Producing the Last Night for TV
Post categories: Proms
|10:55 UK Time, Friday, 11 September 2009
Only one day to go!
I'm one of the TV directors from the BBC Classical Music Television department, and I'm also producing programmes during this year's Proms season.
We usually arrive at this point rather exhausted but the excitement of an extremely complex operation for the Last Night keeps us mildly entertained.
The TV side of the operation is complicated by there being five Proms in the Park shows and the main concert in the Royal Albert Hall - all providing input into one programme, broadcast live in many countries round the world, and recorded for selling to even more.
There is an immensely experienced team covering all eventualities, but my job is to make sure that the presentation of the programme runs smoothly, to length, and with appropriate content. The running of the concert itself is thankfully looked after - I only have to worry about the telly side of it. So, for the last week I've been checking timings; liaising with Clive Anderson about his script; talking to Rory Bremner about his guest role; re-checking timings; corresponding with Sarah Connolly about Dido, the Navy and chelengks; finding out what Alison Balsom is wearing - nice; making sure we have filmed inserts (we call them VTs) ready; arranging extra filming backstage; talking to the director about his coverage of the event; making sure the five Proms in the Park know what we want ... oh, and re-checking timings - did I say that?
Comment number 1.
At 15:56 11th Sep 2009, kleines c wrote:I hope that all goes well for the Last Night, Jonathan. It is quite a technical challenge. I would like to see those proms where the visual element is important televised, so semi-staged operas, for example, should, in my opinion, be televised, where possible. Nevertheless, I appreciate the practical constraints, and the Thursday/Friday/Saturday split has generally worked quite well. The interval chats have been more intelligent this year, so well done. I shall probably be watching tomorrow, so I shall give you a verdict on the Last Night later ...
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Comment number 2.
At 10:59 16th Sep 2009, Bax-of-Delights wrote:I was intrigued, as I believe a number of other posters were, by the apparent fascination with that CHANDELIER. By the half-time whistle the viewers in our sitting room were giving a cheer every time it appeared and by full time we were laughing our socks off. Didn't it seem odd to you?
Also intrigued to a cut-away to one of the Proms in the Parks where there was some fellow in a horned hat singing merrily away. Sadly, he was singing a totally different tune to the one being broadcast.
Actually, we could have done without the Proms in the Parks moments. Somehow the quality of the music and some of the performers - no names, no pack drill - being produced in the Parks were decidedly inferior to what was going on in the RAH. Why mix the two up?
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