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Opening Ceremony Details


anno

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I really don't think we're gonna get one of those this time. I just think the ceremonies group seems so uber tight, I doubt there will be anyone prepared to leak any information to the media or to us.

We may get a few more detailed thematic concepts over the next month or so, as rehersals continue, but I can't see a detailed report much like we got prior to the athens 2004 ceremonies.

Im sure by this time in 2004, DP had come out and mentioned alot about using art, and the opening being apollonic in nature etc etc.

But the only thing we know about Beijing, is that the opening will try to condence China's history in 50 minutes, and that there will be the inclusion of those photos of the children.

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This was also in Lake Placid's Official Report:

"The "perspective" philosophy was applied to the ceremonies by the late (LPOOC) President Ronald MacKenzie, who set the tone that ceremonies should be embellished only to the point of honoring the athletes and the Olympic Games, but not to engage in attempting to outdo other ceremonies or set records (for, as an example, the greatest number of balloons released)."

Huh? :blink: Why didn't anybody tell me this earlier?

I now feel duped my whole life!!

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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Well, for one thing, if Beijing goes with a lots of fireworks like Athens did, those top tier seats will really get screwed over: http://www.photofans.cn/album/showpic.php?...mp;picid=379424

And that Athens-esque whole in the middle will (most likely) produce this: http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5381/20...12288749lw9.jpg

And then there's also that rather large rectangular stage spotted right before the Bird's Nest held its first test event. (Sorry, can't find any good pics of this).

That's really all the details that I can think of at the momment.

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Hey,

I read that Celine Dion and Jay Chou will be singing in the Opening Ceremony..... though i read this on Wikipedia, so I dunno if the validity of the information can be relied upon. Also, another point that everyone has seen, is the wires that run laterally over the cauldron, across the stage area in the field, so from that, we can expect to see more flying characters..... maybe a little 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' esque kungfu display.....

As for the Athens-esque hole, I still think that the only thing coming from that is a stage/platform. Though it still might be a pedistal for the cauldron. Condensing China's great and long history into 50minutes will certainly be a hard task to do.

One might guess we could see:


a visit from the past emperors/dynasties


Mulan


the 12 Zodiac animals


Giant Calligraphy display


Peking Opera

Though I would definately like to see the 12 Girls band perform again..... and while I like Jackie Chan alot, I feel that he has been splashed around alot recently in tie-ins for the coming games..... one thing for sure, with Zhang Yimou co-directing the ceremony, alot of colour will be present.... does anyone think a Chairman Mao piece will be in the ceremony??? :lol:

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I think due to the negative reception to the Torch outside China, the massive scale of the earthquake destructions, Zhang Yimou and crew have had to scramble to revise their plans. I believe it will be a more muted Ceremony; but will still be elegant -- though no longer as mindlessly spectacular and giddy as I would've wanted it to be. Those ephemeral things like human rights and destructive earthquakes can sure be such killjoys and party-poops!! :(

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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Well, for one thing, if Beijing goes with a lots of fireworks like Athens did, those top tier seats will really get screwed over: http://www.photofans.cn/album/showpic.php?...mp;picid=379424

They will get screwed over. In a press release about a year ago, they said fireworks would be one of the three main components of the ceremonies.

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Yeah, it looks they will get screwed then. Though, I'm wouldn't rule out the possibility of having fireworks encircle the athletes or something, Torino style. But, let's just hope the god-forsaken cauldron won't be lighted that way.

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Yeah, it looks they will get screwed then. Though, I'm wouldn't rule out the possibility of having fireworks encircle the athletes or something, Torino style. But, let's just hope the god-forsaken cauldron won't be lighted that way.

China loves to do everything "big".....don't count on a small-scale fireworks display, especially from the nation that invented fireworks.

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Of course.

I meant, in addition to the impressive fireworks displays that will surround the stadium, they may want to something on ground level at the same time, allowing that top tier to see something (however small and restricted it may be).

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Hey! It's no good!

Panda embracing the Dalai Lama? Tibet will be outraged!

Hu Jintao will light the cauldron? Huh? He's never an athlete? Why did the call him Premier? Wen Jianbao is the real Premier!

And because of the quake, there might be a minute of silence by the President of either BOCOG or the IOC. The organizers might also cancel the entire ceremony and only the required parts will take place. (This happened to the Athens 2004 Paralympics Closing Ceremony, however some artistic elements took place as normal anyway, such as the Beijing presentation, the display of the IPC's new logo and paper boats during the extinguishing of the flame, there's also a minute of silence for the victims of a bus bombing.)

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Verbruggen said the Games Opening Ceremony would also be a unique event. “If they (viewers) know how the Opening Ceremony will be, (the TV audience) would be five billion. You all have to watch. It will be something”.

I think there will be no cancellations. It's 3 months after the earthquake. Maybe a minute silence is an idea. But the ceremony will be as planned. And as you can read, August 8 20 PM Beijing time.. reserve it for watching tv.

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Verbruggen said the Games Opening Ceremony would also be a unique event. “If they (viewers) know how the Opening Ceremony will be, (the TV audience) would be five billion. You all have to watch. It will be something”.

I think there will be no cancellations. It's 3 months after the earthquake. Maybe a minute silence is an idea. But the ceremony will be as planned. And as you can read, August 8 20 PM Beijing time.. reserve it for watching tv.

Looking forward to that, Torchbearer AA! Well the hompage of Solar Sports' (Philippines' Olympic broadcaster) website said that their coverage will start a 8:00pm Manila time. That's in a hurry!

Time Difference

GMT-Manila: +8 hrs.

Manila-Beijing: Same time (oh no!)

In Sydney the coverage by People's Television (Channel 4) started at 2:00pm (time diferrence: +3 hrs.), 2 hours before the start.

And in Athens NBN (which succeded People's Television on July 16, 2001) started their coverage at 1:30am (15 minutes before the start, time difference is -5 hrs.)

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Looking forward to that, Torchbearer AA! Well the hompage of Solar Sports' (Philippines' Olympic broadcaster) website said that their coverage will start a 8:00pm Manila time. That's in a hurry!

Time Difference

GMT-Manila: +8 hrs.

Manila-Beijing: Same time (oh no!)

In Sydney the coverage by People's Television (Channel 4) started at 2:00pm (time diferrence: +3 hrs.), 2 hours before the start.

And in Athens NBN (which succeded People's Television on July 16, 2001) started their coverage at 1:30am (15 minutes before the start, time difference is -5 hrs.)

I can not quote all times from all over the world. And if it will not be broadcasted live in a country they can see in in their tv guides. If the broadcasting begins earlier because of some talk they can also see that.

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I just read that our minister-president is allowed to go to the opening ceremony. After the pro-Tibet protests during the international leg of the Torch Relay some parties in the parliament don't wanted the minister-president to go. But now the situation is better so he is allowed to go.

Also another minister is going to the opening ceremony. Further our crown prince is attending it probably (but the is alo IOC member). And I hope, like in Torino 2006, he is taking his wife (Princess Maxima) with him during the opening and the rest of the Games. And I hope they will visit some events I also visit:D

Further the bishop of Hong Kong is invited to attend the opening ceremony and he accepted the invitation.

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I just read that our minister-president is allowed to go to the opening ceremony. After the pro-Tibet protests during the international leg of the Torch Relay some parties in the parliament don't wanted the minister-president to go. But now the situation is better so he is allowed to go.

Also another minister is going to the opening ceremony. Further our crown prince is attending it probably (but the is alo IOC member). And I hope, like in Torino 2006, he is taking his wife (Princess Maxima) with him during the opening and the rest of the Games. And I hope they will visit some events I also visit:D

Further the bishop of Hong Kong is invited to attend the opening ceremony and he accepted the invitation.

But who is boycotting the OC because of Tibet? Sarkozy? Merkel? Some athletes? There was a lot of news about boycotting the OC a few weeks ago, but now it is quiet about it!

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But who is boycotting the OC because of Tibet? Sarkozy? Merkel? Some athletes? There was a lot of news about boycotting the OC a few weeks ago, but now it is quiet about it!

Because it's silent in Tibet. Merkel and Brown are not boycotting the ceremony, they never planned to go.

And Sarkozy is still going, I heard only he was thinking about not going. So I think he goes.

But that's politics, a time they can only talk about a subject.. a few weeks later they say nothing anymore about it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Apparently this is old news, but I don't think it's been posted here on GB.

Liu Xiang: No Time to Light Olympic Cauldron: http://www.radio86.co.uk/beijing-2008/olym...lympic-cauldron

I guess this can explain why he was the first and only torchbearer when the Olympic flame visited Beijing before starting its international relay. However, despite what they say, he’s still mentioned as a, if not the favorite.

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Apparently this is old news, but I don't think it's been posted here on GB.

Liu Xiang: No Time to Light Olympic Cauldron: http://www.radio86.co.uk/beijing-2008/olym...lympic-cauldron

I guess this can explain why he was the first and only torchbearer when the Olympic flame visited Beijing before starting its international relay. However, despite what they say, he’s still mentioned as a, if not the favorite.

well, I am not surprised. I'd say Yao Ming is still the #1 name. He is instantly reocgnizable -- like David Beckham or Tiger Woods or Roger Federer. Liu Xiang is only known to those who follow T&F.

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President Bush and president Darkozy are going to attend the OC.

I think before the OC there's a part only for the spectators in the stadium, from 18:00 to 19:30. The last half hour is the final countdown to the Games. The actual OC will begin at 20:00 and will end at 23:30. That's only 3,5 hours. In Athens the OC was 3 hours and 20 minutes. In Sydney it was 4 hours and 10 minutes.

I think 3 hours and an half hour is something short for the Beijing OC. The athletes parade will last 1 hours and 50 minutes or something. So there is only 1 hour and 40 minutes for the rest of the OC. I think some 40 minutes after the athletes parade (speeches, songs, oaths, opening, olympic flag and anthem, flame etc) and 1 hour for the creative part. The creative part in Sydney was 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Is this right according to you?

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