A team of producers, working behind the scenes, have created a series of music and dance shows to keep crowds excited.
It is London 2012’s secret weapon: the displays of entertainment before, during and after events that are getting spectators excited about sports they never knew they cared about. A team of producers, working behind the scenes, have created a series of music and dance shows to keep crowds excited.
Using everything from Kiss Cams and Bongo Cams to Magic Moppers and Crazy Rakers, the London Games are leaving audiences with beaming smiles on their faces. The Olympics has never seen anything like it. British sport, too, may never be the same again. “It feels very American, but in a fun way. We loved the entertainment,” said Celia Coombes, 55, a university lecturer from Portishead, near Bristol, who had just watched China thrash Angola in a women’s basketball game. The game wasn’t thrilling but the entertainment throughout the event was a huge hit with Coombes. The rest of the 10,000 crowd, judging by the whoops and cheers, agreed. “Our remit is to create the perfect alignment of athletes and spectators,” said Andy Derbyshire, who is in charge of sport presentation at events. “It is about encouraging the crowd and the athletes.” No Olympics has gone to such lengths to entertain its crowds — a deliberate decision after Beijing, where bursts of Chinese opera very occasionally interspersed the sporting action.
At London 2012, music and theatrical lighting play a key role in creating anticipation and excitement. Different sports get a different musical treatment, with 2,500 songs recorded and available to play across the venues at the touch of a button. Sports have been divided into five categories, which include “heritage” events such as fencing, showjumping and modern pentathlon, to “energy” sports such as swimming, cycling and beach volleyball. Each gets a musical score and lighting, video and stage show to match. “Basketball is more like a nightclub than a beach party,” said Derbyshire.
“We would normally enhance a rock performance by using lighting and sound,” explained James O’Brien, a former MTV producer and the head of London 2012 sports presentation. “Here, we are enhancing what is happening on the field of play.”
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