This section is part of the usual Tech Ops discussions.<\/p>\n
What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Each BBC site had a surgery where one ventured if one had sustained an injury at work – cut finger, electric jolt or whatever.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Fade to black and up again. “Maigret” was a programme sold abroad, so needed breaks so that adverts could be played in: but many other programmes with a potential for overseas sales included clear ad breaks for commercial playout.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A group photo of the Ariel Flying Group was published in “Propspero”. It may have been taken on an open day sometime in 1973 or 1974. Ariel Flying group started flying at Fairoaks using Condor aircraft and only moved to Denham when GK was bought.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Daily Duty Sheets and Studio Allocations for the end of August 1975.<\/p>\n – and forward to 1994 …<\/p>\n Lines Booking Sheet for 9th July 1994<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n What happened to B size batteries? What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The many and varied premises that the BBC used to inhabit in London alone!<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Was BBC Recording Tape really only good enough for tying up the roses? Possibly not as bad as Zonal, which seemed to be Sellotape sprayed with rust.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Birtspeak is a very long running column in “Private Eye” which carries examples of mad BBC quotations. It originated – not surprisingly – by quoting Mr – sorry, Lord – Birt’s pronouncements. Everyone thought that would go away with the man, but it turns out not to be true, hence Birtspeak 2.0.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A pretty make-up girl was parked in front of the cameras for colour matching the camera. She was referred to as a CLUG.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The cameras may be matched – see CLUG – but one person has said that she used to see colour differently with each eye. But did it only concern one shade or hue, and what, if any, difference would it have made to her everyday work\/circumstances?<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n There are anachronisms in many period piece programmes – but more of an issue is the sound pickup in period dramas: this theme is explored in some depth in the sections below on “The Quality of Sound in TV Broadcasting”.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Clever stuff this CSO! In the right hands, of course!<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Most regional \u201ccubby-hole\u201d studio newsrooms now have a looped CSO\/CGI background to give a more controlled environment. Only the newsreaders are real.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n This discussion started as there had been a suggestion that \u201cDad\u2019s Army\u201d had been telerecorded at Lime Grove.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Amazing what can be found tucked away in the back of a drawer …<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n We see what we think we ought to see, hear what we think we ought to hear – and relate things unknown to things we know. A story from Geoff Fletcher.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n My first computer was ….<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t we all have Ferrographs? Well, no – don’t tell anyone, but mine was a Ferguson – but then I was on cameras …<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n What would have been the small audio (tape) recorder used by News reporters of the 1960s?<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Spirals of lights flashing in sequence that served no purpose at all.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Talkback: “And it’s Len on the Lip”<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Bob Auger remembers where he was fifty years ago…<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A cameraperson and someone else. That’s maybe all you need. It\u2019s perfectly possible to combine the various skills and get a good show made, as long as it isn\u2019t a complex show.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Tony Hadoke has been preparing his current Doctor Who In Memoriam video and has offered a picture.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n That certainly sounds like a Frank Wilkins story!<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n You used to be able to pop round the corner to the little specialist shops selling all sorts of electronic bits and pieces. Not quite Akihabara in Tokyo, of course, but this was London in the 1960s and 1970s.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Lillehammer flowchart.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A miscellany of items with some tenuous connection with Christmas.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The \u201cEvening Standard\u201d on Tuesday 8 December 2015 reported that the Shepherd\u2019s Bush Empire (formerly the BBC TV Theatre (and before that, the Shepherd\u2019s Bush Empire)) was shut the previous Friday night after a last-minute \u201cformal\u201d health and safety inspection. \u00a0“…They checked a problem and it was a lot worse than first thought….\u201d<\/p>\n The 2,000-capacity Grade II-listed hall is now closed for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Specifically:<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The 3.5mm headphone jack is essentially a 19th Century bit of kit – it is a miniaturised version of the classic quarter-inch jack (6.35mm), which is said to go back as far as 1878.<\/p>\n The thing about standards are that there are so many to choose from.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n More than fifty years ago (from 2016), group of spotty youths would be assembled at Wood Norton Hall to begin life in the BBC on TO courses. The content and compositions of the courses changes over the years, but the training given then stayed with us for our professional careers – inside or outside broadcasting.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n More reminiscences about the people of the various technical crews that we used to work with.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n More reminiscences about people who worked in front of the camera (and microphone) and who sadly have died this year (2016).<\/p>\n and one who famously worked behind the microphone:<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Is this just pretentious piffle, stylish criticism or what? But this could turn out to be the history (about us) that gets written.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Hot valves, extra high tension, whining line output transformers, cathode rays – but forward facing, full sized loudspeakers.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Mike Jordan went to see the display about Our World\u201d in The Science Museum (January 2016).<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Terribly old fashioned and non pc of course, but we are, aren’t we?<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n … and associated sci-fi memories and memorabilia.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Peter Cook’s connections to famous innovators, inventors and engineers.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Somre people may probably be classified as a bully-in-the-workplace today, but that’s how it was then.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Geoff Fletcher found a shot card in his BBC box. Very few were ever kept, swept up in the detritus of the derig.<\/p>\n What Geoff said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n in these conversations, Tech Ops people start talking about one thing – and this lead on to another, and on to another … It is difficult at times to unravel the various strands!<\/p>\n Following on from a post by Bernie Newnham, this segued into storiea about water sprinklers (what, with all that electricity all over the place?) and gently segued into \u201cGrange Hill\u201d.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Mystery surrounds an ST&C microphone type number 4131 that Keith Wicks bought from a car boot sale.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A live Outside Broadcast from the pioneering railway restoration project in the world. It deserves a page of its own.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Catering … at least BBC premises never had to suffer the “Roach Coach” (aka sandwich van) which toured industrial estates.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n it\u2019s not easy to make judgements about any shift pattern without actually working it.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n As mentioned right at the start of these conversations, one topic more than any other has caught the attention of the Tech Ops people – the quality of sound in current television programmes. There are straightforward technical issues – for example, the sound level for an individual programme is different to the preceding and succeeding one. There are problems with the actors – their diction is poor. There are problems with microphone positioning. And sometimes these all come together to provide a “perfect storm” – or it would be if we could hear it.<\/p>\n The conversations about this have been split into four pages.<\/p>\n BBC Academy, Personal mics, Equalisation and more … Flying Scotsman – no locomotive sound, Merlins, wildtracks and a poem by Geoff Fletcher Mumblegate, mixdown, transmission chain, mutlicamera shoot … And here is the opposite … two gaffes, caught clearly. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Watching old programmes on modern tellies.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The theme music for some TV programmes include the name of the programme in morse code.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n The Talyllyn OB had its own page: here are some more stories and pictures of Trains and filming (should that be Trains and Telerecording?)<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n VT clocks were used to ident VT recordings – but what sort of idents were used for Film Recordings?<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n Union disputes, selling the family silver, Mrs. Thatcher, overmanning …<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n BBC TV was like a wonderful club, says Geoff Fletcher. He has been trawling through his diaries and has listed the number of people he knew by their job titles at the time.<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n A wonderful name for the juddery hand-held-like camerawork seen nowadays. Ans the unmotivated crabs and cranes on wide angle interview shots. And …<\/p>\n What people said…<\/a><\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n That’s all for this time around .<\/p>\n ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is a lively bunch who gather round the virtual table in the virtual (tea) bar to chew the fat, and who offer items interest, opinions and information over a wide range of topics. Things that we discussed but have … Continue reading A Pretty Nurse is …<\/h2>\n
Ad Breaks and \u201cMaigret\u201d<\/h2>\n
Ariel Flying Group<\/h2>\n
Back to 1975<\/h2>\n
Batteries and Multimeters<\/h2>\n
\nWe have AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D.<\/p>\nBBC London Premises<\/h2>\n
BBC Recording Tape<\/h2>\n
Birtspeak 2.0<\/h2>\n
CLUG<\/h2>\n
Colour Vision<\/h2>\n
Comments on 2015 and 2016 Programmes<\/h2>\n
CSO Oversights<\/h2>\n
CGI Backgrounds and Virtual Newsrooms<\/h2>\n
Dad\u2019s Army \u2013 in which studio?<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t ask me, ask Mother<\/h2>\n
Dubbin<\/h2>\n
Early Days of Home Computing<\/h2>\n
Early Domestic Tape Recorders<\/h2>\n
Early Portable Tape Recorders for News<\/h2>\n
Flashing Lights and Perspex<\/h2>\n
Forfar 5 \u2013 East Fife 4<\/h2>\n
Early days of ENG<\/h2>\n
Filmed and Directed by …<\/h2>\n
For Doctor Who in Memoriam<\/h2>\n
Frank Wilkins and Crew 2.<\/h2>\n
Handy Tandy<\/h2>\n
Information Superhighway<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s Christmas Time<\/h2>\n
Long Live \u2013 or possibly not \u2013 the BBC TV Theatre<\/h2>\n
Lost and\/or Forgotten Shows<\/h2>\n
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More about Jacks<\/h2>\n
More from Wood Norton Hall – and afterwards …<\/h2>\n
More Personalities \u2013 the Crew \u2013 3<\/h2>\n
More Personalities – the Talent \u2013 3<\/h2>\n
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\n
Now We\u2019re History – or is it Pretentious Piffle<\/h2>\n
Old TV Sets<\/h2>\n
\u201cOur World\u201d – more about this programme<\/h2>\n
Pan\u2019s People<\/h2>\n
Quatermass<\/h2>\n
Related to History<\/h2>\n
“Shakespeare and Music” – and workplace bullies<\/h2>\n
Shot card sample<\/h2>\n
Sprinkle Sprinkle \u2013 and a segue to \u201cGrange Hill\u201d<\/h2>\n
STC Microphones<\/h2>\n
Talyllyn Railway OB Summer 1957<\/h2>\n
Tea 6d, coffee 9d<\/h2>\n
The old ways and working practices<\/h2>\n
The Quality of Sound in TV Broadcasting<\/h2>\n
\nWhat people said…<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWhat people said…<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWhat people said…<\/a><\/p>\n
\nHow was the sound was so good when obviously no-one was mic\u2019ed up?
\nObviously speak the Queen’s English.
\nWhat people said…<\/a><\/p>\nSoft or Sharp, Quad or Helical \u2013 and TOTP \u2013 again!<\/h2>\n
Theme Music<\/h2>\n
Trains and Filming<\/h2>\n
VT Clocks and Film Recording<\/h2>\n
What are all these people doing here?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s \u2019is name worked as a …<\/h2>\n
Wobblyscope<\/h2>\n
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