Concept and creative process
Susan Hill chaired ‘Armchair Critics’, a critical review programme in which three of the past week’s television shows were reviewed and discussed by three critics. The title sequence was created from artwork of a logotype of the programme title and monochrome production stills from various current television programmes. The logotype was typeset and converted into clear on black Kodalith acetates, partly coloured with yellow gels and filmed backlit on a rostrum camera. The cameraman uncovered or covered up the artwork with black card to animate on the lettering or the duplicated rows of logos. The stills sequence was filmed top lit on the same camera, using its ability to zoom in and out and dissolve between the still photographs, some of which were dyed or hand tinted. The timing for the animation and camera moves was taken from a frame count of the music and entered on a dope sheet, enabling the rostrum cameraman to film the whole sequence in one continuous take, without the need for editing.