Travelingshooz reviews the Opening Ceremonies.

As a live events production tech, the Olympics have a completely different draw for me. While others talk about how fast the lugers are going, I'm talking about the camera's being able to keep up. But as a spectator and a viewing citizen of TVland, I could care less. When we were last invaded by the Olympians, I had missed the opening ceremonies and boy did I miss out. All I heard about for the next few weeks from my colleagues was about the impressive scale and magnitude of the whole event, critiques on the director's choice of using CG for broadcast, syncing issues, etc etc. And I was completely left out of the discussion. Well this year I was determined to not make that mistake again. I sat down at 7pm share with water and snacks, ready to take in the splendor of this "intimate" affair.


Two hours later I am screaming at Matt Lauer to just shut up and get to the main event. By the time the we got to the parade of athletes, my boyfriend was sound asleep and I had reached a level of belligerent not even my cats could stand. So alone and abandoned by my companions, I did the only thing someone in my state could... I began to live tweet. I didn't mean to, I try so hard to limit myself to 2-5 tweets a day. But something had to be done. For those of you who missed out, please enjoy this recap, which I can guarantee is much funnier if you actually saw the opening session.... or maybe not.

• 9:17pm Anybody else a little nervous the giant ice god will gain consciousness and start running amok?
• 9:28pm @MyMelange Ha yes poor kid looked so uninterested. Bermuda also only 1 kid… in Bermuda shorts no less.
• 9:35pm Oh ya. Let's hear it for those Ver*Lites! Wonder if they have a gobo for Azerbaijan's pants. 
• 9:38pm Macedonia has more words in their name than athletes.  
• 9:49pm Is it possible for Italy to not look constantly fabulous? Or for Jamaica to not look high?
• 9:52pm @MyMelange vaguely. I still say Frankensteins, robots, or zombies. Depends on angle. (in response to her tweet, remarking that the ice gods looked a bit phallic)
• 9:55pm
  Wow huge turn out from Lichtenstein. Like half the population. (so excited iPhone recognized Lichtenstein!) (there were, I believe, 6 athletes)
• 10:01pm Netherlands, aka the parade of eyebrows
• 10:14pm How did Courtney Love get on the USA team? (picking on Lindsey Jacobellis)
• 10:20pm WTF… I have been sitting here since 7 for the cultural part. And they give me Bryan Adams?
• 10:33pm GIANT FLYING ROBOT POLAR BEAR?! #StephenColbert save us!
• 10:38pm This production is just stunning. suck it China! (I believe this was in response to the projection of ice breaking up on the arena floor)
• 10:49pm Good to see the cast of every post-apocalyptic film ever were able to make it. (in reference to the peculiar Scottish Gregory Hines et ensemble)
• 11:12pm Interesting program note. The poet's beard is actually being projected on to his massive 2nd chin.

At some point two old men got up in front of a mic and started talking. I immediately fell asleep. Woke up two hours later and they were STILL TALKING. Okay, granted it was an NBC recap, but after such an ordeal I was ready to believe anything. All and all, it was worth the effort. The production was just stunning, breathtaking and inspiring (gotta figure out for my next show how to get the budget to fly in the keynote speaker on wires). The arena wide projection and the morphing white cyc proved to be a technical masterpiece. The choreography paled a bit in comparison (for example the Peter Pan meets Lost Boys looking kid in Wizard of Oz before Dorothy gets picked up by the tornado was a bit dull) but all together, an incredible performance. My hat is off to the cast, crew, and production staff.