About the 麻豆社's World Cup graphics
- 6 Jul 06, 01:26 PM
MUNICH - Not long left in the International Broadcast Centre now - is there anything else you would like to know about the 麻豆社 production here?
In the meantime, we've received plenty of emails asking about Match of the Day's on-screen graphics so I asked one of our graphics operators Alex Rice to explain more..
"I work for an external company called Delta Tre who operate all the graphics you see on Match of the Day.
There are four graphics operators working for the 麻豆社 during the World Cup - two people based in Berlin with the live presentation team, and two of us in Munich who provide all the graphics for the highlights programmes.
Our company also provides all the host broadcaster's graphics for Fifa, and before the tournament created a huge database containing the correct spelling of every player, team, referee and venue.
This database is used by television companies all over the world, so there is a consistency of graphics whichever television station you watch in any country.
That makes my job much easier - rather than have to write, check and double check the spelling of every player's name on our graphics, we can simply access the database for the correct version.
The two operators in Berlin produce all the graphics you see pre-match, at half-time and post-match: team line-ups, group tables, fixtures, analysis straps, trails for upcoming 麻豆社 programmes, competitions etc.
During matches all graphics are controlled by the host broadcaster. Several people have emailed the MOTD team asking why sponsors' names appear on certain graphics.
A limited number of captions have to have an official sponsor's logo attached to them - that's just the nature of a commercially funded event like the World Cup.
The size of all the match graphics are also determined by Fifa, not the 麻豆社.
Accuracy and the ability to keep calm under pressure are probably the two most important attributes a graphics operator needs to have.
You could have 99 correct graphics during a programme and one mistake, and everyone will notice that one mistake!"
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"A limited number of captions have to have an official sponsor's logo attached to them - that's just the nature of a commercially funded event like the World Cup."
Call it what you will, but that is advertising on the 麻豆社. On the plus side I do like the 'web 2.0' style graphics used this tournament with the large glossy blocks. Good stuff!
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Fascinating stuff guys. Could you do a follow-up article and get Alex to explain your policy on Kerning? I've noticed that it isn't always consistent. For example in Football Focus the other week, the 'RO' of Rooney (on a graphic when he was talking) was closer together than it appeared on the match graphic for his red card against portugal...
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nerdboy: Web 2.0 isn't about fancy graphics, it's about interactivity, a read-write web instead of the old-school read-only web.
That said, I'm loving the 麻豆社's graphics , they're a lot better than the ones shown on ITV.
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Hi,
Not exactly on topic here but...
In the Germany - Argentina Q final Match were there any Offical Red Cards?
Your results page does not indicate any but I thought an Argentian got a Red Card during the or just after shoot out?
Thanks,
Matt
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I think the Graphics Are Fab. But I'm not Sure if they Use enough Capitals on certain words.
I'd also Imagine They Have a Great Coach at the Helm.
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Size of match graphics determined by Fifa?
I know we're in a minority, but my family's telly is not one of the new monsters which would take over our living room. We still watch a cute little 14" screen - just like in the olden days! Aah.
The 麻豆社's new graphics for this year's World Cup included a smaller time/score card at the top left of the screen, which can't be read on a small telly. It was smaller than the ones used for MOTD's previous live games. The cards used by the other terrestrial channel showing the games remained perfectly perfectly legible. So how can it be dictated by Fifa?
Anyway, it's only a small point and I suspect that it doesn't affect very many people these days (judging by the sales of huge screens and the numbers trying to burst out of our neighbour's front rooms). Otherwise, the graphics have been very clear and slick.
If you continue to use those smaller graphics in upcoming matches, though, I may have to invest in a stopwatch, plus a pen and paper for the higher scoring games. Can I send you the bill?
G.
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Ok so since you've brought up the subject here's what I've been wondering - if the in-game graphics are controlled by the host broadcaster, how come they appear in 麻豆社 style on the 麻豆社 coverage but not on the ITV coverage of the same game?
Sorry to be such a geek!
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In response to your question above - can you tell me who that lovely lady was, who starred alongside Adrian Chiles in the take on the Reanult Clio ads? She had a fantastic German accent.
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Gedley -
Originally the clock was a smaller size, which was dictated by FIFA, but after the first couple of games it was made larger, in fact larger then the clock on the live matches pre the World Cup.
As for other TV channels, they seemed to ignore the directive by FIFA regarding clock size, so ours was increased in size.
Dave -
Geeks are always welcome round these parts, Bob Aston is a big friend of ours! In answer to your question, the match graphics are controlled on venue, and a signal is sent back to the IBC in munich, containing all the info that the graphic needs and when it should animate. This allows us to provide all the different broadcasters with their own graphical style. This was an option when the rights were purchased. If the broadcasters didn't take that option, then they recieve the generic 'Host Style' which you will see on other channels.
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Hi,
I disliked the new graphics at first, but they have certainly grown on me since and they are brighter than previous ones.
But one thing that really niggles at me is the insistence on having the majority of your graphics - both during and outside of live matches - with the '麻豆社 Sport' yellow thingy at the bottom. I don't see any need for it when '麻豆社' is at the top of the screen, and it is doubly annoying because it swivels away and consequently distracts me from what the graphic is about (e.g. possession).
For MOTD last season it simply moved upwards into the main graphic and disappeared rather than being flashy. Please get rid of it!
Otherwise excellent, and I really enjoy the opening sequence - it is superb.
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