Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 20 Title: Goodbye, together to the future! ——Zhang Yimou and the main creative team explain the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics
Xinhua News Agency
Tonight, the "Story of Snowflakes" finally ends, but the slogan of "Together to the Future" is eternal; tonight, the Winter Olympic athletes are thankful to say goodbye, but the fireworks of "One Family Under the Heavens" illuminate the front...
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin
Light up, remember, salute, wave goodbye... On the evening of the 20th, at the "Bird's Nest" at the National Stadium, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ended successfully with a more simple but touching closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics that are destined to go down in history.
Zhang Yimou, the general director of the closing ceremony, and members of the main creative team were interviewed by Xinhua News Agency to explain the story behind the warmth and emotion.
From aesthetic to moving: warm winter nights light up winter dreams
At 8 p.m., the closing ceremony started on time. "The huge 'ice surface' screen that was amazingly unveiled at the opening ceremony was exceptionally white and quiet at this time, and the solid color of the Winter Olympic Emblem 'Winter Dream' floated under the ice, waiting to wake up. Snowflake torches hover in the air, beautiful reflections projected in the center of the ice. Zhang Yimou, director of the closing ceremony, explained that when the music sounded, a group of cute children appeared on the stage - they held flower lanterns in the shape of snowflakes, and frolicked and danced on the "ice surface". As the performance progressed, the children lit the "Winter" character emblem on the screen with small flower lamps in their hands in different positions. For a time, the lights shone brightly and the warmth melted.
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. This is the opening "light up" session. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
"'Winter Dream' transformed from a solid ice crystal into a colorful color, and the 20,000 lanterns on the stage and in the audience were immediately lit up, and the closing ceremony opened in a brilliant light." Sha Xiaolan, director of the closing ceremony, said, "Lighting up the emblem not only lights up the purpose of the Winter Olympics, but also lights up the stage and warms the winter night. ”
Compared with the aesthetics and shock of the countdown to the twenty-four solar terms of the opening ceremony, the children holding flower lanterns who appeared at the closing ceremony were more agile and lively. Zhang Lingling, visual effects director of the closing ceremony, revealed that in order to perfectly present the visual effects, the team tried to freeze 8 cubic meters of ice for filming and collection, and the static and dynamic tests of the link reached more than 200 times.
"The closing ceremony and the opening ceremony are generally in the same vein, and there are many 'familiar strangers'." For example, Zhang Yimou said that more than 40 children from the Fuping Mountains of Hebei Province, who sang the Olympic anthem in Greek at the opening ceremony, performed again at the closing ceremony. At the opening ceremony, they wore festive red clothes, and at the closing ceremony, they changed into blue and white porcelain style clothes, like ice elves. "Once living in poor mountainous areas, they have now successfully lifted themselves out of poverty, which not only reflects the results of poverty alleviation and the determination to achieve common prosperity, but also expresses the theme of 'more unity' in the Ice and Snow Winter Olympics."
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. It's children singing Olympic songs. Photo by Ju Huanzong, Xinhua News Agency
At the opening ceremony, the dandelions of the "Li Chun" performance session flew from the ground screen to the sky and turned into fireworks to amaze everyone. "At the closing ceremony, a similar 'heaven-earth linkage' once again presented a different kind of 'fast and furious'." Zhao Xuke, director of the closing ceremony, introduced, "Before the award ceremony, the side screen played a short film of the athletes winning gold and silver and passionately. At the end of the short film, an alpine skier rushes down the slope at high speed, the skis fly out of the side screen, and then slide to the center of the field, achieving a 'seamless connection' of the snowboard from the air to the ground, and this huge ski is the podium. ”
In order to achieve simplicity and efficiency, the closing ceremony basically uses the props and machinery of the opening ceremony. Li Bin, the chief art designer of the closing ceremony, revealed that the ground cabin under the ground screen is the "magic box" presented by various "highlights" of the closing ceremony. "We communicated the design in advance before the opening ceremony entered, and as soon as the opening ceremony was over, we only needed to modularize the ground cabin to use it. This puts forward higher requirements for the degree of cooperation between various types of work. ”
Unity through Connection: "Chinese Knot" "Ode to Joy"
When 12 zodiac skates slide up and carry the children to spin and dance, the sky and earth instantly become a joyful and enthusiastic fantasy ice rink. Sha Xiaolan introduced that the "traces" left by the skates on the ground screen gradually formed a "Chinese knot" shape. Meanwhile, beautiful red lines generated by AR (augmented reality) technology grow gracefully in the sky, weaving into a giant Chinese knot wrapped in snowflake torches that echo the imagery on the ground. "Athletes waving colorful flags of participating delegations and entering in the package of 'Chinese knot' lines, the connection and unity between countries in the world are fully demonstrated at this moment."
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
"The Chinese knot is sometimes flowing with clouds, sometimes flowing and moving, constantly changing its form. The reflection on the ground screen also takes on a different texture. Li Bin introduced that in order to achieve these changes, the design team has designed a total of 55 sets of "Chinese knot" alternatives. The team tried to improve each pattern several times and adjusted it in real time based on the lighting effects on the spot.
"During the admission of athletes, the 'Chinese knot' on the ground screen once again showed a new change - athletes dressed in different colored team uniforms constantly filled in the blanks in the 'Chinese knot' pattern to form a colorful 'Chinese knot'." Zhang Wenhai, dance director and director of the closing ceremony, said, "We specially designed volunteer guides to hold lanterns, which not only set off a warm and celebratory atmosphere, but also guided the athletes to gradually form a 'Chinese knot' picture in a neat march. ”
"The 'Chinese knot' represents good wishes, but also means connection and connectivity. The athletes of the delegations have experienced 16 days of competition and life in China, formed new friendships, built new bridges, and pulled the distance between them, making the Olympic family more united. Sha Xiaolan said.
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. This is the entrance of the delegation flag and athletes. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jingyan
Huang Kairan, music coordinator of the closing ceremony, revealed that the music "Ode to Joy" in the athletes' admission session embodied the concept of unity, fraternity and peace. "The principle of music selection is 'international, classic', both familiar and interactive. "Ode to Joy" is a good choice, embodying the expression of the world's unity, but due to the shortness of the original song, the music arrangement is not easy. After concentrated re-creation and continuous attempts, the final adapted version not only meets the needs of admission time, but also achieves the effect of dissemination. ”
Let the remembrance be warmer: once upon a time, Willow Yiyi
Remembering the moment, accompanied by the melodious music "Farewell", the actors held glowing willow branches in their hands, lightly and slowly entered the venue, and where they walked, the breeze was gentle and the willow branches swayed. In the ground screen, the willows flutter and flutter in the sky, as if parting sorrows, and are also the seeds of prolonging life. When people gather in the center of the venue, a white light monument with a diameter of 16 meters lights up and shoots straight into the sky.
"This is a monument of life forged with light and love, solemn and great. Everyone looked up at the beam of light as if in dialogue with a lost life. Zhang Yimou introduced, "When the beam of light turns from white to green, the plain white ice and snow ground is instantly blended into a tender green." Once upon a time, Willow Yiyi. People wander in the greenery, and the farewell remembrance and love of life are endless and endless. ”
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. This is the "folding willow sending affection" link. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ga
Since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the remembrance session has become a fixed part of the closing ceremony. "How to present the concept of 'remembrance' is understood differently by each country. What we want to express is that while deeply commemorating, there is hope and strength to continue to move forward. Huang Hui, director of the closing ceremony, said, "After countless draft changes, we have found such a subtle, aesthetic and freehand way - 'folding willow to send affection', using a song, a group of people, a bunch of wicker, a beam of light, in a green shade of the spring back to the land, to express together to face spring and the future." ”
In the process of the actor's march, the ground screen with the actor's walking path emits a little light, and the glowing wicker shines together. Zhang Lingling said that this is due to the precise dynamic bite of the ground screen. "In order to accurately interpret the atmosphere of 'folding willows to send affection', the team collected and produced a large number of dynamic samples of willow branch shapes, and combined with the linkage interpretation of live actors and central beams, and finally completed nearly 100 versions of the design plan."
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. This is the "folding willow sending affection" link. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li He
"We always believe that the main tone of the memorial session is the melting of ice and snow, winter to spring." Sha Xiaolan said, "On another level, the history of human development has been moving forward in various disasters. Despite the current outbreak of covid-19, all mankind will be able to overcome difficulties by working together, and spring will eventually come. ”
From salute to prospect: After saying goodbye tonight, let's move to the future together
During the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, the children sang the classic theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games "Me and You" again with pure and immature children's voices, and the flag bearers of the participating delegations gathered to the central government. "The five rings of stars that represent the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games rise, so ethereal and romantic, people seem to return to the magical, exhilarating summer night of 2008 – right here, right here!" Zhang Yimou described, "At the same time, the snowflake torch slowly fell, interlacing and dialogue with the five rings of stars in the air, once again paying an affectionate tribute to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games." ”
The sacred flame was slowly extinguished in the children's song, and the snowflakes surrounding the flames suddenly fell back to the ground screen and slowly drifted to the sky. The white snowflakes gradually bloom golden with the music, warm and dazzling. "Tonight, golden snowflakes float all over the capital and turn into thousands of lights. Colorful five-ring fireworks bloom, and the four words 'one family under the sky' light up the night sky, once again interpreting the beautiful hope of 'together to the future'. Cai Guoqiang, chief designer of visual arts at the closing ceremony, said.
"There are no two snowflakes in the world, but the world is also harmonious and different." Zhang Lingling said that in order to embody this concept, each AR snowflake produced by the team is unique and has different shapes. "To achieve the perfect result at liftoff, all the patterns on the ground screen must be exactly the same as the virtual pattern and the point. Similarly, the ground image of the five rings of the stars must also be seamlessly coordinated with the prop installation, so that the audience can feel as if the five rings are lifted from the ground. ”
Recalling the creative and production process of the closing ceremony, the members of the main creative team were full of emotions. "It's a show without a show, a choreography without a dance." Li Bin sighed that the opening and closing ceremonies integrated the performance into the ceremony, closely following the simplicity and romance. "Avenue to Jane. All the performances and rituals are done on a piece of 'ice', which can be described as a 'dojo in a snail shell', making a thing to the extreme, so that the team members can feel pure and rustic creation again. ”
"Each link has undergone countless adjustments and modifications, which is a long and painful process, but the team members can always maintain enthusiasm and high cooperation." Liu Kuo, stage director of the closing ceremony, said, "Because of this, we are constantly having new ideas to improve the quality and artistry of the picture. ”
"At the end of the Winter Olympics, the sacred flame was not extinguished, because more fires had turned into snowflakes, accompanied by the wind into the night, and drifted into everyone's heart - a song and a song, a thousand lights. After bidding farewell tonight, let's go to the future together! Zhang Yimou explained his understanding of the closing ceremony. (Reporters: Yan Tao, Zhou Ning, Li Li, Shang Jun, Wang Lu)