Strictly Come Dancing To Return To Elstree Studios With BBC S&PP

BBC Studios and Post Production (BBC S&PP) has announced it is to provide full studio facilities, post production services and technical support for BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.

BBC S&PP's 15,825 sq ft George Lucas Stage 2 at Elstree Studios is the home of the programmes ballroom dance floor.

With a studio space designed to support large-scale TV productions, the production will use every inch of space available. A fourth wall element will be introduced for this series to enhance the experience of the 750-strong live audience and home viewers.

A 360 degree set will give the feeling of shooting in the round and viewers will be taken right to the heart of the action.

The technical set-up for Strictly Come Dancing follows the reliable design BBC S&PP has perfected from supporting all past series of the show. 10 cameras, including one 30' MovieBird Technocrane, four pedestal cameras, a radio Steadicam and four handheld/lightweight tripod cameras capture the action.
 
BBC S&PP's recent investment in a Studer Vista X large-scale mixing console for broadcast, housed in its George Lucas Galleries, is the backbone to Strictly's audio set-up. Capturing up to 50 radio microphones across each show, the desk handles everything from the live orchestra, to the audience's reaction.
 
Connectivity between Elstree Studios and BBC S&PP's post-production facilities at BBC Elstree is crucial for handling the high volume of rushes the show produces each week.

At BBC S&PP's BBC Elstree facility, a bespoke editing complex boasts ten Avid Symphony suites to meet the fast turnaround post production requirements of the show – between them they handle up to 100 hours of training material each week. Material is ingested, logged and edited at BBC Elstree and reviewed and incorporated into the live shows via the HD production galleries at the George Lucas Stage. The results show is recorded on Saturday night, and edited through the night and Sunday morning for delivery on Sunday afternoon, ready for transmission at tea time.
 
Along with the creation of the main show's training VTs, content for It Takes Two, the nightly highlights show presented by Zoe Ball, is delivered to It Takes Two's central London studio via HD Baseband video line connectivity. When the series moves studios half way through to Blackpool for a week, the editing team will move with it to provide onsite editing. 
John O'Callaghan, Head of Studios and Post Production Services at BBC S&PP, said: "It's a real privilege to have supported the nation's favourite dancing show for a monumental 11 years, and to host a third series at Elstree. As even more fun and sparkles are added, the production becomes bolder and more ambitious, and promises to be an unforgettable Strictly Season."

The 2015 series sees 15 celebrities take to the Strictly ballroom with their professional partners to impress the judges. Some familiar faces are hoping to lift the Glitter Ball Trophy including EastEnders star Kellie Bright, Olympic champion boxer Anthony Ogogo, pop star Jamelia and TV chef Ainsley Harriott.

(LM)