Post Production – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Abekas 8150

Photo by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

VT editor, Ian Collins, took a number of photographs of technical kit as Pebble Mill was being cleared prior to kit being auctioned off, or taken to the BBC Birmingham, Mailbox.

This photo is of an Abekas 8150, which was a DVE machine, used in some of the video edit suites at Pebble Mill. The digital switcher could do colour correction, as well as a variety of wipes and other digital video effects.

Ian Collins adds the following information: the Abekas 8150 is a Digital Vision Mixer and currently resides in the Drama Production Village (BBC Birmingham) Finishing suite, though not used very much these days as it is not HD. It had a companion DVE called a Dveous which again is at the Drama Production Village but not used any more. They used to reside in Pebble Mill VT17.

Jonathan Dick, added the following comment on the Pebble Mill Facebook group: ‘never had one of these in the galleries, but we had dual-channel Abekas A-51s in all the galleries from about 1992. They succeeded the rather more limited EFlex DVEs. I used to enjoy concocting wacky DVE effects for all the daytime shows on the A-51s. They would look VERY dated these days!’

Post Production Event

SOM026

Photos by Steve May, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are from a post production event – if you recognise the occasion, please add a comment.

The top photo includes, left to right: Ben Peissel (dubbing), Andy Freeth (dubbing), Roger Seward, Dave Mason (dubbing), Dave Baumber (dubbing), Richard Reynolds (sound), Roger Slater (sound).

The bottom photo includes, left to right: Ivor Williams (editor), Dawn Mears (now Trotman)(editor), Mike Bloore (editor).

Charisma Keyboard

Charisma keyboard

Photo by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

VT editor, Ian Collins, took a number of photographs of obsolete kit before the closure of Pebble Mill in 2004; this still of a Charisma keyboard among them. Charisma was a digital video effects machine which was de rigour in the late ’80s, early ’90s. It enabled complex video effects to be incorporated in programmes like ‘The Clothes Show’. In fact the style of series like ‘The Clothes Show’ were largely due to Charisma, and the skilled use of it by VT editors like Mike Bloore, who was awarded a craft BAFTA for his editing of the programme. I remember being really excited about using Charisma in VT edits, and thinking the effects looked really great. If anything it was used too much, and caused a reaction against multi-layered complex edits and effects and back towards straightforward cuts. Nowadays the effects look pretty dated. I also remember a funny story about an edit assistant, who shall remain nameless, going to a job interview and being asked about what he thought about Charisma. He replied that charisma was an important quality in a person, and meant that they could be inspirational to others etc. It was only later he realised that they were talking about the Charisma machine. I can’t remember if he got the job or not! The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group: Mike Workman: ‘As used by the Six O’Clock News in 1985 for headline transition wipes, what a machine – VizRT is not a patch on Charisma!’ Matthew Skill: ‘we had one in Newcastle BC, there’s a complete set of manuals down in the workshops in the basement of TVC. That’s all the info i have for now….’ Mike Workman: ‘there’s a few dotted around TVC that came out of the then N1/2 news studios when the News Spur opened in 1997’ Mike Skipper: ‘Their successor the Ten X was used up until about a year ago at TV Centre!’ Ian Collins: ‘Without this piece of kit, Clothes Show would not have been the success that it was.’ Jane Green: ‘Ian’s right. I remember racing back from the NEC Clothes Show Live 1992 with the rushes of the live show and using Charisma with VT at Pebble Mill to put the show montages together. The effects were groundbreaking at the time. Took the finished tapes back to Roger at the NEC for TX and everyone crowded round to watch and loved the Charisma transformation.’

Nagra – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Video editor Ian Collins took photos of various pieces of post-production technical kit before the fixtures and fittings of Pebble Mill were sold off in auction in Autumn 2004.

These photos are of a Nagra audio recorder. They were used in the PSC (portable single camera) edit suites until the 1990s. They were very rugged and reliable.

Please add a comment if you can add information about how the Nagras were used.

The following comment was made by recordist Murray Clarke about location Nagras: ‘Of course the Nagra 3 and 4s were the standard sound recording machine for location recordists for many many years before DAT became more common. I bought my mono Nagra 3 in 1971 for a cost of around £3200. I took it up to Yorkshire for a couple of episodes of all Creatures Great and Small – and it rained solidly for a fortnight!!!. My ‘over-qualified’ boom op and assistant was Dave Baumber, then the Dubbing Mixer at the newly-built Pebble Mill studios.’

Christopher Hall adds the following information: ‘This is a Nagra T. T for twin capstan. They had a computer controlled synchroniser which could chase timecode from the VT machine in an edit suite at high speed. I went on a factory course for these in the late 1980s. We spent a whole day learning how to repair the motors, and when we asked how long they usually lasted for a discussion in French and German revealed that they didn’t know because none had stopped yet!’

Paul Vanezis: ‘I tracklayed 10 episodes of ‘Chalkface’ and 8 episodes of ‘Specials’ on a Nagra T…’

Peter Poole: ‘This must be the finest tape recorder ever made. I spent ages trying to get film unit to buy one for the transfer suite. It never happened. But after seeing the price I could see why!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Totally agree with you Peter……I used one to great effect recording a nightingale for a Radio Birmingham programme in the 70s. The standard reporter’s Uher was not up to the job and the simple version Nagra gave level control, mixing of two mics AND ‘off tape’ monitoring!’

1 Inch VT Machines and their operators – photos by Brian Watkiss and Ian Collins

Photos by Brian Watkiss and Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

These photos show various Pebble Mill 1 Inch VT machines and their operators. Included are Mark Ray and Ian Pederson in the first photo, cameraman Simon Bennett in the second, and Brian Watkiss eating mini cheddars, with Jon Parker behind him. Jonathan Dick is also featured.