Beijing 2022 Ceremonies

[Ikarus360]

10 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

I think this is from another rehearsal held last night …

 

That means we might get a small snippet of the rehearslas in a few. OBS usually share them when we're one week left to the opening.

[Ikarus360]

Its going to be a party of anti-West leaders alright. And far more heads of states than Tokyo's

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165184/beijing-2022-winter-olympics-more-30-heads-state-join-chinas

[AustralianFan]

It seems kpop group IVEstarship from South Korea may perform at the Opening Ceremony (?)

 

[AustralianFan]

Another in a steady stream of Opening Ceremony rehearsal images in the last few days taken from outside the stadium.

[Bear]

40 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

It seems kpop group IVEstarship from South Korea may perform at the Opening Ceremony (?)

 

I translated the linked article; it looks like their performance was for an athlete farewell party in Seoul

[AustralianFan]

3 minutes ago, Bear said:

I translated the linked article; it looks like their performance was for an athlete farewell party in Seoul

Thanks for that Bear, appreciate it 

[AustralianFan]

 

Opening Ceremony

• pre-show
• ground screen

It seems very likely the rehearsal images of performers we saw over the last week from inside the stadium were from the pre-show.

This report from Global Times explains this and also the groun screen in the stadium:

Focus on ordinary people as opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Winter Games to start with plaza dancing - 23Jan2022

 

Plaza Dancing

“The opening ceremony will be held on February 4. Before its performance section, there will be a 30-minute pre-show, during which plaza dancing will be put on display.”

• “Plaza Dancing mass group of guangchang wu dancers lit up the atmosphere with their performance.”
• “Guangchang wu, often translated into the square dancing or plaza dancing, is a mass exercise routine set to music and is a much-loved pastime of many elderly Chinese who are looking to stay in shape in their golden years.”

Interactive Ground Screen

“The opening ceremony will be held at the National Stadium and will make use of high technology. Zhang (Director) noted as an example that performers will be able to interact with a ground screen that captures their movements in real time.”

"We talked about using this technology for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but couldn't achieve it at that time. Now, however, we can do it," Zhang added.”

[munichfan]

Goddammit, what's with the screenshots and the font size and the always spamming everything into multiple threads? Just write like any normal person, could you?

Anyway, I remember they had a tracking ground screen for the Eurovision stage in Copenhagen (though it wasn't really used by anyone back then). I just hope they use it wisely. Their handover in PyeongChang should be a lesson on how not to do it.

[Scotguy II]

12 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

Another in a steady stream of Opening Ceremony rehearsal images in the last few days taken from outside the stadium.

Stunning

[Ikarus360]

Seems that, rather than floor projections, the floor is an actual large screen. Think of Doha 2006 but with technology as it is now they can probably incorporate much more stuff than in the past. I'm intrigued about the interactive part.

I recall two ceremonies doing this. Almaty-Astana Winter Universiade in 2011 and Taipei 2017 Universiade. Both had ground screens. In the following vid you can see an example of it. Guess its also being done to allow more crisp/defined effects on the floor.

Beijing 2008 kind of did it with the large scroll, but since technology wasn't as it is today, the effects kind of aged badly now.

 

4 hours ago, munichfan said:

Their handover in PyeongChang should be a lesson on how not to do it.

Except those were floor projections rather than an interactive floor screen, so the performers tried to mimic what was already done in the screen projections as much as they could.

[munichfan]

Guess, there won't be an ice surface after all. Some folks on here will be downward disappointed.

 

[LA1984]

7 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

 

Opening Ceremony

• pre-show
• ground screen

It seems very likely the rehearsal images of performers we saw over the last week from inside the stadium were from the pre-show.

This report from Global Times explains this and also the groun screen in the stadium:

Focus on ordinary people as opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Winter Games to start with plaza dancing - 23Jan2022

 

Plaza Dancing

“The opening ceremony will be held on February 4. Before its performance section, there will be a 30-minute pre-show, during which plaza dancing will be put on display.”

• “Plaza Dancing mass group of guangchang wu dancers lit up the atmosphere with their performance.”
• “Guangchang wu, often translated into the square dancing or plaza dancing, is a mass exercise routine set to music and is a much-loved pastime of many elderly Chinese who are looking to stay in shape in their golden years.”

Interactive Ground Screen

“The opening ceremony will be held at the National Stadium and will make use of high technology. Zhang (Director) noted as an example that performers will be able to interact with a ground screen that captures their movements in real time.”

"We talked about using this technology for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but couldn't achieve it at that time. Now, however, we can do it," Zhang added.”

Interesting! I’m surprised that it’s not black if it is a screen, but maybe it’s just not something I’ve seen before .

[baron-pierreIV]

20 hours ago, munichfan said:

Has there been any precedent of a NOC participating but boycotting the ceremonies?

Not quite the Olympics but at Kaoshing 2009 at the World Games meet there (WG operates under the IOC aegis), Big Bad Red China did this to Taiwan.  Of course, the Taiwanese couldn't have cared less anyway.  Saved them from having to cheer hypocritically for their aggressive relatives from the mainland.  

[baron-pierreIV]

20 hours ago, Ikarus360 said:

Its going to be a party of anti-West leaders alright. And far more heads of states than Tokyo's

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165184/beijing-2022-winter-olympics-more-30-heads-state-join-chinas

I hope all of them come down with a NEW STRAIN of the Virus!!  

[Anthony]

i'm pretty sure they used a screen in 2008.

[munichfan]

20 minutes ago, Anthony said:

i'm pretty sure they used a screen in 2008.

They did for the scroll at the centre of the stadium. However, it was just a regular screen. What's new this time round is the technology that tracks people's movements on the floor.

So think of something like Rio's "Birth of Life" sequence (as can be seen here: https://youtu.be/N_qXm9HY9Ro?t=1784 ). First of all the screen makes so you don't have these weird projection shadows on the performers. And the tracking technology could have been used to actively follow the various groups of performers. That would've allowed them to do more exciting patterns, such as curves, and not having to wonder if they will follow a predescribed path like 100%.

[Anthony]

3 minutes ago, munichfan said:

They did for the scroll at the centre of the stadium. However, it was just a regular screen. What's new this time round is the technology that tracks people's movements on the floor.

So think of something like Rio's "Birth of Life" sequence (as can be seen here: https://youtu.be/N_qXm9HY9Ro?t=1784 ). First of all the screen makes so you don't have these weird projection shadows on the performers. And the tracking technology could have been used to actively follow the various groups of performers. That would've allowed them to do more exciting patterns, such as curves, and not having to wonder if they will follow a predescribed path like 100%.

ahhh gotcha! sounds really interesting!

[munichfan]

10 minutes ago, munichfan said:

And the tracking technology could have been used to actively follow the various groups of performers. That would've allowed them to do more exciting patterns, such as curves, and not having to wonder if they will follow a predescribed path like 100%.

Actually, Beyoncé's Super Bowl half-time show shows pretty well that tracking technology can make an actual difference.

[Anthony]

27 minutes ago, munichfan said:

Actually, Beyoncé's Super Bowl half-time show shows pretty well that tracking technology can make an actual difference.

This is a great example! Thanks for this! The panel that rises up in the half-time show is similar to what we saw in those Google Earth images posted here a few days ago.

[Bear]

Teenagers account for 95% of Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony performers | beijing2022.cn

[AustralianFan]

Following the third rehearsal just held, Zhang Yimou talks about preparations for the Opening Ceremony.

Source: Director Zhang hopes to present wonderful Olympic opening ceremony - 29Jan2022 - Xinhua

Here are the key points Zhang made:

• “Unlike the 2008 Summer Games, the National Stadium will not host competitions but only opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This allows us to have multiple rehearsals, improving the team chemistry and presenting a more complete show," said Zhang, who also directed the 2008 ceremonies.”
• "I look forward to a complete and successful opening ceremony on February 4. I wish for good weather on that day, and that everything goes well," he continued.
• “Zhang stated that in the final preparatory stage for the opening ceremony, his primary task is no longer creating a more splendid show but ensuring a better broadcast.”
• "Like making a movie, in many aspects, we need detailed communications covering every little bit with all the broadcasting teams of OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Service)," Zhang said.
• "Given that the opening ceremony is a global show, and I am a professional filmmaker, the OBS team has a lot of trust in me. That was the case in 2008, and OBS said that they cherish the chances to work with a director who understood films so that I fully understand their requests."

[AustralianFan]

11 hours ago, munichfan said:

Goddammit, what's with the screenshots and the font size and the always spamming everything into multiple threads? Just write like any normal person, could you?

I acknowledge your point but that’s the font size the report came in when I reproduced the key points (while acknlowedging the source).  On my ipad a font size reducer is not visible.

My apologies if the size of my font is causing you angst.

[Sir Rols]

9 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

I acknowledge your point but that’s the font size the report came in when I reproduced the key points (while acknlowedging the source).  On my ipad a font size reducer is not visible.

My apologies if the size of my font is causing you angst.

Whenever you past text from another source (and I use iPad too), you will get this message at the bottom of the posting window. Just click on it and it posts it as normal size text

[AustralianFan]

1 minute ago, Sir Rols said:

Whenever you past text from another source (and I use iPad too), you will get this message at the bottom of the posting window. Just click on it and it posts it as normal size text

Thanks for the tip Sir Rols, I appreciate that.

[AustralianFan]

On 1/21/2022 at 5:46 PM, AustralianFan said:

I’ve still got money there being an ice rink on the stadium floor which would look incredible.

 

On 1/21/2022 at 6:21 PM, munichfan said:

You might be in there to be disappointed.

 

On 1/22/2022 at 12:30 AM, AustralianFan said:

I’m sure it will still be a good openig ceremony with or without an ice rink.  Zhang Yimou is one creative and entertaining director.   Either way, I think it will be good.

 

6 hours ago, munichfan said:

Guess, there won't be an ice surface after all. Some folks on here will be downward disappointed.

Oh well, it was fun to speculate. I did love the ice skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Opening though.

Would it too much to ask if at a future Olympic Opening beyond 2022 for an ice rink over a ground screen with performer tracking interactivity and tracking technology?

Doesn’t hurt to ask …