Probably the most indelible image from the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was the 897 blocks of movable type on the floor of the Olympic stadium, moving and changing to depict, among other scenes, a raindrop rippling outward on a pond, swells on an ocean and the Chinese symbol for harmony.
At sequence's end, it was revealed that the performance was not computer-controlled, as had been assumed, but actually the work of 897 human performers moving their blocks up and down perfectly in unison.
It was a stunning display of precision and attention to detail that still impresses NBC's Bob Costas four years later as he readies to host the XXX Summer Olympics in London, which kick off with the Opening Ceremony Friday, July 27, on NBC.
"I think in Beijing they retired the trophy [for best Opening Ceremony]," Costas tells Zap2it. "You know, they had the resources to do it. You have...
At sequence's end, it was revealed that the performance was not computer-controlled, as had been assumed, but actually the work of 897 human performers moving their blocks up and down perfectly in unison.
It was a stunning display of precision and attention to detail that still impresses NBC's Bob Costas four years later as he readies to host the XXX Summer Olympics in London, which kick off with the Opening Ceremony Friday, July 27, on NBC.
"I think in Beijing they retired the trophy [for best Opening Ceremony]," Costas tells Zap2it. "You know, they had the resources to do it. You have...
- 7/27/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
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