Virtual Tench makes historyBy Erin McWhirter
August 14, 2006 12:00am
A PIECE of TV history is being made with the creation of animated talk show host David Tench.
Network Ten's David Tench Tonight is the brainchild of Enough Rope presenter Andrew Denton and his production company, Zapruder's Other Films.
While motion capture and digital enhancement technologies have been used by the film industry for nearly a decade, this program is a first for television.
In David Tench Tonight, a virtual cartoon host interviews real people in real time.
Like other talk show hosts, viewers will watch Tench perched behind a desk, interviewing his guests live in a studio.
"That's the world-first about it, guests see him in real time," producer Todd Abbott said.
"It's never been tried before and I imagine it will grab the attention of people around the world.
"Tench is something that is pioneering the way for the future."
Denton's company has partnered with Sydney-based digital production company, Animal Logic, on the project.
The technology used to produce Tench is the same adopted to create creepy Lord of The Rings character, Gollum.
The real personality behind Tench - who will never be revealed - will wear a sensor-suit marking their basic movements, which will make the animated character come across as lifelike as possible.
Abbott said the concept of the program might be hard to grasp.
"It wasn't until I saw the early character work that the penny dropped," he said.
"It's a concept that doesn't bear trying to be explained, it only works if you see it. It sounds far more confusing than what it is."
Denton's love for cartoons sparked Tench's creation and, over 10 months, his company explored the concept for a television program, and developed a detailed back story for Tench's character.
Tench's biography says the Australian-born star recently returned to Australia after a decade in the United States, where he hosted breakfast show Surprise! Good Morning! for eight years.
He has two children, a passion for poetry, and Nine's chief executive Eddie McGuire used to be his copy-kid.
Abbott said Tench's looks were modelled on famous television talk show hosts such as David Letterman, Jay Leno and Bert Newton, as well as radio men Alan Jones and John Laws.
"It was about picking and choosing the features of those talk show hosts we liked and combining it to create David," Abbott said.
So far, he said all guests - starting with tennis champion Patrick Rafter and Killing Heidi band member Ella Hooper - have warmed to the experience.
"The idea of interaction with people who are slightly cartoonistic opens guests up so much more," Abbott said.
"It allows the guest to relax and have fun. He (Tench) is able to be far more honest and so much more real in his questions than a lot of other reporters are able to be. He's also a lot cheekier."
* David Tench Tonight premieres August 17 at 8.30pm (AEST) on Network Ten.
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,20119790-10388,00.html# 
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