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A British newspaper is reporting that part of the fireworks at the Olympic openning ceremonies may have been computer generated to make them appear more elabrate than they were. Here is the story if you want to read more.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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I'm curious about this. Does anybody care if it was?
I do. Despite being well read in postmodernism, I get annoyed when people take pictures in front of mountains they haven't climbed, put books on their bookshelves they don't intend to read, and constantly speak with a British accent because they took two electives in drama.
Is elusive 'authenticity' still sought after?
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I'm curious about this. Does anybody care if it was?
I do. Despite being well read in postmodernism, I get annoyed when people take pictures in front of mountains they haven't climbed, put books on their bookshelves they don't intend to read, and constantly speak with a British accent because they took two electives in drama.
Is elusive 'authenticity' still sought after?
That and it calls into question everything else at the Olympics.[sarcasm] If we cant trust them to be honest about the fireworks display, how can we trust that the Chinese really have the lead in medals fair and square?[/sarcasm] This is the problem with having an event like this in a country that is so totalitarian. We already know that they have stepped back from their promise to loosen restrictions on the press and the internet. I guess the point is, that once you catch a country like China in a lie over something as trivial as fireworks, can we trust them on anything else?
Edited for clarity.
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The headline that article was printed under is really misleading.
As I understood it, people who were at the event saw the same scenes created with real fireworks. Those of us at home saw some pre-recorded segments with digital alteration- the reason being it would be too dangerous to have helicopters flying up there trying to capture it as they set off the massive full display.
From what I've read about it the only things that were altered were done so from a safety perspective. Trying to draw a connection from that to faked medals is pretty ridiculous and offensive.
So every time those fireworks exploded, they were faking it? I know me and fireworks had kind of a bad break-up, but letting me know that was just uncalled for.
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The headline that article was printed under is really misleading.
As I understood it, people who were at the event saw the same scenes created with real fireworks. Those of us at home saw some pre-recorded segments with digital alteration- the reason being it would be too dangerous to have helicopters flying up there trying to capture it as they set off the massive full display.
From what I've read about it the only things that were altered were done so from a safety perspective. Trying to draw a connection from that to faked medals is pretty ridiculous and offensive.
Then the answer is to find a safer way to film it, not create a fake display that may or may not be the same as what was seen at the actual event. And to set the record straight I was not saying that the Chinese have faked medals, just that if they were misleading about how the fireworks were done then people will naturally question other things China has done.
There have already been officiating concerns in the last several Olympics. Remember how the French judge at the Athens Olympics tried several times to disqualify American swimmers as a political statement? He was eventually dismissed and another judge because every reason he gave for trying to disqualify Americans was bogus. We all remember, I'm sure, the dust up over the pairs figure skating event at the Salt Lake Olympics where it was revealed that countries and judges were negotiating with each other in order to decide who won before the events were ever held. Not to mention the referee scandle from the NBA last year. The guy the caught was supposed to be an Olympic referee this year.
Edit: For the record here is the original story.
Gao Xiaolong, head of the visual effects team for the ceremony, said it had taken almost a year to create the 55-second sequence. Meticulous efforts were made to ensure the sequence was as unnoticeable as possible: they sought advice from the Beijing meteorological office as to how to recreate the hazy effects of Beijing's smog at night, and inserted a slight camera shake effect to simulate the idea that it was filmed from a helicopter.
They even admited that the purpose was not safety, but to decieve people.
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Eh... Come on now... He does in fact say in the article you are quoting from that the reason was both for the spectacle of creating a nice performance and also for safety. I don't really see a problem there. The fireworks were set off live so it's not like they tried to make it look like they had spent more for a better show, or that they had better fireworks coordinating technology than they really had. They just tried to make the spectacle viewable from home.
The fireworks were there for real, outside the stadium. But those responsible for filming the extravaganza decided in advance it would be impossible to capture all 29 footprints from the air.
He said the main problem with trying to shoot the real thing was the difficulty of placing the television helicopter at the right angle to see all 28 footsteps in a row.
One advisor to the Beijing Olympic Committee (BOCOG) defended the decision to use make-believe to impress the viewer. "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."
Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
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Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
No, because no one claimed that the girl was flying. If the Chinese government had said "this girl is really flying," and then we discovered that she wasn't I would have been bothered. What bothers me is that the Chinese said,"these are the fireworks as they are happening." They were not and no one would have known if a disgruntled individual who wanted credit for his work leaked it to the press. There is a vey not so fine line between effects that we know are fake but we suspend disbelief to accept it as so, and someone telling me I am seeing one thing when I am actually seeing another, for the purpose of intentional deception.
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The passport thing is a suspicious mess though. Only official documentation would lay it to rest, but considering they are all state documents and the state is the one defending their honesty... nothing is going to settle that.
The same state that produced documents showing that Tibet has always been part of China
I think it's a pretty stupid controversy. It's a show. Why would I care if elements of the show were done with digital effects rather than real fireworks? I'm still being entertained.
Oh, sure, it would be cooler if the fireworks were real... but then it would be cooler if people could actually fly like Superman too. Personally, I'm not going to get worked up about it.
I'm curious about this. Does anybody care if it was?
I do. Despite being well read in postmodernism, I get annoyed when people take pictures in front of mountains they haven't climbed, put books on their bookshelves they don't intend to read, and constantly speak with a British accent because they took two electives in drama.
Is elusive 'authenticity' still sought after?
LOL. I remember saying this at age 17: "Why does everyone put on a British accent when they read poetry aloud?"
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LOL. I remember saying this at age 17: "Why does everyone put on a British accent when they read poetry aloud?"I'm curious about this. Does anybody care if it was?
I do. Despite being well read in postmodernism, I get annoyed when people take pictures in front of mountains they haven't climbed, put books on their bookshelves they don't intend to read, and constantly speak with a British accent because they took two electives in drama.
Is elusive 'authenticity' still sought after?
Because the only thing less cool the reading poetry aloud is reading it aloud with a British accent. Unless they are drunk, then it's still not cool but it's really funny.
The Chinese have already falsified the passports of some of their female gymnasts to claim they are 16 and able to compete.
I know these gymasts have mostly turned into calorie starved pygmie people, but two of those Chinese girls are definitely not 16. They might turn 16 by the next Olympics though. There was a little league in NY, I think, that had a kid with a nascent moustache out there on the mound. Much controversy. He wasn't just tall. He looked like he could have been his teammate's dad. Of course I overstate for jest.
That said, I've been enjoying the events, though the NBC coverage has often been spotty and terribly celebrity oriented. They pull away from the in-progress sporting event, or fail completely to cover certain events, in order to make more room for things like Phelps talk. It's this "everyone loves a winner" mentality. I guess if Phelps is all we focus on, and he wins, we here in America have won, and then we can all feel good about ourselves as we get back to emptying an economy-size bag of chips. It's great to see a guy win, but I'd really like to see more events than more reiteration of how he could get more medals than anyone else every fifteen minutes. That's not, in any way, meant to be a Phelps slam. His talent is boundless and he deserves every good thing he gets. (except for an inner ear infection)
Because the only thing less cool the reading poetry aloud is reading it aloud with a British accent. Unless they are drunk, then it's still not cool but it's really funny.
LOL. I remember saying this at age 17: "Why does everyone put on a British accent when they read poetry aloud?"
Aw, man. No you DID not say that reading poetry aloud was uncool! I'll meet you at the next poetry slam and we'll see who's cool! <G>
Better watch out, David. When the Jade does poetry slams, he comes off the top turnbuckle.
Better watch out, David. When the Jade does poetry slams, he comes off the top turnbuckle.
I don't wanna have to go Superfly Snuka on him. Pretend to hold me back, guys.
Better watch out, David. When the Jade does poetry slams, he comes off the top turnbuckle.That's okay, while he was studying poetry and professional wrestling, I was busy learning military hand to hand combat techniques. Plus I have watched every episode of American Gladiators, old and new.
I WILL KICK YOUR WORDS DOWN THE STAIRS AND THE PEE ON THEM FROM THE UPPER LANDING!
::leaps::
BTW, a guy I once knew, Billy Wirth (he was the vampire with long dark hair in the original Lost Boys film) is an actor I hung out with after he took a strong interest in honing his writing. At age 25, he appeared on the first season of American Gladiators and TORE THEM UP. He was so cocky when he beat the gladiators that, during the finals, they all ganged up on him and him alone, and let the nicer guy, a physcially huge former New England Patriots football player, win easily.
Billy's older brothers were massive all state wrestlers, so he was used to dealing with brutes. If you ever want to see a regular looking, in-shape guy destroy a bunch of 'roid addled gorillas... check it out.
I see your Superfly and raise you Tito Santana.Better watch out, David. When the Jade does poetry slams, he comes off the top turnbuckle.I don't wanna have to go Superfly Snuka on him. Pretend to hold me back, guys.
The expression on my face could only be described as 'wide-eyed Samoan Brothers'.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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No, because no one claimed that the girl was flying. If the Chinese government had said "this girl is really flying," and then we discovered that she wasn't I would have been bothered.
Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
If the Chinese government had said "This girl is really flying" I would have been completely like "Wow! They have gone so nuts! They think we're going to buy that?" ... Now, if the North Korean government had sayed "This girl loves the dear leader so much that she is really flying", I wouldn't have been at all surprised. I expect so little from the North Koreans.
If the Chinese government had said "This girl is really flying" I would have been completely like "Wow! They have gone so nuts! They think we're going to buy that?" ... Now, if the North Korean government had sayed "This girl loves the dear leader so much that she is really flying", I wouldn't have been at all surprised. I expect so little from the North Koreans.
Their soylent green is delicious. I think it's the insouciant hint of lemon zest.
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The expression on my face could only be described as 'wide-eyed Samoan Brothers'.I see your Superfly and raise you Tito Santana.Better watch out, David. When the Jade does poetry slams, he comes off the top turnbuckle.I don't wanna have to go Superfly Snuka on him. Pretend to hold me back, guys.
I respond with a bit of "Undertaker" staredown.
I respond with a bit of "Undertaker" staredown.
No fair.
Lifes ruff, wolfy.I respond with a bit of "Undertaker" staredown.No fair.
Guess I'll have to bark up another tree.
Aw, man. No you DID not say that reading poetry aloud was uncool! I'll meet you at the next poetry slam and we'll see who's cool! <G>
This from the guy who says "picayune."
But then again, he knew the words to Shaft.Cannot... reconcile... head... explodes!
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Eh... Come on now... He does in fact say in the article you are quoting from that the reason was both for the spectacle of creating a nice performance and also for safety. I don't really see a problem there. The fireworks were set off live so it's not like they tried to make it look like they had spent more for a better show, or that they had better fireworks coordinating technology than they really had. They just tried to make the spectacle viewable from home.
The fireworks were there for real, outside the stadium. But those responsible for filming the extravaganza decided in advance it would be impossible to capture all 29 footprints from the air.He said the main problem with trying to shoot the real thing was the difficulty of placing the television helicopter at the right angle to see all 28 footsteps in a row.One advisor to the Beijing Olympic Committee (BOCOG) defended the decision to use make-believe to impress the viewer. "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."Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
Seems to me, that NBC and every other nation's media that aired it bears a large amount of the blame as well.
Are there independetly verified accounts of this as well? I never trust a story with only one source. Newspapers and TV reporters have been known to stretch, modify, exhagerate and outright falsify stories for profit and attention.
What other sources have been able to confirm this story? If none, I am inclined to believe it is made up. If a couple more then I would say it was a poor choice made by the Beijing OOC and ALL of the media responsible for broadcasting the enhanced footage without a disclaimer.
Aw, man. No you DID not say that reading poetry aloud was uncool! I'll meet you at the next poetry slam and we'll see who's cool! <G>This from the guy who says "picayune."
But then again, he knew the words to Shaft.
Cannot... reconcile... head... explodes!
You're reminding me of supercomputers circa 60's comedies. You could ask them a question that didn't make any sense and they would smoke and fry.
You're reminding me of supercomputers circa 60's comedies. You could ask them a question that didn't make any sense and they would smoke and fry.
Wow... so much for progress. The machines you describe are way better than my ca. 2008 work computer. I ask it a question that makes sense (e.g., "Would you open Microsoft Word, please?"), and it smokes and fries.
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You're reminding me of supercomputers circa 60's comedies. You could ask them a question that didn't make any sense and they would smoke and fry.Wow... so much for progress. The machines you describe are way better than my ca. 2008 work computer. I ask it a question that makes sense (e.g., "Would you open Microsoft Word, please?"), and it smokes and fries.
Here's a quarter, go buy yourself a better i.e. Linux computer.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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You're reminding me of supercomputers circa 60's comedies. You could ask them a question that didn't make any sense and they would smoke and fry.Wow... so much for progress. The machines you describe are way better than my ca. 2008 work computer. I ask it a question that makes sense (e.g., "Would you open Microsoft Word, please?"), and it smokes and fries.
What does it smoke?
What does it fry?
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No, because no one claimed that the girl was flying. If the Chinese government had said "this girl is really flying," and then we discovered that she wasn't I would have been bothered. What bothers me is that the Chinese said,"these are the fireworks as they are happening." They were not and no one would have known if a disgruntled individual who wanted credit for his work leaked it to the press. There is a vey not so fine line between effects that we know are fake but we suspend disbelief to accept it as so, and someone telling me I am seeing one thing when I am actually seeing another, for the purpose of intentional deception.
Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
I guess this proves that the Chinese government has converted to 4th Edition. Otherwise they could have just had a Wizard take care of things.
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I guess this proves that the Chinese government has converted to 4th Edition. Otherwise they could have just had a Wizard take care of things.No, because no one claimed that the girl was flying. If the Chinese government had said "this girl is really flying," and then we discovered that she wasn't I would have been bothered. What bothers me is that the Chinese said,"these are the fireworks as they are happening." They were not and no one would have known if a disgruntled individual who wanted credit for his work leaked it to the press. There is a vey not so fine line between effects that we know are fake but we suspend disbelief to accept it as so, and someone telling me I am seeing one thing when I am actually seeing another, for the purpose of intentional deception.
Were you also bothered that the little girl wasn't really flying with the torch? I could see her wires a little bit in the light.
oh, SNAP!
I thought the torch was making her fly, the wires were there for when she passed it off.
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I thought the torch was making her fly, the wires were there for when she passed it off.
Well not only was that little girl not flying, the one who sung "Ode to the Motherland" was not singing. Here's the story on that. To quote the article "it was the latest example of the lengths the image-obsessed China is taking to create a perfect Summer Games."
Chinese invented fireworks. Just sayin.
True, but the Italians were the first to use them for entertainment purposes.
So...what's all the fuss about? Half the food I eat has been faked.
"Psst! Wanna buy some charcoal..."
"Its an arms dealer selling components to weapons of mass destruction...get him!"
Just watched Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Hilarious. Especially when Mr. and Mrs. Lee speak English to the interpreter and he doesn't understand them.