Olympic Opening Ceremony - Page 6

figment1986 · 08-09-2008, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

I see the parade of bouncing boobs. The asian chicks are jumpin!

im not complaining...

it was brilliant, you know the sad part.. i didn't watch it at 7:30pm, i watched it the 2nd time through from the 2:30 to 7am est showing. but it was amazing!

BDBopper · 08-09-2008, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Am i the only one who likes the parade of cuties ....er, parade of nations?

I honestly enjoyed that. I liked the countries that showed up in their native clothing. The only thing missing was "It's A Small World" blaring from the loud speakers

(RECORD SCRATCH)

Okay...maybe for a two hour procession that wouldn't be a good idea!

BDBopper · 08-09-2008, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

I liked at the end of the type-blocks phase, when everybody waved. I'm just wondering about the transitions and the structure of the actual stage. Things keep coming off the floor and that fascinates me. How do they do it? Everything flies. Where does it go? How many elevators are there? How do they coordinate everybody? Way cool.

Maybe we are not supposed to know. Maybe it is a tight-lipped, Disney-like secret. Wait...if it is than it would be all over the Internets with pics and video clips in a matter of hours.

innerSpaceman · 08-09-2008, 08:13 AM

So i fell asleep before they lit the cauldron ... did they do anything groovy to light it?

Nothing will beat the time (Barcelona?) they lit it by shooting a flaming arrow!

Speaking of which, I think these opening cememonies paled in comparison to the last ones in Athens. But I still enjoyed many elements.

Moveable type was great. I was even more fascinated, though, with how the Tai Chi people kept in formation than how the Block People did. Either way, 2008 of everybody for every bit of business was a nice touch.

I loved the big LCD screen and the huge scrim that wraps around the rim of the Bird's Nest. And the globe thingy at the end was fantastic... the way the people on it would move around ... just tremendous.

Overall, though, it gave me a huge sense of meh. I think it's hard for these things not to come off like a disconnected pageant of spectacle ... and there's nothing wrong with that. But a few have seemed more integrated to me (Summer in Athens, Winter in Albertville, for examples), and the bar has been set a little higher than just random bigness.

But I was entertained throughout. The commentators, for the first time in history, were not intent on spoiling the upcoming 10 seconds ... and for that reason alone, it was the best network TV Opening Ceremonies broadcast EveR.

The parade of nations was fun ... while I lasted. Though uniforms were a little boring this year. African nations were reliable for primitive costume. Hungary had the best by far, with their 40's stylings and outrageous print dresses for the ladies. The rest of the world? DULLSVILLE.

Fortunately, cutie pies come in every kind of apparel and from every nation on Earth. Though I fell asleep soon after the U.S. ... I feel confident in pointing out that the most gorgeous athelete dude in the world is from the Maldives. Oh ma gawd. Hottie.

Aaaaaaand ... that's it for me. I doubt I'll watch much of the actual games. I never have the TV on. I might watch some YouTube clips here and there.

Morrigoon · 08-09-2008, 08:20 AM

If you liked the globe bit, you'd have liked the lighting. The last runner was on wires, and they launched him up into the sky, over to one of the top walls running around the stadium (near the scrim), then all of a sudden, he pops one side of his wires, dropping him into an angle, and he proceeds to "run" around the top edge of the stadium sideways until he gets to the cauldron, which was mounted into place at some point during the show, and he touched the torch to like a pipe thing which ran to the cauldron, I presume they used gunpowder for this, but the flame zipped across the pipe, twisted around the twisty part of the cauldron, then lit the flame.

BDBopper · 08-09-2008, 08:40 AM

and then of course there was an orgy of pyro from the country that invented it. What an awesome ceremony! I feel terrible for the London and Vancuver organizers whi have to even try to top what they did.

Of course every Olympic opening ceremony is unique in its own way. It is really not fiar to loathe any of the ceremonies that have come before it. Of course you're hearing this from a guy from the city who brought in cloggers cheerleaders, and pick up trucks for our ceremony (Atlanta 1996). You can laugh all you want to but that is our personality. I think (other than lighting the torch, and doing the normal speeches) The Opening Ceremony is meant as a welcome to the world from the host city (if the country has not hosted than from that entire country). Who cares how hoakey and cheesy it might seem if it has to be so. If our ceremony was like the one Beijing put on the world may have left in awe but we would have come off insulted because we put on aires and did not have a chance to show our true selves. But we got our chance to say "Welcome Y'all!" in our warm and cheesy way. Yes the world laughed and they were not alone. We laughed along with them but knowing we were showing off our true nature and personality.

Cadaverous Pallor · 08-09-2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LastStoat

At the end of the segment, several hundred Chinese folk reveal themselves from beneath the field of "type" blocks, inferring that they had been driving the entire mechanism by themselves manually.

Given the huge amount of synchronisation, and the precise acceleration and deceleration to maintain the surface contours (and given that each individual could not see the patterns) I figure it was computer driven until the folks appeared at the end.

No disrespect to the gentleman known as Stoat, but I disagree. You could see as they moved up and down that they were human, not mechanical movements. Just like the drumming sequence and the Tai Chi army, they had their own personal movements down to the milisecond. The other sequences were just as impressive without the boxes. They didn't need to know their surroundings, they just knew "jump fast, crouch for 5 seconds, and stand, and slowly sink...." A perfect allegory for the Chinese nation. Together, they can do amazing (almost frightening!) things.

I was blown away by these ceremonies. There was something so earnest about it, something that other Olympic openings have attempted to emulate but didn't quite hit. This is real for these people. They are coming into their own.

And did you see all those fireworks??? Just the smileys alone were insane. The biggest LCD ever just about killed us.

ETA - yeah, the torch lighting was awesomeness.

Not Afraid · 08-09-2008, 08:46 AM

What an absolutely wonderful opening ceremony! I only have one meh moment - it involved Sarah Brightman (who looks rather creepy these days and need a trim). The torch lighting was exceptional. The use of the scrim fro projections during the festivities added so much to the show. I was amazed at the perfect circle the tai chi people could maintain and the block segment was fascinating and, the pyro was not to be beat. Overall, it was among the best. (Lillihammer was my favorite and Atlanta the absolute worst.)

I'm actually looking forward to watching some swimming and diving - and to hear the name Pieter van den Hoogenband said out loud. Gymnastics are another sport I tend to watch, but we'll see what I have time for.

Morrigoon · 08-09-2008, 08:46 AM

iSm: try this link
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/sha...D_OCB_HL_L1621

JWBear · 08-09-2008, 08:49 AM

My only complaint is that the music during the March of Nations was boring and repetitive. I mean... 20 repeats of the same bagpipe number? Come on... why?

08-09-2008, 08:13 AM	#54
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	So i fell asleep before they lit the cauldron ... did they do anything groovy to light it? Nothing will beat the time (Barcelona?) they lit it by shooting a flaming arrow! Speaking of which, I think these opening cememonies paled in comparison to the last ones in Athens. But I still enjoyed many elements. Moveable type was great. I was even more fascinated, though, with how the Tai Chi people kept in formation than how the Block People did. Either way, 2008 of everybody for every bit of business was a nice touch. I loved the big LCD screen and the huge scrim that wraps around the rim of the Bird's Nest. And the globe thingy at the end was fantastic... the way the people on it would move around ... just tremendous. Overall, though, it gave me a huge sense of meh. I think it's hard for these things not to come off like a disconnected pageant of spectacle ... and there's nothing wrong with that. But a few have seemed more integrated to me (Summer in Athens, Winter in Albertville, for examples), and the bar has been set a little higher than just random bigness. But I was entertained throughout. The commentators, for the first time in history, were not intent on spoiling the upcoming 10 seconds ... and for that reason alone, it was the best network TV Opening Ceremonies broadcast EveR. The parade of nations was fun ... while I lasted. Though uniforms were a little boring this year. African nations were reliable for primitive costume. Hungary had the best by far, with their 40's stylings and outrageous print dresses for the ladies. The rest of the world? DULLSVILLE. Fortunately, cutie pies come in every kind of apparel and from every nation on Earth. Though I fell asleep soon after the U.S. ... I feel confident in pointing out that the most gorgeous athelete dude in the world is from the Maldives. Oh ma gawd. Hottie. Aaaaaaand ... that's it for me. I doubt I'll watch much of the actual games. I never have the TV on. I might watch some YouTube clips here and there.
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08-09-2008, 08:20 AM	#55
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	If you liked the globe bit, you'd have liked the lighting. The last runner was on wires, and they launched him up into the sky, over to one of the top walls running around the stadium (near the scrim), then all of a sudden, he pops one side of his wires, dropping him into an angle, and he proceeds to "run" around the top edge of the stadium sideways until he gets to the cauldron, which was mounted into place at some point during the show, and he touched the torch to like a pipe thing which ran to the cauldron, I presume they used gunpowder for this, but the flame zipped across the pipe, twisted around the twisty part of the cauldron, then lit the flame. __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
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08-09-2008, 08:40 AM	#56
BDBopper Not Taking Any Crap! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cleaning Up America, One Step At A Time! Posts: 1,694	and then of course there was an orgy of pyro from the country that invented it. What an awesome ceremony! I feel terrible for the London and Vancuver organizers whi have to even try to top what they did. Of course every Olympic opening ceremony is unique in its own way. It is really not fiar to loathe any of the ceremonies that have come before it. Of course you're hearing this from a guy from the city who brought in cloggers cheerleaders, and pick up trucks for our ceremony (Atlanta 1996). You can laugh all you want to but that is our personality. I think (other than lighting the torch, and doing the normal speeches) The Opening Ceremony is meant as a welcome to the world from the host city (if the country has not hosted than from that entire country). Who cares how hoakey and cheesy it might seem if it has to be so. If our ceremony was like the one Beijing put on the world may have left in awe but we would have come off insulted because we put on aires and did not have a chance to show our true selves. But we got our chance to say "Welcome Y'all!" in our warm and cheesy way. Yes the world laughed and they were not alone. We laughed along with them but knowing we were showing off our true nature and personality.
	Submit to Quotes

08-09-2008, 08:46 AM	#58
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	What an absolutely wonderful opening ceremony! I only have one meh moment - it involved Sarah Brightman (who looks rather creepy these days and need a trim). The torch lighting was exceptional. The use of the scrim fro projections during the festivities added so much to the show. I was amazed at the perfect circle the tai chi people could maintain and the block segment was fascinating and, the pyro was not to be beat. Overall, it was among the best. (Lillihammer was my favorite and Atlanta the absolute worst.) I'm actually looking forward to watching some swimming and diving - and to hear the name Pieter van den Hoogenband said out loud. Gymnastics are another sport I tend to watch, but we'll see what I have time for.
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08-09-2008, 08:46 AM	#59
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	iSm: try this link http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/sha...D_OCB_HL_L1621 __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
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08-09-2008, 08:49 AM	#60
JWBear Worn Romantic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach California Posts: 8,435	My only complaint is that the music during the March of Nations was boring and repetitive. I mean... 20 repeats of the same bagpipe number? Come on... why? __________________ Unrestrained frivolity will lead to the downfall of modern society.
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