Mike Afford : biography
Career timeline
- 2008
- BBC Arabic Television launches.
- Setanta Sports Virtual Reality Studio set design - Premier League Live, Magners League.
- 2007
- BBC Arabic TV - Arabic language television channel - channel brand, programme titles and content.
- 2006
- Pitch for channel brand and design for BBC Arabic TV.
- Consultant - BBC News studio relaunch.
- BBC Local Elections - real-time graphics, full VR Brainstorm set.
- BDA World Silver award. (Broken News)
- BDA World Silver award. (Information Graphics - BBC Weather)
- 2005
- Broken News (BBC2, 6-part comedy series). 30 channel brands, titles, and all content graphics.
- BBC Weather relaunch.
- 2003
- Celebdaq : Celebrity share trading show. Content graphics (3D, data-driven) and 3D for titles.
- 2002
- Working Lunch : real-time 3D graphics. Live data from Bloomberg. PC hardware.
- BBC Sport rebrand (3D/real-time consultant).
- 2001
- Vote 2001 : BBC General Election programme. RTS Judges Award, BDA award.
- 2000
- 1999
- Newsnight relaunch. Titles and content.
- Royal Television Society award nomination.
- 1998
- Eurovision Song Contest (Birmingham). Results graphics and playout system interface.
- Newsnight rebrand.
- BAFTA award Best Graphic Design, Election 97.
- Royal Television Society award Graphic Design (Content), Election 97.
- BDA International award - Programme Logo, Election 97.
- 1997
- Election 97. BBC General Election programme - real-time 3D graphics in HD, titles and content.
- 1996
- 1994
- Europe Decides. European Elections programme. First fully real-time 3D graphics in HD.
- Royal Television Society award nomination.
- 1993
- BBC News branding. Design of first BBC-wide core housestyle graphics.
- 1992
- Decision 92. USA Presidential Election. First use of real-time 3D graphics - data-driven live elements with pre-rendered 3D background sequences.
- Campaign 92. General Election campaign coverage, 9 O'Clock News. First use of 3D graphics rendered on the day for the duration of 4-week campaign.
- also
- The State We're In (comedy), Great Britons, Public Eye (Season one launch), Gulf War I - rolling news branding, Breakfast News, Budget (various), Local Elections, Scottish Assembly Elections.
Specialist skills
Quantel - Paintbox, HAL.
Various Mac OSX, Linux, Unix software including Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Fontographer
3D modelling and animation - Vertigo, Maya, Cinema 4D
Real-time 3D & VR - VizRT, tOG, Brainstorm
Web design. Dreamweaver, Hand-coding HTML, CSS, Javascript.
Health and Safety, Risk Assessment, DSE assessment, fair selection.
Music - composition and recording. Theme tunes include 'Fast Track' (BBC World) and various one-off specials.
Employment history
Senior Graphic Designer
BBC News (1995-2007)
Creative leadership, brand management, strategic planning. Working with senior editorial and production figures. Managing staff - placement, coordination, appraisal, mentoring, recruitment. Hands-on design, leading by example. Managing budgets. Representing the organisation internally and externally. Health and safety, risk assessment, DSE assessment, fair selection.
Graphic Designer
BBC News (1988-1995)
Design for on-the-day graphics and longer-term projects. Responsible for design output of programme/s from preparation to transmission. Leading a team. 'Policing' housestyles. Liaising with senior programme staff.
Graphic Design Assistant
BBC Current Affairs (1986-1988)
Design for on-the-day graphics and longer-term projects.
