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Looks like WGN is getting new graphics (and new cuts of Chicago's Very Own music?)

Spring Rubber

By Spring Rubber
in Chicago News

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Spring Rubber Station Group CEO

Spring Rubber 714

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They still haven't loaded the new music into the audio playout system. Larry and Paul have been teasing all morning about how technicians have taken over the weather office as they work to load up new stuff, and Paul has been relegated to the couch inside the studio because he "doesn't deal with all that technical stuff."

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24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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...and Larry thinks the theme sounds like something out of a 70's cop show. He's "meeting with the boss" right now.

 

I love this show.

 

Oh, and like every time I tried capturing the open this morning, the feed got interrupted, but I was able to at least get the closing signature of the 9:30 rejoin. It's also a touch quiet...

[yt]mmcFbjjFYWo[/yt]

Jase Station Group CEO

Jase 1065

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Wonder if it will be in the newsroom or set... And if tom is using a green screen. God I hope he does

 

They are on the set. Not sure they will move to the newsroom @ 5. Tom will be out on the 'weather patio' everyday at 4 (rain, sun or snow).

Spring Rubber Station Group CEO

Spring Rubber 714

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Is this the intended version of the bug now? The time/temp/website/Twitter area is now shaded a different color, and now there's an additional bar above the bug persistently showing #WGNEveningNews. I guess in 2014, it's more important to show a persistent hashtag rather than a persistent time/temp display.

 

Also, they're showing a lot of inconsistency on capitalizing the lower thirds on this newscast. The previous newscasts this morning and yesterday have used all caps on everything, but now select lower thirds are in all caps, and others are in mixed case with apparently no rhyme or reason. During Marcella Raymond's report, her live shot before the taped piece had her name in mixed case, but her live shot after the taped piece had her name in all caps. Now after that report, most lower thirds have been in mixed case, but a few have been in all caps.

 

They STILL don't have the new music loaded up despite this being their "main event" - the debut of the 4 pm news. They really must be scrambling behind the scenes or something. I have no other idea as to why they couldn't get the new music working yet.

24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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Looks like there's more transparency on the bug's background now.

 

Also, the text drop shadow has been removed, but the solid gray remains behind the time/temp. These changes were made for the midday show, I just didn't mention it.

Spring Rubber Station Group CEO

Spring Rubber 714

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The "tonight's forecast" graphic has been updated, but the extended forecast graphics and the Weatherbug camera shot graphics are still a mess with the old baked-in graphics on them plus a new titlebar slapped on. I can't believe they didn't have this stuff ready ahead of time when they knew a graphics relaunch was coming.

Jase Station Group CEO

Jase 1065

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Looks like there's more transparency on the bug's background now.

 

They would be better off using more solid, richer blues, greys, etc.. The 'transparency ' effect makes things much worse than they have to be.

Spring Rubber Station Group CEO

Spring Rubber 714

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and no bug again. :/

 

I don't know how I feel about the first line of the lower thirds being mixed case while the bottom line is all caps. It's kinda weird.

 

EDIT: bug came back for the final 30 seconds of that block.

24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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I wonder if Roan's sports bit is going to be regular, or is he on only because of the Bears game yesterday?

ChiCubsFan Primary Anchor

ChiCubsFan 34

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I hope this isn't the way it's going to be. I think it's just them trying to get used to everything. The big is horrible, transparent, which they should try to get away from. But they are finally on a set and speaking of the set... Time to throw that one out the window and get a new one!!

MikePulse Managing Editor

MikePulse 318

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Yes, it's squished.

 

[yt]y_OMxrjIrvM[/yt]

 

Can we just take this moment and appreciate that they're not rushing through the names like they have for the last 11 years?
Weeters Station Group CEO

Weeters 1969

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The "tonight's forecast" graphic has been updated, but the extended forecast graphics and the Weatherbug camera shot graphics are still a mess with the old baked-in graphics on them plus a new titlebar slapped on. I can't believe they didn't have this stuff ready ahead of time when they knew a graphics relaunch was coming.

 

A lot of these systems are set up by the vendors and require the vendor to remote in and configure the new graphics. If they CAN be configured by the station, more often than not the creative services department has no idea how to even operate these systems to begin with. They switched on a Sunday, so they would have either had to have gotten Weatherbug to load the new graphics in before the end of the week or the start of this week.

 

 

Also, they're showing a lot of inconsistency on capitalizing the lower thirds on this newscast. The previous newscasts this morning and yesterday have used all caps on everything, but now select lower thirds are in all caps, and others are in mixed case with apparently no rhyme or reason. During Marcella Raymond's report, her live shot before the taped piece had her name in mixed case, but her live shot after the taped piece had her name in all caps. Now after that report, most lower thirds have been in mixed case, but a few have been in all caps.

 

It sounds like they probably decided all caps "looked bad" and started turning the option that forced them off. Except in VizRT, there are two places you can make it force all caps. One of those is probably still on. The producer could also be entering everything in all caps... You can force Viz to use all caps, but you can't force Viz to use mixed case!

24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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They also darkened the gray a bit, and added some translucent blue-ish angled bars in the background of the bug. The buildings are also still rotating, but they don't flash "Chicago's Very Own" every few seconds...for a second. They also don't have the #WGNEveningNews blocking the live bug like yesterday. Honestly, I think they've had a different version of the bug for every newscast, but this is definitely the best so far.

24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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So, this actually aired. (Sorry, it's awfully quiet, so I'm only listing it here.)

 

[yt]TVhzCN-yXNE[/yt]

 

Robin misses her cue, the guys capitalize. I'm wondering whether or not this was supposed to go in the scrap pile.

24994J Station Group CEO

24994J 5619

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I'm replaying and enjoying this theme song WAY too much.

 

[yt]ZFCsZArtWNU[/yt]

 

I'll keep posting the opens til I get most of them up.

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