Paris 2024 Ceremonies - Verdict

[Juso]

5 minutes ago, sebastien1214 said:

By the way, it was thought that the absence of fireworks for the opening ceremony was due to ecological convictions, but they still put some for the closing. So, the question I ask myself: were there planned to have fireworks for the opening, but they were cancelled because of the weather? This makes me even more perplexed.

Agreed. Perplexed. No drones either - though I am not convinced l love drone anyway. Re the ecological considerations - i get the need, but they seem to come across a bit token in my mind - as has been said by others - we are going to replace flames with water and lights for a cauldron - but expend carbon flying, securing and relaying a real flame from greece?

We are not going to have fireworks (if that was the reason), but we will do 6km of temporary stands with beautiful look branding rather than the more smaller scale stadium (though that said much of that was cleverly used for many events including trialthlon, cycling etc.

In the future I would rather see a balanced approach -  use carbon offsets and give us a real flame (even just a clever torch cauldron like Bejing 2022) - in the same way a camping singalong next to fake campfire feels flat - i think a fake cauldron does the same (though I think the concept and symbolism of the Paris cauldron was great). I had high homes when they turned off the paris cauldron at sunset that they would have a real one at the stadium.

As many know, I am all for innovation and new ideas but I am a little traditionalist with the ceremonial aspetcs and I feel there have been so many deparatures from tradition and slippery slopes. First was the level flag poles for the host country to match the olympic flag - then the non athletics stadiums for ceremonies - or athletics stadiums with no olympic flag and cauldron for the whole duration of the games.

IMHO, whilst always being symbolic - once these things are marginalised or abstracted to far - the meaning and impact are far less and the whole thing becomes pointless. 

This is the first CC where we have not been able to enjoy a cauldron burning brightly throughout and while the blowing out might have been novel - the production of lighting, staging and music around it was virtually non existent.

[Juso]

16 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Fair enough.

I think athletes parades at the games are boring and tedious now, but I remember how it fired a spark in me first time I saw them as a kid. Similarly, I used to be wowed by fireworks as a 20-year-old who’d get pissed on NYE and go down to Circular Quay to watch them. Now, they’re just same old, same old. I’m more impressed these days by good drone shows or laser shows like at the Eiffel Tower. I don’t watch an Olympics ceremony for the fireworks, or count them as diminished if there are none. I watch for the artistic segments - and am disappointed that those at Paris’s CC were so dull, slow and joyless.

I agree, I am the same about the artistic segments being the most important (along with the ceremonial aspects when done well) - i guess i am commenting about fireworks to try and redeem the rest. Its not just the artistic part missing - i felt the global community spirit aspect of the closing was hard to find and as always on my high horse - I missed the fanfare, perfect transitions between artistic and formalities and wonderful soundtracks - things that Ric Birch, then later David Atkins refined to a fine art - though I accept alot find these things boring....

 

[LatinXTC]

On 7/27/2024 at 1:30 AM, Olympics2028 said:

I'm not a fan of live presentations that cater way too much to TV viewers or favor canned filmed segments. This segment shows costumed participants in Paris's main library interspersed with mannequins on poles. Huh? Where's the kitchen sink?

https://youtu.be/TgzDfVfn6w8?si=_HpvPUJGzpp1c9Qz&t=291

In 2012, the segment with the actor who played James Bond filmed at Buckingham Palace, and that showed a woman (supposedly the Queen) jumping out of a helicopter, was another wacky moment that made those ceremonies seem less "Olympics" and more like a wild, crazy TV sitcom. 

This is why I loathe the London OC. We had some great transitions between segments for Sydney, Athens and Beijing. Then comes along London with these silly extensive videos segments, and since then I always consider what the stadium audience thinks about these OCs

[Juso]

2 minutes ago, LatinXTC said:

This is why I loathe the London OC. We had some great transitions between segments for Sydney, Athens and Beijing. Then comes along London with these silly extensive videos segments, and since then I always consider what the stadium audience thinks about these OCs

I also didn't love the start of the filmed segment cutting to live that Danny Boyle immortalised - but he used it far more sparingly (and I like the real queen being part of it - even if they just got lucky that she wanted to do it). But in all this he and his team also gave us the amazing pandemonium segment with one of the biggest stadium sets in history and one of the best examples of an excellent live theatrical show, with big cast - that also was cinematic and brilliantly choreographed for the TV production - so it was more balanced. 

 

As a related aside:

If Paris's OC was at Stade De France or even at an enlarged Trocadéro Temporary Stadium that was the focal point of the whole OC (event cutting to the River and the locations in the city) - you would have had the opportunity for more focused theatricality and bigger set pieces - eg an Amazing Stadium size barricade - Les Mis segment for the French revoution. 

[illustrado]

I slept over it here's my verdict 

3/10 where the flavour?

It felt more like a funeral than a celebration. I know they hacked the script to get rid of the 'woke' but by god it's the closing. A drag queen or a threesome could have livened this ceremonies. just double down and ask for forgiveness later.

The segment with the golden space bee feel more opening ceremony that a closing. It's temu greece 2004. 

Even the 'fun' segment were felt like a wet towel. 

Overall all terrible time. And what a waste of time to be up at 2am

(My Handover review will be posted on the La2028 thread)

[Bear]

my guess is that all the celebratory segments will be reserved for the paralympic closing ceremony, considering that OCOGs are finally truly recognizing that it's the olympic AND paralympic games. that being said, it doesn't really excuse how dark / solemn the ceremony was.

I will reserve my verdict for each ceremony until the end of the Paralympic Games, when we'll able to place all four ceremonies in the context of each other.

[BigVic]

Rio's Closing Ceremony was also done in wet weather as with the recent Opening Ceremony in Paris. It is not normal for an Olympic Games Ceremony to be affected by bad weather. 

[Sir Rols]

59 minutes ago, BigVic said:

Rio's Closing Ceremony was also done in wet weather as with the recent Opening Ceremony in Paris. It is not normal for an Olympic Games Ceremony to be affected by bad weather. 

Apart from maximising chances during your nicer seasons, it’s just plain luck whether you’re going to get rain or not. Sydney was lucky, but we’ve also had atrociously wet weeks in the same time period.

Edited August 12, 2024 by Sir Rols

[baron-pierreIV]

7 hours ago, yoshi said:

I definitely think the artistic director should get to choose who does the TV direction rather than have it as part of OBS, who are very emphatically a live sport broadcaster, a very different thing. After all, 99..9% of those who watch the ceremony - the vision of the director - are watching on the TV. I'm honestly surprised the ceremonies were ever done through OBS at all. 

It's part of the package.  After all, the IOC owns all the IP rights.  To me, this Closing doesn't even rate a score.  It's __/10.  A blip; a total lapse about a city which disappeared for 100 years and forgot how to do it when it woke up.  I wonder if they'll remember to sign the documents to make Winter 2030 happen?? 

Edited August 12, 2024 by baron-pierreIV

[JMarkSnow2012]

7 hours ago, LatinXTC said:

We had some great transitions between segments for Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

People tend to forget that Beijing used a filmed segment about paper-making for one of its key transitions, and a random firework display for another.

[JMarkSnow2012]

3 hours ago, BigVic said:

Rio's Closing Ceremony was also done in wet weather as with the recent Opening Ceremony in Paris. It is not normal for an Olympic Games Ceremony to be affected by bad weather. 

Rio's CC, even ignoring the Tokyo handover, was almost epic enough to be an OC- truly vibrant. When it came to the extinguishing of the cauldron, as it turned out, the pouring rain even added to the emotion.

[kevzz]

Just a thought - Damien Chazelle would be a great artistic director for the LA 28 opening ceremony. He has a great sense of spectacle and choreography as evidenced in his movie La La Land and Babylon. There is no short of great film directors in Hollywood that can do amazing things for their OC. I hope they will seriously consider it

[Rob2012]

1 hour ago, Rob2012 said:

 

Thinking more about this section actually....

If the rings were more spectacular and colourful against the greys and blacks, and the pace a bit quicker, it would've been a pretty nice section for an opening ceremony. The idea of the Olympics coming into a fractured world and offering colour and hope etc is a good one. And very fit for an opening ceremony as opposed to a closing party.

OK, you might say London already did that pretty spectacularly with Pandemonium, but the alien/space twist was unique and I did enjoy the aesthetic and the theatrics. It was just....a very definite opening ceremony idea for me.

[kevzz]

4 minutes ago, Rob2012 said:

Thinking more about this section actually....

If the rings were more spectacular and colourful against the greys and blacks, and the pace a bit quicker, it would've been a pretty nice section for an opening ceremony. The idea of the Olympics coming into a fractured world and offering colour and hope etc is a good one. And very fit for an opening ceremony as opposed to a closing party.

OK, you might say London already did that pretty spectacularly with Pandemonium, but the alien/space twist was unique and I did enjoy the aesthetic and the theatrics. It was just....a very definite opening ceremony idea for me.

Agree the concept has so much potential. It's something that's not been done before. I wonder whether they have problem hoisting the final ring because the few masked dancers spent an awful long time on it to get it hooked on.

[kevzz]

I love these moments when the athletes singalong to We Are the Champions. Their joy is priceless and the song is so fitting to their achievements.

 

[kevzz]

Watching this opening scene in La La Land again, I can totally imagine something like this in the opening sequence for LA OC. A continuous choreography from outside the Coliseum to inside, with a smashing soundtrack and slick camera work. It totally gets me excited thinking about what LA are capable of if they are determined to find the best talents to produce it.

 

 

[guilherme b]

4 hours ago, kevzz said:

Just a thought - Damien Chazelle would be a great artistic director for the LA 28 opening ceremony. He has a great sense of spectacle and choreography as evidenced in his movie La La Land and Babylon. There is no short of great film directors in Hollywood that can do amazing things for their OC. I hope they will seriously consider it

Chazelle would be an excellent choice, especially given the respect, taste, and vision he has for music . But if we're allowed to dream, it's better to call Tarantino right away. We would have an opening with great sequences..

[PikyoK]

15 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

Special Events/Ceremonies course on the internet!!

sign me up! if there is one.

Will post a verdict tomorrow. 

[BigVic]

4 hours ago, JMarkSnow2012 said:

Rio's CC, even ignoring the Tokyo handover, was almost epic enough to be an OC- truly vibrant. When it came to the extinguishing of the cauldron, as it turned out, the pouring rain even added to the emotion.

Was a fitting way to bow out with legends like Phelps and Bolt at their last Olympics marking the end of an era.. Both Rio ceremonies were low budget but spectacular. 

[Olympian2004]

24 minutes ago, BigVic said:

Was a fitting way to bow out with legends like Phelps and Bolt at their last Olympics marking the end of an era.. Both Rio ceremonies were low budget but spectacular. 

I absolutely agree, I count Rio's ceremonies among my favourites - as a matter of fact, I rewatch Rio's Olympic opening ceremony (or at least parts of it) at least once a year. And I also occasionally watch the closing ceremony with that fantastic Tokyo handover (my absolute favourite one of all the handovers I have seen). Even on a (comparably) low budget, Rio managed to create really warm and creative ceremonies with great music and great enthusiasm. 

[baron-pierreIV]

3 hours ago, kevzz said:

Watching this opening scene in La La Land again, I can totally imagine something like this in the opening sequence for LA OC. A continuous choreography from outside the Coliseum to inside, with a smashing soundtrack and slick camera work. It totally gets me excited thinking about what LA are capable of if they are determined to find the best talents to produce it.

 

 

They didn't even ask the LA-LA-LAnd (and Dear Evan Hansen) composers to do anything for the Closing because Mr. Scientology offered his ideas, presence and services for free.  

[Olympics2028]

14 hours ago, illustrado said:

It felt more like a funeral than a celebration.

 

Wasn't some of the closing themed to a dystopia that's supposed to be revived by the Olympics, symbolized by the guy costumed in gold-flecked whatever?

The same producer who did both the opening and closing wasn't able to kill the 2024 games' spirit. Attendance and presumably the buttoned-down budget have outdone 1996 and most other summer Olympics.

[guilherme b]

 

It amazes me how this 

 

 

 

was inspired by that. Come on, Jolly, how did you miss the chance to show the testicles of a colorful man again?"

[baron-pierreIV]

8 minutes ago, guilherme b said:

 

It amazes me how this 

 

 

 

was inspired by that. Come on, Jolly, how did you miss the chance to show the testicles of a colorful man again?"

Don't be stupid.  The IOC and the networks would never have allowed it.  

Thank God, there was no Marcel marceau mime!! 

[Victorian]

My few cents from being in the stadium. I thought for the most part it was an amazing show. Had a tear in my eyes watching our Australian flag marching into the Stade de France. The anthems were brilliant and I loved how they used the same version of the French anthem to what they used in Tokyo’s handover. Thought the singers in the LA28 handover were a let down and it seemed to drag on either people in the stands and athletes starting to walk out during that part. The Olympic flame was a let down only bringing the little lantern where you couldn’t see the flame alight plus the Bach and friends birthday candle blow at the end was cringy. I would have thought somehow they would have brought a cauldron into the stadium but maybe I was wrong. Not many fireworks but perhaps it was to save money or to make it more sustainable? No reason given why it went almost an hour over time? I almost missed the last train to the outer suburb area of Paris where I was staying due to this. People were leaving early and I suspect that was why but I figured I have paid for the tickets and I want to stay there for the whole ceremony. 

 

For me, the best closing ceremony that I have seen was London and that would be very hard to top!