The DIVAS of CNN Headline News
By Anna Hovind
CNN Headline News
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CNN Headline News DIVAS: Le'Kesha Staten, left, and Aqueelah Abdul-Ra'uf.
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(CNN) -- Some TV viewers take for granted all the fancy graphics, special effects, and even the very print that appears on the screen before them. After all, it just "magically "appears there, and some never really give a thought as to how it got there, who is responsible for creating it or even what kind of technology is involved.
But behind every single element you see on the screen, you will find somebody who worked to put it there. At CNN Headline News, many of the elements you see on the screen are put there by a dynamic duo we affectionately call the DIVAS -- which is more than just a title, it's an attitude.
DIVAS stands for Design and Implementation of Visual Architecture for the Screen. If you've ever used desktop-publishing programs at home, you kind of have an idea of what our DIVAS do -- only their work is on a much grander and infinitely more complicated scale. For example, we make periodic changes to the on-air appearance of the CNN Headline News screen. Whether it's as simple as changing the text style we use for fonts, or a more involved "look change" that affects the entire configuration of the screen -- we can't make a move without the DIVAS.
Let's say we want to create a new color scheme for the dekos -- the graphics that appear on the left-hand side of the screen. Our graphic artists create the new artwork and then electronically ship it off to the DIVAS, who create a template that allows you to see the artwork on your television. If the artwork needs text to accompany it, the DIVAS select an appropriate font, pick the color that works best and then create another template for the text to appear in. And if for some reason we want movement on that text, let's say, flip or spin into the screen -- you guessed it -- the DIVAS devise the motion for that, too.
Once all that is done, then comes the testing phase to ensure that this stuff will actually work on the screen. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days, depending on the complexity of the project. And finally, once the new graphics are tested comes the final step: writing the code that allows the control room to display the new element on the air.
Now multiply the above scenario by the needs of a 24/7 news network, and it's quite plain that our DIVAS scarcely have a moment's rest. Yet the DIVAS always deliver, complete with sunny outlooks (and stunning outfits) that leave no question they have it all under control. After all, there is a reason we call them DIVAS.
