View Full Version : TV news set decoration is out of control
Taurus
09-12-2007, 09:54 AM
Is it just me, or are the sets of most news programs, ESPN Sports Center for example, so cluttered with garish colors, abstract art or random pieces of furniture that (without trying to be humorous) it is getting difficult to tell where the newscaster him/herself is located?
I was reminded of this last year when I think NBC was showing some clips of old broadcasts from the 70s. A desk, a microphone and video screen behind the newscaster all backed up by a blue background - that was it (same with some old ESPN clips). When the news was read, it seemed more serious and believable than when heard when seeing the "fun" atmosphere modern broadcasts project.
Does this possibly have something to do with HDTV?
bartels76
09-12-2007, 10:27 AM
Yes most sets have gotten upgrades because of HD. Old sets would look horrendous in HD if they were kept as is. Granted they still don't have to make the sets as busy as they are.
I sat at the old ABC News desk when Jennings was still alive and it was the grossest esk I have ever seen but on SD you wouldn't notice it. Once they went HD they bulit a new (and busier) set. I think most newscasts are moving away from the talking head so they make the sets more active. This allows newscasters to move to different parts of the set which in turn makes the set busier.
No Static
09-12-2007, 11:44 AM
It also has a lot to do with our perceived short attention spans.
Just because you can do something with a graphic (think silly down & yardage arrows on a football field) doesn't make it a necessity.
You can throw in "lower-third" crawls, time, temp, scores, breaking news, logos and the sound effects, too.
Thank you. I feel better.
The Panda
09-12-2007, 01:27 PM
I think they are resorting to this as they can't think of anything else to do to change around the presentation.
Our Fox station changed around their presentation with much fanfare--some news was delievered standing up, other times the anchor sat on a stool with the reporter to intro the story.
All they got was people commenting about how hot the anchor was (she IS very attractive). I guess they thought that they were creating an army of psychos out to get her, cause they went back to the normal desk format and now they're getting into the garish stuff you're mentioning.
Just because you can do something with a graphic (think silly down & yardage arrows on a football field) doesn't make it a necessity.
Necessity is in the eye of the beholder. I think the yardage arrows are useful. And I think the yellow first down line is even better.
No Static
09-12-2007, 02:28 PM
Necessity is in the eye of the beholder. I think the yardage arrows are useful. And I think the yellow first down line is even better.
No problem with the yellow stripe but those big markers...
I can keep up with the down and do the math on yards to go on my (to each his) own. But that's just me.
Off topic, but can you imagine the original Star Trek series in HD???
stockmonkey
09-12-2007, 03:16 PM
Taurus
09-13-2007, 10:23 AM
Just because you can do something with a graphic...........doesn't make it a necessity.This reminds me of computers, cell phones and a lot of audio gear: a bunch of "features" are included that supposedly everyone wants but actually they don't want them & in reality they were only included because "it was on the (integrated circuit) chip". What mostly happens is that all those fluff features make the device even more diffcult to use, causing some potential customers to seek out another brand's competing/less cluttered product (which very probably costs less). FYI: actually, 60 Minutes just aired a segment last Sunday about this very issue i.e. information/technology overload.
It also has a lot to do with our perceived short attention spans.
I was thinking of that myself.
some news was delievered standing up, other times the anchor sat on a stool with the reporter to intro the story.It seems like everyone is adopting this "casual" approach to delivering the news, which I don't like myself.
What I really detest is when the newscasters sitting next to each other start bantering to each other about the news, like they're sitting in a coffeeshop doing so, but to me it ends up sounding forced and artificial & adds nothing to the facts. Please don't waste my time and insult my intelligence - I don't want to be entertained by the news, I just want to hear it (this attitude is much like what is going on in many educational settings, where the educators* feel the need to make everything fun and light-hearted :rolleyes: which is actually helping to dilute the very same lessons they are trying to teach!).
* fun factoid: many schools don't allow the word "teacher" to be used nowadays. "Facilitator" is the new buzz word, because the word teacher and the very concept of a teacher implies that the adult is forcing his/her or other people's views - including people like Einstein, Shakespeare, Socrates, etc - and established facts onto the student, supposedly stifling their creativity and interfering with the creation of their own opinions (how can the kid form an opinion if he doesn't know any facts or wastes time re-discovering what has already been discovered?!). Facilitators OTOH are only supposed to gently guide/nudge the student to help them learn. If you ever wondered why so many kids know practically nothing when they graduate from high school, this is one of many reasons.....but at least they had fun while they were there.
music4life
09-13-2007, 12:08 PM
It also has a lot to do with our perceived short attention spans.
Just because you can do something with a graphic (think silly down & yardage arrows on a football field) doesn't make it a necessity.
You can throw in "lower-third" crawls, time, temp, scores, breaking news, logos and the sound effects, too.
Thank you. I feel better.
This is what absolutely drives me nuts as well! Half the picture is taken up with all that info they're trying to cram on the screen!
turniton1181
09-13-2007, 12:50 PM
Yes - over the top. One thing's for sure - all the flashy sets, tickers, and pointless banter of the anchors leads to some hillarious parody on shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, etc. :thumbsup:
Grant
09-13-2007, 06:13 PM
One of the first networks to use computer-generated graphics with vivid colors was Fox. Then the others followed.
I don't mind them.
What I don't like are rapid, constantly changing scenes in commercials.
Batears52
09-13-2007, 06:47 PM
It also has a lot to do with our perceived short attention spans.
Just because you can do something with a graphic (think silly down & yardage arrows on a football field) doesn't make it a necessity.
You can throw in "lower-third" crawls, time, temp, scores, breaking news, logos and the sound effects, too.
Thank you. I feel better.
The trend that drives me crazy are the (I don't know what to call them) "promos" for other shows that appear in the lower corner of the screen!
There was one of Kyra Sedgewick ("The Closer") where walks in, ducks under a police crime tape & shines her flashlight at you. It drove me nuts! :realmad:
And on the crawls, sometimes I find myself reading them & paying absolutely no attention to the anchor!
In wintertime, there is one station here who leaves the school closings, etc. up during commercials...I think it's the Fox station. :thumbsup:
Dexter
My favorite touch of idiocy is the sound effect machine. Next time you're watching a ball game, try to tune out the visuals and voices. Focus on all the whooshes, clangs and crunches that accompany the appearance of every freakin graphic.
Jeff
axnyslie
09-13-2007, 07:26 PM
That side promo **** has got to go! Are the networks so desperate now they think they need to bombard us with ads for their stupid shows? Some cable network out there should adopt an old school style with no watermarks, no scroll ads, unaltered closing credits, fewer commercial spots, and no sports with "post game shows". They would probably do well. FOX seems to be the worst offender of all along with the worst intellectually defunct programming too.
Taurus
09-13-2007, 07:41 PM
Speaking of side promos, FOX has also been using some of them with cutesy electronic *sound effects*.....which occur DURING the program that's currently running. They are so loud that they drown out what the actors are saying! :mad:
My favorite touch of idiocy is the sound effect machine.I think the inspiration for these are probably video games, which also have info graphics popping up all the time accompianed by sound effects.
Grant
09-13-2007, 08:17 PM
I guess this thread is more for those who want to see a return to what TV news was like in the 60s and 70s...
music4life
09-14-2007, 11:36 AM
Speaking of side promos, FOX has also been using some of them with cutesy electronic *sound effects*.....which occur DURING the program that's currently running. They are so loud that they drown out what the actors are saying! :mad:
I think the inspiration for these are probably video games, which also have info graphics popping up all the time accompianed by sound effects.
how about that damn robot football player that jumps around on the left side of the screen? It absolutely drives me crazy!!
il pleut
09-14-2007, 12:21 PM
it's the over decoration, it's the graphics and the sound effects, it's the loud obnoxious music, it's satan's little pundits, it's the emphasis on sensationalistic gossip news- the madeleine mccann thing being this week's example.
i'd like to see edward r murrow come back to life with super powers and do a little hiney kicking.
Jose Jones
09-14-2007, 12:38 PM
I don't want to be entertained by the news, I just want to hear it (this attitude is much like what is going on in many educational settings, where the educators* feel the need to make everything fun and light-hearted :rolleyes: which is actually helping to dilute the very same lessons they are trying to teach!).
Pure news is dying in the ratings, so INFOTAINMENT is replacing the news.
I deplore these trends myself. It's happening everywhere. Even on my favorite TV channel of all time (The Weather Channel), the weathermen are losing the suits and ties for more casual dress; they look like they are about to catch a plane at the airport. The female weathercasters look like they were ordered to all lose 20 lbs and wear too much makeup. The maps are being replaced by less accurate graphics---instead of a normal map of the USA, you have some tilted-looking thing that makes Florida and Texas overly huge and the northern states like tiny little counties. What purpose does that serve? Is a real map too intimidating to people?
My local news station in the morning has started this new feature of "breaking news"..which is essentially the anchorman standing (of course) in front of a laptop computer with the lastest news "hot off the wire" and he reads it as the camera focuses on the screen, with him using the mouse to highlight the 'important' parts. I immediately change the channel when this part of the news arrives.
Jose Jones
09-14-2007, 12:42 PM
I guess this thread is more for those who want to see a return to what TV news was like in the 60s and 70s...
That's right Grant....back when the news was what you tuned in for, not for the compressed synth soundtrack, not to be reminded every second that "WWTV has the most powerful doppler radar in the state!!!!!", not for the 20something in a push-up bra trying to look cute while mispronouncing local street names because she's never been there in her life.....
The Panda
09-14-2007, 12:44 PM
My local news station in the morning has started this new feature of "breaking news"..which is essentially the anchorman standing (of course) in front of a laptop computer with the lastest news "hot off the wire" and he reads it as the camera focuses on the screen, with him using the mouse to highlight the 'important' parts. I immediately change the channel when this part of the news arrives.
OH GAKKKK!!! :hurl:
No Static
09-14-2007, 01:07 PM
Pure news is dying in the ratings, so INFOTAINMENT is replacing the news.
I deplore these trends myself. It's happening everywhere. Even on my favorite TV channel of all time (The Weather Channel), the weathermen are losing the suits and ties for more casual dress; they look like they are about to catch a plane at the airport. The female weathercasters look like they were ordered to all lose 20 lbs and wear too much makeup. The maps are being replaced by less accurate graphics---instead of a normal map of the USA, you have some tilted-looking thing that makes Florida and Texas overly huge and the northern states like tiny little counties. What purpose does that serve? Is a real map too intimidating to people?
My local news station in the morning has started this new feature of "breaking news"..which is essentially the anchorman standing (of course) in front of a laptop computer with the lastest news "hot off the wire" and he reads it as the camera focuses on the screen, with him using the mouse to highlight the 'important' parts. I immediately change the channel when this part of the news arrives.
Oh, man...it's another episode of Short Attention Span Theatre, yes?
Here in North Alabama we have two stations duking it out for 10 pm news ratings. One station's "slug" is "Taking Action...Getting Results!" so, the other countered with "Investigating the Issues...Uncovering the Truth!", and their reporters are no longer reporters but "investigators". Take that, lowly news person! :rolleyes:
Dan C
09-14-2007, 02:17 PM
I love watching BBC World News on BBC America. The sets are lovely, modern and super clean. The only thing on the desk in front of the news reader is a laptop computer. Graphics are tasteful and modern. Even the news crawl at the bottom is polite. Very nice. :thumbsup:
American news is cluttered, we're busy people I guess. Lots going on, must get info quick! Or whatever.
Local news has been pretty silly for many years, however. Don't believe me? There are tons of cool clips from the 70s and 80s. Technology was more simple, but the 'happy chat' and fluffy features were still the main diet of local news. Nature of the best.
Some local news can be very good, but it's the exception. Always has been.
dan c
il pleut
09-14-2007, 04:01 PM
I guess this thread is more for those who want to see a return to what TV news was like in the 60s and 70s...
maybe, if that includes resposible reporting, substance over style, and a general sense of decorum and common social skills. you know, news shows for grown-ups.
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