Youth Olympics Opening uses Ventuz for Phenomenal Graphics Show
| Date: 10th September 2014 |
| Customer: CCTV, Youth Olympics Opening, Agency: 2RISE, Multipixs, Location: China |
| Market: Broadcast |
| Technology: Augmented Reality, Graphic Design, Motion Graphics |
The Youth Olympics in Nanjing set a new standard with an Opening Ceremony of incredible proportions. The central element was an augmented reality graphics setup powered by Ventuz.
The Opening Ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Nanjing took place on August 16th and was broadcast by China’s national channel CCTV. The organizers of the show went to great lengths to create one of the most stunning opening ceremonies in the history of the Olympic Games, with crowds of dancers, aerial artists and much more.
The most interesting element technology-wise was an installation realized by our customers Multipixs and 2rise. The task was to create augmented reality elements which were to be placed into the broadcast signal. In order to create the perfect illusion, Ventuz needed to communicate seamlessly with the camera signal.
CCTV had three cameras placed at different locations in the stadium for wide shots. Each of these cameras was equipped with Trackmen’s camera tracking system, which monitored position, tilt, pan zoom and focus and forwarded this data, in addition to the SDI camera signal, to a Ventuz machine. Ventuz then took the information from the camera to adjust the graphics and mask the real-time content into the SDI signal. The final product of all three cameras and Ventuz machines was then streamed to an OB van, where the director went about his work as usual.
The real-time graphics created by Multipixs and 2rise served as design-heavy additions to the show in the stadium. The central element was a starry sky which was keyed into the open ceiling of the stadium, giving the impression of planets rotating and shooting stars crossing above. But real-time content was also embedded into the choreography on the floor, such as rising light fountains, flying musical notes, a tower, the NYOG 2014 logo and much more.
The show was an unmatched success and images of the virtual graphics quickly spread across the internet and social media platforms. The teams of Multipixs and 2rise delivered phenomenal design and installation work while Ventuz served as the most flexible and reliable tool for the job at hand. What a way to say: Let the games begin.
