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WCBS HD Giant Octopus Graphics


broadcastdesigner

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The problem is that arial is jagged, and helevicta/swiss is smooth.

 

It looks great here:

 

 

From WIkipedia:

 

 

WCBS6.jpg

 

It ain't Helvetica for the last time. It's Arial!

 

 

 

I think he was pointing out the differences between the two. He didn't say it was Arial; he demonstrated the functionality of Helvetica (even though he can't spell it) and the ugliness of Arial.

 

Down, Chris!

 

;D

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I hope it's not just me, but these graphics look pretty reminiscent of the WSB stuff earlier in the year, which I personally didn't really care for. GO's looks are pretty basic these days and the only thing differentiating each of them is a different logo and color. I would have expected more from the CBS O&O in NYC.

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Are you sure this is Giant Octopus? These graphics look horrible, they look nothing like GO.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth.

 

What's gotten into GO lately, that THIS is what they turn out?!

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The open is great, and it definitely looks like Giant Octopus. Kinda looks like they ripped the "High Definition Television" thing off of NBC Nightly News, it shares the Bank Gothic font and is in the same spot. The music is nice, but going from the wide studio shot to the anchors, it doesn't flow.

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The open is great, and it definitely looks like Giant Octopus. Kinda looks like they ripped the "High Definition Television" thing off of NBC Nightly News, it shares the Bank Gothic font and is in the same spot. The music is nice, but going from the wide studio shot to the anchors, it doesn't flow.

I'd have to agree with you

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For one thing, Giant Octopus would NEVER use Arial.

 

Wrong. Giant Octopus used Arial in the KTVT package that was later modified for use on KEYE, which are incidentally both CBS O&Os! I smell a conspiracy! I agree with most of the above comments: the opens look OK, but the use of Arial just turns me off. It's not that hard to pick another font in the Deko or Chyron character generator...jeeze. WCBS just seems...cheaper than it was say two or three years ago.

 

Anyway, GO has lost several of their designers to competing design houses Hothaus and VDO. Oh, and that [HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION] thing is a little trademark of the GO high definition graphics packages...it's on the opens for WSB, WTVF, and now WCBS.

 

I'm also surprised that no one has mentioned New York is now the only market in the country with the ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates all doing news in high def.

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Do you seriously think Giant Octopus would turn out shit like this? I don't think so...I think they designed the open only.

 

Uh, let's get real. There's no way Giant Octopus would just design an open and then leave the other elements to in-house designers. They are in the business of selling graphics packages, not graphics elements. If you actually looked closely at the lower third, you'd see it has the distinctive elements distinguishing it as a Giant Octopus creation.

 

Seriously though, the lower third would not look as bad as it does if the font was something other than Arial. Imagine Univers Condensed there (which seems to be a favorite among GO's latest HD packages...see WSB, WFTV, and WTVF), and it actually looks OK.

 

And yes, I do think GO would turn out something like this. They've lost their edge (thanks in part to the departure of several designers), as each package just looks like the last one they hashed out with a few minor changes here and there. It's interesting how CBS has now gone to three different graphics houses for the graphics packages of their new HD stations: Giant Octopus for WCBS, Hothaus for KYW, and VDO for KCBS. Obviously the Hothaus KYW package was a winner; sadly WCBS drew the short end of the stick (and I hope WCBS is the only client GO gets out of the CBS O&O group).

 

But remember, it is in high definition after all, and these graphics do look better than the graphics for the visually impaired over on WABC. Besides the use of Arial, I don't think there's much to complain about.

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To say that Giant Octopus has lost several designers to their "competition" is not entirely true...I don't know who they lost to VDO, but the designer that Hothaus Creative hired was never employed by GO full-time...he freelanced one job for them...one...both firms offered him a full-time position...he chose Hothaus. He is a personal friend of mine and IMO he chose wisely.

 

I don't wish to trash anyone or any group...but keep the facts straight.

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Uh, let's get real. There's no way Giant Octopus would just design an open and then leave the other elements to in-house designers. They are in the business of selling graphics packages, not graphics elements. If you actually looked closely at the lower third, you'd see it has the distinctive elements distinguishing it as a Giant Octopus creation.

 

Yeah.. see that's the thing... Giant Octopus does deliver just opens and lets the in-house designers do the rest, having worked at KTVT myself, I know that for a FACT. They (in-house) did the lower thirds and the OTS and a lot of their other elements based off of the opens GO did for em.... Very noticeable... :-X

 

I used to love GO's work, but those designers have moved on to bigger and better things, and well I'd hate to say it but you can tell. I don't wanna sound like i'm bashing em, but it's just not what it used to be, and it seems GO has turned into a "parts wholesaler"... change the color, put it in a box and ship it out, which is fine, but not when it shows up in the same market... Many have pointed it out. That kind of thing leaves a bad taste in peoples mouths.

 

But in their defense, it is becoming more and more the norm to deliver a number of finished pieces and let the client version the rest out...

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I think WCBS' graphics are very nice. For those who don't like them, they are better than what the CBS affiliate here in San Diego. KFMB's graphics really suck.

I wish KFMB had GO graphics. :( but instead we have Systematic Design. http://www.systematicdesign.net/design-kfmb.html trust me they look better on the website than they do on tv. :(
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Yeah.. see that's the thing... Giant Octopus does deliver just opens and lets the in-house designers do the rest, having worked at KTVT myself, I know that for a FACT. They (in-house) did the lower thirds and the OTS and a lot of their other elements based off of the opens GO did for em.... Very noticeable... :-X

 

That's believeable... WSB's lower-thirds still look like crap.

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Yeah.. see that's the thing... Giant Octopus does deliver just opens and lets the in-house designers do the rest, having worked at KTVT myself, I know that for a FACT. They (in-house) did the lower thirds and the OTS and a lot of their other elements based off of the opens GO did for em.... Very noticeable... :-X

 

That's believeable... WSB's lower-thirds still look like crap.

 

Anything beats what they had.

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