Ceremonies On Youtube

[Lord David]

It was impressive at first, AND different. But ultimately, as you watch it part -- I think unnecessary because the ramp was WAY TOO STEEP. If you look at other delegations where the ladies wore heels, it was torture for them and they looked so undignified trying to negotaite that steep bank. I'm surprised no one stumbled (and hence sued ACOG). Plus, I think by the time they got down to the ground, they were pretty winded. I would not have used it -- or at least a shorter and LESS steep ramp.

I wouldn't have considered it way too steep. The people coming down from the ramp do have the aid of gravity, railings to guide and aid them as well as a leveled part of the ramp. I'm sure the main problem was getting up there in the first place, which would have been tiring, especially given the walk all the way from the assembly site.

[baron-pierreIV]

I wouldn't have considered it way too steep. The people coming down from the ramp do have the aid of gravity, railings to guide and aid them as well as a leveled part of the ramp. I'm sure the main problem was getting up there in the first place, which would have been tiring, especially given the walk all the way from the assembly site.

Yaknow -- I was asked my opinion of it. I gave it. I'm sure you're entitled to yours.

Plus, if it wasn't so steep, then they wouldn't have put in those handrails.

[LA84]

Yaknow -- I was asked my opinion of it. I gave it. I'm sure you're entitled to yours.

Now that you have brought up the obvious (and I agree - it was very impressive when Greece entered but by the time we got to Canada it was starting to look sloppy on t.v.) I had never considered the other side of the picture. Was there a ramp outside the stadium they had to walk up as well or were they lead through the stadium walkways up to the top?

Quite the production and a tiring one for the athletes in retrospect.

Still, kudos to ACOG for coming up with something different. That and the torch entering from the center of the field

[baron-pierreIV]

Now that you have brought up the obvious (and I agree - it was very impressive when Greece entered but by the time we got to Canada it was starting to look sloppy on t.v.) I had never considered the other side of the picture. Was there a ramp outside the stadium they had to walk up as well or were they lead through the stadium walkways up to the top?

Quite the production and a tiring one for the athletes in retrospect.

Still, kudos to ACOG for coming up with something different. That and the torch entering from the center of the field

Yes, they had to go up steps. But re getting all winded; they are supposed to be fit -- or at least the athletes; so maybe there shouldn't have been any 'tired' issues. But then of course, how many of them trained w/ heels coming down a ramp like that? I wonder how many muscles that were not in condition were thrown outta wrench?

[BTHarner]

It was probably tiring for all the older people (team officials) who shouldn't be part of the parade anyway. Example, look at a tape from Barcelona, half of Uruguay's delegation looked like they were over 70.

[mattygs]

It was impressive at first, AND different. But ultimately, as you watch it part -- I think unnecessary because the ramp was WAY TOO STEEP. If you look at other delegations where the ladies wore heels, it was torture for them and they looked so undignified trying to negotaite that steep bank. I'm surprised no one stumbled (and hence sued ACOG). Plus, I think by the time they got down to the ground, they were pretty winded. I would not have used it -- or at least a shorter and LESS steep ramp.

Agreed, probably the best choreography that I have seen in terms of the initial entrance of the athletes.

It looked fantastic accompanied by the music, when all of a suddeen we saw the Greek team appear out of the mist up the top of the ramp. But just fell apart abit as we got further on.

[rav3n]

Now this is a very, very rare find i did a while ago, which i'm sure many of you aussies will like

[baron-pierreIV]

Now this is a very, very rare find i did a while ago, which i'm sure many of you aussies will like

yecch! That's precisely why I have no great respect for Closing Ceremonies. It's the nearest thing to a riot! They're terrible. They mess up all the prepared sections. If I were an Executive Producer of a big Closing, I would demand that all the athletes be sent HOME before the Ceremony started. Otherwise, no Ceremony. (Oh, and these were Ric Birch's first big show at Ceremonial attempts.)

[rav3n]

yecch! That's precisely why I have no great respect for Closing Ceremonies. It's the nearest thing to a riot! They're terrible. They mess up all the prepared sections. If I were an Executive Procuer of a big Closing, I would demand that all the athletes be sent HOME before the Ceremony started. Otherwise, no Ceremony. (Oh, and these were Ric Birch's first big show at Ceremonial attempts.)

According to Wikipedia.

Following the closing of the Games, the Queen and Duke left the stand to be driven from the stadium. However, nobody wanted the Games to end and the Australian team formed a 'guard of honour' and ran beside and behind the car in which Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were travelling, as the car circled the stadium several times before finally leaving. Team members from other countries also joined in the running after the royal car.

However, that seems to me more like a riot instead of a 'guard of honor' .

[Scotguy]

Agreed, probably the best choreography that I have seen in terms of the initial entrance of the athletes.

It looked fantastic accompanied by the music, when all of a suddeen we saw the Greek team appear out of the mist up the top of the ramp. But just fell apart abit as we got further on.

During all the parade of nations at all games, it gets boring and tiring the further it goes on, i think the Beijing organisers should demonstrate some communist credentials and make the athletes get in within 1 hour

[baron-pierreIV]

i think the Beijing organisers should demonstrate some communist credentials and make the athletes get in within 1 hour

Well, the only ways you could do that would be to:

1. Have 4 nations march in cheek-by-jowl simlutaneously.

2. Limit the # of athletes marching into the field to about 3,000; so maybe limiting the large delegations to no more than 50. and

3. Have them MARCH to a steady beat, as in the previous Olympics, and NO CLOWNING around on the track -- otherwise, they don't get to compete.

I would be very willing to enforce these strictures if ever I Exec-Produced a SOG Opening.

[cfm Jeremie]

I would be very willing to enforce these strictures if ever I Exec-Produced a SOG Opening.

Even though, it wouldn't be your call... (you could suggest but the IOC would have the final word)

[BTHarner]

I'd hate to be the person who had to inform 70% of the athletes that they wouldn't be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony. Remember the Olympic Games are about the athletes, it wouldn't be fair to deny them this moment in their careers. If it drags out and gets too boring, too bad, it's not about us.

[baron-pierreIV]

I'd hate to be the person who had to inform 70% of the athletes that they wouldn't be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony. Remember the Olympic Games are about the athletes, it wouldn't be fair to deny them this moment in their careers. If it drags out and gets too boring, too bad, it's not about us.

Well, yeah -- but without the viewer, where would the Olympics be? That's like -- what's the saying: do you hear a tree falling in the forest if no one is there? NOPE. The way the Olympics are packaged today, they are NOT all about the (spoiled) athletes. They are also about the viewers and the sponsors. What if you gave an Olympics and nobody came?

[savas]

Come on Baron. Such a big fan of the Olympic Games and you cant "suffer" an Athletes Parade every 4 years?

[baron-pierreIV]

well, I merely replied to Scotguy21's quandary; and it is a very valid one. Actually, even as early as 1992, Samaranch too was perplexed by the same problem. So, see, I am not the only one who finds the whole Parade of Athletes today a total exercise in tedium. The rest of the world doesn't care if it's the athlete's one consolation for getting to the Games. WHy should (s)he build his/her life around getting to the Games?

[cfm Jeremie]

The rest of the world doesn't care if it's the athlete's one consolation for getting to the Games. WHy should (s)he build his/her life around getting to the Games?

Gee, I don't know. Maybe because the Olympics is the greatest SPORTS events on Earth: no athletes -> no games -> no ceremonies. So athletes training their whole life so that you can enjoy your ceremony should be given some recognition.

[savas]

Samaranch was an old guy and probably was bored fast generally...

Of course the Parade of the Athletes is different from the artistic part but in my opnion not less exciting. I for my part enjoy the Parade a lot, i like to see the thousands of different faces, their facial expressions, i like to hear the audience celebrate the nations. Of course future organizers should think about other ways of presenting the athletes. But i think all of them should march. For the most of them (i hope) the olympics is a dream come true.

[Olympian2004]

As I already mentioned once, my idea is that the athletes should enter the stadium through two gates at the same time. And then the teams would meet, coming from different directions, on the field. That would also be highly symbolic for the unifying character of the Olympic Games. And it would accelerate the parade drastically.

[baron-pierreIV]

As I already mentioned once, my idea is that the athletes should enter the stadium through two gates at the same time. And then the teams would meet, coming from different directions, on the field. That would also be highly symbolic for the unifying character of the Olympic Games. And it would accelerate the parade drastically.

That would be ideal except:

1. we've had a few stadia where there is really only 1 big entrance -- well, the LA Memorial Coliseum (thank God, the commies didn't come that year!!); so a 2-gated stadium will have to be a req;

2. It would require a major logistical prepping: splitting the nations into 2 groups before their entrance. THAT would be quite an undertaking.

[cfm Jeremie]

2. It would require a major logistical prepping: splitting the nations into 2 groups before their entrance. THAT would be quite an undertaking.

That would be a challenge indeed. At the Paris 2003 World Champs in Athletics the athletes (much, much less than for the Olympics), they had the athletes coming in through 4 gates. I can remember the logistics nightmare backstage to synchronise all of the entrances.

[Olympian2004]

1. we've had a few stadia where there is really only 1 big entrance -- well, the LA Memorial Coliseum (thank God, the commies didn't come that year!!); so a 2-gated stadium will have to be a req;

I know -- but actually, at least two gates were in place in most of the Olympic Stadia. If I could recognise it correctly at the indoor shots, Beijing's National Stadium will have at least two gates. And Athens' stadium has three:

2. It would require a major logistical prepping: splitting the nations into 2 groups before their entrance. THAT would be quite an undertaking.

Well, but obviously in Paris, they managed that -- and even for four entrances. And I'd say anyway: If they can handle all the other (much more complex) logistics of an opening ceremony, they can handle the "multi-entrance" as well.

[baron-pierreIV]

Well, but obviously in Paris, they managed that -- and even for four entrances. And I'd say anyway: If they can handle all the other (much more complex) logistics of an opening ceremony, they can handle the "multi-entrance" as well.

Oh, there are ways to trim and tighten it. The only problem is -- is there a will? -- which there doesn't seem to be.

[rav3n]

Something weird, a video from a massive Gymnastic demostration by the Swedish Gymnastic Asociation at the London 1948 olympics. Not from the OC i think, but still very curious.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X3lwUWR4AFQ

[jethromoscow]

FIFA World Cup 1978 Opening Part 1

FIFA World Cup 1978 Opening Part 2

FIFA World Cup 1978 Opening Part 3

DrunkWithBode, thank you very much for these last videos, hope you have enough time in the future to post the rest

By the way, something i heard from the African Cup of Nations which will start this sunday at Ghana. Famous south african choreographer Penny Jones (which worked at Atlanta 96, Sydney 2000, Torino 2006 and Doha 2006 Asian Games as member of the production team) will direct the opening ceremonies at Accra. They promised to make the best ever on the tournament history.

I made that video about the 1980 Moscow Olympics.