Instead, the BBC invented Truematte, a highly reflective grey cloth which needs a maximum of 6 watts (3 watts in a small studio) to light it. Unusually, the light comes from a ring of blue LEDs fitted around each camera’s lens.This means the studio can be lit for the actors, rather than the bluescreen. The LEDs can throw a blue cast on the actor, but only when the camera is a lot closer than it usually needs to be. It is also easier to set up as there is no need to worry about creases, or corners, or even scuff marks on the floor, all of which would cause problems with standard blue screen.

It only needs to be swept where a blue floor usually has to be repainted each time as scuff marks show through the signal.Popkin believes the new studio will be attractive to producers, who will be able to create sets impossible in any other way. Although earlier systems have had a cartoony feel, he says “the quality of the sets is now almost good enough for drama, and we can create very realistic lighting effects”, thanks to Truematte.The BBC isn’t allowed to sell the system as its own product, but it will be licensing it to a manufacturer and getting royalties from any sales. These will join other BBC inventions such as the Nicam stereo sound system, now licensed to almost all TV set and VCR makers, and the 2D Virtual Scenario set system made by Radamec.. For those of us in the music industry, there are so many gadgets. We started recording our last album, Mouth to Mouth, about a year ago, and we were just getting into the recording when I managed to break both my arms. So I was kind of sat around thinking that my arms would be in plaster for a couple of months and I wouldn’t be able to play the violin.

I went to Gary Marshall, who runs a shop in town, and he said here was this great thing called a groove machine, which is kind of like a drum machine and a synthesiser in one. It is also a sort of a sampler, so you can have birds twittering and telephones and helicopters. I was playing it with a big biro between two forefingers because I couldn’t judge the spaces between fingers properly, so biros helped me to play stuff in correct harmony.
On the album, we used it for background parts and strings, and it took off from there We put on rough bits that my violin would have done Being in the studio, we use tech all the time. But this was the first time we used it to create an instrumental sound, and it was originally a fill- in thing so that the recordings weren’t devoid of violins This was useful for the rest of the band. We thought we would abandon the parts as they were meant to be guides, but a lot ended up staying They sounded really good.

Dennis Tueart, another former City player, becomes director of football, with John Wardle, the boss of JD Sports, joining the board.Lee paid pounds 3m for a 29.9 per cent stake in City in February 1994. He went with a withering swipe at the Maine Road managers who he claimed have wasted millions on poor players and criticised the people inside the club who “have tried to blacken my name”.
The 53-year-old Lee resigned as chairman and as a director, leaving his deputy, David Bernstein – a life-long supporter who heads the clothing chain French Connection – in charge. The millionaire and former City striker, who was swept to power by popular support four years ago, was driven out by spectator miscontent as the club sit perilously in the First Division’s relegation zone. FRANCIS LEE’S turbulent reign at Manchester City’s chairman ended yesterday for “personal, family and business reasons”. Rain stopped play 1.31-1.35pm at 84-1 (Wallace 44, Lara 6) 27.1 overs 100 in 140 mins, 32 overs RSP 2.22pm – tea taken Players took the field at 3.01pm but rain prevented restart. Match abandoned at 3.50pm.Wallace 50: 139 min, 89 balls, 8 fours, 1 six.Umpires: C J Mitchley and E Nicholls.TV Replay Umpire: H Moore.Match Referee: B N Jarman.Man of the match: M R Ramprakash.Adjudicator: Professor R E Edwards.FIRST TEST (Jamaica): Abandoned.SECOND TEST (Trinidad): West Indies won by three wickets.THIRD TEST (Trinidad): England won by three wickets.FOURTH TEST (Guyana): West Indies won by 242 runs.FIFTH TEST (Barbados): Match drawn.SIXTH TEST (Antigua): Starts on Friday.. Unfortunately as Atherton and his team found out yesterday, fairness does not always apply.Bridgetown scoreboardWest Indies won tossENGLAND – First Innings 403 (M R Ramprakash 154, G P Thorpe 103, C L Hooper 5-80).WEST INDIES – First Innings 262 (C B Lambert 55).ENGLAND – Second Innings 233 for 3 dec (M A Atherton 64).WEST INDIES – Second inningsC B Lambert c Headley b Fraser 29(92 min, 60 balls, 5 fours)P A Wallace lbw b Caddick 61(154 min, 102 balls, 9 fours, 1 six)*B C Lara not out 13(74 min, 59 balls, 1 four)S Chanderpaul not out 3(12 min, 4 balls)Extras (b1,lb5) 6Total (for 2, 167 min, 37.3 overs) 112Fall: 1-72 (Lambert), 2-108 (Wallace).Bowling: Caddick 6-1-19-1 (4-0-18-0 2-1-1-1), Headley 2-0-14-0, Tufnell 16.3-3-37-0 (one spell each), Fraser 11-3-33-1 (4-0-22-0 7-3-11-1), Ramprakash 2-1-3-0 (one spell).Fifth day: rain delayed start until 1.01pm.