New Video About The Bird Nets

[LiuTian]

HERE

[baron-pierreIV]

The things is so jerky and amateurish, it gave me a headache. I gave up.

[Olympian2004]

The things is so jerky and amateurish, it gave me a headache. I gave up.

You shouldn't have -- because at the end, the video offers some nice pictures from inside the stadium. I must say, from the inside, the stadium looks very impressing and dignified. But from the outside... I'll never fall in love with it.

[baron-pierreIV]

OK, I played it again. The site was probably not working right the first time. Again, it's an amateur video. But the soundtrack is great.

The edifice is so massive.

I am also more convinced now that the the cauldron will rise from the floor of center field. There is no way they can cut thru the ceiling; and my main objections to putting it on the rim of the roof are that: (i) visually, it will be asymmetrical (only on 1 side); and (ii) whichever side that it would be on, the spectators under the roof on that side will not see it. So that's a good 1/4 of the stadium- some 20,000 people, being deprived of a full look at the flame.

But if it rises from the middle of the floor, then there is no obstruction whatsoever; it will be a central focus as everyone, athletes on the field included, will be facing the damned thing w/o having to crane their necks. And as I said, it will then be transferred to a tower outside once T&F begins. Plus, I think they will build up to the 5 elements motif: soil - it will rise from the earth. Water - probably have a little water spew out of it as it rises. metal - well, the thing will of course be made of metal; fire; and air.

Edited November 17, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[Olympian2004]

I still think the cauldron will most likely hang above the centre of the field and have a shape like a ball (not a dish) so that the flame can be seen also from below.

I actually thought that a cauldron tower outside the stadium would be possible, too -- but after looking at the video, the stadium's roof looks very high and it strongly obstructs the view to the outside (besides that small gap between the stadium's upper rim and the roof). That stadium and its roof are not comparable to Torino's Stadio Olimpico. So in order to make the flame visible from inside the stadium, a cauldron tower would have to be a lot higher and nearer to the stadium than Torino's. And I somehow don't expect that to happen.

And by the way: With a cauldron tower, a part of the audience (the one who has the cauldron in its back) wouldn't see the flame either. Torino had the same problem. And I don't think that they'll shift the flame from one cauldron to another in the course of the Games. I'm very certain that the cauldron (whatever its shape and location will be) will be permanent.

But I suppose it will be a hanging cauldron. The roof seems high enough to get the cauldron out of the way of flying javelins, disci and hammers.

[baron-pierreIV]

But I suppose it will be a hanging cauldron. The roof seems high enough to get the cauldron out of the way of flying javelins, disci and hammers.

But not flying ninjas and dragons.

Still, some questions remain:

- How will they get it up there and keep it as a surprise until the right time?

- How will they feed the flame 24/7? I know...very long pipes (highly risky if you ask me.)

- How will they light it?

- Hanging in midair, it would still cast shadows on the field and be a possible distraction to athletes on the field, just as those girders' shadows were before the panelling reduced that?

Besides, I think the IOC practice/dictum is: it should be seen by people attending the Ceremony; but be seen by spectators outside after the OC. Suspended midair in the stadium, the flame would NOT be visible to outsiders.

[Soaring]

as a documentary film student, there is one thing I have to say about the video...

- tripod -

no seriously, this is one of the most interesting stadiums I have ever seen in my life (all 22 years of it), and I greatly look forward to the 2008 OC.

.

[Olympian2004]

Still, some questions remain:

- How will they get it up there and keep it as a surprise until the right time?

Why does the cauldron have to be a surprise. Most Olympic cauldrons weren't. Just think of Moscow, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Lillehammer, Atlanta, Salt Lake, Athens and Torino. They are usually highly visible already before the ceremony.

- How will they feed the flame 24/7? I know...very long pipes (highly risky if you ask me.)

It's not that risky. The cauldron is supplied with natural gas, not with liquid fuel.

- How will they light it?

Similar to what that alleged insider (I've already forgot his/her name) described lately: The pipes with the cauldron can be lowered to the ground. Or they'll lift someone into the air, with cables. Just think of Nikki Webster in Sydney.

- Hanging in midair, it would still cast shadows on the field and be a possible distraction to athletes on the field, just as those girders' shadows were before the panelling reduced that?

I suppose, due to the heavy smog in Beijing, the Games won't have a lot of sun anyway. Seriously: I think a shadow on the field is not that problematic. Because: Which athletes will be on the field? Only the players of the men's football final will. The main action of the track and field events takes place around the field. And at the 2006 World Cup, the video cube of Frankfurt's stadium cast a shadow on the field, too. That was not that distracting.

Besides, I think the IOC practice/dictum is: it should be seen by people attending the Ceremony; but be seen by spectators outside after the OC. Suspended midair in the stadium, the flame would NOT be visible to outsiders.

Seoul's wasn't either. I think the IOC isn't so strict about that rule. Especially if it even allowed Torino to not use the original Olympic flame to light the cauldron.

[linag]

Why can it look like so stronge, hope it will be better when the 2008 Olympic games.

[Rob2012]

And at the 2006 World Cup, the video cube of Frankfurt's stadium cast a shadow on the field, too. That was not that distracting.

It was quite distracting and certainly not ideal (though putting up with the shadow was worth it to see Paul Robinson hit the screen with a huge goal kick! lol)

Not as bad as the spider in the 86 world cup though:

So, yeh, shadows aren't ideal imho...

Edited November 19, 2007 by Rob ♪

[Olympian2004]

It was quite distracting and certainly not ideal (though putting up with the shadow was worth it to see Paul Robinson hit the screen with a huge goal kick! lol)

I've even found that scene on YouTube (its a clip from German pay TV channel Premiere): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDfmAj6uUaY

Not as bad as the spider in the 86 world cup though:

Do you know, by any chance, what that "spider's" purpose was? I always found it quite strange when I saw footage from the Azteca Stadium during Mexico 86.

[baron-pierreIV]

Why does the cauldron have to be a surprise. Most Olympic cauldrons weren't. Just think of Moscow, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Lillehammer, Atlanta, Salt Lake, Athens and Torino. They are usually highly visible already before the ceremony.

Well, that's because the art of Cauldron-Lighting hasn't/wasn't exactly perfected yet. Besides, most of those stadia* you outline were existing edifices before they hosted an Olympic OC, so they had to do with existing sructural limitations. Whereas, Beijing, like Sydney's, is a BRAND-NEW structure built to house a new Olympics; and I would think the Chinese, after investing some $40 billion in the MOST EXPENSIVE Olympics in human history, will want something to certainly draw everyone's breath away.

Why do you think they put together the Best Ceremonies team that money could buy at the moment?

Further, I thought about this 'ball' idea of yours. If it were a ball, what element would withstand flames 24/7 hanging in midair? To better elaborate, the strands that would hold the 'ball' in mid-air, of what material would they be made of so they could burn for the nearly 400 hours it's supposed to be lit? And they would have to be thin strands too.

Also, so you have this 'ball-y' thing burning 24/7 over 17 days there -- now, since it's attached by some natural gas pipes from the rim of the roof (or unless there will be some mid-air refueling that we don't know about?), I would imagine it would have to be watched 24/7 -- especially at night when the stadium shuts down -- in case anything should happen and the fire spread to the plastic panels and BURN down Birds Nest before August 25th? I don't know if they have sprinklers embedded in the roof or not, but if not, then how embarrasing, idiotic and disastrous would that whole affair be?

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaah. The mid-air thing is entirely implausible and highly, highly risky. It was merely an artist's conception. Would you risk international derision for such a risky maneuver when there is/are safer, sensible alternative(s)? After investing $40 billion, I wouldn't.

########################

*The idea of Atlanta's tower was originated and presided by the housewives on the original Atlanta bid team who didn't know any better. They were just given the Ceremonies detail early on; while the men took care of the finances and the infrastructure. I should know; I was in the Georgia-Pacific auditorium that night some 14 years ago they unveiled the model and the artist for that stupid oil-derrick tower.

Edited November 19, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[Olympian2004]

Well, that's because the art of Cauldron-Lighting hasn't/wasn't exactly perfected yet. Besides, most of those stadia you outline were existing edifices before they hosted an Olympic OC, so they had to do with existing limitations. Whereas, Beijing, like Sydney's is a BRAND-NEW structure built to house a new Olympics; and I would think the Chinese, investing some $40 billion in the MOST EXPENSIVE Olympics in human history, will want something to certainly draw everyone's breath away.

But what is breath-taking about a cauldron tower -- something we already had in Atlanta, Salt Lake and Torino? And if you meant that temporary cauldron rising from the centre of the field: I don't consider that very breath-taking either.

Further, I thought about this 'ball' idea of yours. If it were a ball, what element would withstand flames 24/7 hanging in midair? To better elaborate, the strands that would hold the 'ball' in mid-air, of what material would they be made of so they could burn for the nearly 400 hours it's supposed to be lit? And they would have to be thin strands too.

Any kind of light metal -- or any material surrounded by carbon fiber or whatever. There are so many flameproof materials that this shouldn't be a problem.

Also, so you have this 'ball-y' thing burning 24/7 over 17 days there -- now, since it's attached by some natural gas pipes from the rim of the roof, I would imagine it would have to be watched 24/7 -- especially at night when the stadium shuts down (or unless there is some mid-air refueling that we don't know about?)-- in case anything should happen and the fire spread to the plastic panels and BURN down Birds Nest before August 25th? I don't know if they have sprinklers embedded in the roof or not, but if not, then how embarrasing, idiotic and disastrous would that whole scenario be?

You're pretty much of an alarmist. If they would install such kind of cauldron they would of course take every action to make that thing safe. Safety valves, sprinklers, video surveillance and what have you. If you want to crap your pants because of every possible danger, you should do that also regarding the safety of that extremely heavy roof with all its girders which could fall down, for example. If everyone was so fearful like you, we would never have seen Barcelona's flaming arrow or Sydney's elaborate cauldron installment. You have to accept risks if you don't want to do bland.

[baron-pierreIV]

OK. I still highly doubt it though; but I guess we'll know sometime the end of July or early August.

Oops, I just remembered. Anything mid-air is bad feng shui. So, no, they will TOTALLY not go for it. Whereas a cauldron rising out of the ground, is GROUNDED to the earth -- a basic feng shui principle. So, it would have to rise from the ground -- NOT hanging in mid-air. The Chinese are very superstitious people.

Edited November 19, 2007 by baron-pierreIV