Behind the Scenes at the Olympic Games
Atushi Yamamoto
Panasonic
System Engineer
Yoshihisa Oomaru
Panasonic
Project Manager
Yoko Nakamizu
Panasonic Olympic & Paralympic Games Marketing Team
Marco Balich
Rio2016
Executive Producer
James Lee
Ceremonias Cariocas 2016
Ceremony Technology Executive Producer
Patrice Bouqueniaux
Ceremonias Cariocas 2016
Technical Consultant
Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), looked back on Olympic Games Rio 2016, the first Olympic Games hosted in South America, as "an unforgettable, ‘iconic’ Games." The biggest highlight was certainly the Opening Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony is the first and largest showpiece of every Olympic Games. The focal point of the Opening Ceremony is its production, which deeply reflects the history and culture of each host country. Supporting this production is the leading technology of each era. Panasonic exhibited the full extent of its technology at Rio 2016, in which they served for the first time as an Official Opening & Closing Ceremony Partner. The Olympic Games is the world's most prominent festival of sports, showcasing athletes. The Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony, a production befitting the commencement of such a festive event, is certain to have imprinted firmly in people's minds.
Undergoing Thorough Preparation for Total Overall Readiness
On January 6, 2016, Panasonic announced the agreement with the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 to become the Official Opening & Closing Ceremony Partner. Panasonic had supplied equipment to prior opening ceremonies. However, during Rio 2016, Panasonic was contracted from the system build-out phase and supported the entire ceremony from the event producers' perspective. The road to completion was said to have been difficult.
Panasonic's Atsushi Yamamoto and Yoshihisa Oomaru, both supervisors, recount as follows: "As this was our first attempt and having no know-how, we underwent a daily trial-and-error process. From projection testing at the factory, we were completely devoted to the preparation." Rehearsals started one month before the event, and fine tuning was repeated as time allowed. And so on August 5, 2016, at Brazil's Maracaña Stadium - often referred to as the sacred grounds for soccer - the Olympic Games Rio 2016 commenced splendidly.
The Magnificent Projection that Brought Excitement
Rio 2016 was ubiquitously adorned using projection mapping on a spectacular scale. This production became emblematic of the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony, and was supported by Panasonic's 20,000-lumen, high-brightness projector (PT-DZ21K2). Thanks to careful preparation, the Opening Ceremony welcomed the finale without any significant issues. In addition, a happy surprise was waiting at the end: even after the ceremony ended, people continued to sing inside the stadium. Sidney Levy of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee reflects on the evening: "As I witnessed this sight [of people singing], I felt the sensation that our mission was successfully accomplished. In order to successfully execute a huge event such as the Olympic Games, it is imperative to have technology, information, and partners who have the experience and knowledge of past competitions. We had Panasonic as our partner. We feel very fortunate about this."
