BBC Digital "Faces" (partially lost BBC One/Two promotional advertising material; 2005): Difference between revisions

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{{NeedingWork|lack of references, excessive detail, clarity, and unfinished nature}}
{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Freeview 'Faces' promotion</center>
|title=<center>Freeview 'Faces' promotion</center>
|image=BBCdigital.JPG
|image=BBCdigital.JPG
|imagecaption=Screenshot of the original 50 sec ad.
|imagecaption=Screenshot of the original 50-sec ad.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
The BBC's '''''digital TV 'Faces' promotion''''' was made as a co-production between Conkerco, The Mill, Artem Digital, Red Bee Media, and DFGW, and an on-air promotion to inform the viewer on how to get the six extra BBC channels on cable, satellite services, and Freeview.


==Production==
"'''Faces'''" was a British promotional campaign created for the BBC in 2005, made to inform the viewer on how to get six extra BBC channels on cable, satellite services, and Freeview. It was made as a co-production between Conkerco, The Mill, Artem Digital, Red Bee Media, and DFGW.
The Trails were first announced on a Campaign Live article on 23 September 2005.


According to the BBC's complaints report for April to June 2006, The Trails were originally set to be broadcast between 5 November and 23 December. The broadcasts ended on 9 December.
The campaign focused on a large human head, formed by several smaller heads through CGI effects. While it was intended to be lighthearted and fun, it had the opposite effect on viewers; many complained that the visuals made them nauseated and/or overly disturbed. The main advertisement in the campaign racked over 1,300 complaints, resulting in the BBC withdrawing the campaign after only a month on the air. Most of the ads in the campaign have been preserved, but at least one commercial has yet to be found or preserved.


David Knight, known as revelationsr on YouTube, was working with The Mill at the time, as was Chris Rule of Conkerco, who remembers the process very well.
==Production==
 
The advertisements were first announced on a Campaign Live article on September 23rd, 2005. According to the BBC's complaints report for April to June 2006, the advertisements were originally set to be broadcast between November 5th and December 23rd, though it ultimately ended on December 9th.
"The Mill had about 13 people working on it, and they even had to build a few plugins to allow the heads to follow the main face.
 
They were given 20 scanned-in heads of people. Three of these heads were scanned in saying all the lines in the advert.
 
My main role was to animate the other 17 heads saying the same lines.
 
After that, I went on to particle animation. I came up with a method to allow "flocking" like particle animation without using even a single line of code.
 
I remember showing this method to one of the coders, whereas it seemed so simple and obvious to him.
 
He told me I shouldn't make a habit of doing things this way because I will put him out of work.
 
When we were about 75% done, something happened over in the war. I didn't bother adding the details in the description of my video, because I was aware that some of my viewers would realize what tragic occurrence I was referring to.
 
It was neither the fault of the BBC or any of the creatives, just really bad timing. I think the ad was pulled after about three airings, which is too bad because the technical achievement we managed to pull off with this ad was great for its time."<br />
-David Knight (revelationsr)
 
According to Stephen Venning, The Mill's head of 3D, "This is, without doubt, one of the most demanding projects we've ever undertaken."
 
Stephen employed motion capture, 3D digitization, plus herding and flocking software to wrangle thousands of CG heads, "especially when you consider [we had] four weeks from the conform for the first 50-second main commercial.


According to Tim de Lisle in an article on The Guardian called "Heads roll at the BBC", Artem supplied the technology for the ads.
David Knight, known as ''revelationsr'' on YouTube, was working with The Mill at the time, as was Chris Rule of Conkerco. Stephen employed motion capture, 3D digitization, plus herding and flocking software to wrangle thousands of CG heads, "especially when you consider [we had] four weeks from the conform for the first 50-second main commercial.


And Chris Rule states the trails were "shot on film and only scanned / post produced at PAL resolution," hence the reason for their absence from the Conkerco website.
According to Tim de Lisle in an article on The Guardian called "Heads roll at the BBC", Artem supplied the technology for the ads. Chris Rule states the advertisements were "shot on film and only scanned / post-produced at PAL resolution," hence their absence from the Conkerco website.


==The Trails==
==The Advertisements==
The ads first aired on 5 November 2005, and were scheduled next to programmes such as EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing, and Neighbors. The ads' airtimes were during daytime and at peak. The 50 sec ad features a giant animated head being held together by smaller heads, morphing into that of a lion, then the heads of John Simpson and Shakespeare, as it informs us of the programmes airing on the six extra channels at the time.
The ads first aired on November 5th, 2005 and were scheduled next to programs such as ''EastEnders'', ''Strictly Come Dancing'', and ''Neighbours''. The ads' airtimes were during daytime and at peak. The 50-second ad features a giant animated head being held together by smaller heads, morphing into that of a lion, then the heads of John Simpson and Shakespeare, as it informs us of how to get the six extra BBC channels.


==Criticism==
==Criticism==
Two of the four <small>(two of a male head, two of a female head)</small> ads (aside from the original and the Christmas ad) have been confirmed to feature the heads of Postman Pat and Bob the Builder, though the Postman Pat ad is yet to surface on YouTube.
The ads received heavy complaints from viewers when they aired. They stated the visuals made them feel sick and/or disturbed, in an effect not too dissimilar to that of tropophobia (the fear of/discomfort caused by visuals of clustered holes or circles). One viewer complained about the advertisement and described it as "disturbingly psychotic". "It makes me feel queasy thinking about it," wrote another contributor, while a third described it as "absolutely horrible."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4463108.stm</ref> Another stated they “made me feel physically sick and now I have to go out of the room when it is on”. Another said it was “hideous” and “demonic”.<ref>https://dtg.org.uk/bbc-winds-up-digital-faces-trail/</ref> "As a registered psychotherapist, I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill". Another entry reads: "I was having my dinner when the advert came on and it was all I could do to keep my food down. The images actually made my skin crawl."<ref>https://adland.tv/adnews/bbc-faces-campaign-withdrawn-after-more-1300-complaints/1134562356</ref>


The BBC regretted that the ads were disliked by people but it was originally meant to inspire people.<ref>https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/23/advertising.broadcasting</ref>
The BBC regretted that the ads were disliked by people but it was originally meant to inspire people.<ref>https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/23/advertising.broadcasting</ref> "We have been very conscious that some viewers disliked the nature of the trail, although clearly, it was not our intention to offend.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4521876.stm</ref> The Governors’ Program Complaints Committee (GPCC) says the trail should never have been shown before the watershed and has criticized the way the corporation explained the decision to stop airing it.<ref>https://dtg.org.uk/bbcs-digital-faces-attacked-by-governors/</ref>


The campaign concluded with a Christmas version of the ad (both a 30-second version and 10-second version are available to watch on Justin Hewelt's YT channel) which was immediately withdrawn after its first airings due to a majority of the BBC's viewers at the time suffering from trypophobia (fear of clusters).
After the number of complaints regarding the ad ballooned from 400 to 1,300, the BBC chose to withdraw the campaign, and the ads aired for a final time on December 9th, 2005.


One viewer complained about the advertisement and described it as "disturbingly psychotic"
==Availability==
"It makes me feel queasy thinking about it," wrote another contributor, while a third described it as "absolutely horrible".
The original ad is currently viewable on The Mill's website, Stash Animation Magazine and various other websites. As of 2019, the original ad uploaded by revelationsr is no longer available on YouTube, but can still be viewed on Vimeo and Dailymotion.
<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4463108.stm</ref>
"We have been very conscious that some viewers disliked the nature of the trail, although clearly, it was not our intention to offend.
<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4521876.stm</ref>
 
Governors’ Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC) says the trail should never have been shown before the watershed and has criticised the way the corporation explained the decision to stop airing it.<ref>https://dtg.org.uk/bbcs-digital-faces-attacked-by-governors/</ref>
 
one viewer telling the Points of View bulletin board they “made me feel physically sick and now I have to go out of the room when it is on”. Another said it was “hideous” and “demonic”.<ref>https://dtg.org.uk/bbc-winds-up-digital-faces-trail/</ref>
 
"As a registered psychotherapist, I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill".
Another entry reads: "I was having my dinner when the advert came on and it was all I could do to keep my food down. The images actually made my skin crawl."<ref>https://adland.tv/adnews/bbc-faces-campaign-withdrawn-after-more-1300-complaints/1134562356</ref>
 
==Aftermath==
After the ads aired for a final time on 9 December 2005, the campaign ended three days later after the complaints racked up from 400 to 1,300.
 
The subject came back a few times through 2006, whether it's about the ads disproving that "the penis is evil" or governors objecting to the campaign ever airing in the first place.
 
YouTubers Aiden Investigations and LumPeyCusTerEd both remember when this campaign came to fruition. Aiden was 9 years old when the ads came on. LPCTE remembers seeing the ad with Bob the Builder's head.
 
According to Aiden, there is confirmation of an ad featuring Fireman Sam.
 
Out of the female head ads, a screenshot was posted by Andrew in a blog post on the Biased BBC blog site.
 
The ad was then replaced with a girl who's trying to hang on a cliff but then fell.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4463108.stm</ref>


==Availability==
One of the missing ads was featured in a sketch on Armando Iannucci's ''Time Trumpet'', where Richard Ayoade states that the heads belong to 2,000 headless bodies. The ad is also available on some continuity/junction recordings on YouTube.
The original ad is currently viewable on The Mill's website and Stash Animation Magazine.


Some footage of one of the ads can be viewed of episode 4 of Armando Iannucci's ''Time Trumpet'' as per a sketch, where Richard Ayode informs the viewer that the heads are, in fact, the heads of 2,000 headless bodies. The ad is also available on some continuity/junction recordings on YouTube, as well as revelationsr's channel.
On June 12th, 2018, YouTuber Wesley Cracknell uploaded low-quality camera rip footage from his tapes of continuity on BBC One in 2005, including the Christmas ad, as well as the full female head ad with Bob the Builder.


On 12 June 2018, YouTuber wesley cracknell recorded some footage from his tapes of continuity from BBC One in 2005, including the Christmas ad, as well as the full female head ad with Bob the Builder.
Currently, 3 of the 4 ads have been found in full. There is a possibility that the missing ad is available on the [https://bbcredux.co.uk/ BBC Redux] website. However, this service is only available to those with a functional @bbc.co.uk email address. Two of the four ads (aside from the original and the Christmas ad) have been confirmed to feature the heads of Postman Pat and Bob the Builder, though the Postman Pat ad is yet to surface on YouTube. According to Aiden, an ad featuring Fireman Sam is rumoured to exist.


Currently 3/4 ads have been found, in full.
A screenshot of the ad featuring the female head was posted by Andrew in a blog post on the Biased BBC blog site.


==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Video|perrow  =4
{{Video|perrow  =2
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =CXPzUMX4ONQ
   |id1          =Y4x8AIQsbjE
   |description1 =Partial clip of ad.
   |description1 =Promo featuring Bob the Builder
   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
  |description2 =Christmas promo
   |id2          =Y9yZxZSBeM8
   |id2          =Y9yZxZSBeM8
  |description2 =The Christmas ad.
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =XaRF277497Y
  |description3 =The original 50 sec ad.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =HewIN61tFpA
  |description4 =Footage of ad begins at 0:23.
}}
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =dailymotion
  |id1          =https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5elo5m
  |description1 =
}}
}}
==References==
==References==

Revision as of 00:03, 7 November 2022

BBCdigital.JPG

Screenshot of the original 50-sec ad.

Status: Partially Lost


"Faces" was a British promotional campaign created for the BBC in 2005, made to inform the viewer on how to get six extra BBC channels on cable, satellite services, and Freeview. It was made as a co-production between Conkerco, The Mill, Artem Digital, Red Bee Media, and DFGW.

The campaign focused on a large human head, formed by several smaller heads through CGI effects. While it was intended to be lighthearted and fun, it had the opposite effect on viewers; many complained that the visuals made them nauseated and/or overly disturbed. The main advertisement in the campaign racked over 1,300 complaints, resulting in the BBC withdrawing the campaign after only a month on the air. Most of the ads in the campaign have been preserved, but at least one commercial has yet to be found or preserved.

Production

The advertisements were first announced on a Campaign Live article on September 23rd, 2005. According to the BBC's complaints report for April to June 2006, the advertisements were originally set to be broadcast between November 5th and December 23rd, though it ultimately ended on December 9th.

David Knight, known as revelationsr on YouTube, was working with The Mill at the time, as was Chris Rule of Conkerco. Stephen employed motion capture, 3D digitization, plus herding and flocking software to wrangle thousands of CG heads, "especially when you consider [we had] four weeks from the conform for the first 50-second main commercial.”

According to Tim de Lisle in an article on The Guardian called "Heads roll at the BBC", Artem supplied the technology for the ads. Chris Rule states the advertisements were "shot on film and only scanned / post-produced at PAL resolution," hence their absence from the Conkerco website.

The Advertisements

The ads first aired on November 5th, 2005 and were scheduled next to programs such as EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing, and Neighbours. The ads' airtimes were during daytime and at peak. The 50-second ad features a giant animated head being held together by smaller heads, morphing into that of a lion, then the heads of John Simpson and Shakespeare, as it informs us of how to get the six extra BBC channels.

Criticism

The ads received heavy complaints from viewers when they aired. They stated the visuals made them feel sick and/or disturbed, in an effect not too dissimilar to that of tropophobia (the fear of/discomfort caused by visuals of clustered holes or circles). One viewer complained about the advertisement and described it as "disturbingly psychotic". "It makes me feel queasy thinking about it," wrote another contributor, while a third described it as "absolutely horrible."[1] Another stated they “made me feel physically sick and now I have to go out of the room when it is on”. Another said it was “hideous” and “demonic”.[2] "As a registered psychotherapist, I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill". Another entry reads: "I was having my dinner when the advert came on and it was all I could do to keep my food down. The images actually made my skin crawl."[3]

The BBC regretted that the ads were disliked by people but it was originally meant to inspire people.[4] "We have been very conscious that some viewers disliked the nature of the trail, although clearly, it was not our intention to offend.[5] The Governors’ Program Complaints Committee (GPCC) says the trail should never have been shown before the watershed and has criticized the way the corporation explained the decision to stop airing it.[6]

After the number of complaints regarding the ad ballooned from 400 to 1,300, the BBC chose to withdraw the campaign, and the ads aired for a final time on December 9th, 2005.

Availability

The original ad is currently viewable on The Mill's website, Stash Animation Magazine and various other websites. As of 2019, the original ad uploaded by revelationsr is no longer available on YouTube, but can still be viewed on Vimeo and Dailymotion.

One of the missing ads was featured in a sketch on Armando Iannucci's Time Trumpet, where Richard Ayoade states that the heads belong to 2,000 headless bodies. The ad is also available on some continuity/junction recordings on YouTube.

On June 12th, 2018, YouTuber Wesley Cracknell uploaded low-quality camera rip footage from his tapes of continuity on BBC One in 2005, including the Christmas ad, as well as the full female head ad with Bob the Builder.

Currently, 3 of the 4 ads have been found in full. There is a possibility that the missing ad is available on the BBC Redux website. However, this service is only available to those with a functional @bbc.co.uk email address. Two of the four ads (aside from the original and the Christmas ad) have been confirmed to feature the heads of Postman Pat and Bob the Builder, though the Postman Pat ad is yet to surface on YouTube. According to Aiden, an ad featuring Fireman Sam is rumoured to exist.

A screenshot of the ad featuring the female head was posted by Andrew in a blog post on the Biased BBC blog site.

Videos

Promo featuring Bob the Builder

Christmas promo

References