‘Nightly’ mixes things up for convention coverage editions

NBC Nightly News” originated from Studio 1A, normally the home of “Today” for its preview coverage of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Aug. 17, 2020, creating a different look by utilizing the space’s video walls and dynamic handheld camera shots.

The broadcast, which normally uses part of Studio 3A across the street, has been originating from anchor Lester Holt’s home for most editions over the past few months due to coronavirus.

“Nightly” continued to use 1A on Day 2 and Day 3 of the convention.

In addition, the show also kicked off Monday’s edition with an alternative open using the “Decision 2020” “scaffolding and billboard” motif. 

Holt then appeared on camera standing in front of the space’s 40 foot curved video wall and star shaped anchor desk with one of the studio’s wild vertical monitors camera left serving as an OTS.

The OTS design was similar to the boxy ones “Nightly” normally uses — but scaled to fill the entire screen. In one case, for the intro into a package on Run-D.M.C., the graphic was slightly too large for the panel — with the “S” in “arrests” cut off. 

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The vertical panels also showed correspondents’ faces as they tossed back to Holt. 

While both “CBS Evening News” and “ABC World News Tonight” covered the convention extensively Monday, only “Nightly” switched to a different studio space.

During convention coverage, the video wall behind Holt featured an edited view of Rockefeller Plaza decked out in a “Decision 2020” look. This look was also used later in the evening during NBC’s coverage of the mostly virtual convention. 

For other news of the day, the video wall typically switched to a version of the empty “hanger” background typically used in Decision 2020 opens with a “Nightly” logo band added and topical graphics added in the middle of the screen. 

Except for one instance, these anchor intros also featured the anchor desk switching from its normal red, white and blue colors to a pale blue and white. Similar color changes also showed up on the “Today” logo sculpture and backlit sliding door.

Holt presented the entire newscast standing up, with a small circular table serving as a parking place for his paper scripts and mobile phone.

It also appeared the all anchor camera shots were captured using handheld cameras and the broadcast featured multiple on screen camera moves, including moving from one vertical monitor to another.

Other updates included red, white and blue floor coverings and swapping out the “Today” logo panels for red, white and blue NBC News ones with a star cutout.

Watch the other nights of “Nightly” convention coverage in the playlist below.