On the rare occasions I watch the weather forecast, the forecaster is always centered on the screen, blocking my view of the map. I don't want to watch some ugly person standing in front of a camera; I want to see the map. As long as stations insist on hiring vain, egotistic personalities, why not employ a simple digital effect to make them partially transparent?

This would allow viewers to see the entire map, and be able to watch the media talent's inane gesturing at the same time.
-- Aq_Bi, Jan 22 2005

They are having none of it. http://is1.websearc...%2Fmain579868.shtml
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 27 2005]

iWeatherman http://www.maiga.net/_wag/Map.jpg
Apple's 'gel button' effect meets the weather report. [wagster, Jan 27 2005]

Just make him wear chroma-key colour clothing. Saw a local met do this on a Halloween forecast once, he was a disembodied head and floating hands.
-- waugsqueke, Jan 22 2005


Nice idea - for the rest of the year, how about a shirt with a big chroma-key square on the front?
-- hippo, Jan 22 2005


I think the idea of having a meteorologist stand in front of the map is not necessary for the old reason anymore but is important for new reasons. The old reason was to teach people local geography. It would have been previously ineffective to just show a map, because many viewers wouldn't be able to read it for themselves. The new reason is to actually teach peopl meteorology. Our understanding of weather conditions have broadened, and atleast my local meteorologist goes into some detail about the whats, whys, and whens of the weather; formerly just the whats and whens.
-- cuckoointherye, Jan 22 2005


Yeah, cuckoo, I agree. My dad swears by his local weatherman. I guess the waetherman does it for a lot of people. I personally think watching one is stupid, but for a good precentage of the news watching population I don't think this is the case. [+] For creativity though.
-- Blumster, Jan 22 2005


I watch weatherwoman and I don't want her to be invisible at all.
-- zeno, Jan 27 2005


Dress her in a chroma-key blouse to show a high pressure front.
-- FarmerJohn, Jan 27 2005


I want a weatherman who is not only semi-transparent, but also has been digitally treated with that 'gel' effect that Apple are so fond of.
-- wagster, Jan 27 2005


Chromakey suit, exposing the face, the hands, and 1 or 2 of their favorite body parts (since most are doing this for carreer advancement based on how they look).
-- sophocles, Jan 27 2005


Clever idea. One of those where the title was all that was needed.
-- ldischler, Jan 27 2005


Umm... "King of the hill" (animation series for older people)

Did this already.

[mfd] (prior art)
-- my-nep, Jan 27 2005


If the map was projected, it could be done in a low-tech way, and in fact could probably have been done for as long as there have been TV broadcasts.
-- nineteenthly, Jan 27 2005


I've never understood why all those charts and maps are necessary, anyway. No one used that stuff when they're giving weather reports on the radio and I think we all understand what's going on just fine. But if you like looking at the weather lady, that's a different story, I guess.
-- Machiavelli, Jan 27 2005


Michael Fish is feeling a little diaphenous (link).
-- wagster, Jan 27 2005


That's cool, [wags], he looks like a ghost. The haunted weather report.
-- Machiavelli, Jan 27 2005


Thanks [Mach]. That's my first illustration.
-- wagster, Jan 27 2005



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