It was a brand new set, which had just been completed for this long running Caf/Bar L.E.

series. Tim
Wallbank and I had been involved with the programme on our previous visit. As usual, there was no
evidence of a floor plan or a lighting plan. The scenery was being built by enthusiastic and noisy
scenery men in brown coats. Hayrettin explained his lighting intentions to me as he waited his turn for
the studio floor. His ideas were, I have to say, well thought out.

I watched him rig and focus the mixture of 2Ks, 1Ks and egg crate less softlights with the help of
Mehmet who was in the lighting gallery upstairs. If they had an intercom system it was not in evidence;
instructions were shouted at each other with great gusto. It was a late late show so I escaped in time to
get back and watch transmission in my hotel room. To be fair, Hayrettin had done a good job and there
was little to criticise in his work. He had thought things out, and used a low light level to maximise the
effect from pracs and also to encourage limited depth of field so as to preserve a drama like depth in his
pictures. Neon tubes (much loved by TRT designers) had been covered in N.D. type material and the
whole balance of the picture was really quite pleasing. Chatting to him later, I told him what I thought.
It was clear that he was in great demand outside TRT for his undoubted skills. What was nice was that
the whole team working with him were working with him. In Ankara, the ability to work in a team was
not as evident.

Istanbul 1, Ankara 0.

Monday February12th

The first task of the day was to fill a Renault 12
(built in 1997 to a 30 year old specification!) with
lighting men and to zoom off to the Istanbul stock
exchange where I found a camera wide open
looking at a female presenter who was lit (on one
side) by over steep houselights while two ancient
300 watt Mizars with 0.5 CTB and some diffuser or
other were standing on the side lines unlit and un-
loved; one of which was acting as a coat rack!

This was a direct result of my observations of
TRTs news output, where it was clear to me that
anything coming from Istanbul into the main news
programmes in Ankara looked as though it needed
a bit of the lighting equivalent of WD40 on it.

Adjacent cameras acting for other news networks were
all sensibly bouncing light off a conveniently placed
curved ceiling piece to which the TRT cameraman had
remained oblivious. Inshallah (God willing) as they
say in this part of the world. We soon had the coat
stand and its partner working for a living, and I had
even worked out a plan for achieving some backlight
using kitchen foil and a Maglite for the long haired
blonde who had given me a rather nice smile. Well, you
know what I mean.

As we entered the building through security worthy of
Heathrow on a bomb scare day, I was amused to note
that all the employees were leaving. It was just midday
and I was told they were going for lunch; all of them,
all at once! Whilst we were fiddling with coat stands
and black wrap the Dow Jones and the FTSE could have been plunging or going off the top of the
enormous graphical display, but Turkey could rest in peace knowing that its financial wizards were
enjoying their packed lunch.

After returning to TRT via the scenic route (just for me, I was told) it was time to take a look at the
Istanbul TV news studio which acting as an island site for Ankara. My jaw visibly dropped when I
Steep houselights giving unflattering
facial shadows
Adjacent cameramen bouncing light
off convenient ceiling
saw the somewhat OTT array of about ten cold light units delivering 1600 lux at any point on the desk
in front of the chromakey screen. Oh, and the blue backing had a hefty 3500 lux scorching its painted
surface. No, it wasnt an ancient image orthicon colour camera from Lime Grove, it was a modern chip
device.

With apologies to devotees of cold light lovers everywhere, I returned the lighting to a traditional
tungsten rig using some elderly 500 watt and 300 watt fresnels that were languishing in a corner of the
studio. I did find a better use for two of the cold light units in lighting the blue screen. I mentally
earmarked two of the others for Ankaras newsroom where air conditioning was non existent and staff
had resorted to opening the N.D.d windows on occasions even in January.

Whilst my TRT colleagues were flicking mains isolators on and off in the time honoured way to find
particular lamp feeds, we were graced with a visit from various senior people from the radio hierarchy
who had offices nearby. Much hand shaking and smiling ensued and it was clear to Erhan, my
translator, that I looked somewhat puzzled as to why this visit of VIPs had occurred. He laughed and
said that some of the breakers fed computers on that floor and even the uninterruptible power supplies
had choked on our random and repetitive interruption of their feeds.

Back to TRTs main studio centre in the new/old Renault 12 we went for just one more treat that cold
wet day. There was a sports report type programme to be lit and the Producer showing me a tape of last
weeks show complained that the lighting was too dark. I puzzled as to exactly what he meant as
although I could see various problems that needed addressing, darkness was not one of them. I joined
Hayrettin in the studio where he showed me the problems of getting good key and backlight angles
with the circular suspended metal scenic item just above the artists heads. He had made a very
creditable job, my only contribution was to suggest that with the designers co-operation he could light
the talking heads using birdies or even MR12s mounted on the set piece itself. Once again, a shortage
of small lamps that could be used on the floor for up lighting the set was a serious handicap.

Platitudes were made and I worked with Mehmet and Levent on doing a straightforward approach to
what was, after all, a one plus two in front of some translucent flattage on top of some bright yellow
Perspex rostra. I exited before transmission time in order to appease the inner man, returning to quality
check the programme from the comfort of my bedroom.

Wednesday February 14
th

It was a pleasant change for me to see a set at TRT with some fairly neutral non-shiny surfaces.

Valentines Day dawned wet and cold. I was taken up to TRT at 1000 where I finished my report to
head of Istanbul with all my recommendations. I went into the Studio and watched the guys lighting
two shows; one a 1+1 film review show and the other an important music show.

Hayrettin was conscientiously fine lighting amidst a veritable sea of candles of various sizes. Was this
the set designers unconscious comment on Hayrettin liking for 200 lux?

Later, I met the head of Technical Services and gave her a copy of my latest report. She was a very
busy lady who definitely operated under The buck stops here philosophy. We discussed the good and
bad points of the Istanbul TV operation. Tomorrow, I return to Turkeys capital to check out what has
changed since phase 1.

Thanks are due to Erhan who has been my translator during this few days in Istanbul. He is a
thoroughly competent and skilled engineer who chooses to commute each day from his home near the
Black sea coast. Just check that out on the map, makes Reading to TV Centre look like a doddle.

Thursday February 15
th
2001

Up early for the flight to Ankara. I arrived in time to watch part of the make up exercise for presenters.
They had been allocated a lighting cameraman who was clearly enjoying himself whilst giving his
individual attention to each and every presenter. He had taken the trouble to set up the monitor properly
but had spoilt them somewhat by producing a soft key bounced off the low ceiling. I think this will
produce problems for me tomorrow when I am to light the presenters in normal studio lighting.

February 16th 2001

Met Ebru and was taken down to the smaller Irkut studio for the programme exercise for the TRT
presenters. For over two hours I worked with two men to light an audition set up. It was, to say the
least, not easy because of the usual problems of lack of appropriate kit, lack of time, poorly set up
monitors, a vision gallery that was five minutes away from the lighting gallery, etc.,etc. Worst of all, I
was accused of using insufficient light (800 lux) by the Technical Director! Moi?

I bit my proverbial tongue; he probably would have had apoplexy if I had told him of Hayrettin and his
200-lux.

Rehearsal with just half the candles lit! Hayrettin showing real lighting talent.