Oh, the Chinese are so crafty!

They probably did it just because they could.

Bitstuff

I've never seen the kind of spectacle that was the opening ceremonies of this Olympics.
They pulled out ALL the stops.

It almost deserves to have new adjectives forged to describe it.

strider_mt2k

I was watching it with some friends and we noticed the camera movement being a bit unreal. But I ended up thinking they were real anyways, and they had the camera ni some kind of airplane more than a helicopter...

Waka in Japan

But they still set off the real ones. Very cool. That's what a limitless budget gets you.

I ♥ China('s awesome opening ceremonies)

The Magnificen7

waaaallll..
so those ARE real but faked in TV.....
hope I was there and see the real ones....

iching

I watched them at home at lunchtime ( on Friday ) and thought they were a bit too good to be true....I thought
I was just being a bit cynical though...

NikLG

during the NBC broadcasting matt lauer said that those shots were "cinematic" and that it wasnt actual footage of the fireworks. then i think he, or the other commentator spoke of how realistic they looked for being a fake production

g00ber

I thought they looked a little, I don't know... clean or something, but couldn't put my finger on it.
I just figured they'd done a great job with the fireworks and filming, just like everything else in the ceremony.

Is there an uncanny valley for fireworks CGI?

reckless_inoz

I assumed they were CG when I saw them, but people kept telling me they were real. Guess I was right all along.

General_Bison

I was watching at a bar in DC on a huge screen with an HD feed. They didn't have CC so I completely bought into the effect, as did everyone else at the bar.

Pretty sneaky China...

Oh well, I still think it was the greatest opening ceremony EVER! I can't stand the Chinese gov't but they really put on a great show.

DustyButt

@g00ber:
Yeah that's what I was thinking...though I figured maybe I just had it wrong the whole time.

rcast1986

I was suspicious when watching it, and even knowing that it is fake made it even cooler. Now I can shout "I knew it!" :P

simmo

In the US the announcers said the footprints were fake. I realize it was tape delayed, so maybe the cat was already out of the bag, but I don't think they tried to fool anyone.

akiddo

So THAT's where all of the devs for Fantavision (PS2) went.

generall

@It's OMG! Ponies!...: Don't worry too much, it'll be at least a couple of years before they can fake the entire Olympics, and this will of course be followed by nations starting to accuse each other of overclocking their perfectly rendered athletes.

ZillionDollarSadist

China's athletes are probably knockoffs of Japan's.

markarian

What do you expect from China? Bugged taxis? (no, surely they would never FAKE anything!)

ecobore

... and the employees of that local Beijing paper were never heard from or seen again.

aelver

Bugger. That's another penny on the basic rate of rate for us Brits. I fear our plans for a sing song with a few people shouting "jolly good show" may have to be revised a tad. I think we may have to stretch as far as some sparklers and bunting now.

Gizmo

While china keeps their big brotheresque practices of destroying information freedom, I am not amazed at all.

Ariel_Wollinger

Thanks for the reminder why I never watch Olympic coverage of anything.

It's OMG! Ponies! Birthday. He wants LEGOs.

It was obvious! The external shots had PERFECTLY formed footprints and ended at the exact height. Fireworks aren't that clean. Only the two footprints visible inside the stadium were real, where you could see they were not even and not perfect. I thought everyone else noticed they were fake. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web.com – Enhanced email for the mobile individual based on Microsoft® Exchange - http://link.mail2web.com/Personal/EnhancedEmail

OrtensiaGaleo

@DustyButt: Yeah it better be good, to have us over look the executions and what not.

Xaldian

Fooled me. Props. Still an awesome show. Welcome to the Chinese century.

nuclearlove

@General_Bison: Inferiority complex >.>

MastaFalse

@akiddo: I also caught that. They said something about the fireworks shots being a mix of actual and computer generated. Looked like during the last two -- the camera looking up from inside the stadium -- was where the transition to the actual ceremony happened.

closethipster

its the next big thing... nothing to be excited about... its just a sign of a new era

reiyaku

+ Watch video

the real ones looked good!

mumin

@ZillionDollarSadist: I thought that the athletes already were overclocked. That's why the Spanish bicyclist was sent home.

It's OMG! Ponies! Birthday. He wants LEGOs.

Realistic CGI effects in a live feed, nice.

citizen024

@tripplehelix: you might have thought it was fake looking, but according to the article, it was jsut the fireworks that were fake. Not the buildings.

Omadon

Was I the only one to think it was seriously fake while watching it? The buildings below, the camera movement were all very artificial looking. But to be honest I didn't care, it was all well planned and put together... Although the new war was given a 2 minute segment after the olympics.

tripplehelix

The Commentors on NBC Said they were fake CGI, so it was no secret. And Yes that is the Greatest Opening of all time!1000x better then any before it Go ahead watch the 1996, 2000, and 2004 openings they look like High school marching bands compared to this!!! CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this email are confidential and for the exclusive use of the intended recipient. If you receive this email in error, please delete it from your system immediately and notify us either by email, telephone or fax. You should not copy, forward, or otherwise disclose the content of the email.

SwagataPlancus

There is no way 2010 will have the budget to pull off an opening like this.

But it's the Winter Olympics so not as many people care. :)

WiwiJumbo

I feel quite impressed and kind of ripped off, at the same time. Kind of like the same feeling when buying Apple products.

indorock

NOOooooo shit sherlock if you guys couldnt tell that was faked then thats just embarrasing and the announcers even told us that it was fake done all by computers.

Enisity

@akiddo: Yeah I heard them say the fireworks were digital too. Though I recall them saying it in a brief and vague way. I picked up on it though because before they said it I was noticing they looked too smooth.

Zlevee

@indorock:

hmmmm.... good point right there.

Twenty5

I'd really like to see satellite photos or video even of those footprint fireworks. China couldn't work that into their budget?

mfokp

Kinda disappointing. Why not send up a camera via UAV? Or better yet, flex your international muscles by filming it by satellite?

Gann

Iran should get these guys to work on their next super weapon demo.

logruszed

Why is everyone so disappointed?? The whole ceremony was executed amazingly... You know, they didn't HAVE to show TV viewers the footprint fireworks at all! If it was too dangerous for a real fly-by, then it was too dangerous... stop whining!

UAV? Satellite? I don't think China's objective is to openly declare to the world their military capabilities at this event... especially the ones that involve SPYING as their primary function! Especially for a game promoting world-wide community. Also, they are probably trying not to come off as so "Big-Brothery," as I'm sure they're aware of outsiders' opinions of their political practices.

Of the two options: military-grade tech or CGI, I think CGI says "we execute unparalleled entertainment" more tastefully.

Also, looked fake, didn't look fake... who cares? How many top grossing Hollywood blockbusters have fake-looking effects? We still eat it up anyway! Everyone's a critic. If you can plan a better opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, then you can complain.

The bottom line is this… they actually DID the fireworks for real. That's pretty freaking awesome. We saw an artistic rendering… Big deal!! They fly-by was beautiful!

I can't wait to see what other countries do at the next Olympic Games in response to the high level of quality demonstrated here.

Kaveh

Still, the opening ceremonies were very cool.

I hope that the editor/reporter at "The Beijing Times" aren't "dealt with" in the traditional Chinese way. Horay for freedom of the press!

yipes

@OMG! Birthday!: @adocious: If 5 billion people are watching, you must be part of a very antisocial culture. Do you hate other countries or something?

VakeroRokero

I thought that the nbc announcers said something about how we were seeing a video representation of the actual fireworks, but the zoom to the stadium was not real. I guess I must have misheard correctly!

bilups

It's difficult to see what the draw is to watch this year's Olympic games. Or any year's, for that matter.

adocious

@VakeroRokero: That's a ridiculous piece of propaganda they've been rolling out every 4 years since the Nazis. 5 billion people in the world don't even have electricity or running water, let alone TV's.

Obviously no amount of anecdotal evidence will convince someone like you any of anything further than that, so I won't even bother talking about how many people I'm aware are watching it (zero btw).

Cultivar

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE CLOSING CEREMONY WILL BE LIKE! In fact, I think they should just skip all the competition and give us the closing ceremony NOW!

Noobs-R-Us

Yes it was fake, but it was also real. They tried to make home viewers happy with a show, while providing the actual performance for the live viewers. I don't like China, but this was a good call on their part.

geowrian

jealous.

thomusvoo

Ah, ok, now that I know they're specifically talking about the footprint "fireworks", I less bummed. I kind of had the impression that it was CGI when that part started, then though it was real, then thought it was fake again when I could see the actual "footsteps". No biggie if that was it.

bitgod

@Noobs-R-Us:

its just gonna be a chinese guy doing the moonwalk.

sorry, the budget ran out.

Neverkilled: The complete series

Well this is a slap in the face. If they want to impress me w/ the opening ceremonies, then show me the ceremonies, not some artists conception. A lot of posters here seem to think it's just fine. Personally I think this goes against journalistic integrity (yes some broadcasters discussed it being fake). Interesting how Iran did something similar in their missile photos and the response was quite different [gizmodo.com] . Oh, and I'm not trying to equate Olympics to WMD's.

jkr I take the internet seriously

@strider_mt2k:

Chinatastic?

Neverkilled: The complete series

...Most comments were mislead by the original post from Giz, the fact is that they did have these giant foot fireworks, but they were not filmed and broadcasted, the broadcasting part was CGI which was done before the actual thing. That's what Chinese meant by it was a mixture of real event and graphic images. Giz, you need to correct this lol.

sega8800

ULm yea, if you watched it in HD you could tell the weren't real. But I think they did it just because they could. Now put up the pictures of women's beach V-Ball!!!

rockman40

@sega8800: "the 28 giant footprints that stomped through the air above the city, ending at the stadium, were advanced CGI. Though the pyrotechnics really were set off"
sega8800 you need to correct your comment.

jkr I take the internet seriously

@Noobs-R-Us: no, not really, I think my post summed up my feelings and views.

jkr I take the internet seriously

@Neverkilled: The complete series: I think they still have about $1.6 trillion in their Mao jacket so no worries.

Noobs-R-Us

@jkr I take the internet seriously: Don't get all bent out of shape. If you bother to read the post. There WAS fireworks, just that the Chinese gov't didn't want to risk human life by letting a helicopter chase the foot prints for real. There were over a hundred thousand people as well as the heads of states of many nations. There's no way in hell they would let anything airborne anywhere near that stadium. That was a smart move.

So they simulated what it would look like IF there was a real helicopter chasing the footprints, what's the big deal? I'm sure if there WERE a helicopter chasing it at the time it would look exactly like the simulation. O.K.? Satisfied? Happy?

Noobs-R-Us

This is the coolest, most brilliant idea for a fireworks display i've ever heard of. And... they pulled it off. Amazing.

wolfenstein-3d

@jkr I take the internet seriously: OK, let me put it in another way. There are people in this world who always complain but don't come up with any solutions. I hate those people in meetings.

Pretend that you're the head of the broadcast. How would YOU have handled the need to show the footprint fireworks and the no fly zone? Please enlighten us.

Noobs-R-Us

@SwagataPlancus: Maybe you better quit posting from Outlook. :)

infmom

They said, during the telecast, that they weren't real - I forget the exact words used, but they definitely said something to the effect of "these are cinematic effects."

niemassacre

zoom cameras from far off aircraft (a mile is quite far), satellite, attach a camera to radio controlled mini RC aircraft (allowed in no fly zones), ground footage, things I haven't thought of. The point is, China wanted to make a big show, so they don't mind using CGI to make a event look more impressive. Now, I'm not saying you are wrong, just that my opinion disagrees w/ yours. Nor am I trying to convince you of anything. I'm merely putting my thoughts out for viewing. Most people come into this kind of article w/ an opinion fully formed, based on fundamental societal precepts. I tend to hold journalism to the highest of standards, and putting a CGI doctored event into the media in place of actual footage runs contrary to those standards.

jkr I take the internet seriously

I realize that they did set off the firework... But what really bothers me is that it wasn't disclosed that the broadcast wasn't as 'live' as it was supposed to be! With all these conspiracy theorists around, they'll just jump on this as the basis for discrediting any 'live' broadcast now.

I don't mind China using technology to 'touch up' the visual, but they should have fully disclose what the heck they were doing!

StanleyJ

@VakeroRokero: I hate NBC. They have this whole synergy mentality. Couple that with absolutely vapid sportscasting and I take a pass on the whole endeavor.

I'm as "Up With People" as the next guy; I just think NBC should rot.

OMG! Birthday!

Fake? Doesn't matter as long as they set off the real ones.

And those teletype guys popping out of their boxes? It was bad ass enough if it was computer controlled, but PEOPLE?! SIMPLY AMAZING!

witnessx

Only the helicopter shots were computer generated. The shots of the fireworks from lower angles and from within the stadium itself were all real footage.

Obsidian

The Chinese government makes me sick.

rasutcliffe

chinalol. l2democracy...

nonbreakingspace

London is going to be a bloke with a stick telling everyone to stand back and then keeping everyone away when it doesn't go off---compared to that!

jasonkenny

I just can't believe, that people who watched the opening ceremony at NBC didn't notice when the commentators say those were faked for the broadcast. Weren't they paying attention?

berbar

@jkr's bold comment: jesus christ your posts are annoying.

Onouris

@ZillionDollarSadist:
so funny why you're so angry. If you notice, or read, the actual firewroks were set off. But TV viers get a CGI one.

Funny how everyone goes China bashing instead of being amazed at the realism of the fireworks they were able to make with CGI. Certainly had the angry peple here fooled.

gothamdarkknight

If anyone was paying attention, NBC said it was a film as it came on the screen. They weren't hiding anything.

kdunlop

One of the commentors (Matt Lauer maybe?) briefly mentioned the steps were special effects. But it was a quick comment, and I remember thinking did I hear that right.

drware