HD set design
Oct 1, 2006 12:00 PM, BY MICHAEL GROTTICELLI
New news sets offer the freedom to roam.
To make the newscast more appealing to viewers, Blyth Design created a spacious set for WNYW-TV that offers wider shots with jib cameras or stationary cameras mounted on the ceiling.
Most stations have invested in digital transmitters and HD production gear, which are more affordable than ever. Now broadcast stations are turning their attention to the news studio for the next phase of the HD migration.
News studio sets are getting bigger and better looking, evolving from static news desks to news environments with multiple venues. Even the newsroom, with its cluttered desks and frenetic activity, is getting airtime. Set designers are incorporating these new on-air staging areas to keep the newscast fresh and interesting, which is what viewers (and advertisers) want.
The need for new sets in the industry is potentially huge, as only about 10 percent of stations in the large markets have converted to local HD news production. Roughly 30 percent are in negotiations to do it within a year.
In the smaller markets, sets designed for the 16:9 aspect ratio are almost nonexistent. That's because new sets are not cheap. A new HD set could cost $100,000 to $650,000, with the average station spending $200,000. Of course, repainting a set, adding new lighting or using less expensive materials can get you a refurbished look for as low as $30,000 to $50,000.
Planning
The process of designing and building a new news set takes about three to six months, depending on the size and complexity. It starts with an initial meeting with the design team and station management, news director, operations manager and others. Then a design is developed with 3-D modeling and CAD software to show the client how the set will look in both 16:9 and 4:3. Professional set designers can simulate what a standard two-shot or wide shot will look like and guide clients through a virtual tour.
Most stations want sets that are HD-ready, meaning the composition of their designs, the quality of their construction and furniture, and other set pieces will be designed for the sharper images and wider aspect ratio of HD, even if the stations have yet to broadcast in HD. Stations must plan for a dual aspect reality. Mack McLaughlin, founder, CEO and creative director of the FX Group in Ocoee, FL, said stations should plan on using 4:3 framing for the next five years.
Layout
The FX Group designed this flexible set for WFTV-TV in Orlando, FL.Two HD rear-projection systems enable the station to change the look of the set, based on the story being reported.
The wider sets built for 16:9 HD enable news departments to offer viewers wider shots with jib cameras or stationary cameras mounted on the ceiling. This makes the set look more spacious, which studies have shown is very appealing to viewers, according to Graham Blyth, president of New York-based Blyth Design.
The most important aspect for HD is the actual positioning of the talent, according to George Andrus, senior design consultant for The Express Group in San Diego. In the standard 4:3 format, he said, the news team usually sits shoulder to shoulder. But with HD's 16:9 format, the desk needs to be wider, with the talent sitting an additional 6in to 8in apart. This leaves room for over the shoulder graphics without encroaching on the person sitting next to the anchor on screen, Andrus said.
The notion of a single talking head, or anchor altar, is changing rapidly. Many attribute this change to cable and European news channels. The trend is to place reporters in the newsroom at a desk or at a podium next to an electronic screen to read stories on-air. Main anchor desks sport a lighter, trimmer design to encourage the anchor to get up and move around. This is all part of the comfortable atmosphere designers are striving to create.
And sometimes achieving that atmosphere translates into no anchor desk at all. Most of the new CW Network newscasts, for example, feature talent standing next to a plasma or rear-projection screen, mounted either horizontally or vertically. This gives news directors the flexibility to change the set quickly for different stories.
Yet HD studio design is about more than just a wider set. Stations are adding HD graphics, virtual set technology, electronic displays and aesthetically pleasing furniture. The general thinking is that if you want people to watch your newscast, newscasters need to create a pleasing, familiar environment.
Weather
Weather is a big ratings booster for newscasts, so flashy weather centers are becoming the norm in many markets. Whenever a station upgrades its computer weather system, the on-air look of the entire newscast is affected, so careful planning is important.
The Express Group recently designed a new weather set for KNXV-TV in Phoenix, AZ. The new HD set features multiple venues around the studio where talent can report from. Two 50in Samsung and Toshiba HD DLP monitors act as a backdrop. And the station added new high-res graphics to prepare for future HD broadcasts.
Andrus said DLP technology offers a better value than plasma. Plasma screens larger than 50in are cost prohibitive for most stations. DLP allows stations to have a larger screen at a more affordable cost.
DLP also does not reflect unwanted light the way most plasma screens do. And plasma screens suffer from burn in when a graphic is left on a screen. This does not happen with DLP projection, he said, adding that color saturation can be controlled better with DLP displays, and maintenance (replacing an old bulb) is easy and cost-effective.
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