Despite its share of controversies, this year’s Beijing Olympic Games will stay with me a long time.
The awe and magnitude of the Opening Ceremony had me glued to the tv.
Was it the sheer number of participants 2,008 drummers, the huge LED screen which was unrolled, the choreography and direction of acclaimed director Zhang Zimou, or was it the music?
In case you missed watching the 4-hour long ceremony, turn on your computer’s speakers.
This audio slideshow by China Daily showcases some wonderful photography. No photo credit is given so the images must be from a pool of photographers.
As I watched each still image, I wished I could have been there to capture them myself.
I don’t care what the mayor of London says. This is going to be tough to top.
I agree with you Bob about the use of too many fancy transitions coupled with the Ken Burns effects on the slideshow. It detracts from the still images. I would have just used the cross dissolve.
One of my big complaint is NBC’s use of wireless microphones when they were “live.”
Listen to US women pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski’s coach Rick Suhr speak his mind, in not the nicest words and tell me you don’t agree.
Athlete’s don’t need the rest of the world to listen in on this sort of remarks which should have been between coach and athlete.
I hope NBC learns from this sort of stupidity.
Another complaint I have is this. During the medal presentation when Michael Phelps won the gold in the Mens Relay, the cameras only cued in on him and not on his teammates.
Don’t those idiots realize that his teammates made it possible for him to win that medal?
Peter, I saw both ceremonies on TV. The synchronized motions were spectacular, along with the cast hanging and swinging from cables fastened to the roof. Although these still pix document the lovely designs and colors, they don’t do what the video did––celebrate the incredible motion of the huge cast of participants. It’s nice to have the still pix as a reminder, but this time (unlike sports photography that seeks to capture “the moment”) video is king. I cannot leave without commenting on those complicated fades between images. I hate them. I think they are distracting and the subtract from whatever impact the images have.
Yeah Gerry. I can only hope their lives will improve too. As with most things I have my opinions on how everyone conducted themselves.
Folks like Ann Donovan, US womens basketball coach, Becky Hammon, Chinese badminton coach Li Yongbo, US Mens track officials and their late protest.
Thanks for your comments Gerry!
Normally I don’t watch openings and closings…These I watched, and they lived up to the hype and probably set the new gold standard others will be judged by!! I’m sure the world view of China has improved from these games and I can only hope the lives of the people of China will also improve after their exposure to the world.