The TEFI National Television Awards Ceremony had come into being in 1994. In 2007 it has been for the 13th time that they were held. All together 455 TV projects have been submitted from the leading members that year for 42 respective nominations. Traditionally, the awards ceremony would take place in two stages organized around two different venues where the TEFI recipients are given their awards in ‘Profession’ and ‘Persons’ categories respectively.

In 2007 the awards ceremony in the first category was held on 19 September while the second category – the ‘Persons’ awards – took place two days later, on 21. The voting for either category was carried out by a panel of independent judges who were randomly selected from leading members of the Russian Television Academy (RTA.) There were 21 jury members every time for each nomination. In accordance with the director’s vision, the voting end results were displayed live on a large screen installed on stage at the State Concert Hall. In the broadcast version of the event, the graphic system had to display the RTA members’ names to make it clear how each one of them cast their votes. This has also made the entire event more transparent enabling it to pass in the spirit of true competitiveness and impartiality.

We were brought in to ensure the successful application of graphic designs of the event’s televised version before it was aired. We have gathered vast experience of work at many similar events that are usually broadcast live, and participated in broadcasting of such popular television games shows as ‘What? Where? When?’; ‘The Ice Extreme’; ‘The TEFI 2006’. The reason we were invited to take part in the 2007 Awards Ceremony has been our successful work record.

A number of mistakes may sometimes be expected when live events broadcast before the viewing audiences. Bearing that in mind, TV directors have to anticipate them. But there were none every time our Company has become involved in these kinds of projects. Based upon our extensive experience, we have been able to eradicate even the smallest deviations from approved scenarios. All graphic effects devised by the director were displayed on air accurately and on time.

We have accomplished the task using a wide range of extensive TV technologies: two ATLAS graphic stations, six MIRAGE video effects modules and two three-layered ALPHA SDI mixers. We have used this equipment and managed to provide the graphics which adequately reflected voting processes as the awards ceremony went on. The graphic system was operating in two independentchannel mode as it formed two different compositions: one for the screen on stage, the other for airing.

The graphical compositions in real time reflected not only voting results, names of the RTA members casting their votes, but also the three windows which showed faces of the nominees as those eagerly awaited the final voting results. Every time a winner was announced, an appropriate window would automatically enlarge, so as to fill the entire screen and display an award’s happy recipient. This was done using the ZOOM special effect.

Furthermore, the graphical compositions was different from one another in terms of their appearance on television screens. Each used ‘a live window’ displaying relevant information that accompanied voting results. This was done in such a way as to allow the viewers to identify the names of those RTA panelists as those voted and the way in which they chose to cast them. Such a method of broadcasting information live on air has completely ensured the fairness, open-mindedness and uttermost objectivity of the jurors.

Besides, the graphical compositions used in broadcast of ‘Professions’ and ‘Persons’ ceremonies were not exactly the same: they did vary in terms of graphic designs, the kinds of texts displayed and other applicable design solutions.

We were happy to learn that the creative work of our Company has been highly praised and appreciated both by leading members of the Russian Television Academy and producers of this prestigious event.

The winner zoom-effect