Draft:BBC News

BBC News

B.B.C. News and Newsreel

Contents   Intro (January 1948-1955)

BBC News (first era)

Contents   Intro (1955-1963)

BBC TV News

Contents 1st Opening (1963-1964) 2nd Opening (1964-1972) 3rd Opening (1972-1974)

BBC News (second era)

Contents 1st Opening (1974-March 7, 1976) 2nd Opening (March 8, 1976-September 1981) 3rd Opening (September 1981-October 30, 1988) 4th Opening (October 31, 1988-April 12, 1993) 5th Opening (April 13, 1993-May 9, 1999)   6th Opening (May 10, 1999-2004) 7th Opening (2003-2006) 8th Opening (2004-April 20, 2008) 9th Opening (April 21, 2008-)

B.B.C. News and Newsreel

Intro (January 1948–1955)

• 
  1948 variant
• 
  1954 variant

Visuals: Over a partly cloudy sky backdrop, there is a silhouette of an antenna tower with a zooming pattern of white concentric circles emitting behind the tower and in the middle. Soon after, the text "B.B.C. TELEVISION NEWSREEL" in white appears from the right side of the tower and slowly rotates around it in a clockwise direction. The BBC Film Unit logo fades in on the bottom-centre during the rotation.

Variants:

• A version with the RCA Sound System logo was also used.
• Starting in 1954, the text was changed to "B.B.C. NEWS AND NEWSREEL", and the BBC Film Unit logo is omitted.

Technique: Live-action, with the text possibly being a mechanical model.

Audio: A patriotic, brass-oriented fanfare.

BBC News (first era)

Intro (1955-1963)

Visuals: Fading in, there is a white emblem representing the coat of arms of the BBC on a black background. A few seconds later, a stacked "BBC NEWS" in white fades in front of the emblem.

Variant: A version with bigger and more spaced out text was also used in later broadcasts.

Technique: It appears to be a live-action model with superimposed (possibly traditionally inked-and-painted) text.

Audio: A three-note glockenspiel jingle based on the musical notes B, B, and C.

BBC TV News

1st Opening (1963-1964)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: TBA

Audio: TBA

2nd Opening (1964-1972)

ImageVideo

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.

Audio: A looping series of a high-pitched orchestra with a four-note horn section.

3rd Opening (1972-1974)

ImageVideo

Visuals: There is a still image of a man looking at the camera on a turquoise background. The word "NEWS", in the same font as the previous Opening (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: The music from the previous intro.

BBC News (second era)

1st Opening (1974-March 7, 1976)

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

Technique: Live-action and a digitally-coloured printed graphic.

Audio: The music from the last two intros.

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

ImagesVideos

• 
  1976 variant
• 
  1979 variant

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.

Later Variant: Starting in 1979, it just shows the first frame of the Opening 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: The music from the last three intros. The 1979 variant has it slightly lower-pitched.

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

ImagesVideos

• 
  1981 variant
• 
  1985 variant

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.

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

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

Audio: A majestic orchestral piece with a peaceful woodwind/xylophone section.

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

ImageVideo

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.

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

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

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

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

ImagesVideo

• 
  1993 variant
• 
  1997 variant

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.

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

Technique: Live-action overlaid with digital graphics.

Audio: A hi-hat sound leading to a heroic ten-note brass fanfare, accompanied by a timpani roll.

6th Opening (May 10, 1999-2004)

ImageVideo

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 Opening is below.

Variant: In some cases (such as its debut appearance), the Opening 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 Opening (2003-2006)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: CGI.

Audio: TBA

8th Opening (2004-April 20, 2008)

Visuals: TBA

Technique: CGI.

Audio: TBA

9th Opening (April 21, 2008-)

Visuals: TBA

Variants:

• After the move to Broadcasting House on March 18, 2013, the Opening was shortened to just the first and last two clips.

Technique: CGI by Lambie-Nairn.

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