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| Fifty-six Barco projectors were used to light up the “All China Games” opening ceremony with a dazzling visual display of 52 special effects on a giant circular screen. |
Project: “All China Games” Opening Ceremony Visual Display
Venue: Stadiums, Arenas
Providers: Barco nv, Kortrijk, Belgium
Color Lighting, Beijing
Creative Technology, Shanghai
Overview
Barco recently played a major role in providing total visual solutions for the opening ceremony of the 11th National Games of the People’s Republic of China. The event was highlighted by a spectacular “Super Bowl” video display show in the center of the stadium.
The National Games are China’s most significant sporting event. Often referred to as the “All China Games,” the Games got underway Friday night, October 16, at Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan.
This year’s Games, which took place from16 to 28 October, play a special role not only in promoting China’s athletic prowess but also in highlighting the country’s achievements and progress. People’s Republic of China President Hu Jint presided over the opening ceremony, which also was attended by International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge. The All China Games featured 33 sports and 360 disciplines with the majority of competition taking place in some 17 cities across Shandong.
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| In addition to the still images projected by the 48 Barco XLM HD30 projectors, eight Barco DML-1200 projectors provided moving images on the huge screen. |
Objectives
Given the prominence of the All China Games in Chinese culture, the events planners were challenged to produce an opening ceremony that was nothing short of visually spectacular. In the end, the event’s preparation and execution proved to be on scale with that of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In fact, there was a “buzz” among those attending the event that the National Games’ opening ceremony, with its strong cultural component, celebration of tradition, aesthetic beauty and overall performance, exceeded the pageantry of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Challenges
To help bring the opening ceremony of the National Games vibrantly to life, Barco was selected as a visual solutions provider for the much-celebrated, highly watched event. Color Lighting, one of China’s top lighting production companies, served as the exclusive lighting supplier for the Games, including design, production, implementation and complete service. Color Lighting selected Creative Technology as its projection and video consultant and technical partner for specialist video content delivery.
For the Games’ opening ceremony, one large cylindrical display screen — a “Super Bowl” — in the center of the Olympic Sports Center Stadium was the biggest highlight. The screen measured 50 meters (164 feet) in diameter with a total height of 26 meters (85 feet), and initially appeared as an illuminated bowl.
During the ceremony, with no fewer than 52 special effects, glowing peace doves descended into the stadium from its perimeter and dramatically lifted the bowl into the air. It was at this point that the bowl was revealed as a massive circular projection screen, completely dazzling onlookers.
Solutions
The Barco solutions that Color Lighting and Creative Technology deployed during the opening ceremony included 48 XLM HD30 projectors used for projection on the stadium’ s “Super Bowl” screen. According to Frank Christiaens, president, Barco Greater China, four XLM projectors were installed on each of 12 towers outside of the circular screen at distances varying from 50 to more than 150 meters (164 to 492 feet). The front projection system also included an additional eight DML (Digital Moving Luminaire)-1200 luminaires for dynamic projection.
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| Four Barco XLM HD30 projectors were installed on each of 12 towers to project still images on the 50-meter (164-feet) diameter by 26 meter (85 feet) screen. |
With a native wide-screen aspect ratio, native 2048 x 1080 resolutions and light output of 30,000 center lumens, the Barco XLM HD30 projector is ideally suited to ultra wide-screen and HD projections and was used here to project still images on the circular screen.
The DML-1200, which Barco describes as “the first moving digital luminaire that can truly be used as both a super bright, moving light source and a high quality video projector,” was used to project moving images onto the screen. According to Barco, the DML-1200 offers unlimited image selection along with the ability to seamlessly switch between video projection and light mode, opening the door to unlimited creativity.
“All 48 HD30 projectors were grouped for blending the circular image,” said Christiaens. “They were all driven by the Watchout media system. The DMLs pivoted to project fishes onto the floor and fire onto the stairs at the Olympic flame, etc.” The DMLs also projected images onto different locations around the stadium, he added.
Results
The video lighting solutions, which amazed onlookers, revealed rich, colorful content that was expressive in conveying the Games’ positive message. The event’s dynamic visual content helped spotlight the Games’ theme, “Show Everyone Games,” which added to the vibrant presentation of China’s outstanding achievements in sport and society in a uniquely special way.
“In an era of visually expansive events, today’s producers continually seek out new and more dynamic ways to engage and entertain audiences,” said Zhao Gang, executive general director of the Opening Ceremony of the 11th National Games. “More and more, creative direction and conceptual ideas tend to exceed the limitations of traditional lighting solutions, and lighting engineers find themselves challenged to realize clients’ grand visions. … What they’ve (Barco) helped us achieve in the China Games’ opening ceremony is nothing short of breathtaking.”
“The ‘Super Bowl’ screen was an outsized creative idea,” added Liu Guanlin, executive director for the Games. “It was designed to serve as the soul for the entire opening ceremony. However, it was very difficult to build a bowl screen 50 meters (164 feet) in diameter. What’s more, the processing technique was especially complicated, and created a real challenge in material selection and video production, not to mention the need for powerful playback system. In the end, we made it happen. I’m proud to say that I’ve never seen such a vivid 360-degree video display that provided an engaging view for virtually every person in the stadium.”