo for Drunken Fool, the new single from up-and-coming Blackburn band, The Burn. The video casts the band as...

Lipsync Post's graphics department created the animation for Screen bite, the latest cinema commercial for Odeon Cinemas. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Lipsync Post's graphics department created the animation for Screen bite, the latest cinema commercial for Odeon Cinemas. Working with agency Purple Patch, which supplied the storyboard, designer Gareth Tansey used After Effects to create the...

Glazer's latest in the Stella saga. (Commercial).(Jonathan Glazer directs Stella Artois advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Jonathan Glazer, the director famous for his Guinness commercials, has directed a new spot for Stella Artois. Drawing inspiration from the film Papillon, Glazer's Devil's Island is a 90-second cinema ad with a 30-second TV cut-down that...

Pioneer races to find reasons for shuttle disaster. (Broadcast).(Pioneer Productions making documentary about Columbia space shuttle disaster)
March 1, 2003... Pioneer Productions has fast-tracked a 60-minute documentary Danger in Space, which investigates the causes of the recent Columbia space-shuttle tragedy, for a March TX on C4. Columbia broke up over Texas in early February, killing seven...

Bafta winners Neville Astley and Mark Baker. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Bafta winners Neville Astley and Mark Baker are in production with Peppa Pig, jointly commissioned by Five and Nick Jr. The 52x5-minute preschool series is co-produced with Contendor Entertainment; executive producers are Phil Davies and...

Stuart Murphy has commissioned C4 stalwarts Adam and Joe. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Stuart Murphy has commissioned C4 stalwarts Adam and Joe to front a new Asian pop-culture show for BBC3. Asian Invasion is a weekly review of Japanese movies, TV and pop filmed in Tokyo. It is produced by Jonathan Ross's indie Hot Sauce; Ross...

TWI's fledgling entertainment. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TWI's fledgling entertainment arm has a second BBC1 commission with the return of Superstars, its 70s sports-show that made judo champion Brian Jacks a household name. Six are ordered, to be filmed in Spain. I'd do Anything for BBC and Race for...

Scottish Media Group. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Scottish Media Group has picked up its biggest-ever CITV commission with an order for Squeak. The 50x20-minute preschool, live-action kids show follows the adventures of three talking mice: Tizzy, Toot and Tog.

Red Fox Productions is in co-production. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Red Fox Productions is in co-production with Sparkling on Wolfgang, a new 26x13-minute cgi series for five-to-eight-year-olds following the adventures of Wolfgang, an eccentric wolf cub with a magic flute.

Granada is to make a drama based on Henry Chancellor. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Granada is to make a drama based on Henry Chancellor's history of Colditz for ITV1. The [pounds sterling]5m, 2x120-minute programme was commissioned by Nick Elliot for an autumn 2004 airdate. Production begins in eastern Europe this spring. The...

S4C has commissioned Sianco. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... S4C has commissioned Sianco to produce a winter version of Mas Draw (roughly translated as "get out there"), a hobbies and interests kids series. Titles on the show were created by Griffilms.

Libra TV's Citizen Power for Channel 4. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Libra TV's Citizen Power for Channel 4 has a title-sequence created by newly-formed graphics, animation and fx company, Optic Verve. The series deals with citizenship issues for 10-14-year-olds. Optic Verve was formed by Granada's former head...

Blue Post-Production. (In Brief).(Thames Television redesigns program title)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Thames Television's overhaul of The Bill continues with Blue Post-Production's re-designed titles for the flagship police drama. The sequence moves away from the old high-gloss titles and opts for a raw feel, reflecting the stark reality of...

Maverick Media. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Fergie isn't the only manager to lay into his players as evidenced by Maverick Media's spot for Eidos's PSII game, Championship Manager. Maverick's Seamus Masterson directed the 30-second ad, which was shot at Watford's ground. It was...

Redhouse Lane. (In Brief).(chooses Dockands for targeted video campaign)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... London's Docklands was chosen as the not-too-gritty urban location for Redhouse Lane's targeted video campaign for the new range of luxury VW cars. Aimed at UK VW dealers, the video goes behind the scenes at exclusive London hotel One Aldwych,...

Brydon launches new indie. (Broadcast).(Rob Brydon sets up his own independent firm)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Rob Brydon has set up his own indie with his manager Paul Duddridge and comedy producer Miles Ross. Galled Jones the Film, it has already landed a deal with BBC Films to develop a comedy feature He Said, She Said, written by and starring...

Prior takes on CBBC job. (Appointments).(Dorothy Prior)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dorothy Prior has bagged the CBBC controller slot vacanted by Nigel Pickard. She will handle an [pounds sterling] 811m kids'budget, overseeing output across BEC 1 and 2, CBeebies and CBBC. A key challenge will be to rejuvenate CBBC, which...

Five poaches Flextech exec. (Appointments).(Jane Lighting)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dawn Airey's successor at Five will be Flextech boss, Jane Lighting. Five has been looking for a new ceo since Airey jumped ship for Sky five months ago. Lighting is charged with continuing Five's recent ratings growth; its share was up...

Yorke bags C4 drama job. (Appointments).(Channel 4 names John Yorke head of drama)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Channel 4 has appointed BBC head of drama series John Yorke as head of drama after Tessa Ross moved over to look after C4's film slate. Ross's move followed the closure of Film Four and C4's decision to concentrate on low budget films for...

2GP's Talkback start-up. (Broadcast).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Anil Gupta, executive producer of The Office, has joined forces with Kumars creators Richard Pinto and Sharat Sardana to form new indie, 2GP. The three first worked together on the original radio version of Goodness Gracious Me. The outfit...

Shut-down at Ortmans Young. (Graphics).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Design agency Ortmans Young is to close down after 15 years in business. Founding partners Marc Ortmans and Haydon Young blamed "major project delays, cancellations and falling budgets." The lack of pitching fees, sky-rocketing Soho rents...

How to manage the creative process. (The Business News).
March 1, 2003... If we don't understand what we mean by creativity, we can't begin to examine its implications, much less optimise its potential. So says Gary Carter, director of Field Media Practice and formerly at Action Time, Planet 24 and Endemol I...

Discovery flexes its muscles. (Factual Programming).(Discovery Communications Inc. clause in commissioning contracts )
March 1, 2003... For factual producers everywhere, life recently became a whole lot harder. The Discovery Channel is inserting a clause into all its commissioning contracts of late that could set a dangerous precedent across the industry as a whole. For...

The BBC will be [pounds sterling]100m richer this year thanks to a [pounds sterling]4 hike in cost of a TV licence from 1 April. (Month in Review).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The BBC will be [pounds sterling]100m richer this year thanks to a [pounds sterling]4 hike in cost of a TV licence from 1 April. The increase--which will have done nothing to dampen ITV fury that the corporation should still be allowed to levy...

Proof last month that real talent can't be suppressed for long. (Month in Review).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Proof last month that real talent can't be suppressed for long. No, not the continued return of Chris Evans with his Boys and Girls quiz format, but a heartwarming tale of an ownership dispute successfully resolved. Monkey, the nine-inch...

Greg Dyke's exhortations over BBC-sanctioned means or transport continued to confuse BBC employees last month. (Month in Review).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Greg Dyke's exhortations over BBC-sanctioned means or transport continued to confuse BBC employees last month when marching and rallying were added to taxis on the growing list of banned ways of getting from A to B. The anti-war demonstration...

Does it pay to be trained? (Training).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Concerning your salary survey (January), and the finding that "training does not pay." Your research surveyed a sample of just 200 respondents, reducing the pool of opinions solicited within some occupational sectors to single figures,...

Job-share for Pinter's Arena. (Facilities).
March 1, 2003... I write regarding your Pinter article (November p11), which mentions people who worked on the project: Arena Digital offline by Jeff Shaw, Simon Hornbrook on lined in Symphony; The Farm shared grading with Arena Digital, Frontier Post did the...

The dog ate TSI's homework. (Graphics).(report on TSI Design)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... It was with a great deal of shame that we read the graphics feature in February's issue of Televisual. Shame because we notice that TSI Design was not there in the listing. Shame because we know that it was all down to us. Shame because we...

Agency aspirations on a TV budget. (Opinions).(television advertising in the UK)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Think back to when advertising was riding high in a buoyant economy. Ever more ingenious TV spots challenged the imaginations of ad production outfits, as well as goading the postproduction and kit sectors to come up with ever more amazing...

The day shift: The BBC's daytime controller's first responsibility is to stay ahead of ITV in the ratings. But, as the tells Jon Creamer, she's also a natural public service broadcaster, and has ways of staying distinctive. (Interview Alison Sharman).(Independent Television competing with British Broadcasting Corporation Ltd. for market share)
March 1, 2003... Though it may go unseen by a sizeable chunk of the viewing public, daytime is one of the most hard-fought ratings baffles in TV. And it's one that ITV desperately needs to win if it's to regain a respectable overall share and placate its...

A bite at the Big Apple: Fredrik Bond's Gator ad for land rover goes some way to dispel the myth that the toughest test urban off-road drivers have to face is the school-run on a monday morning. (In Production Land Rover).(Boles and Hollens Ltd. hires Fredrik Bond to work on Land Rover product advertising)
March 1, 2003... As urban myths go, the one about New Yorkers who picked up baby alligators as pets while holidaying in Florida, only to flush them down the toilet when they got too big for Upper East Side appartments, is an enduring one. Tales of'gators living...

The format farmers: The lasting appeal of the format is evident in Televisual's catalogue of UK product fresh for Mip, but the way to create those hits alters over time. Jon Creamer finds out how producers aim to grab the next smash.(television advertising in the UK)
March 1, 2003... The format market may not create the kind of buzz it used to back in the late 90s when Big Brother and Millionaire erupted on to the scene, but the thirst for formats among the massed ranks of TV buyers and sellers at Cannes this month has far...

Back to reality: His move to UK indie RDF in November last year completed the circle in what Grant Mansfield calls his "360-degree" production experience. He tells James Hamilton about life as gamekeeper turned poacher. (Grant Mansfield People).(Grant Mansfield, new creative director at RDF)
March 1, 2003... Call it the zeal of the new employee or simple excitement at a job back at the production coal-face, but not even a nightmare four-hour commute through a snow-bound London has dampened Grant Mansfield's enthusiasm for his new role as creative...

The Indies: Who will be picking up the top gongs at this month's Indies, the only awards reserved entirely for independents? To be there on 5 March, call 020 8948 5522. (Awards).(UK television broadcasting industry awards)
March 1, 2003... LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights from Ovation Entertainments/Goodnight Vienna for Channel 4, writer/director Peter Kay, executive producer Phil McIntyre; The Book Group (left) from Pirate Productions for Channel 4,...

Sound for pictures. (Audio Post Production File).(usage and forecast of audio in the television industry)
March 1, 2003... Once audio had a special place in the post-production chain; then video houses got in on the act as producers opted for the one-stop-shop. But DVD has meant that sound for pictures just got that much better, and the specialists are back in the...

Fig rig ripens for market. (Technology).(Mike Figgis designs a camera stabilization device)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A Mike Figgis-designed camera stabilisation device which negates the need for expensive steadicams is being brought to market. The device, dubbed the "fig rig" eradicates camera shake and is claimed to allow operators greater quality and...

TC Video opens Soho centre. (Facilities).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Wembley-based duplication and dubs firm TC Video is to launch a Soho wing to handle increased demand for corporate and feature film DVD projects. "We've wanted to captialise on our reputation for a number of years," says md Clive Rumble....

HD Heaven. (In Brief).(facility opens in Birmingham's media center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boutique broadcast and titles facility HD Heaven has opened in Birmingham's media centre The Custard Factory. Partnering with Stockhom-based Swedish editor Andi Loor, md Tony Quinsee claims it's the only high-def facility in the midlands....

Suite aims to dominate LE market. (Facilities).(company to double capacity following several contract wins)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Suite, the Newman Street facility set-up last May by the editing staff of West 1, is to double its capacity following a succession of contract wins. Four further Avid onlines are to be installed alongside integrated audio facilities, with...

Limitless Audio finds Sanctuary. (Facilities).(Sanctuary Post adds Limitless Potential to its roster)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Sanctuary Post, part of the Sanctuary music group, has added audio specialist Limitless Potential to its roster as part of an expansion and move to new premises. The facility, which started out as the DVD wing of Sanctuary, had previously...

Nucoda streamlines pre-vis tools for film. (Technology).(Data Conform previsualization tool software package is launched)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Nucoda has launched Data Conform (DC), claimed to be the first PC-based full-resolution previsualisation tool for film. The $10k software package enables users to conform 2k 10-bit media files on a standard computer monitor and immediately...

Metro Broadcast Making Waves. (Facilities).(Eden Film launches romantic comedy "Making Waves")(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Written and directed by Nicolas van Pallandt, Eden Films' romantic comedy Making Waves centres on a group of ham-radio enthusiasts. The HD feature was onlined at Metro Broadcast, with titles by Eye and fx at Framestore CFC. Producer David Burns...

IMP Electronics. (In Brief).(launches first sunlight-viewable LCD monitor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Cambridge engineering firm IMP Electronics has launched the first sunlight-viewable LCD monitor for viewing rushes on film sets or other locations affected by direct sunlight. Several of the 15 inch portable screens are already in use by the...

Veteran post-production expert Mike Uden has taken redundancy from Rushes where he was creative director. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Veteran post-production expert Mike Uden has taken redundancy from Rushes where he was creative director. He had spent ever ten years at the company after it acquired his film fx firm Uden Opticals. "Mike understood film fx before anyone else,"...

Colourist Brian Metherell has joined The Machine Room from 4MC. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Colourist Brian Metherell has joined The Machine Room from 4MC. In his 25 years as a TK artist, he's worked at VTR and TVP on projects such as The Gulf War for BBC/WGBH and The Beatles -- Anthology for Apple. He will concentrate on broadcast...

Wacky races. (Queens of The Stone Age).(advertising for rock band Queens of the Stone Age)
March 1, 2003... An edgy HD promo was the order of the day for up-and-coming stoner-rock band Queens of the Stone Age, for which Clear collaborated with animation collective Shynola. US indie rockers Queens of the Stone Age promoted their breakout single...

Motion control team relaunch. (Facilities).(Visual Effects Co. is launched)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Members of the motion control department at recentlydefunct Mill Film have relaunched as The Visual Effects Company. Led by Rob Delicata, Malcolm Woolridge and Digna Nigoumi the team has purchased equipment including the Super Cyclops and...

Beam TV corners cannes. (Facilities).(wins contract to manage entries for the Cannes Lions ad awards)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Digital courier and archive service Beam TV has won the contract to manage the entries for the Cannes Lions advertising awards. The service has already been adopted worldwide by Saatchi & Saatchi and by most London commercials houses,...

Condor lands in Cape Town. (Facilities).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Commercials and broadcast facility Condor is bucking the economic slowdown with the launch of an outpost in Cape Town. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Condor also has facilities in Brussels and Berlin as well as London, featuring high-speed...

Snell ends its disk production. (Technology).(Snell and Wilcox stops production of hardware products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Snell & Wilcox has ceased production of based hardware products including the Picasso colour corrector used by Weta Digital on The Lord of the Rings. ngs. The New bury-based firm will no longer sell the Splint workstation and Splicer...

Lights, cameras... no action! (The Business the Works).(leading media companies have mismanaged creativity)
March 1, 2003... Managing a facility means balancing the interests of business with creativity says MPC md David Jeffers A compelling leader article in The Economist recently analysed the less than fabulous progress of the world's leading media companies....

Production directory: The A - Z of production services.(list of companies)(Directory)
March 1, 2003... ACCOUNTANTS BRECKMAN & COMPANY For friendly advice on all of your accounts and tax matters call 0207 499 2292. or visit our website www.breckmanandcompany.co.uk IVAN SOPHER & CO Specialists in accounting, taxation and...

Telly addict. (The End).(interview with Jeremy Rainbird)(Interview)
March 1, 2003... IN MY VIEW Jeremy Rainbird is md of Addiction, the production company he formed with Ivor Kayne in 1998. The pair previously worked together for three years at The Box, taking the music station to the number one spot two years running. He...

March TX guide: A producer's guide to the month on the box.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boys and Girls from Saturday 1,21.05/Friday 7,23.05: Channel 4 Hosted by Vernon Kay, this live Saturday-night show from Chris Evans's UMTV has 100 boys and 100 girls competing for a [pounds sterling]100k prize. Each week the winner picks a...

Intelligent advertising and scheduling is nigh. (Hair-in-the-Gate).(Intelligent Earth developing new software product)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The wee company from Kircaldy that gave us the loving robot Doki for Valentine's Day is now turning its attention. to intelligent advertising. Intelligent Earth is working on software that can recognise the sex, age and and race of potential...