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'''{{PAGENAME}}''' was the uncredited [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] technician who discovered the "[[howl-round]] effect" used, to one degree or another, in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[title sequence]]s until [[1979]]. He claimed to have had spare time in his work days at [[Lime Grove Studios]] in the early [[1960s]] to "experiment with a camera looking at a monitor displaying its own picture". Though it was well known before Taylor's experiment that pointing a camera at a monitor of that camera would result in some kind of feedback, Taylor's innovation was in precisely lighting the monitor so that the light reflecting off the monitor appeared to turn into a swirling cloud pattern, when echoed back through the camera.
'''{{PAGENAME}}''' ([[21 February (people)|21 February]] [[1928 (people)|1928]]-[[13 January (people)|13 January]] [[2011 (people)|2011]]<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/norman-taylor-creator-of-the-howl-around-visual-in-the-original-dr-who-title-sequence-2237431.html The Independent]</ref>) was the [[BBC]] technician who discovered the "[[howl-round]] effect" used, to one degree or another, in the original ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[title sequence]].


He had a relatively difficult time in "selling" the utility of his discovery within the BBC hierarchy, until it was picked up as possible way to start ''Doctor Who''. There was a clear paper trail on his discovery, as he formally submitted it in writing to his superior, [[Ben Palmer]], who further refined the process,then and later. He was paid £25 for it after it was used in ''Doctor Who''. In later life, he claimed to have been "somewhat miffed that [[Bernard Lodge]] got the credit" for the title sequence "when all he did was to produce one white on black caption".
== Career ==
== External links ==
He claimed to have had spare time in his work days at [[Lime Grove Studios]] in the early 1960s to "experiment with a camera looking at a monitor displaying its own picture". It was well known before Taylor's experiment that pointing a camera at a monitor of that camera would result in some kind of feedback. Taylor's innovation was in precisely lighting the monitor so the light reflecting off the monitor appeared to turn into a swirling cloud pattern, when echoed back through the camera. He had a relatively difficult time in "selling" the utility of his discovery within the BBC hierarchy, until it was picked up as possible way to start ''Doctor Who''. He was paid £25 for it after it was used in ''Doctor Who''. In later life, he claimed to have been "somewhat miffed that [[Bernard Lodge]] got the credit" for the title sequence "when all he did was to produce one white on black caption".<ref>[http://tech-ops.co.uk/next/2010/11/norman-taylors-story-of-dr-who/ Tech-Ops]</ref>
* [http://tech-ops.co.uk/next/2010/11/norman-taylors-story-of-dr-who/ Norman Taylor's story of Dr Who]
 
== Footnotes ==
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[[Category:Doctor Who title sequence creators]]
[[Category:Doctor Who title sequence creators]]

Latest revision as of 02:43, 23 March 2024

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Norman Taylor (21 February 1928-13 January 2011[1]) was the BBC technician who discovered the "howl-round effect" used, to one degree or another, in the original Doctor Who title sequence.

Career[[edit] | [edit source]]

He claimed to have had spare time in his work days at Lime Grove Studios in the early 1960s to "experiment with a camera looking at a monitor displaying its own picture". It was well known before Taylor's experiment that pointing a camera at a monitor of that camera would result in some kind of feedback. Taylor's innovation was in precisely lighting the monitor so the light reflecting off the monitor appeared to turn into a swirling cloud pattern, when echoed back through the camera. He had a relatively difficult time in "selling" the utility of his discovery within the BBC hierarchy, until it was picked up as possible way to start Doctor Who. He was paid £25 for it after it was used in Doctor Who. In later life, he claimed to have been "somewhat miffed that Bernard Lodge got the credit" for the title sequence "when all he did was to produce one white on black caption".[2]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]