nonseng

Urbanscapes / June 2008

While athletes are competing for gold ornaments to put around their neck (some will settle for less - being at the Olympics is already a victory), anger is growing over the Opening Ceremony. I personally think the gala event was mind blowing - I sat there for 4 hours, cursing because I was blown away by the precision of every Chong, Liew and Seng on stage. Like the moving-type (humans squatting and standing with a box on each head) and martial arts made me go ape shit.

So few days into the Olympics, Chen Qigang, the musical director of the Opening Ceremony, comes out and says the rendition of 'Ode to the Motherland' by Lin Miaoke (dubbed 'the Smiling Angel') was lip-synched. The real singer was this 7 year-old girl who, apparently, wasn't thought to be pretty enough to appear. Qigang assures all parties that it was done out of "national interest".

There was something else about the footprint fireworks. Since it was logistically impossible to film the footprint fireworks making its way to the bird's nest from a helicopter, it was actually digitally enhanced video superimposed onto live footage of the event. Talk about sheer madness and creativity. The organizers even got the weather forecast right to simulate the same smog as on the night and adding camera shake.

!!!

I'm just impressed lah. I'd give them A++ for effort and determination and precision and timing and unlimited supply of man-power.

Listening to: -