Inside Wembley Studios - Part 2

This pair of articles is based on the content of a booklet designed for visitors to Rediffusion's main production centre in Wembley, North London and published in April 1967.

Production Facilities

Studios

STUDIO 1. 80’ x 55’ working height 16’ (4,400 sq. ft.)
STUDIO 2. 80’ x 41’ working height 16’ (3,280 sq. ft.)
STUDIO 4. 74’ x 42’ working height 11’ (3,108 sq. ft.)

Each of these studios is equipped with four 4 1/2” image orthicon cameras. The vision mixing panels include special electronic effects such as inlay, wipes and blinge. There are facilities for 18 low level and nine high level sound input channels, two grams and one magnetic tape recorder per studio. The lighting system in studio 1 is three phase at 180 amps per phase. There are 116 two kw and 6 five kw single phase outlets. Lighting in studio 2 is the same as studio 1 except that the total of two kw circuits is 100. Studio 4 operates from a two phase service at 150 amps per phase with 108 two kw and six 5 kw outlets.

Vision control room, Studio 5a. Below: Studio 5b.

Studio 5. 140’ x 100’ working height 40’ (14,000 sq. ft.)

Studio 5 can be operated separately as two self-contained studios (5a and 5b) by means of a sound proof steel partition which can be raised or lowered in 30 minutes. The acoustic
separation between the two halves of the studio is better than 65 db.

There are eight 4 1/2” image orthicon cameras which, in addition to 405 lines, can also be operated on the American 525 line or European 625 line standards. Fitted throughout are 21” programme monitors which are switchable to the three different standards (405, 525, 625 lines). Each half of the studio has its own vision, sound and lighting control rooms. Studio 5a vision control can control up to eight cameras and 5b up to five cameras. Normally four cameras are used in each half studio. The comprehensive vision mixing panels include special effects.

Studio 5a and 5b sound consoles each have facilities for 26 low level and nine high level input channels. Echo circuits, artificial reverberation and sound re-inforcement are provided, together with three disc reproducers and one magnetic tape recorder for each half of the studio. There are 52 microphone circuits available for the full studio, 26 for each when the two halves are used separately.

1, Lighting console operator; 2, Lighting director; 3, Vision mixer; 4, Director; 5, Production assistant; 6-9, Visitors; 10, Sound balancer; 11, Grams operator; a, lighting console; b, patch panel; c, fuse box; d, selected picture; e, picture from transmitter; f, clock; g, 21” monitors (12 channels); h, special effects desk; j, vision mixing panel; k, communications panel; I, sound balancer’s console; m, tape recorder; n, gramophone decks; y, 25-ton steel doors; z , sliding doors.

The lighting system is three phase at 1,200 amps per phase. A total of 340 single phase circuits are provided for each half of the studio. Of these 120 are controlled from the lighting control console, 100 are provided with 5 kw transformer dimmers, and 20 are contractor controlled. The lighting and power supply in studio 5 is at a level suitable for colour television.

The “Hippodrome” series of circus and vaudeville acts was made in colour at Wembley for screening on the CBS television network in the United States and on ITV in Britain. It was the first time a British series had been sold to the States on colour tape. The first programme in the series went straight to the top of American coast-to-coast ratings.

Telecine

There are four machines at Wembley and seven at Television House. The Wembley equipment consists of one RCA Vidicon, one Cintel Flying Spot and two EMI Flying Spot. Both 16 mm and 35 mm film can be handled.

Videotaperecording

Rediffusion TeIevision has four muIti-standard Ampex VTR machines at Wembley and two additional machines at Television House.

Telerecording

The Wembley telerecording unit can record either on 16 mm (one channel) or on 35 mm (two channels).

Left to right: Katherine Blake as Beatrice, Raf Vallone as Eddie and Francesca Annis as Catherine in Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge”. Produced by Rediffusion Television in 1966 it was screened live over the full ITV network.

Outside Broadcasts

Four mobile control rooms are based at Wembley. Four cameras are available with each control room and three have a capability of 14 microphone, tape and gram inputs. A simple vision mixing panel enables cutting and mixing between the cameras. Links are provided over six vision channels, two of which take sound also, and two sound only channels. There are two mobile generators, one to service a mobile control room, the other for the link equipment.

Transcription Unit

This unit provides for the editing of 1/4 inch magnetic tapes and has disc cutting equipment for 7 8 rpm discs.

Sound

EquaIisation and Iimiter/compressor equipment are available. There is a large sound effects library and also a good music Iibrary.

Film

All film facilities are at Television House.

Studio Hire

The production facilities listed above are in continuous use by Rediffusion Television but are hired out to other organisations on request. For further information write to Head of Studio Operations, Rediffusion Television Studios, Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, Middlesex. (Tel. WEMbley 8811) [Contact information provided for historical completeness only - Ed.]

Every form of drama has been produced in the studios at Wembley. These two pictures are of scenes in the “Seven Deadly Sins” series of plays. Left: Adam Faith and Joanna Dunham in “In the Night”; right: Alan Dobie and Patricia English in “A Cold Heart”. All seven plays in the series rated in TAM’s Top Ten. Other drama productions at Wembley have ranged from the consistently very popular “No Hiding Place”, “The Rat Catchers” and “The Hidden Truth” series, to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and a production of “Electra” in Greek which was seen by sufficient viewers to fill the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for three years. One of the most notable was Harold Pinter’s “The Lover”, which won the Prix ltalia drama award, besides several British awards for its writer, director and leading actors.

A Note on ITV

Independent Television was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1954. A public corporation, the Independent Television Authority (ITA), was authorised to provide television programmes, financed by advertisements, in competition with the existing non-commercial television service of the BBC.

The ITA have appointed 14 different programme companies to produce the programmes of Independent Television. In the three largest areas of population - London, the Midlands and the North of England - four companies divide between them the task of providing programmes. In each of the 10 other areas a single company is responsible for the full week’s programmes.

Since 1955 Rediffusion Television (originally Associated-Rediffusion) has been providing the London weekday programmes of ITV. Together with the three other major companies in London, the Midlands and the North (ATV Network, ABC Television and Granada Television) Rediffusion provides a network service of programmes which are seen in the 10 smaller regional areas. Many of these programmes are recorded or are on film and are
distributed overseas by Global Television Services (3 Vere Street, London, W.1) acting as agents for Rediffusion Television.

Studio 9 in Television House is also used for major ITV occasions such as General Elections and the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. This picture was taken during the results’ coverage of the 1966 election.

Key to studio plan: 1, Studio 1; 2, Studio 2; 3, Telerecording; 4, Studio 4; 5, Studio 5; 6, Fuel store; 7, Mechanical maintenance; 8, Compressors; 9, Carpenters’ shop; 10, Assembly bay; 11, Paint shop; 12, Property storage; 13, Loading bay; 14, Technical stores; 15, Electrical workshop; 16, Loading dock; 17, Drapes department; 18, Scenery storage; 19, OB garage; 20, ACTT room; 21, VTR room; 22, GPO links room; 23, Film vaults; 24, Building main; 25, C.O.W.; 26, Electronic workshop; 27, D & I offices; 28, S.T.U.; 29, Back projection; 30, Telecine; 31, Post room; 32, Dressing rooms; 33, Wardrobe; 34. Reception; 35, Canteen; 36, Make-up; 37, Quick change; 38, Camera servicing; 39, Camera control unit; 40, Camera store; 41, Quick change; 42, Make-up; 43, Planthouse No. 1; 44, Kitchen; 45, Yard; 46, Female change; 47, Office and stores; 48, E-Cam maintenance workshop; 49, Covered scenery storage area; 50, Boiler house; 51, Sub station 1; 52, Lamp store; 53, Control building 1 & 2; 54, Control building 3 & 4.