2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony
yU+co was approached by the Beijing Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games and the Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group to form a U.S. creative team to bid on the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Games. Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou was chosen to direct the opening and closing ceremonies, while we spearheaded the ceremony VFX concept and design. We teamed up with Director Ang Lee and Olympics Producer Don Misher, submitting our concept proposal to Yimou and the BOCOG. Our winning proposal would become the first of its kind to introduce large-scale projection mapping to China. One of the three themes of Beijing’s overall Olympic bid was “High-Tech Olympics,” and the opening and closing ceremonies were a stunning showcase of such technological achievements and innovative strength.
Transcending the existing Olympic format, Beijing’s opening ceremony was a historical event in its own right, with an estimated 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. Consisting of a welcoming ceremony, an artistic performance, the parade of athletes, and the lighting of the cauldron, the showcase brought the world together to honor the legacy of both Chinese civilization and the Olympic spirit. The four-hour show incorporated many of our proposals, including multiple projections, an LED scroll and free-flying acrobatic figures. We were proud to see our ideas realized on such a monumental stage, witnessed by the entire world.
As a prelude, a short film described the process of papermaking, ink and wash painting, and mounting paper onto a silk scroll while the LED scroll unrolled across the floor. Measuring over 400 feet long – one of the biggest LED screens ever made – the scroll represented one of the Four Great Inventions of China – paper. Visuals depicted China’s origins and progress, highlighting quintessential inventions and fine arts. Animated graphics interacted with live performers “painting” on the scroll as it slowly unfurled. At the end of their performance, the LED scroll was lifted into the air to show the painting to the audience. The stunning integration of technology and art would spotlight not only the profound achievements of the Chinese nation, but the new realm of possibilities for the Olympic Games to come.
We employed a rhythmic editorial style for the 2008 Beijing Games emblem promotional video, befitting of the emblem name, “Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing”. Selected by a jury from nearly 2,000 entries, the emblem combines the traditional Chinese seal and calligraphy with the Olympic passion of sport, transforming the Chinese character for capital into a dancing figure with arms raised in triumph. The emblem conveys four messages; Chinese culture, China red, a welcome from Beijing to the world, and the Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” translating to “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. These messages were incorporated into the emblem's promotional video, produced by the Beijing directorial team, and reinforced with archival vignettes of Olympic athleticism, victory, and pride. We crafted an elegant dance between the Beijing Games emblem and other cultural instances of Chinese red – red lanterns, palace walls, the national flag, a festive dragon dance. A Chinese Ribbon Dance is featured prominently, the red silks intercutting gracefully across footage of shared international triumph.
Leading up to the events, we collaborated on a promotional video unveiling the five official mascots of the 2008 Beijing Games. The mascots – named Fuwa – were designed by Guanying Wu, each designated by a color of the Olympic rings and a significant figure: Beibei, the Fish; Jingjing, the Panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic Flame; Yingying, the Antelope; Nini, the Swallow. As in line with tradition for symbols in Chinese culture, each mascot had an associated blessing of well wishes; prosperity, happiness, good health, good luck, and the passion of sport. Conjugating the first sound of each of the mascots' names resulted in "Bei-Jing-Huan-Ying-Ni", or "Beijing Welcomes You,” tying into the Games core mantra, “One World One Dream”. This slogan bookends the end of the mascot video, where children across all continents join the Fuwa in celebration of global unity. This message of unification would lend itself to the core graphic identity across the entire look of the Beijing Games; a harmonious integration of Chinese culture and the lasting Olympic spirit.
