Signs of the Times - November 2012 - (Page 16)

VINYL APPS By Steve Aust “So many pieces were required, it was vital to have complete control over color, image quality and production speed. From then on, I was hooked.” Drama on the Set Designer Martin T. Charles’ printed graphics create atmosphere for The Newsroom. The vast majority There, I said it. of commercial TV is a wasteland. Why anyone with a modicum of education and common sense would want to waste time, energy or brain cells watching Honey Boo Boo, Wife Swap, Bridezillas and most other – sorry, there aren’t enough synonyms for stupid to convey my opinion of them, and we try not to use any damn expletives – reality shows is, frankly, beyond me. Come on, folks, you’re better than that. The Greatest Generation didn’t forge arguably the most prosperous era in U.S. history by wasting themselves on such tripe. Granted, watching Bowling for Dollars and What’s My Line? weren’t the noblest uses of one’s mind, but at least they weren’t unabashed celebrations of meanness or idiocy. Do you want your children to adopt the values and mindsets portrayed on such shows? Martin T. Charles, CEO of SagaBoy Productions, has produced set decorations for TV shows and movies since 1990. He began incorporating digitally printed graphics in 1995, and brought production in-house in 1999. The shop prints on a Roland DGA VersaCAMM VS-640 printer/cutter. OK, the soapbox is now stowed away. That said, with so few bright lights dotting the small-screen landscape, A recent SagaBoy project decorates the set of HBO’s hit new series, The Newsroom, with graphics. Here, lightboxes bedecked with digital prints help convey a star-spangled motif for election-night news coverage. 16 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / NOVEMBER 2012 / www.signweb.com HBO’s show The Newsroom, which debuted in June, was a brilliant revelation. Aaron Sorkin, who created NBC’s long-running, iconic series, The West Wing, and wrote screenplays for such hit movies as A Few Good Men and Moneyball, also developed this show. Jeff Daniels stars as Will McAvoy, the irreverent anchor on the nightly news show on the fictitious Atlantis Cable News (ACN) network, and an ensemble cast masterfully portrays earnest, but neurotic, characters who alternately endear, confound and infuriate McAvoy. Google “The Newsroom opening scene”, and watch the YouTube clip. In less than 10 minutes, McAvoy elucidates the deterioration of America’s fabric and its many consequences. Signage plays a key role in creating the hyper-competitive, frenetic atmosphere within the universe of the 24-hour news cycle. Because distracted viewers often enjoy more than 500 TV-channel choices (and infinitely more in the virtual world), every visual component must propel the viewer into a sense of urgency http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - November 2012

Signs of the Times - November 2012
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
The Moving Message
Technology Review
Technology Review
Design Matters
New Products
London 2012
The Rules of Attraction
Extreme Weather
An Icon Looks at 80
The Value of Signs
Enter ST ’s 2013 Intl. Sign Contest
Industry News
Industry News
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - November 2012