Chronicle (1989)

Title sequence for a long-running flagship archaeology programme strand. The idea was to create an impression of passing archaeological sites from around the world  such as the pyramids, a Greek amphitheatre, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon etc. Realism was essential to reflect the integrity of the subject matter. Computer-generated imagery was avoided because at that time of early CGI it wasn’t possible to create realistic imagery and would have been more suitable for a games show, hence the use of physical models and sets. We reveal that each building is in fact a letter from the title ‘Chronicle’. Each letter was a model in its own right measuring about 45cm from top to bottom and the entire width of the word Chronicle (all letters) measured about 335cm. The background of sand, which the letters were placed on, was delivered to the studio in Central London by a lorry and was tipped over to cover the entire studio floor. The model was lit with one light only, in order to represent the sun. This lighting therefore created the illusion of total reality. The sequence consisted of just one continuous shot, starting with the camera pulling out from the letter ‘C’ which was styled as an amphitheatre, and pulling back through other letters in the style of various historical sites to reveal the name of the programme 'Chronicle'. The model was shot and lit by Doug Foster at Cell Animation on 35mm film using a periscope lens suspended from the ceiling.

Model Maker - Alan Kemp.

Concept and Creative Direction - Liz Friedman.

Gold Award Broadcast Designers Association (BDA).

Gold Pixel Award IMAGINA.

Finalist Royal Television Society (RTS) Awards for Graphic Design.
 

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