NCSA Staff and REL Students Produce CNN Opener

Every weekend U.S. TV viewers will be seeing the computer graphics of NCSA staff and Renaissance Experimental Laboratory (REL) students in the new opening sequence for Cable News Network's (CNN) Science and Technology Week.

The 15-second opener, which began in January, incorporates elements of virtual reality, biochemistry, high-definition technologies, and earth sciences.

Appearing first is a representation of fiber optics, which symbolically connects viewers to the world of science and technology. A dataglove then points to a virtual space inside a notebook computer, where we meet a DNA molecule, a swimming jellyfish, a buckyball, and a human head symbolized by water droplets. The head turns to look at a high-definition computer screen, where we see a detailed, satellite-like view of earth. An astronaut greets us and flies into outer space, with stars forming the title of the show.

The animated elements were rendered separately and then composited for the opener to allow flexibility in refinements. CNN uses the separate elements as story transitions and to announce the availability of teaching materials.

Donna Cox (codirector), Robert Patterson (research programmer), and Michael McNeill (research programmer) of NCSA's Scientific Communications and Media Systems Group developed the concept and produced the animation.

REL students Steve McCure, Michael Moore, and Chris Waegner developed most of the computer graphics models for the production. NCSA Research Scientist Shankar Subra-maniam consulted with students on the accuracy of the scientific models.

CNN personnel involved include Bailey Barash, Science and Technology Week executive producer, and Ann Williams, vice president for graphics. Atlanta composer Herb Avery wrote the original, image-enhancing score, which was recorded by a small orchestra.

Science and Technology Week appears on CNN on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time). This opener will air for two years.

The REL was the subject of a CNN story in November 1992.

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