ITV1 PRIMETIME


CASE STUDY CORONATION STREET


“It was a big undertaking because we can’t stop working on Coronation Street. It’s not like we’d have a six month run in, like most other dramas”


KIERAN ROBERTS Executive producer CORONATION STREET


A new era has begun for the nation’s longest running drama series. As a fitting celebration of Coronation Street’s 50th birthday, the soap has been given a makeover with ITV Studios investing millions in a new file- based production system to bring television’s most watched show to viewers in high definition. Executive producer Kieran


Roberts recalls that the impetus came all the way from ITV director of television Peter Fincham. “He was very keen


that Coronation Street would be available in HD at the earliest opportunity. We have to both respect its traditions and keep it fresh and contemporary. We didn’t want to be seen to be lagging behind.” Wanting to introduce the show in its new look with a bang, Roberts chose the week of 31st May last year as the week to make the switch, when Coronation Street would feature the explosive double storyline of the factory siege and Gail’s courtroom drama. One of the first


steps was detailed consultation with Avid, which had been talking to ITV for two years about upgrading its workflow.


At the sharp end was ITV’s support co-ordinator Stan Robinson, whose team was given a three month timeline for the switch. “We had to prepare for shooting as normal in standard definition while testing the new file-based HD workflow,” recalls Robinson. The move involved converting two SD studios to HD capability, and converting two OB vehicles


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