Draft:BBC News

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

(Redirected from BBC News)




Background

B.B.C. News and Newsreel

Intro (1948–1955)

Visuals: TBA

Variant: Starting in 1954, the text was changed to "B.B.C. NEWS AND NEWSREEL".

Technique: Stop-motion and superimposition.

Audio: TBA

BBC News (first era)

Intro (1955-1963)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: TBA

Audio: TBA

BBC TV News

1st Intro (1963-1964)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: TBA

Audio: TBA

2nd Intro (1964-1972)

Visuals: Superimposed over the beginning of the news bulletin, four rows containing multiple copies of the BBC TV logo, with "NEWS" in a font resembling Eurostile next to it, wipe in, starting from the left and moving to the right when it gets to the next line, then back to left and then right. After a while, the logos then fade to the word "NEWS" in the same font as before, which then fades out afterwards.

Technique: Cel animation and superimposition.

Audio: TBA

3rd Intro (1972-1974)

Visuals: There is a still image of a man looking at the viewer on a turquoise background. The word "NEWS", in the same font as the previous intro (albeit italicised) and filled in with yellow dots, wipes in and out several times. The BBC TV logo in white fades in above the word, which then fades to solid white. The text then fades out, leaving just the man.

Technique: A live-action photograph superimposed with what appears to be cel animation.

Audio: Same as the previous intro.

BBC News (second era)

1st Intro (1974-1976)

Visuals: The stacked yellow text "BBC NEWS" in Futura is shown, superimposed over the start of the news bulletin.

Technique: Live-action and chromakey.

Audio: Same as the previous intro.

2nd Intro (March 8, 1976-September 1981)

1976 variant

1979 variant

Visuals: On an orange background, there are two dark orange circles and a brown map of the world. The circles merge into one, then the stacked text "BBC NEWS" in Times New Roman Bold appears. This ends with a circle transition to the beginning of the news bulletin.

Variant: Starting in 1979, it just shows the first frame of the intro tinted in blue. "BBC NEWS", in a sans-serif font this time, zooms in. The text then disappears before transitioning as normal.

Technique: The 1976 variant uses cel animation, whereas the 1979 variant uses chyron.

Audio: Same as the previous intro.

3rd Intro (September 1981-October 30, 1988)

1981 variant (A)

1981 variant (B)

1985 variant

Visuals: On a black background with a red stripe in the centre of the screen, white lines come in from either the left or right side to form a segmented circle. A flashing white rectangle appears below the stripe, and then "types" in "BBC NEWS" in a font resembling Rockwell. A clock-wipe effect occurs on the circle as the stripe wipes away to reveal a live-action scene.

Variant: Starting in 1985, the red stripe was changed to blue.

Technique: 2D computer animation overlaid onto live-action footage.

Audio: TBA

4th Intro (October 31, 1988-April 12, 1993)

Visuals: On a mostly black background with occasional hints of pale blue and red, a turquoise antenna forms. Four lightning bolts appear and disappear around the antenna in different forms. Then, a circle outline brings in four more lightning bolts, coloured turquoise, and rings appear from the centre of the antenna. "BBC NEWS", in white and in Times New Roman, fades in below the antenna as the background fades to black. As one more hint of pale red occurs on the background, the sequence fades to the start of the news bulletin.

Technique: 2D computer animation by Robinson/Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: A highly bombastic fanfare with thunderbolts heard throughout, composed by George Fenton.

Legacy: The design of the symbol was criticised for resembling a swastika, resulting in future intros no longer being outsourced.[1]

5th Intro (April 13, 1993-May 9, 1999)

Visuals: On what appears to be mostly a live-action scene tinted blue, there is a spinning globe situated on a neon table. The 1988 BBC logo in full colour is overlaid onto the globe, with the white word "NEWS" in Futura Condensed Italic Oblique next to it. The "BBC NEWS" wordmark fades out, leaving just the globe. The sequence then fades to the start of the news bulletin.

Variant: Starting in 1997, the intro was updated to use the 1997 BBC logo in white, and "NEWS" is in Gill Sans.

Technique: Possibly live-action.

Audio: TBA

6th Intro (May 10, 1999-2004)

Visuals: On a yellow background, there is a red oval with the Earth inside of it, spinning. The "BBC NEWS" wordmark from the 1997 variant of the previous intro is below.

Variant: In some cases (such as its debut appearance), the intro is shortened to just the final product.

Technique: CGI by Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: An orchestral tune with drumbeats and beeping sounds, composed by David Lowe.

7th Intro (2003-2006)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: CGI.

Audio: TBA

8th Intro (2004-April 20, 2008)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: CGI.

Audio: TBA

9th Intro (April 21, 2008-)

Visuals: TBA

Variants:

Technique: CGI by Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: A re-arrangement of the previous intro's music.

References

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