[Pres] BBC Presentation Christmas 1986

Sat Dec 1 05:00:06 CST 2018

Dear Bernie

Thank you so much for this, and for editing it together so wittily.   Happy days indeed – they were the best times, before automation and servers…   Like Nick B, I had just left Pres to go to C4, but I’ve impressed myself that I recognise almost all of the faces, and remember most of the names!

A lovely pre-Christmas pressie.

Best wishes to all

David

David Costley-White

Middle Farm Cottage, Riverside, Dinder, Wells, Somerset, BA5 3PL     T: 01749 672120     M: 07770 411 654    Skype: middlefarmcottage

E: david at costley-white.com <mailto:david at costley-white.com>      W: costley-white.com <http://www.costley-white.com/>     

From: Pres <pres-bounces at tech-ops.co.uk> On Behalf Of Bernard Newnham via Pres
Sent: 30 November 2018 15:16
To: pres at tech-ops.co.uk
Subject: [Pres] BBC Presentation Christmas 1986

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away......

A Pres Control secretary called Fran decided to leave the department, back in the days when leaving was pretty much unheard of.  Presentation Editor Granville Jenkins had bought himself a video camera, and set out to make a video of everyone saying goodbye to Fran.

Somehow, long ago, I was given a copy of the rushes. I don't remember what format they were on, probably second or third generation VHS, nor do I remember why, but I recently found a DVD copy in amongst much other stuff lying around here.  I've done a rather late edit. Much of the material was given to "Goodbye Fran" stuff, but Granny often started recording early and stopped late. The bits round the edges form lots of tiny character vignettes which, much, much later, are fascinating. Some people only got to say the goodbye bit - not too relevant now - but I still wanted to put them in, so they a slomo-ed.  Granny also covered much of the places we worked and the gear we used, and that adds a context.

I don't know if Granny ever did a edit, but his experience must have been a lot different to mine. I'm sitting here at home in front of the free version of Blackmagic Da Vince Resolve, so reversing the last shot, laying multiple audio tracks, trimming a word or sentence, and adding titles (in BBC Washington typeface), was the work of seconds. How the world has moved on.    

Anyway - if you were there, and even if you weren't, please enjoy this visit to BBC TV Centre and it's presentation department, when, in hindsight, it was at it's peak. 

32 years late - http://www.tech-ops.co.uk/bern/BBC_Pres_Christmas_1986.mp4

Happy Christmas 2018

Bernie

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