This isn’t soooo bad, I suppose, but apparently about 55 seconds of the opening ceremony for the Olympics this year was rendered as computer-generated imagery, or CGI as we like to call it 95% of the time. While I was all set to slam my broken-hearted fist down on my desk, screaming “How could you?!! You bastards!!!”, it turns out that the part that was computer generated actually did happen in real-life, it just had to be CGI’d for safety reasons.
The sequence in question was a series of 28 footprints made of fireworks happily clomping across the sky. Here’s what happened, according to TechRadar UK…
Speaking to The Beijing Times, an advisor to the Beijing Olympic Committee (BOCOG) defended the decision: "It would have been prohibitive to have tried to film it live," he said.
"We could not put the helicopter pilot at risk by making him try to follow the firework route."
To emulate the shot, the visual effects team actually put a slight camera shake on to the image, and even spoke to the Beijing meteorological office to ask them how to recreate the Beijing smog.
So yeah, maybe they should have put a little disclaimer on the TV, but the fact that it actually happened live and just was too dangerous to film makes it sting a bit less.
[via BBG]
The tip off that they were CG was the lack of smoke(and the fact that all of the foot prints looked identical. Real fireworks always leave a trail of smoke. If you don’t see a smoke haze you can assume it was done in a computer.
Bob Costas said it was computer generated during the broadcast. Maybe outside the USA they didn’t announce that but it was clear that it was fake, but it was pretty convincing. Everyone needs to do a little more research before running with something like that…..
I’ll back Joshua up on this one. It was very clear that these were computer generated and never set forth as otherwise. Did you even watch the broadcast? Poor showing across the Internet tech sites with this report.
Yes, I watched it. How was it clear that they were using CGI?
Yep, no scandal. NBC clearly explain that they were using CGI.
A proper linkback to Gearfuse wouldn’t hurt ;)
“NBC clearly explain that they were using CGI” No they didn’t, they said it was almost like we were watching cinematic photography.
Lauer: “You’re looking at a cinematic device employed by Zhang Yimou here. This is actually almost animation. A footstep a second, 29 in all, to signify the 29 Olympiads.”
Costas: “We said earlier that aspects of this Opening Ceremony are almost like cinema in real time. Well this is quite literally cinematic.”
They absolutely knew it was CGI, but didn’t disclaim it. Fireworks no biggie. CGI tanks and missiles being launched (CGI) in a distant part of the country to justify an invasion in a “Live Video” broadcast is probably just around the corner. Shame on NBC for not making it clear to the viewer.
I personally think the center views of the Tai-chi portion were also CGI. Perfect circles? Give me a break. Impossible.
Just re-watched it (had it recorded) and Joe’s account is correct. Costas and Lauer never say anything about it being CGI. They just say it looks cinematic.