The Cellar Show (1984)

Concept and creative process

The 'Cellar Show' was a late-night arts entertainment show produced in the cellar studio at BBC South in Southampton. The building was previously the South Western Hotel and famed as planning HQ for the D-Day landings. The show had no budget for titles but with a bit of ingenuity we found a ‘regional resources’ cost code and billed it to that. The concept of the titles was to reflect the time of day and a cross section of the arts in the imagery. Stylised neon icons of theatre, dance, cinema, art and music revealed and flickered as the camera travelled over dark ground while elements of a stencilled Cellar Show logo animated on and off above, giving the titles an appropriate late-night atmosphere.

Animator - Chris Tucker.

Rostrum Cameraman - Doug Weymouth.

Music - Paddy Kingsland, BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Producer - Patrick Taggart.

Presenter - Jenni Murray.

Designer/Director - Marc Ortmans.

Winner of a Design & Art Direction Wood Pencil for Television Titles 1985.