by Trevor Connell

Last year Andrew Walsh told me that he had an idea for a large-scale opera.  Last night I think we saw that production in its one any only performance.

I’m not going to attempt an in depth view of the ceremony (I’ll leave that to much better paid journalists), so this is just some ramblings from an industry observer.

The Producer

Jack Morton Worldwide’s Melbourne office was appointed to the project in October 2003.  The production involved a team of 120 led by JMW Australian Managing Director Tara Back.  Andrew Walsh was the executive producer and artistic director. The Ceremony comprised 2500 volunteer performers and a further 800 backstage. 

Tara Back, Managing Director Jack Morton Worldwide in Australia said: “We are proud to have produced such a successful opening ceremony for the City of Melbourne.

“The extension of the ceremony beyond the confines of the stadium into the City itself represents a first for this kind of event.  It was the vision of Ron Walker Chairman of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and we are delighted to have given form to his idea.  We are looking forward to producing the closing ceremony on March 26.”

Icons, Icons, Icons

Melbourne and Australian icons abounded – the tram, Michael Leunig, Bruce Petty, koalas, thongs, jocks, blue navel fluff, Melbourne’s weather and the seagulls flying around the Arts Centre spire.  And in one of the aerial shots the MCG looked like a giant roulette wheel – a tribute to the Packer empire maybe?

Loved the actions to Advance Australia Fair – can’t wait to see John Howard doing them next time it’s played.

The lighting rig suspended over centre stage provided a “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” effect.

And the duck – well I loved the duck, not sure why, but I did.  Particularly the way it morphed into every young boys dream.

Design

Each element of the show had its own designer. These included Christina Smith, Dan Potra and Andrew Carter.

Projections

The big challenge for The Electric Canvas technicians was the alignment of the 24 projectors on the three dimensional curved stage surface.  This provided more headaches than the Sydney 2000 line-up that had to be done two metres above the ground (to focus on the cloth that covered the athletes).

The Electric Canvas worked in with the designers of each segment to produce some very stunning visual effects.

Pyros

Australian’s love big fireworks shows and they turned out in their many thousands to get a free view of this event. The firing of pyros from the city buildings made the inclusion of the CBD into the ceremony something special, so is this an Australian thing?  Think back to the Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Shades of Torino – the rollerbladers with backpack pyros and Catherine wheels would have been a big surprise if the effect had not been seen two weeks earlier, but it was still very effective. 

Howard & Sons delivered an incredible range of materials to produce the spectacular display including:

• 4 x 40 foot containers of specially designed pyrotechnic product and equipment
  
• over 19 km of data cable to control the 280 pyrotechnic computer field modules
  
• 4 Computer Firing Controllers firing over 8,800 cues or individual pyrotechnic effects
  
• 35 Pyrotechnicians

Andrew Howard, who is the pyrotechnics display director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, said he was delighted with the result. “Some of the special effects we fired around the MCG rooftop, the Yarra River and the finale scene roller bladers have never been seen before (in Australia) and they really worked well to put the icing on the cake, a cake that I believe was wonderfully produced by the Ceremonies Executive Producer Andrew Walsh and his team.”

“It is an enormous task to be able to synchronise between seven city building rooftops, 36 positions on the Yarra River, 55 positions around the MCG rooftop, the centre lighting truss and the beautiful stage built in the MCG. I very happy with the display and very proud of our entire crew on site and back at our factory all did an outstanding job. Now we look forward to the Closing Ceremony."

The athletes

The team names on umbrellas – a very whimsical take on Melbourne’s weather.

So many countries that we only ever seem to hear of at Commonwealth Games.

So much blue, defiantly the colour of the night.

India had the best outfits followed by PNG and the prize for the worst goes to Australia, by a country mile, they looked like a bunch of kids from a private school, but I’m sure John Howard would have loved them.

The baton relay

The AFL captains picked their way very carefully over the pontoons which earlier had water fountains spraying above them and Ron Barassi can walk on water – a very Melbourne joke though.

John Landy was such an obvious choice (four minute mile and governor of Victoria).  Maybe all the Queen’s representatives should dress that way when delivering a message to her (from her).  And did you note how Prince Philip was trying to read his wife’s message off the screen, didn’t she tell him what she wrote?

The TV coverage

Thumbs up

Ray Martin has the sense to know when to shut up and let the story tell itself.  This was in stark contrast to the channel 7 coverage of the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony that was called by a sporting commentator who couldn’t shut up.

Thumbs down

The telecast opened with an ad break – six minutes of it. And Sam Neil did a great job of turning us off meat.

We know what bloody channel we are watching so why do all the networks (including the ABC) now have to stick their dam logo in the corner of the screen.

The Lotto draw.

So so

Nicole Livingstone – apparently she does great swimming commentary, fortunately Ray kept her commentary mostly under control during the ceremony coverage

 Quotes from the commentary that I never want to hear again

“Melburnians love their sport”

“All my bumps are goosed”

“Athletes standing on their legs”