Citius Altius Fortius Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 (edited) WHAT?? Since I am in my lunch break typing this and not have seen the recording yet, how in the world did that nation do that to itself? yeah - it is true Brunei missed to register their athletes Edited August 8, 2008 by Citius Altius Fortius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 i am so mad CBC, we are missing like 15 minutes of coverage so they can go show sh!tty commercials. Focking a$$holes This is what Canadians get, when the CBC is not run or funded properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 OK, timing questions: Is the 4hrs, 15 mins - live WITHOUT commercials? Or is the est, 4:15 tape-delayed time w/ ALL commercials set it? - In the 4 hrs, 15 mis., does anybody know about what time the US delegation marched in? -What time did Parade of Nations end, and the protocol portion pick up? Appreciate some answers as I won't record the whole thing but will timer-program it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PYRROS2004 Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 It's on TV again. And they will show it once again after midnight. I watch it again and thereis no feeling guys. It's giant, but it's cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 OK, timing questions:Is the 4hrs, 15 mins - live WITHOUT commercials? Or is the est, 4:15 tape-delayed time w/ ALL commercials set it? - In the 4 hrs, 15 mis., does anybody know about what time the US delegation marched in? -What time did Parade of Nations end, and the protocol portion pick up? Appreciate some answers as I won't record the whole thing but will timer-program it. You haven't seen it yet? I thought the ceremonies were your favourite part. Okay - you need to record from about one-and-a-half hours into the ceremony and stop recording about an hour from the end - it was only the beginning and the end that was the parade of nations - the interesting stuff was in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nykfan845 Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I wonder what Rob L thought about the Ceremonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Rob is always maintaining a low profile here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympian Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 No adverts on Eurosport, hehe, and the commentators weren't bad, they didn't speak too much.Very nice ceremonies. I have no more words to say, only some doubts to ask... - Did it really start at 20:08? When I pushed the REC. button on my DVD, when the 2008 drummers started to play, it wasn't even 14:00! - And who said it was going to last about 3 hours and a half??? I had to cut some parts by the end because I could only record 4 hours and 6 minutes!!! So I think the ceremony went on for four hours and a quarter, more or less. However, the ceremony was brilliant, excepting its lenght And Beijing 2008 website has some "titles" for the segments. I don't know if they are the official names but here they are: 1. Welcome 2. Footprints of History 3. Dream Rings 4. The Chinese National Flag Entry 5. Raising the National Flag and Singing the National Anthem 6. Art Performance 7. Painting Scroll 8. Writing 9. Opera 10. Silk Road 11. Music 12. Starlight 13. Nature 14. Dream And then the speeches, the flag, the flame... Now we have 16 days to enjoy sports! Good luck to everyone! was it Simon and Chris doing the commentary job for Eurosport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micheal_warren Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I thought the New Zealand team uniform was amazing and one of our best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingspread Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 A quick question. The Olympic Rings at the start seemed to be made up of tiny bright lights and I thought it was some kind of video projection. How did it then become a physical shape that was lifted off the ground? I thought that was really good too. I think the moving lights were video projections. When they converged in the middle to form the rings, a 'mesh panel' with lights embedded in it lit up to 'replace' the projected rings. Then the panel was lifted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filipe_Golias Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Was to curious to see what people commented along this thread (I couldn't watch the ceremony and be here typing at the same time!): Those rings are floating now ! Whar are they ? Kites ? Lanterns ? the floating rings were simply unexpected.. how did they do that? It was truly unexpected, but a few moments after, I actually figured it out. Later I could see the LED-covered net layed on the ground, just beofer the lights went out for the rings to appear on screen (and simultaneosly light up on the net). Wow when the Chinese Taipei team marched into the sadium the whole sadium cheers for them! So did when the Hong Kong team marched in! And you can see the leaders of Taiwan's ruling party are jumping and waving to their athletes. It's really a GREAT moment for us! Macau would also have a great reception... if they're NOC was recognized by the IOC. I wonder if these girls in the white outfit on the side of the track will dance the whole time until the last athlete has entered the stadium...Poor girls! I think there should be a medal for the poor happy clappy chinese girls lining the route lol The Chinese dancing girls look like they are about to drop dead at any minute The Chinese government probably told them they would drop dead if they stopped dancing. Oh, how I laughed with those girls I Love the idea with the footprints on paper by the athletes - wonderful idea!! I liked it too. Imagine how much that painting is worth... with footprints of almost 11,000 sportspeople from all over the world, many of them belonging to major sport stars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 OK, timing questions:Is the 4hrs, 15 mins - live WITHOUT commercials? Or is the est, 4:15 tape-delayed time w/ ALL commercials set it? - In the 4 hrs, 15 mis., does anybody know about what time the US delegation marched in? -What time did Parade of Nations end, and the protocol portion pick up? Appreciate some answers as I won't record the whole thing but will timer-program it. I am going to see how NBC deals with broadcasting it in a few hours from now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Guys, is it really just me or those announcers go ahead of themselves, starting with the Japanese team? You see, I thought that, after they announced the Japanese team, the three people already announced the arrival of the Chinese Taipei team, despite that they didn't enter the stadium yet. Eventually, they "corrected" themselves and got back on track again later in the parade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Iredale Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 (edited) Wow, what to say? Where to start.... Stu, I think referring to the child as an earthquake "victim" is not the most accurate choice of words... It appears that one of our Greek friends has a chip on his shoulder... it seemed the ceremony was terrible before it even began! Well I can say I was certainly impressed with the Opening. It was well designed, well put together and worked excellently. The athletes parade has always (in recent history, of course) been a long one, this nothing new and with 204 nations (the Brunei officials are a disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves) taking part in the parade, a long parade can only be expected - it's too much to blame the organisers for the length... at least once the athletes were all in the centre, they weren't waiting around for too long. These Games in Beijing are set to be the most lavish in history... the hosts care most about a spectacular Games at any cost, with money seemingly no object. They have achieved a huge amount in their preparation for these Games (they have even, in a huge number of ways, achieved so much in terms of environmental protection and innovation - sadly there are a lot of issues in planning and mindset that have countered their efforts, leaving the world seeing the smog all around the place). The smog would have been much worse had it not been for the Games and the innovation sought for the Games, controversies over issues such as Tibet etc have lifted the lid on China... had it not been for the Olympic spotlight, I doubt many people around the world would be aware of such issues had China not been hosting the Games. For these reasons I do not agree with the arguments that China should not be hosting the Games. The Olympic Movement is changing.. money is being thrown at the Beijing like nobodies business, and as Vancouver and London talk about or worry about the cost, Beijing gives us a huge party at whatever the price - it's the quality that counts only. And so too I expect with the ceremonies, budgets will become more limited, but this should not limit innovation and creativity. London and Vancouver have a hard act to follow, it's true, but they will do so in their own way, reinventing and reinterpreting the ceremonies to create their own spectacles. It's this grand, lavish reputation that Beijing has earned itself that has created so much expectation for these ceremonies, pleasing everyone is not always possible. I thought the staging was fantastic, the use of technology and so much under the stage was so effective and worked well... the props were fantastic - although I still have no idea how they got them on and off stage SO quickly (the drums at the start, for example). The costumes were beautifully designed and much effort was put into making the Athletes Parade entertaining. The effects (floor & roof rim projections) were perfect, as were the 20,000 fireworks (apparently requiring 600 staff alone). Numbers would also have something to do with the huge budget - they were rehearsing for much longer than Athens (a year compared to around 6/7 months) with many more performers (15,000 compared to 6,000 in Athens) and I assume many more support staff. The only thing I did not like was one part of the artistic segment where a guy was pretending to paint the paper with a brush, which seemed so fake and tacky, whilst at the same time there was some horrid singing in the background that sounded like a cat was being skinned alive. Some team's clothing were more memorable than others, but they were all smart and, of course, fit for purpose. I loved Irena Szewinska (Polish IOC Member) wearing the same clothing as her team... it would be good to see more IOC Members doing so (maybe HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco did?). All in all it was an absolute pleasure to watch, a technologically, aesthetically, musically brilliant, innovative piece of stadium theatre. Well done Beijing! Edited August 9, 2008 by Colonel Iredale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 It appears that one of our Greek friends has a chip on his shoulder... it seemed the ceremony was terrible before it even began! LOL! Yes, those grapes down in Thessaloniki sure got sour very quickly. Well done Beijing! Hard to disagree. Indeed, Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pui from HK Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 On the official website of Beijing 2008 you can watch and download the theme song of the game, which was first performed on the opening ceremony yesterday. According to local Chinese media, it is the "slowest" Olympic theme song ever, yet the message is clear: we have no difference from you, we are family. It is one important message the song writer wants to express that all kinds of "prototypes", "misunderstanding" and "myths" project to people from other countries/ culture/ religion/ ideology backgrounds should be breakthrough. I love this song, and love the MV too. http://en.beijing2008.cn/video/promotional/youandme/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xu Wen-Ting Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 i have just found something deeper in this song. Warm, love, moving... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 (edited) OK, I saw it last (being on the US West Coast), so I will have the LAST WORD of course. As always. You pretty much said it all, Andrew (Col. Iredale). They were magnificent. If Mr. Yimao and his team did NOTHING else in their lives, I think this should earn them a pass to heaven. Absolutely BREATH-TAKING... and I have watched the Olympics (and their Ceremonies) for some 40 years now -- so I know what I am talking about. It's really sad that some people are so xenophobic not to see great art and achievement from other cultures. Of course to him, only those sculptures of naked bodies would pass. Well, his loss. Edited August 9, 2008 by baron-pierreIV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athan Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 was it Simon and Chris doing the commentary job for Eurosport? I don't know. I was watching the ceremony with Spanish comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huaiwei Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony, although like many ethnic Chinese, expectations may be higher than they ought to be. Anyway, I saw this article in my local paper, which says: "Most Asian media reports were fulsome in their praise for the opening extravaganza at the 'Bird's Nest' stadium, but a number of reviews in the Western press carried cynical undertones even as they credited Beijing for a job well done." The Straits Times Seems to reflect the comments made by some members here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydaus Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I'm more of a lurker, which explains my low post count, but...I really liked Beijing's Opening Ceremony. I gasped when the lights went off and all you could see were the red drum sticks beating. My favourite segment would have to be the two after the Tang Dynasty (I think) segment. You know, that bit that started off with the pianist and the little girl playing piano. I think it was about harmony, music, nature and art. Well, that's my POV, anyway. I like how the performers were making waves on the scroll, and how they spilled out of the scroll as white lights to turn into a dove flying over scenery. When the dove reached the Bird's Nest the green men formed the Bird's Nest with a child flying a kite over it. I gasped when the green men were walking away from the centre glowing white. That was so simple yet so beautiful. The segment after this one was beautiful, too. It was the Tai Chi one, and I loved the tai chi with the special effects showing nature. The music fit really well. The tai chi movements looked very graceful. The waterfall effect was great. I could imagine how nice it would be to sitting in the stadium! The part I didn't like about the OC was the annoying loop of music for the Parade of Nations (though, unlike others, I actually enjoyed watching each different country come out). The puppet segment wasn't that interesting, either. I thought there was a clear common link with all elements of the OC: the scroll. How Li Ning (I think that's his name) flew into the sky with the Olympic flame to light the scroll cauldron was a nice touch. Seeing the flame in the cauldron now is pretty cool because, to me, it seems to symbolise history being written on the scroll at this very moment. So, that's my take on the OC. I admit, at first, I didn't like the OC as much, but I think that was because the Australian commentators were bad. After watching the OC online with French commentators (which is a language I don't speak) I let the ceremony speak for itself. It was much better that way. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Here's something, compliments of the Orlando Sentinel. Link: Orlando Sentinel: Olympic opening song uses Chinese girl's voice, but says her face was 'not suitable' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
code1390 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 This little girl looks to be lip syncing?? Nice call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts