Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> History >> The King's Speech http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1296155672 Message started by Administrator on Jan 27^th, 2011, 7:15pm

Title: The King's Speech
Post by Administrator on Jan 27^th, 2011, 7:15pm

BBC London had a report on how a BBC engineer, the late David Martin, edited King George VI's recordings, to help cover up his stammer. Watch the report here

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Roundabout on Feb 1^st, 2011, 9:11am

Like all reconstructions by todays youthful producers this was typically long on talk and short on detail.......for the majority of the film tape recorders were shown,then a Blattnerphone and finally some DRDs.
So HOW did the editing take place......after all the hype there was no attempt made to show how the trembling young engineer did it. Useless!

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Amigo on Feb 1^st, 2011, 9:40am

Is there anyone around with the knowledge and kit to demonstrate the skills needed to edit the material?

I know there is an ex-member of staff who restores old recordings (in a private capacity) for the BBC and other organisations.

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Roundabout on Feb 1^st, 2011, 10:49pm

I don't know but the film could have at least mentioned that the trick was to do with the clever manipulation of disk recordings and shown the shots of the disk machines whilst saying it,rather than showing a tape machine!

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Roger Beckwith on Feb 3^rd, 2011, 11:58am

The shots of tape machines about 30" into the BBC London piece, and again near the end, show not a tape machine but a Philips-Miller film recorder. These machines were certainly still in use during the war years so could possibly have been used. No idea how easy editing was, but probably somewhat easier than using disks if lots of edits were required. There's an article about them on my site http://www.roger.beckwith.btinternet.co.uk/bh/tapes/pm.htm. Also worth noting that according to http://www.royal.gov.uk/imagesandbroadcasts/thequeenschristmasbroadcasts/ahistoryofchristmasbroadcasts.aspx
George VI did all but the last of his Christmas messages live.

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Roundabout on Feb 3^rd, 2011, 10:38pm

Excellent Roger.........what an interesting site,congratulations.
My real gripe was that there was no attempt at all in the London film to even explain what was done by the father of this very proud lady and she and we deserved better!

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Roger Beckwith on Feb 6^th, 2011, 10:55am

Prompted by Mike Chessher I've found an account of the broadcast in Tom Hickman's book What did you do in the War, Auntie? This adds some extra details to the story. Hickman says that the Christmas message was usually recorded at Windsor (this seems unlikely and contradicts the royal.gov page mentioned above) but in 1941 was done live from Sandringham. Churchill heard the broadcast and asked the BBC to doctor the recording before it was used in the Empire Service.

The task was given to David Martin. He had two versions to work with - a recording of the live broadcast and an earlier take which was to be used if the line from Sandringham had failed. Each recording was spread across four 12" disks; only the outer 2" were recorded on in order to maintain the best possible sound quality.

Martin set up his disks on a bank of eight turntables and would have faded between the two versions as required. He would also have needed to do some jump-cuts, where the pickup is lifted from the playing disk and popped back down a few 'grooves' further on, thus removing a pause or stumble. The 'in' points were marked on the disk with a chinagraph pencil.

This performance was repeated several times - for Africa, India, twice for North America and finally the Pacific which finished at 0620, by which time Martin was understandably 'knackered'!

Title: Re: The King's Speech
Post by Amigo on Feb 6^th, 2011, 11:24am

Thanks Roger, very interesting.

I wonder if David Martin's daughter, Jane Martin, knows about this book and its contents?