Opening Ceremony

[Rob. 2049]

Because of savings made in the build-phase of the project (about £900m below budget), a lot more money has been made available for other parts of the Olympics. Sadly a lot of this money is going towards increased security, but we also learn this today:

London 2012 Olympics: budget for ceremonies doubled to over £80m

The Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson revealed that the Government will contribute an extra £41m to stage the Games ceremonies, taking the total ceremony costs to over £80m.

He said a meeting of the Prime Minister, the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and himself had decided that they needed to maximise and promote London to the four billion television viewers after being presented with a range of ceremonial components.

"This is a great national moment and it is about seizing this great ceremonial and economic moment to benefit the economy and the public and tourism in the long run," Robertson said.

Link

[Lee 127]

I am smiling from ear to ear.

[adrianme17 127]

Because of savings made in the build-phase of the project (about £900m below budget), a lot more money has been made available for other parts of the Olympics. Sadly a lot of this money is going towards increased security, but we also learn this today:

London 2012 Olympics: budget for ceremonies doubled to over £80m

The Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson revealed that the Government will contribute an extra £41m to stage the Games ceremonies, taking the total ceremony costs to over £80m.

He said a meeting of the Prime Minister, the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and himself had decided that they needed to maximise and promote London to the four billion television viewers after being presented with a range of ceremonial components.

"This is a great national moment and it is about seizing this great ceremonial and economic moment to benefit the economy and the public and tourism in the long run," Robertson said.

Link

i think this makes total sense - it is a lot of money and times are tough - but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for UK plc to advertise itself to the world! for the 1st time i have to congratulate this government!

[Lee 127]

This now puts the London budget close to the budget of Beijing. It is now 3 times the budget of Vancouver.

[daveypodmore 520]

amazing news!!!!!!!!!

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

What exactly is "...to over..." GBP80 mil?

But per London's bid papers, Ceremonies, Imagery & Cultural items were all lumped with a GBP92 mil budget. So does the latest development mean only GBP41 or so was actually allocated for Ceremonies?

I bet quite a bit of the new funds will go to an elaborate Lighting scheme--since that will really be difficult with a lightweight roof that cannot do a Beijing.

I really imagine if Sochi will stay below that $128,400,000 figure now?

Edited December 5, 2011 by baron-pierreIV

[Rob. 2049]

This now puts the London budget close to the budget of Beijing. It is now 3 times the budget of Vancouver.

Not really no, this is for all four ceremonies.

So does the latest development mean only GBP41 or so was actually allocated for Ceremonies?

Yes, until today the ceremonies budget was £40m.

Here's a more detailed article:

http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/london-2012/0515942-london-2012-cameron-orders-budget-games-ceremonies-and-security-be-doubled

Main points are that Cameron approved the doubling of the ceremonies budget after seeing the plans, and that this is still much cheaper than Beijing who spent £65m on the opening alone (the £80m is for all four ceremonies in London, by comparison)!!

Edited December 5, 2011 by RobH

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

Good!! They should now buy 500 more copies of a FAMOUS BOOK (see below) to guide them through their paces!

[Lee 127]

Not really no, this is for all four ceremonies.

Yes, but I expect London will spend the greatest proportion, like Beijing, on the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Does anyone know how much Beijing spent in total across all ceremonies? That information seems harder to find.

[daveypodmore 520]

I keep reading David Cameron doubled the budget after seeing the original plans. So is it, he was so underwhelmed he realised they needed more money or was he so blown away he wanted to give them exactly what they needed to realise their plans. I guess we will never know.

God I hope its the latter

Edited December 5, 2011 by daveypodmore

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

Yes, but I expect London will spend the greatest proportion, like Beijing, on the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Does anyone know how much Beijing spent in total across all ceremonies? That information seems harder to find.

Lee, it should be appearing in the 2012 testament of THE GOOD BOOK!! But anyway, here it is...of the "$150,000,000 Beijing spent for all FOUR AND medal ceremonies, I estimate by what I saw that their regular Opening must've cost $62 million alone. Plus if you add in some $6 mil for professional fees - $24 mil split 4-ways: and the $25 million underground and LED stages used primarily just for the regular Opening, then Beijing's regular opening would've cost around $93 million.

Edited December 5, 2011 by baron-pierreIV

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

I keep reading David Cameron doubled the budget after seeing the original plans. So is it, he was so underwhelmed he realised they needed more money or was he so blown away he wanted to give them exactly what they needed to realise their plans. I guess we will never know.

God I hope its the latter

Oh, I am sure Boyle & crew presented what the original budget allowed for. But then spoken in between the lines were: well, we could really blow everyone away with X lbs more. Heatherwick envisions so-and-so for a knock'em-dead lighting. But the budget will only buy us a bare-bones scheme.

I imagine this is how the exchange must've gone on...

Cameron: How much more to FULLY realize your visions?

Boyle: Maybe another GBP 25 mil?

LOCOG Exchequer: well, we are under budget some GBP900 million. There is room to spare.

PM (to Boyle): Let's double what you have. Will another 41 mil do it?

Boyle, Daldry, etc.: That should do it. Smashing, Prime minister!!

PM: And we want to see visitors to the UK double starting in 2013!

Boyle; The additional 41 million will surely do that!!

Smiley faces all around; case closed!

[daveypodmore 520]

Its just like u were in the room : )

[Brekkie Boy 73]

i think this makes total sense - it is a lot of money and times are tough - but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for UK plc to advertise itself to the world! for the 1st time i have to congratulate this government!

It's so painful isn't it to commend David Cameron for anything, but absolutely the right decision. I've no complaint about a single penny spent on the Olympics - the nation is long overdue a treat and I genuinely believe that in the last few years the promise of London 2012 has been a bit of hope on the horizon for the nation.

And let's face it, the country would still be in the **** and cuts being made left right and centre with or without the Olympics.

[bgdrewsif 28]

I am expecting something impressive from London considering that the UK does ceremonial events like no other country can. This is good news indeed. Lets just hope that it doesn't get spent on more unfolding double decker busses like at the handover in Beijing... that was awful... the best part of the handover was the singing of God Save the Queen.

Good!! They should now buy 500 more copies of a FAMOUS BOOK (see below) to guide them through their paces!

Baron, you must have attended the Donald Trump School of Marketing and Shameless Self-Promotion. j/k

[daveypodmore 520]

Looks like you were right Baron. This is from the Telegraph:

“This money will not be spent on fireworks, it will not be money going up in smoke, and it will be an important investment in the economic future of the country.”

For some time there had been creative tensions between the designers behind the ceremonies and Olympic officials because their grand creative ideas couldn't be contained within the initial modest budget of £40 million.

This led to the officials presenting the more grandiose plans to the Government for serous consideration on the understanding that the Government would contribute the extra costs if they were adopted.

Olympic sources told The Daily Telegraph the Prime Minister had personally insisted on including the elaborate elements of the ceremony that were just options.

They said the extra cash would not be used to pay for the top line talent - many of whom are donating their services - but for production and technical enhancements.

A Downing St source said that Mr Cameron had been actively stepped in to change the plans for the ceremonies but had approved the suggestions when they were presented.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8936486/London-2012-Olympics-David-Cameron-steps-in-to-double-budget-for-opening-and-closing-ceremonies.html

[Athensfan 1081]

Lets just hope that it doesn't get spent on more unfolding double decker busses like at the handover in Beijing... that was awful... the best part of the handover was the singing of God Save the Queen.

I may not agree with you in a certain other thread, but I totally agree with your assessment of the handover. It was horrendous. I have faith that Daldry and Boyle will do well. They're both exceptionally talented.

[kevzz 146]

Underworld to create opening ceremony music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16068946

[Lee 127]

Underworld to create opening ceremony music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16068946

I like that....a lot!

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

OMG!! Unspun (Productions); Underworld; Cold Play; Adele? -- gosh I hope the whole thing isn't undone before it even takes off!

[daveypodmore 520]

YAY for Underworld : )

[Lee 127]

OMG!! Unspun (Productions); Underworld; Cold Play; Adele? -- gosh I hope the whole thing isn't undone before it even takes off!

Coldplay and Adele have not officially been asked to perform though. I am sure they were just rumours.

I have always said that if we are going to have a big named artist in the opening ceremony it just has to be Florence and the Machine. Her voice is so epic and it just soars. She would be perfect.

Imagine this at the opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np9rZM93R8w

Edited December 7, 2011 by Lee

[baron-pierreIV 1700]

Coldplay and Adele have not officially been asked to perform though. I am sure they were just rumours.

I have always said that if we are going to have a big named artist in the opening ceremony it just has to be Florence and the Machine. Her voice is so epic and it just soars. She would be perfect.

Imagine this at the opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np9rZM93R8w

Yes, quite impressive. Trouble is, it's really hard to mix resonant voices like that in an open stadium; I guess that's why pre-recorded works better...so they can balance the repro in the stadium. But it still amazes me how Sissel could sing so crystalline-ly clear in that freezing Lillehammer night!!

[adrianme17 127]

I like that....a lot!

really good news - not surprising considering all the work that they have done with Boyle.

[Lee 127]

Yes, quite impressive. Trouble is, it's really hard to mix resonant voices like that in an open stadium; I guess that's why pre-recorded works better...so they can balance the repro in the stadium. But it still amazes me how Sissel could sing so crystalline-ly clear in that freezing Lillehammer night!!

You are right. I always think back to how awful Leona Lewis sounded in Beijing and her voice is absolutely incredible. It also seems that many big venues struggle with the portrayal of sound to television. I was at the Eurovision Song Contest final and the sound in the stadium was so much better than what came across on tv. They also struggled with the sound during the semi-finals and I couldn't understand how they could get the sound so wrong when everything else had been done so perfectly.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Lee