John Ellis – What Was Pebble Mill?

Outside Broadcast Culture – Adapt Project

This video is part of Royal Holloway, University of London’s ‘Adapt’ project, which organises and records reconstructions of heritage television production practices with the historic equipment. The project is led by Professor John Ellis.

In May 2016 the project arranged a the reconstruction of an outside broadcast, using the restored OB truck, CMCR9, which was Pebble Mill’s original CM1, later becoming Manchester’s North 3.

In this video the veteran BBC crew from the reconstruction discuss the culture of outside broadcasts in the 1960s and 70s. The crew is I think a predominantly BBC Manchester one.

This video is protected through a Creative Commons licence.

Veteran CMCR9 crew

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The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Richard Stevenson: ‘Jane Whitmore is sat next to the first guy speaking. A BBC Sport PA whom I worked with on everything from cricket to bobsleigh. Dave Taylor, legendary camera supervisor from Manchester is to her right. Robin Sutherland to his right – ex KA camera sup. Roger Neale, KA Vision Sup (“Twink”) in the blue jumper under the camera by the dart board. Doug Whittaker (?) at 4’35” – ex KA sound sup.’

Dave Rimmington: ‘Geoff Wilson is the guy speaking next to Jane (ex BBC Manchester Director).’

Lining up cameras

This video demonstrates how the line-up for studio and outside broadcast cameras worked. It was produced as part of Royal Holloway, University of London’s, ADAPT project, using the restored outside broadcast truck CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s original CM1. The ADAPT project recreates how now defunct television production processes worked, and is run by Professor John Ellis. The video is protected under a creative commons licence.

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The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

John Greening: ‘Still have a line up before every studio day on EastEnders’

Carolyn Davies: ‘Still done in many studios…certainly not a ‘was’ process!’

North 3 Outside Broadcast Interview

(Creative commons licensed video produced by Amanda Murphy as part of Royal Holloway’s ADAPT project)

BBC Radio Wales reporter Robert Thomas interviews Steve Harris (On The Air Ltd.) and Prof. John Ellis (Media Arts, Royal Holloway University of London) about the ADAPT re-enactment based simulation exercise with North 3/CM1 (CMCR9). Steve, the restorer of the vintage truck explains about the history of CMCR9, and John Ellis tells us about the ADAPT research project and the reconstruction being staged with the truck.

This video was recorded just over a year ago (May 2016), during a reconstruction of the outside broadcast truck CMCR9 recording a darts match. This OB truck was Pebble Mill’s original CM1 and later became Manchester’s North3.

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ADAPT Outside Broadcast video

Crew in CM1. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Production in CM1

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A year ago (spring 2016) the ADAPT project attempted their most ambitious reconstruction to date – the recreation of an outside broadcast, using the original equipment from 50 years ago. They used the restored CMCR9 OB truck, Pebble Mill’s original CM1, which later became North 3. The truck was reunited with the men who originally operated it in Manchester.

There were technical glitches, and they nearly didn’t make it, but finally they succeeded in recording a live darts match.

This is a promotional video to highlight the work of the project, especially fitting with the 50th anniversary of colour television, which started with Wimbledon coverage in 1967.

ADAPT is a academic research project from Royal Holloway, University of London. It is led by Professor John Ellis, with producer Amanda Murphy being responsible for producing the re-enactments.

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Editing using a Steenbeck: Edge Numbers and Rubber Numbers

The video features Dawn Mears (now Trotman) – BBC Pebble Mill film assistant editor (now freelance Avid editor), demonstrating how edge numbers and rubber numbers were used in film editing.

This video is part of Royal Holloway, University of London’s, Adapt Project, led by Prof. John Ellis, which documents now defunct analogue television production processes. It was filmed at the London Film School, then in Soho, who had the best working examples of a Steenbeck and Pic-Sync we could find.

Dawn Meers demos edge numbers and rubber numbers

Dawn Mears demos edge numbers and rubber numbers

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Mark Heslop: ‘It’s a good job we sent it out to Bob for numbering or there would be a generation of assistant editors with no fingertips, bloody dangerous machine’

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