The studios are located facing the famous Clydebank Cranes, that have been preserved as a proud and lasting testament to Glasgow's industrial and shipping heritage, and is the new base of stv, the largest independent television franchise in Scotland.
One of the tracking systems is in Studio 1, which is used to record and broadcast the flagship daily news programme Scotland Today, the weekly Scotsport, plus a number of special programmes. A similar system has also been installed within studio 2.
J&C Joel has supplied curtains and tracking systems for other stv studios and locations for several years, so studio manager Tony McIlmurray and designer Annette Whitelaw once again turned to them to devise tracking systems for the new spaces. This specific task was undertaken as a bespoke design by J&C Joel's contract manager Tony Griffiths.
Flexibility was vital to the equation, as the key system requirement was to facilitate the quick turnaround of backdrops in a busy studio. In this environment, the ability to change backdrops and environments very quickly and effectively was paramount.
Each system features a continuous three-way track and is curved in shape to allow two tracks to form a complete 'S', offering the possibility of sub-dividing the studios into smaller individual working units.
Tony Griffiths selected Triple E's Unirail track as the most flexible and user-friendly option. Although the selected track is more expensive than other systems on the market, it has the correct cosmetic appearance and the sturdy and robust engineering qualities required for the application. Griffith's says: "Unirail will provide many years of maintenance-free use and we felt this was the best recommendation to fulfil the client's brief. The client wanted the best system on the market and that's exactly what we have supplied."
Over 250m of Unirail track is utilised across the two systems and both are rigged at identical heights in the different studios to maximise back-cloth and drape movement between the two areas.
J&C Joel's Josie Royle worked closely with Whitelaw and McIlmurray in recommending several other companies to supply special graphic printed back drop curtains to compliment the track system as well as J&C Joel manufacturing and installed a series of wool serge blacks, the blue and green wool serge chromakey cloths and a series of white filled cyclorama cloths.
J&C Joel also recently supplied a cyc and blacks to Setanta, whose studio is situated in stv's premises at Pacific Quay, and has also supplied rails, blacks and chromakey drapes to the stv North studios in Aberdeen.
Annette Whitelaw says: "We are really pleased with J&C Joel's ability to provide what we wanted; a new studio track system which has the flexibility we've not had before. It now takes a lot less time than previous to prepare a busy studio. J&C Joel understand our market and consequently are efficient, very helpful and have never let us down."
(Chris Henry)
