Televisual articles from November 2003

Televisual archives from November 2003

RSA absorbs Joy Films' roster as "satellite" company.(Commercials)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Joy Films has joined RSA to become a satellite of the London-based commercials house owned by brothers Tony and Ridley Scott. The merger is part of a deal which sees Joy co-founder and director Mehdi Norowzian signing with RSA for worldwide...

Nestle set to fund Robot Wars World Series.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Television Corporation is to launch an advertiser funded version of Mentorn's hit series Robot Wars, backed, by (among others) Nestle. The 26x30 Robot Wars World Series will feature highlights from the last six series and is on offer...

Small indies to get cut-price advice.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... 40 small-to-medium-sized independents are to get cut-price consultancy services, financing masterclasses and other business training as part of a new Skillset scheme. The scheme has been developed in consultation with Pact, regional screen...

Ad directors bring joy to festival.(Film)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Young & Rubicam and Sony Dreams short film project gets its second run out with a premiere at this month's Brief Encounters festival in Bristol. The project funds leading commercials directors to create a short film using Sony's equipment;...

Novel Entertainment.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Fimbles producer Novel Entertainment has optioned all the TV, film and home-entertainment rights to Francesca Simon's hit kids' book series, Horrid Henry. The deal has been signed with publisher Orion. An animation style based on the Tony Ross...

RDF International.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... RDF International has picked up three productions from Ideal World for international distribution: all three were originally commissioned by Channel 4. They are Siamese Survivors, about 16-year old conjoined twins and the operation to seperate...

Cartoon Network.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cartoon Network has worked with 2D animation students at Central St Martin's to produce four channel idents to air later this year. The work goes towards the students' final degrees. The channel donated equipment and software to the college,...

People on the move this month include animation commercials director Martyn Pick, who has moved to Sherbet after 12 years at Bermuda Shorts.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... People on the move this month include animation commercials director Martyn Pick, who has moved to Sherbet after 12 years at Bermuda Shorts. Australian directors Steve Rogers and Rey Carlson of Revolver in Sydney join Rose Hackney Barber. And,...

Budgen makes man-mountain for Playstation2.(Commercial)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Gorgeous director Frank Budgen's latest ad for Playstation2 through TBWA is Mountain, featuring a cast of thousands vying for a place on top of a huge mound of bodies. Eight cameras filmed more than 500 extras climbing buildings and...

Two new Brit flicks for two first-time directors.(Film)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Shooting has begun on two new British features, Mouth to Mouth and Creep. Both films are being helmed by directors making their feature debuts, and both are co-produced with German partners. Creep is a horror film in which a woman finds she...

Griffilms' latest short, A Frog's Life takes a humorous look at the life of a frog from birth to adulthood to death.(Animation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Griffilms' latest short, A Frog's Life takes a humorous look at the life of a frog from birth to adulthood to death. Launching the directing debut of Griffilms' Dylan Jones, the short will air on $4C in the new year. It was commissioned as part...

C4 orders Wark bodyguard show.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Wark Clements is to train 12 members of the public to become "elite protection officers" for a new series for Channel 4. The Bodyguard is a 4x60-minute show ordered by head of factual entertainment Julian Bellamy for a 2004 TX. The...

Slinky Pictures.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Slinky Pictures' Leigh Hodgkinson has created a 20-second film and 5x5-second idents for the 20th Chicago Children's Film Festival. Further versions have also been made for use in future festivals. The films were created using a combination of...

Eon Media.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hull-based Eon Media has produced a public awareness programme for the Community Legal Service (CLS) which has replaced the legal-aid scheme. The 10-minute film features four typical situations in which the CLS sets out to help the public. Eon...

The latest independent short from Aardman's Nick Mackie is a live-action/cg animation mix, The Tooth Faerie.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The latest independent short from Aardman's Nick Mackie is a live-action/cg animation mix, The Tooth Faerie. Part of South West Screen's Digital Shorts 03 scheme, the film was funded by the Film Council's New Cinema Fund and HTV West. It is...

Lion TV makes history for C4.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Lion Television has picked up two new history series commissions for Channel 4 for transmission next year. The 4x1-hour Medici: God-fathers of the Renaissance, was shot entirely on location throughout Italy on 16mm. A "political suspense...

MMA wins commissions from ITV, C4 and Granada.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... After completing the 10x30-minute entertainment series Freaky, the first programme to come out of RDF MMA (its joint venture with RDF), Manchester independent Multi Media Arts has picked up orders from ITV, Channel 4 and Granada. ITV1 is...

Channel 4 has picked up US producer Original Production's.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Channel 4 has picked up US producer Original Production's Monster Garage both as a finished show and as a format to be made in the UK by Granada; the sale was made by Granada International. The show was commissioned/ acquired by C4's editor of...

Twofour Productions is to make the 15x30-minute Botox Babes.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Twofour Productions is to make the 15x30-minute Botox Babes for Discovery Health. The guide to plastic surgery (which celebs have had what done?) will air next year. Executive producer for Twofour is Jill Lourie while Melanie Leach takes on...

Births Marriages and Deaths writer Tony Grounds's.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Births Marriages and Deaths writer Tony Grounds's latest is Family Business (wt), from Tiger Aspect for BBC1. The drama, about the breakdown of a suburban family, stars Jamie Foreman. It was ordered by Gareth Neame, head of independents drama...

Scottish independent Tern TV is producing a review-of-the-year.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Scottish independent Tern TV is producing a review-of-the-year show for Discovery Europe and a documentary for BBC Scotland. The 60-minute 2003, ordered by Discovery's Leonie Hutchinson, uses archive and specially-shot footage to show the...

Granada is to make a non-broadcast pilot of its Ant and Dec.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Granada is to make a non-broadcast pilot of its Ant and Dec-fronted Saturday Night Takeaway for Fox in the US. The show will be filmed at the London Studios but, if a series is ordered, it will be made in the US. The pilot will be produced by...

Channel 4's head of science and education Simon Andreae.(The Green Light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Channel 4's head of science and education Simon Andreae has ordered Zero to Hero from Talkback Thames. The 7x30-minute series will be fronted by Trey Farley; each week, a comic-book fan designs a superhero persona for himself and has to build...

Bermuda Shorts and 21 Seven have teamed up on the promo for Fire Walking by The Nextmen.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bermuda Shorts and 21 Seven have teamed up on the promo for Fire Walking by The Nextmen. Billed as a "freefall disaster movie set in the skies above London," the film features the animated characters of Brad and Dom, Rodney P, Dynamite MC and...

3sixtymedia Creative.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... 3sixtymedia Creative is behind the rebrand of Granada's You've Been Framed. Creative director Paul Kearton and designer Sue Bodicoat created content graphics and new titles for the show which take viewers on a trip backstage into the You've...

Precursor.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Design agency Precursor won the job of creating the sponsorship stings for the forthcoming MTV Europe Music Awards, to be held in Edinburgh this month. The spots are set in a raw-looking urban street, created in 3D. Precursor recently won the...

Disney takes up Freeview spot.(Digital TV)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Disney is to launch a new general entertainment Freeview channel, trumping BSkyB's plans to ramp up its own Freeview offering. The move comes in the month Freeview passed the two million mark of viewers who can recieve the service. The...

BBC to hire head of documentary.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The BBC is strengthening its commitment to documentaries by creating a new post of head of documentaries to champion the genre across the BBC's channels. The appointee will report directly to the controller of documentaries and...

Baker bags Ramsden role.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sky 1 sees the return of James Baker to its head of programmes spot after Sara Ramsden quit the job only nine months after she was hired by Sky Networks md Dawn Airey Ramsden was head of factual entertainment at Channel 4 before her move...

More execs get itchy feet.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Five's head of entertainment Andrew Newman has quit the channel and is expected to take on the same spot at Channel 4 when Kevin Lygo takes over as head of programmes. John McHugh has quit the position at 4 following the recent resignation...

Film-makers get their own Harvard: UK Film Council and Skillset deputy chair Stewart Till maps out a path to success for UK film.(The Business)
November 1, 2003... Over the last 20 years, success for the UK film industry has come in a short-term flurry, only to be followed by a disappointing drought. If the UK is to build a self-sustaining, consistent industry that competes internationally, we need to...

Story board.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In this month's Storyboard, Primal scream and Kate Moss do Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood; Five comes over all Extreme in a new series; Picasso Pictures taps into the secrets of The World's Most Powerful; Intro takes a flight of fancy for...

ITV plc: together at last.(Broadcast)
November 1, 2003... Goodbye Carlton and Granada, hello ITV plc. The merger of the two major channel 3 shareholders got the DTI's greenlight last month, provoking conditional optimism in the city and among advertisers, programme-makers and viewers. All have...

Bad news last month for those capital-centric indies who follow the letter, if not the spirit, of the law on regional production.(Month In Review)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bad news last month for those capital-centric indies who follow the letter, if not the spirit, of the law on regional production. The shady practice of hiring 10 square feet of self-storage outside the M25 and labelling it a regional office...

UK sitcom's faltering invasion of American market suffered more stutters last month, proving that the Atlantic is still a one-way crossing when it comes to comedy.(Month In Review)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... UK sitcom's faltering invasion of the North American market suffered more stutters last month, proving that the Atlantic is still a one-way crossing when it comes to comedy. US versions of Coupling (above) and The Kumars at No 42 (renamed The...

The 14-year wait could soon be over for Doctor Who fans.(Month In Review)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The 14-year wait could soon be over for Doctor Who fans. Lorraine Heggessey has ordered a news series of the sci-fi favourite, to air some time in 2005, and has drafted in Queer as Folk's Russell T Davies to script the show. Davies, a life-long...

Avid training gets the Skillset nod.(Training)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... While Tim MacPherson, writing in August's issue (page 43), is spot on about the trouble in post-production training, the Avid (NLE) Assistant's Handbook was written with those entering the industry in mind as well as for editors who have no...

Blue steers clear of BBC row.(Facilities)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... An article appeared in The Works section of the October edition of Televisual magazine (page 61) entitled "Post houses unite to challenge 'unfair' BBC supplier-lists." In the article, Blue Post Production is listed as a member of a...

It's a 24/7 service industry.(New Media)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I was glad to see that last month's Televisual gave a right-to-reply to equipment manufacturers criticised in your "Reputations" feature the month before (September issue), and was interested to see what they had to say for themselves. I...

Ad producers must hit the red button.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Most ad production houses in this month's Top 30 say they look for a mark-up of around 25% on production budgets. This sluggish year, though, they may have had to say yes to as little as 20 %, or even 15 %. Well, welcome to the long-form...

Pact after the act: as Tiger Aspect's md takes over the helm of Pact from Shed's Eileen Gallagher, Jon Creamer asks him what challenges independent producers now face in the wake of the communications act.(Interview: Andrew Zein)
November 1, 2003... As md of one of the UK's most successful indies at just 34, it's been a meteoric rise through the industry for Tiger Aspect's Andrew Zein. And now, with his promotion to chair of Pact at one of the crucial points in the independent sector's...

Do the Hustle: drama indie Kudos's latest series is an off-the-wall comic drama about an elite gang of grifters on the make, produced by the winning team behind Spooks. Jon Creamer meets them.(In production Hustle)
November 1, 2003... Kudos Film and TV's MI5 drama Spooks is a rare beast: a winner both critically and commercially, with the potential to keep returning season after season. So when Kudos's joint md Jane Featherstone pitched Hustle to the BBC, a new series...

Under new management: births, marriages and death in ad-land 2003. Jmaes Hamilton reports on what this year's Top 30 have to tell.(Commercials Top 30)
November 1, 2003... The big news this year is Large. Straight in at the top of the Top 30 (see page 27) goes the new joint venture from Spectre and Stark Films created, says the management team, more by design than necessity. Both Stark and Spectre report an...

First among equals.(Producers Choice)
November 1, 2003... Despite all the talk of closures and mergers, it's reassuring to know that some things don't change. Eight of the outright winners in our Top 10s for 2003 are the same names and faces as last year--the only movement is among the awards-winners...

Winners take all: the producers that cleaned up in March's BTAA and Creative Circle awards, in the D&ADs in May, the Cannes Lions in June and at Kinsale in September.(Award)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... 2AM McDonald's series for Leo Burnett BTAA silver HSBC series for Lowe Creative Circle bronze Haircut for AMV BBDO/Yellow Pages Gold Shark ACADEMY BTAA chairman's award to Jonathan Glazer Devil's Island for...

Special promotion: this year's Promax UK chair has a plan to shake up the promo-makers' awards scheme, he tells James Hamilton, to make it more relevant to an industry in the throes of massive change.(People: Andi Granger)
November 1, 2003... Talking to Andi Granger, creative director of Skyl and chair of Promax 2003, is like sitting in on a TV creative brainstorming session. Conversation jumps from the EPG to on-screen "bugs" via value-add for viewers, and Granger always seems to...

Menus to go: how well you bond with your DVD control is largely down to what's on the disc's own menu.(DVD Menu Design)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2003... Authoring DVD is a boom business: demand continues to rise as VHS is pushed off Blockbuster and HMV shelves and disc deliverables are increasingly used for corporate presentation. The flipside, however, is that established players face serious...

Da Vinci shows Resolve for DI.(Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Da Vinci Systems has introduced the Resolve range of software-based colour enhancement systems. The first product, Resolve FX, is for network-based vfx production. The software operates on a PC and features a single monitor, signal and...

FilmLight adds HD to range.(Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... FilmLight has released two new products from its Truelight colour calibration system. The Truelight Monitor Probe is designed to calibrate high-contrast motion picture images on a graphics monitor. The company claims that, unlike devices...

Dubbs.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Duplication specialist Dubbs has opened a digital media wing. Eyeframe offers DVD authoring and encoding using Sonic stations and a Digital Rapids system, as well as graphics and editing, CD and other disc duplication. Christos Glaridis heads...

Panasonic plans solid-state camera.(Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Panasonic is to release an ENG camera based on the solid-state acquisition system it demonstrated at IBC. The AJ-SPX800 camcorder records to four SD (secure digital) Flash memory cards. The system, dubbed P2, has a high enough data-transfer...

The Mill expands its New York business.(Facilities)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Mill is doubling the capacity of its New York enterprise after running to capacity for the past 12 months. Its 20 staff will temporarily relocate from offices at Manhattan facility Outpost Digital to 4000 square-foot premises at the...

Geevs Sports II.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Gee Broadcast (maker of the Geevs video-server, left) has launched a set of multi-camera, highlight and slow-motion operations for use on live sports coverage. The Geevs Sports II offers synchronised multi-camera record and playback for up to...

On-Air Traffic.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... On-Air Systems, has launched On-Air Traffic, a media library and advanced scheduling module with automatic billing capabilities. It has also released On-Air vdr, a digital video disk recorder made with Toronto's Drastic Technology. It functions...

Europe's HD channel ready to air.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Details have been announced of Europe's first hi-def TV channel, to be launched in January 2004. Euro 1080 is a free-to-air satellite service managed by Belgium OB facility Alfacam. It consists of two channels: one will deliver a daily...

Red visits Egypt for Granada.(Facilities)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Simone Grattarola, film colourist at Red, has worked with director Tony Mitchell (Threads of Life) on four 60-minute films about Ancient Egyptians for Granada Television. "I wanted someone who could put their stamp on it without it being too...

VMI Broadcast.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... VMI Broadcast has invested 850k [pounds sterling] in HD equipment, making it the biggest HD hire specialist in Europe, the firm claims. The kit includes five HD cameras, 10 HD lenses, four HD vtrs, an Avid HD edit suite and an HD video...

APTN/ABC sign archive deal.(Broadcast)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Associated Press Television News (APTN) and Australia's national public broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) have formed an alliance to represent archive material. The agreement will see a reciprocal exchange of content and...

422 Manchester gains its MBO.(Facilities)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The team that rims 422 Manchester has completed a management buyout of the facility only a year after it was purchased by Barcud Derwen. 422's Richard Wallwork says "we felt it was best for our own future and that of the company for us to...

De Lane Lea sold to US firm.(Facilities)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Audio facility De Lane Lea has been acquired by US investment group Acena. Acena, which has several features in development around Europe, plans to build an end-to-end production chain for its projects including post, dubbing, transfers...

Arc moves back to Edinburgh.(Facilities)
November 1, 2003... Arc Facilities is opening an Edinburgh office to complement its Glasgow headquarters. The new purpose-built wing is already working on Shoebox Zoo, a high-definition and animated production for CBBC Scotland and Canada's Calibre Digital....

Time for a new-look workflow.(The Business)
November 1, 2003... At IBC a year ago, I observed the rise of low-cost desktop edit systems and began to reevaluate the traditional post-production workflow. At the time that this technology is emerging, producers and facilities alike are faced with...

Time for bed: 37 years after the five-minute episodes first delighted a generation of kids, Zebedee and his friends on The Magic Roundabout are to bounce back in a 12.8m [pounds sterling] cgi feature.(The Magic Roundabout)
November 1, 2003... The British reversioning of the children's stop-motion animation series Le Menage Enchante, created by ex-advertising executive Serge Danot in 1965 for French TV, won a cult following among adults for its drug-laden references. The new...

Production directory: the a-z production services.(Directory)
November 1, 2003... ACCOUNTANTS LINDFORD & COMPANY, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS We are a small friendly firm serving the film and TV industry, providing confidential financial, accountancy and taxation advice and audit. One Duchess Street, London W1W 6AN. ...

TV reality check.(In My View)
November 1, 2003... Can you watch TV impartially? It's hard, particularly in the genre that I work in--reality. Watching other genres makes it easier to sit back as a punter. Is there a programme you never miss? It used to be Eastenders, but I think it's...

November TX guide: a producer's guide to the month on the box.(The End)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Single from Saturday 25 October, 21.30: ITV1 In six hour-long episodes from Tiger Aspect, Michelle Collins (Eastenders, 2000 Acres of Sky, Ella and the Mothers) plays the newly-single mum trying to get on with things alone when she has been...

How to make a drama out of a 20th birthday.(Hair-In-The-Gate)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "Life on the very edge" was promised for a special have episode to mark The Bill's 20th birthday: "live drama, stunts and a tragic murder." And that was before we knew Sun Hill veteran PC Cathy Bradford and DC Brandon Kane were quitting the...