‘Nightly’ maps out story for viewers

Last night’s edition of “NBC Nightly News” saw a new use for the studio’s giant rear projection screen.

Anchor Brian Williams and correspondent Richard Engel were standing in front of the screen with a map of the Middle East on it. During the report, Engel and Williams pointed to various locations, with Engel holding a red-tipped pointer to reinforce his points (images after the jump).

Overall, it was an effective use of the screen, though the projected image did seem a bit washed out and Williams and Engel casted some distracting shadows on the screen — both common issues with using rear projection screens in this way.

One does wonder, however, why the virtual studio used for election coverage wasn’t used to create a 3D map for Williams and Engel to walk around.

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