Low Cost HDTV Production Workshop

Conference Session Speaker
Nigel Shepherd - Producer, Playback HD.
Jonathan Young - Head of Drama, Talkback Thames

Description: HD is rapidly becoming the defacto production medium, but can producers afford to jump onto the HD train when some of their buyers still ask for 4:3 standard definition programmes? Different manufacturers now offer a range of products to capture the big co-production drama, right down to the fly on the wall documentary, making HD not only affordable but with a set of new creative tools.

The BBC's international entertainment channel, BBC PRIME, presents a new series of six programme shorts entitled DestinationUK.TV. The programme shorts, airing on BBC PRIME throughout the daily schedule, highlight the attractions and appeal of British cities such as Bath, Cardiff, York, Oxford, Liverpool and Edinburgh. The shorts feature vox pops and captioned information about each city, and offer a link to the dedicated tourist board websites which offer further information on each city. The programme shorts are made by independent UK production company Playback HD Ltd, for BBC Worldwide.

Nigel Shepherd, managing director of Playback HD Ltd, says "The new programme shorts promote the beauty of the UK's cities to the unique international audience watching BBC PRIME." The programme shorts are produced and directed by Nigel Shepherd and Mike Newman. Wayne Dunsford, Director of Channels, EMEIA, BBC Worldwide, says: "The Destination UK.TV series reflects BBC PRIME's unique "Great British" channel proposition, offering an individual and enticing look at British cities."

BBC PRIME broadcasts outside the UK to over 10.2 million subscribers across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, offering the best of British entertainment programmes to a growing number of international viewers. BBC PRIME is wholly owned by BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm."

DestinationEurope.tv is a series of two minute shorts designed to celebrate EU enlargement. Filmed in
some of the great tourist centres of Europe, it provides an abstract look at a city or region enhanced by music,
voice and text. The programmes are a visual and musical feast enabling the destinations to tell their own story.
The shorts are designed to be transmitted between mainstream entertainment programmes on BBC Prime and BBC America.

BBC Prime and BBC America broadcast great British entertainment to 45 million subscribers, 24 hours a day.
International viewers can watch a diverse mix of the very best from the BBC - from award-winning comedy
and drama to ground-breaking documentaries and BBC Learning, plus music, lifestyle and children's programmes,
not forgetting the wealth of celebrity interviews.

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