Televisual articles from September 2002

Televisual archives from September 2002

Two new niche channels crank up for an autumn launch-date. (Broadcast).(Independent Television launches Chart Show TV, SimplyTV launches Simply Nature)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... This month sees the launch of two new specialist channels. ITV's The Chart Show makes a comeback as a music channel. Chart Show TV is a free-to-view satellite channel, available to 6m Sky viewers, comprising 11 strands including album, jazz...

IMG launches new corporate sibling to TWI. (Corporate).(International Management Group launches Corporate Video Co.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Corporate Video Company is the newest start-up for Mark McCormack's IMG group. The group currently includes TWI, the interactive TWIi and IMG Consulting. The Corporate Video Company will have access to all of IMG's facilities. These...

Iskra sports Einstein's shorts. (Broadcast).(Iskra Television to add Einstein TV's news clips to its online library)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... UK distributor Iskra Television has signed a deal with Einstein TV to carry the science and education channel's news clips on its online library, Iskra Shorts. Einstein TV currently broadcasts in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. Iskra will...

MPC on the turner shortlist. (Animation).(Moving Picture Co.'s animated film, Liam Gillick's outdoor installation nominated for Turner Prize)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Liam Gillick's Annlee you Proposes has been shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. The outdoor installation was co-directed by MPC's 3D animator Lars Holmgren, and is the presentation of a Japanese computer-animated character called Annlee....

UK distributor and co-producer Indigo has signed a deal with India's Toonz Animation to distribute its Adventures of Tenali. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... UK distributor and co-producer Indigo has signed a deal with India's Toonz Animation to distribute its Adventures of Tenali. Indigo has all TV, video, DVD and licensing rights outside of India and Singapore. The deal is part of an agreement...

Hit has signed a brace of sponsorship deals. (In Brief).(sponsorship deals for Jeans for Genes campaign, ballet, genetic disorders charity)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Hit has signed a brace of sponsorship deals: for Gt Ormond Street's annual Jeans for Genes campaign, and for the English National Ballet. Bob the Builder will promote fundraising for the genetic disorders charity, appearing on packs sent to...

New promo company Sugar has become the first UK production company to be commissioned by Polydor Germany. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... New promo company Sugar has become the first UK production company to be commissioned by Polydor Germany, for dance act Sono's new promo 2000 Guns. Director Ben Tierney so impressed the band that they decided to use the company for all further...

People moves this month include Japanese director Muto Masahi. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... People moves this month include Japanese director Muto Masahi, now represented for promo and ad work in the UK by Treatment. Masahi has directed spots for Amex and Kodak among others. And ex-Rushes and Brave Sally Cooper has joined Golden...

UK animators prepare their wares for Cartoon Forum. (Animation).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Cartoon Forum kicks off this month with some new shows and some old favourites. 80s hit Dr Snuggles makes a comeback through production company Animatrix. The creative team includes the original creator and art director Jeffrey O'Kelly and...

Appleton sisters back on stage with Jason Smith. (Promos).(Nicole and Natalie Appleton)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Fantasy, Nicole and Natalie Appleton's first single since leaving All Saints, is released this month with a promo shot by Jason Smith at Flynn (now also signed to Brave for ads), and edited through Adrenalin at Rushes. Smith felt that...

Picasso's monstrous creation. (Animation).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Picasso Pictures has conjured up Monster v Monster, a new Flash-animated mini-toon series for Nickelodeon UK. The 7x1-minute series, described as "an unholy cross between WWF, Pokemon and a Toho monster movie," tells the story of a boy and...

Mainframe came up with the branding and content graphics for Get the Look, Amber TV's series for UK Style. (Graphics).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Mainframe came up with the branding and content graphics for Get the Look, Amber TV's series for UK Style, which from this month offers home-owners the chance to create a dream look for their house with help from professionals. Mainframe has...

Bullseye Television. (In Brief).(working on show for Bravo Cable Network)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Bullseye Television is in production with a "watch-through-your-fingers-show" World of Pain for Bravo. Each episode of the 15x30-minute doc is themed, In the Name of Love and Pain in the Arse being two. Series producer is Kate Copstick and...

Lambie Nairn. (In Brief).(contributed to program strategy for BBC1's Inside Out show)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Lambie Nairn is behind the name and on/off-air identity for Inside Out, a new BBC1 current affairs and news show airing from this month. It consolidates all the existing English regional current affairs shows, so that all 11 of them will now...

Mentorn's C5 series Britain's Worst Driver has 13 stings by design collective, Unreal. (In Brief).(Mentorn International launches new television program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Mentorn's C5 series Britain's Worst Driver has 13 stings by design collective, Unreal. Inspired by the Highway Code, the work was produced by Stephen Shaw. Creative director Martin Case wanted humourous graphics: "we did it by using the dry...

Pisces Gorman moves to BBC2. (Broadcast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Following on from the cult MTV hit Are you Dave Gorman?, the stand-up comic turned TV host is to star in a new series for BBC2, Dave Gorman's Important Astrology Experiment. The idea behind the show is to discover whether life can be better...

Bermuda's Pick goes Green for Film 4 lab short. (Broadcast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Bermuda Shorts director Martyn Pick has made Green, a short for Film 4 Lab's Digital Tales scheme. The scheme gives artists from different backgrounds a chance to move into drama. Pick's bleak eight-minute film features an old couple in a...

Discovery Channel's Emma Read has ordered Where There's Muck. (The Green Light).(industrial revolution series)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Discovery Channel's Emma Read has ordered Where There's Muck... from Oxford Scientific Films, a 10x30-minute series about the industrial revolution. It will be presented by The Fast Show's Mark Williams as he travels the UK by canal, learning...

Radio 4's impression-based comedy sketch show Dead Ringers. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Radio 4's impression-based comedy sketch show Dead Ringers makes it across to BBC2 this autumn after its successful pilot in March. Jane Root and head of comedy entertainment Jon Plowman commissioned the show, which stars Jon Culshaw. Jan...

Hat Trick has licensed the format The Kumars at Number 42 to NBC in the US for $9m. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Hat Trick has licensed the format The Kumars at Number 42 to NBC in the US for $9m. Hat Trick and Los Angeles-based Pariah Television will co produces pilot for the 12x30-minute show. In the US version, the show's Indian family will be replaced...

Carlton West Country has commissioned Twofour Productions to make Crafted. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Carlton West Country has commissioned Twofour Productions to make Crafted, a 13x30-minute series about the arts and crafts of the west country. It is presented by Juliet Morris (Newsround, House Detectives), produced by Becky Salomons and...

Northern Ireland independent Green Inc. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Northern Ireland independent Green Inc has picked up a further order for its Music Asides from BBC NI's Tim Cook and Mike Edgar. The series looks at the hometowns and career-paths of musical artists (Van Morrison was among them in the last...

Chrysalis Entertainment's The Showbiz Set for Channel 4. (The Green Light).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Chrysalis Entertainment's The Showbiz Set for Channel 4 gets titles from Bermuda ID's Run Wrake and an air-date at the end of this month. The 3x60-minute programme centres around TV entertainers who have changed the face of television by...

Loose Moose's Ken Lidster. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Loose Moose's Ken Lidster has directed a 30-second stop-motion/cgi spot for US brand Lunchables Fun Snacks through JWT Chicago. The producer was Glenn Holberton and the animator was Ange Palethorpe. MacKinnon and Saunders built the puppets and...

The Pavement. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Complete Jam is a double-DVD box-set from The Pavement. With 235 minutes of content, the discs include rare footage and a year selector. A long-time Jam fan's huge stock of memorabilia was used to create a multi-angle scrapbook. The...

SVC has produced three spots for Polycell through agency The Sandom Group. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... SVC has produced three spots for Polycell through agency The Sandom Group. Shot in motion-control by Mark Emberton and James Buck, the ads feature an animated Polycell tick Chris Mortimer conformed and finished the spots in Inferno, with...

CBBC's end of term report. (Broadcast).(BBC's children's programming)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... BBC childrens' controller Nigel Pickard has unveiled a [pounds sterling]30m package of programmes for transmission across the corporation's kids' services for the autumn season. While hailing the success of new pre-school channel CBeebies...

Telewest to sell SMG stake. (Finance).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Cable operator Telewest is hoping to alleviate some of its current debt problems with a sell-off of its stake in SMG. New Telewest md Charles Burdick has called an extraordinary general meeting for shareholders on 4 September to ask...

Airey wooed to the other side. (People).(Dawn Airey)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Channel 5 chief executive Dawn Airey is being heavily courted by ITV to fill the vacancy left after the announcement of David Liddiment's departure. Granada's Charles Allen first approached Airey about taking a role at the network back in...

Tough at the top at Tiger. (People).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Tiger Aspect is to reshuffle its management structure in a bid to cut costs. Joint md Andrew Zein will now be sole md as Charles Brand goes back to a programme-making role as head of a new history and features department. The changes...

A very captive audience. (The Business News).(television's captive audience network)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Bob Clarke, founder and ceo of Instrument, puts the case for a new type of television Ambient media are to marketing what Patrick Cox is to shoes: the latest fascination (Instore Marketing puts 2001 sales revenues at [pounds sterling])....

News Storyboard.(television shows)
September 1, 2002... There's death, fire, ice, jelly and ostriches in Storyboard this month: Soho 601 and Colony team up for Lemon Jelly's new promo; Granada takes something a bit strange to Mipcom Junior; Cheerful Scout brings ice to a conference and sets fire to...

Edinburgh TV's main event. (Festival).(Edinburgh International Television Festival)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Along with drink-fuelled gossip in The George bar and star-turns from Chris Evans, Ricky Gervais, Geraldo Rivera et al in the conference halls themselves, the changing fortunes and future directions of the BBC and ITV will again take centre...

Ozzy Osbourne surely needs to get a life--one beyond his real-life MTV sitcom. (Month in Review).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Ozzy Osbourne surely needs to get a life--one beyond his real-life MTV sitcom, The Osbournes. He's apparently steaming that Harry Enfield plans to plagiarise the whole idea--and, worse, to spoof his own persona--in the new BBC1 show Celebs...

BBC in-house mag Ariel is a good-news newspaper. (Month in Review).(staff expense accounts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... BBC in-house mag Ariel is a good-news newspaper, so floating the idea that BBC staff might soon be signing off their own expenses up to [pounds sterling]100 looked like a good wheeze for diverting attention from ongoing sour grapes about the...

Good to see researchers at RDF Media are earning their wages. (Month in Review).
September 1, 2002... Good to see researchers at RDF Media are earning their wages. When bagging a Channel 4 commission to make recently-aired dating show Perfect Match, those researchers must have searched high and low to find suitable subjects. Well, they must...

Framestore CFC loses Levi's. (Facilities).(animation and special effects credits)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Please help a reluctant letter writer. I am getting all too accustomed to writing these sorts of letter and I hate writing them. You know, "Dear Sir/Madam, With reference to your recent article, may I put the record straight... blah, blah,...

Avid holds fire over IBC 2003. (Technology).
September 1, 2002... I am writing concerning the headline to your article "Avid to pass up IBC 2003" (business page, The Works, August issue), which is misleading and does not reflect Avid's current position regarding its participation at the International...

It's the people, stupid. (Opinions).(digital tape formats and post production services)(Brief Article)(Column)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2002... The onset of the digital revolution 15 years ago was a costly business, with digital tape formats muscling in on old lin territory, and orders for digital vtrs and Quantel' s stable of Encore, Paintbox and the once-ubiquitous Harry gouging...

Just for laughs: after seven years as the BBC's head of comedy, Geoffrey Perkins decamped to Tiger Aspect early this year. Jon Creamer asks him about departing White City, and the funny business of the future. (Geoffrey Perkins).(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 1, 2002... There's a framed letter complaining about a dire new sitcom called Fawlty Towers on Geoffrey Perkins's office wall. It's an important talisman for someone who's spent most of his career in television comedy, and a reminder that many shows that...

History happens here. (In production the First World War).
September 1, 2002... Scottish independent Wark Clements is in production with the biggest commission outside London: the adaption of Hew Strachan's seminal book, The First World War. Sain Espensen talks to the production team about the difficulty of assuring...

Rules of engagement. (Draft Communications Bill).(allowing fair competition in UK broadcasting)
September 1, 2002... If broadly sympathising with the independent cause, the Puttnam committee's report on the communications bill had nothing to say on Pact's proposed code of practice for commissioning. But take heart, say Marc Israel and Martin Ballantyne of...

Stir-fried cg: he started out a bit flat, but now the Oriental Express frozen Chinese food mascot Mr Mo has been given a whole new dimension. Jon Creamer finds out how from animation house HR3D. (Oriental Express in Production).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... He leaps, he flips, he kung-fu kicks and he lives in the fridge with a whole bunch of frozen stir-fry products... He also hopes to tempt you into stocking up on Oriental Express Chinese convenience foods. Mr Mo is the star of a new [pounds...

Edinburgh who's who. (The Commissioners Edinburgh).(list of employees in television broadcasting industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... It's time for the annual Edinburgh TV sbmooze-fest so here are a few of the faces it might be worth shmoozing. "Pint please, barman. And one for that lovely person with the commissioning budget" CONTROLLERS 1 CHANNEL 4 chief executive...

ITV after the act: the former ITV chief executive (now, he hopes, soon-to-be-best-selling author) will be at the Edinburgh TV festival to discuss "ITV's Rocky Road: Where Next?" He rehearses the arguments with Mundy Ellis. (Richard Eyre People).(Interview)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... His year in Cornwall writing a first novel was a good one, says Eyre. But, with the book due at the publisher and a couple of non-exec posts on the boil, he says, his working day is now a tad more complex than Stephen King's. Still, it beats...

BBC Scotland the brave: amid bitching from the media, hype from the broadcasters and enthusiasm from the makers, Sam Espensen is in at the birth of the first home-grown soap to hit BBC Scotland since The High Road. (Birth of a Soap in Production).
September 1, 2002... Though feverish local press interest about BBO Scotland's new primetime soap River City has only just been satisfied, the production team has been hard at work under wraps at the set-in-Dumbarton for some time. With a cash injection of an...

And if one gren bottle. (Facilities 50).(post production facilities)(Directory)
September 1, 2002... As we chart the UK's top 50 online facilities (see pages f7 to f20), we also listen to the hopes and fears of mds up and down the country about the changing face of post-production. Many are optimistic about seeing light at the end of the...

New model army: it's been less bountiful harvest, more subsistence farming for many in facilityland this year, so it's encouraging to see the seeds of new businesses taking root. (Newcomers Facilities 50).(post production companies)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
September 1, 2002... Among newcomers this year are offshoots of factory-farms whose employees, fed up with a serf-like existence, have sought to plough their own, more organic, furrow. Struggling free of the agricultural analogy, there's the aptly-named Post...

At the coal face. (Broadcasters Facilities 50).(post production facilities for indies)(Directory)
September 1, 2002... Broadcasters keen to sell their post-production services on the independent market divide loosely into two categories: the ones with the wacky titles that bear little or no relation to their broadcasting heritage, and the ones that feel it best...

Producer choice: only one of five criteria used to pick the Facilities 50, our poll of clients across the commercials, corporate and broadcast sectors may count for the most: bookings. (Producer Poll Facilities 50).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The three top-rated facilities in this year's poll of producers are also, as it happens, the three they actually frequent most. The Mill, Framestore CFC and The Farm (in that order) are the names that spring to mind when we ask them: "which...

IBC 2002. (Exhibition IBC).
September 1, 2002... After a torrid year for the manufacturing fraternity, IBC returns to test everyone's mettle. The most important business will still be conducted at the bar, where fingers will be in the air testing the winds of change. Where previous shows...

3 Wise men bear gifts for M2. (Facilities).(editing team)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... M2 Television is looking to bolster business with the introduction of editing team, 3 Wise Men. Freelance editors Darren Jonusas, a founder of RGB Post (and editor on The Human Body), Martin Sage, who previously worked at De Lane Lea and...

Kit hire health and safety risk. (Training).(safety of leased production equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Improper use of lighting, cameras and other hired electrical hardware could endanger staff on set, according to research from Skillset. "There is an expectation by hire companies that the kit will come back clean, but that's not...

Metro Broadcast. (In Brief).(may seek another Archangel device)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Demand has been so strong at Metro Broadcast for Archangel, Snell & Willcox's real-time restoration device for film and video archives, that it's looking to acquire a second. Including Metro's, only four have been sold worldwide. The box will...

Wideband tracking system goes real-time. (Technology).(DatAcq's system)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... New tracking technology could enhance the way that stunts, live sport and even broadcast content is shot, saving millions of pounds in the process, claims its inventor. UK firm DatAcq has created a positional tracking system which rivals...

BBC to market multi-media production device. (Technology).(Content Factory process and editing audiovisual content software)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... BBC Technology is to market the device it has created to process and edit audiovisual content for Hutchison 3G mobiles. Dubbed Content Factory, the PC-based software is the first fruit of the five-year deal between the UK's largest 3G...

[pounds sterling]3m production centre for London. (Facilities).(Wescom Holding's Wescom Media Centre)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A [pounds sterling]3m TV production centre is opening next month in West London to target London-based international broadcasters. The Wescom Media Centre (WMC), owned by Wescom Holdings, owner of UK OB and installation firm PBDS, will house TX...

Rushes shows some nerves. (Facilities).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Former Royal Ballet prima ballerina Deborah Bull will never have been contorted quite so much as in The Dancer's Body, a 3x50 minute documentary she presents for BBC2. Bull performs dance routines and other acrobatic stunts while the camera...

Dry hire firm Edit-Hire has closed its Mortimer Street operation. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Dry hire firm Edit-Hire has closed its Mortimer Street operation, which housed 11 suites. The company, whose kit is being used on Die Another Day, retains 25 suites in D'Arblay Street and Wardour Mews. "Noho is finished in terms of the hire...

Smoke & Mirrors and VTR's graphics offshoot The Hive are the latest recipients of 5D's visual effects system Cyborg. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Smoke & Mirrors and VTR's graphics offshoot The Hive are the latest recipients of 5D's visual effects system Cyborg. One of the original beta sites for the [pounds sterling]100k product, S&M now has two Cyborgs, used on Zurich's spot Home...

BBC shortform and design division MediaArc. (In Brief).(buys equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... BBC shortform and design division MediaArc has purchased a Media 100 844/x system for offline and compositing work. The product, which launched in April, has attracted interest because its Genesis hardware provides multi-stream, 10-bit...

BBC awards VJs extra pay. (Finance).(video journalists)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... BBC news reporters who retrain as "video journalists," will receive a salary hike following an agreement with trade union, the NUJ. The agreement ends two years of resistance among staff who feared journalists were being required to...

Triple-play for X-Box and Sky. (Business).(Microsoft to expand X-Box; British Sky Broadcasting considers new set-top box)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Microsoft plans to expand its X-Box into a console incorporating game-playing with video recording capabilities. According to ceo Steve Ballmer, the X-Box is part of a "broader concept" (dubbed Freon) which Microsoft had pitched to...

Telefilm transfer to Midnight. (Facilities).(Midnight Transfer acquires Telefilm)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Wardour Street's Midnight Transfer has bolstered its position in the film dailes market with the acquisition of Telefilm. Renamed Midnight Transfer Twickenham, the outfit brings two Cintel telecine machines, sound sync and vtr equipment to...

Nunney joins Oasis team. (People).(Ray Nunney, Oasis Television)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Facility veteran Ray Nunney has been named as md of Oasis Television. Former md Andrew Coppin joins director Tony Cloarec to work on business strategy. "Andrew will be looking at the more strategic side of things although he'll remain...

Rate-cutting: just say no. (The Business the Works).(television producers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Invest wisely for the future to prevent grumbling about rates, says Root 6's John Harris If you have Sky, you'll know that you can get more than 80 channels for less than [pounds sterling]40 a month. A fair proportion are not produced in...

Topping out in cg. (Superstructures).(computer graphics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Darlow Smithson's two-parter Superstructures looks at fantastic buildings and what makes them extraordinary. Sam Espensen talks to Red Vision about how it built them again from scratch Red Vision has been working for almost a year to...

Production Directory.(services for production companies)(Directory)
September 1, 2002... THE A-Z OF PRODUCTION SERVICES ACCOUNTANTS CHARING & COMPANY, Chartered Accountants. Providing comprehensive services to the entertainment industry, you will like our friendly and non-jargon approach. 6 Sewardstone Road, Waltham...

Quality-time telly. (In My View).(Katey Eyre of Jacaranda Productions comments on television programs she watches)(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 1, 2002... 15 years ago this month, Katy Eyre setup corporate company Jacaranda, along with co-founder Gus Colquoun, and scored an IVCA grand prix in the first year. Now a serial mother as well, she still writes and produces (though she's dropped...

September TX guide.(television)
September 1, 2002... A PRODUCER'S GUIDE TO THE MONTH ON THE BOX Sparkhouse Sunday 1, 21.00: BBC1 Red Productions' Nicola Shindler is behind this latter-day version of Emily Bronte's bodice-ripper, Wuthering Heights. Set in modern-day Yorkshire, the three...

Fortysomethings go easy on the old enemy. (Hair-in-the-Gate).(Carlton Television Ltd.'s 'Forty-something' drama will feature character who works for National Health Service)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... What restraint, in these BBC-bashing times, from Carlton's head of drama Jonathan Powell. For Hugh Laurie's new comedy drama Forty-something, he opted to sidestep all-out war and switch the Byzantine workplace that's doing our hero's head in...