Concept and creative process
In 1987 the BBC established a new youth and entertainment features department at BBC North in Manchester under Janet Street-Porter. The department’s flagship programmes were the weekly news magazine ‘Reportage’ and the travel series ‘Rough Guide to the World’.
In 1993 Janet Street-Porter commissioned a new travel programme called ‘The Big Trip’. Originally broadcast on BBC Two's DEF II strand in 1994 ‘The Big Trip’ was aimed at young backpacking viewers. It followed three groups of young presenters who travelled across the United States, Australia and Indonesia and Europe.
The clients at BBC Youth & Entertainment were Nicola Moody and Helen Bullough. BBC Resources designers Ian Bate and Gregory Millar were supported by senior designer Mark Allen.
The 1994 title sequence uses a massive globe model shot in a white studio space which the teams of travellers have fun interacting with. The sequence resolves to ‘The Big Trip’ logo animating over different land textures – pebble beach, jungle, urban street, tiled mosaic floor, exotic flowers and desert sand.
The sequence was edited and post-produced on Quantel Harry at 4:2:2 in Manchester.