Super Tuesday is upon us, and the TV News world is going crazy. Tonight Newscast Studio will be giving you a look behind the creative elements of the coverage.

Here’s some interesting stuff so far:

BBC News America - Broadcasting from Washington and London, providing hours of live coverage. They are using typically BBC style graphics, but for their set they have brought in American star and flag duratrans. They add a nice touch to the set, and fit in nicely with their style. As part of their team coverage, they have many flash cam positions set up in Washington, and one in London.

CNN - CNN is using its normal format of using “named shows” such as “Lou Dobbs Tonight” till 7, then moving to fulltime election coverage. All broadcasts are coming from the CNN Election Center and in HD. It will be intersting to see if they have any tricks up their sleve. One of their key assets is their multitouch technology.

CNN HLN - Glenn Beck is live from New York bringing in election news. They have decided to add the CNN election tracker graphics, and use new Glenn Beck election graphics. Setwise, the set has some new truss features, and maybe an extra plama.

MSNBC - MSNBC has locations all over! From their main studios, to a few flash cam positions throughout 30 Rock, MSNBC has stepped up their game. Tonight, they rolled out new VizRT (we think) 3d graphics visualization software to bring statistics to the viewer. This software blows away anything else used by the other networks. Look for this 3d software to make its way into other shows soon. Also, MSNBC is using the Today Show studio, a new studio with some similar styling as the main MSNBC studio, and their normal flash cam positions.

FOX News - FOX is broadcasting from Unitel Studios, using the new FOX News Election Center. This studio will provide a great asset to the coverage, once it begins. FOX, like CNN, is using “named shows” till 7. Watch for more surprises from the new studio.

Stay tuned for more election news as the night moves on.

ABC’s new “World News” set is an interesting environment that manages to be modern looking and warm at the same time.

The show has been opening with a wide shot of the set and the dimensional logo that’s on the floor. It’s a neat camera angle and the push-in gives the start of the broadcast a nice start.

The new set seems to be in the same studio that it used to be in; in wide shots of the set you can see the same lighting units from the ceiling and other elements of the old set are still visible, particularly to camera left.

The main background is a medium-sized rear projection screen that normally displays a looped animation of a world map. The dominant color of this background is an orange-yellow color with some purples blended in. Although a unique choice, this is a good example of why yellow and oranges can be tricky colors to use on a background, particularly in such prominent use. The colors seem a little too similar to human skin tone, making Charles look “flat,” and, in some shots, gives his skin tones a strange color cast.

Elsewhere, the set does a good job of mixing warm wood tones with sleek metal and soft back-lit panels to create a modern yet comfortable feel. Lots of on-set lighting adds lots of visual interest and creates a sophisticated look.

The set also gives viewers a great sense of depth, particularly the camera right shot. This is shot through a frosted glass window and allows viewers to see quite a ways into whatever is behind the set. To camera left, multi-layered glass panels with world maps front the workspace behind it, again creating lots of depth.

The set is also outfitted with several large, flat panel monitors used mainly for OTS and standups, plus an additional rear projection screen for “A Closer Look” segments.

To the right of the main anchor seat is a work area that’s set down quite a ways from the main riser. It seems to be a little too low; it might be strange to see the tops of people’s heads poking out at the same level of Charles’ desktop.

ABC had a previous set that did a better job of surrounding the anchor with support staff by having them sit at the same level. It was also cleverly designed to shoot a plasma OTS shot by lining up Peter between two of the staffers seats. This set was used when Peter Jennings was still anchor and was part of the reworking of “World News Tonight” that included rough, black and white video of Jennings hard at work in the newsroom. Incidentally, parts of this set are still there today; the lighting units previously mentioned as well as some of the grayish headers are all leftover from that scenery.

We just finished a round of updates to SetStudio. It’s the first of many that are coming.

This update includes photos from seven sets by Park Place Studio:

• WVTM-TV, Birmingham, Alabama
• Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, Cable
• WVIR-TV, Charlottesville, Virginia
• WTVD-TV, Raleigh, North Carolina
• KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, Nevada
• KREX-TV, Grand Junction, Colorado
• WFTX-TV, Ft. Meyers/Naples, Florida

Check out the new photos and leave your thoughts using the comments feature.

Stay tuned for more updates…

ABC debuted its new “World News” set last night, having already given viewers a sneak peak on New Year’s Eve. According to the “World Newser” blog, the set is designed with “a warmer, more intimate environment that takes its cues from the on-air style and approach of Charlie Gibson himself.”

It’s equipped with lots of gadgets and an anchor desk that’s fully equipped for breaking news and election coverage, including workstations situated on a step down from Gibson’s chair.

Two photos from ABC are below. SetStudio will be adding the photos soon…