Rhapsody of Entertainment Rebirth

On the morning of August 4, core members of the directing team including Zhang Yi, Shan He, Cai Guoqiang, and Chen Weiya attended the last media meeting before the opening of the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games are about to open, and this media conference has attracted the attention of major media around the world.

Journalists of different skin colors and languages ​​from countries M, European countries, neon stick countries, Southeast Asian countries, etc. packed the large conference room of the Bird's Nest Media Center to the brim.

As the chief director of the opening ceremony, Zhang Yimou introduced the overall process of the opening ceremony and some preparations to the media, and expressed the entire director team's full confidence in the opening ceremony.

Then several core members of the directing team briefly reviewed and looked forward to the preparations for the opening ceremony from different perspectives.

Shanhe was the last one to speak among the core members. His speech was different from the previous ones. He did not say anything about the scene and directly asked the staff to turn on the live projection.

A confidentiality agreement that Shanhe asked professionals to draft appeared on the curtain, and the agreement was explained.

"Tomorrow night's third dress rehearsal is the last rehearsal for the opening ceremony. As usual, this rehearsal will have the participation of the audience and the media.

Broadcasting TV stations from various countries will also bring camera equipment to the venue. According to common practice, all TV media have the responsibility to keep secrets. This confidentiality agreement is just a guarantee!

…If the live rehearsal of the opening ceremony is leaked in advance, according to this confidentiality agreement, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee will file a compensation lawsuit against the media involved. The money and manpower consumed by the entire opening ceremony are immeasurable. This will be A huge amount of compensation will be the first commercial compensation event in the world for the Olympic opening ceremony. I think the global media will focus on this!

This agreement only eliminates hidden dangers without any suspicion or targeting! "

Shanhe's words made the meeting place a lot noisier, and the media reporters in the audience whispered about this special confidentiality agreement.

Since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, television broadcasts have become the main promotion method of the Olympic Games, and media broadcasts have also had fixed rules.

All television media follow this well-known rule based on professional ethics, but this is the first time that this default rule has been formed into a written agreement.

This made the media reporters in the audience feel uncomfortable, and some even felt that this agreement was a distrust and insult to their professional ethics.

The reporters from Bangkok's SBS TV station looked at each other in shock and fear!

How did Hua Guoqiu know our plan? This matter can't be done. If it is sued, SBS will become notorious around the world, and the reputation of the entire country will be damaged. Once this happens, it is hard to say whether there will be SBS in the future!

As expected, the confidentiality agreement became one of the focuses of reporters' attention during the following question-and-answer session.

"I am Evan, a reporter from NBC of country M. I protest against this agreement. It is a suspicion and an insult to us. There has never been a situation in the previous Olympic Games where the opening ceremony performances were leaked in advance. This agreement is not necessary. !”

Shanhe looked at the reporters in the audience and nodded in agreement with the speech. He smiled and leaned in front of the microphone and replied: "I proposed the drafting of this agreement and it was approved by the International Olympic Committee. I don't think this agreement is for the media." Doubtful and insulted.

Ivan, you said that the opening ceremony performance was never leaked in advance. This is wrong. As far as I know, there was a similar incident at the last Athens Olympics, and the TV station involved was in the audience. I won’t say who it is. , you can go and ask about it!

Things are changing with the development of the times. There is a huge difference between the situation four years ago and now. The means and speed of information dissemination through the Internet are not what they used to be. If a similar leak occurs again, the consequences will be immeasurable and no one will be able to estimate the consequences. Can't make up for it!

Alvin, I believe in your professional ethics, but can you guarantee that everyone is the same as you? "

Shanhe's answer made the scene noisy again, with reporters discussing and asking about the leaks of the Athens Olympics.

The reporters from the Korean SBS TV station were ashen-faced. They were the ones Shanhe was talking about. During the Athens Olympics, they leaked the opening ceremony video clips in advance.

However, the Internet information at that time was not as developed as it is today, and other countries around the world did not understand this matter.

This is just great! Hua Guoqiu revealed the matter on the spot.

Who is Hua Guoqiu? He is a world-famous writer and director. He is known as "Magician of the Far East", "Raphael of the East", "Lion of China" and other titles throughout Europe and the United States. He is not only famous, but also has great appeal. This is 100% I can’t hide it anymore!

SBS is now going to be famous all over the world, and it will probably be condemned by everyone. Please inform the country to get ready!

Two minutes later, NBC reporter Ivan stood up again and said: "I accept Qiu's explanation. The Internet has indeed changed the world a lot. I will sign the confidentiality agreement!"

Shanhe leaned in front of the microphone and responded, "Thank you Alvin for your understanding and candor. All the work of our directing team has only one purpose, which is to bring a wonderful night to the global audience and let the public experience the charm of the Olympic spirit. We are here! Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!”

…

The entire media meeting lasted for nearly two hours, and Zhang Yimou and Shanhe naturally became the targets of repeated bombardments by media reporters.

All kinds of questions about the Olympic Games opening ceremony surrounded them.

Both of them are experienced in dealing with reporters, and they can talk about various situations very smoothly.

"All China attaches great importance to this opening ceremony performance. Why? Because Chinese people have a tradition of hospitality and need a grand ceremony to welcome friends from all over the world..."

"The opening ceremony performance will be carried out in the harmony between man and nature, man and technology. I believe it will be recognized by everyone..."

"I can't say anything about the lighting ceremony. I can only tell you that the torch will be lit in an incredible way..."

…

After the media meeting, that afternoon, the special confidentiality agreement presented by Shanhe became a hot topic on the Internet.

At first, the Internet public did not turn their attention to the direction of media leaks. Everyone was envious of the audience and media who could watch the opening ceremony in advance.

Especially Chinese netizens, only then did they know that some spectators were allowed to attend the last rehearsal.

Some viewers who had already obtained the quota to watch the lottery began to brag about their luck on the Internet.

The anticipation for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games has become the focus of discussion on the Internet. Everyone is comparing it to the opening ceremonies of previous Olympic Games.

The opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics has received unanimous praise. As for whether the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics will surpass that of Athens, everyone is looking forward to this question!

However, netizens in Bangkok soon broke the news. Before the 2004 Athens Olympics, Bangkok TV broadcast the opening ceremony performance clips on the news several days in advance and posted the video clips.

At this moment, the ugly behavior of the Korean SBS TV station was revealed!

This news triggered a heated discussion among people on the Internet. It turns out that the confidentiality agreement made by Hua Guoqiu was not unfounded. Did a TV station really leak the opening ceremony performance?

Everyone who knows the news despises the Bangguo TV station. This kind of behavior is really disgusting!

"It's so shameless! Athens didn't pursue this matter. The International Olympic Committee should punish her accordingly!"

"Only people from Bangkok can do this kind of thing, and they are so complacent. It's really disgusting!"

"Did Hua Guoqiu guess that they would come again, so he came up with a confidentiality agreement?"

"It must be! Once the opening ceremony performance is leaked, it will not be good news for China!"

…

The next day, global media reported the matter to varying degrees. SBS TV station became famous with Shanhe's written confidentiality agreement. This kind of behavior that undermines industry ethics and lacks professional ethics was criticized by global media.

In order to express their views in front of the public, various media outlets used harsh words. SBS TV station became the target of verbal criticism from the global media.

On the same day, SBS TV station published a letter of apology online. In order to calm public opinion, it even fired the reporting team of the last Athens Olympics.

It has been repeatedly stated that the original intention of the TV station is to promote the Olympic Games and warm up the Olympic atmosphere in the country.

Even the Chinese people themselves did not believe what they said, and the International Olympic Committee also held them responsible. SBS TV station was removed from the list of broadcasters for this Olympics.

People in Bangkok also yelled at SBS TV station, believing that they had disgraced the people of Bangkok. This incident ended with all SBS executives taking the blame and resigning!

Shanhe finally let go of the sullenness he felt in his previous life, but these were casual matters and not worthy of special attention.

Right now the last rehearsal is the top priority.

On the evening of August 5th, the Bird's Nest welcomed its first real guests.

The square of the National Stadium is bustling with people and laughter. There will be 40,000 to 50,000 lucky spectators as part of the rehearsal to watch the opening ceremony rehearsal performance in advance.

Shanhe's family was also among them. The three men in the family went crazy. They all had oil-painted national flags painted on their faces and walked in front holding red flags in both hands.

Xie Meiyu supported her mother-in-law and Master Xie, who were not used to large crowds, and walked behind.

"This place is really spacious, and there are so many people. This bird's nest is much bigger than what it looks like on TV. It would take tens of thousands of people to fill it, right?"

"Haha...Mom, it's the Bird's Nest! There are more than tens of thousands of people, but 90,000 people can sit here. Half of the people in our county can't even fit in!"

"That's really great. The old man and I are so lucky to be able to see such a rare thing even when we are old. My good grandson and granddaughter are really promising!"

"Mom, you and my dad have to keep your health good. Xiaohe is getting married, and his great-grandson is just around the corner!" Xie Meiyu said with a smile.

"Oh, this is a great event. The old man and I are in good health and can still go to the mountains and fields. We won't have to worry about taking care of the children!"

…

The family walked into the Bird's Nest chatting and laughing along with the flow of people. The seat Kang Zhixuan found for Shanhe's family was one floor above the entrance. As soon as they sat down, they could see the volunteers at the entrance.

More than 40,000 spectators were evenly distributed throughout the stadium. Just like the night of the opening ceremony, everyone had a gift bag, which contained a scarf with an auspicious cloud pattern, a small flashing torch, an auspicious cloud flashlight, a Fuwa rattle, and a Box volunteers smile circles and a small flag.

The audience present treasured this gift package, and many of them were reluctant to open it. After being reminded by the live broadcast, they realized that these small props would be taken out soon to create a scene and atmosphere.

For the first time, the Bird's Nest site was immersed in a sea of ​​enthusiastic people. The audience was not bored waiting. Under the leadership of volunteers, there was even a wave of people.

At 7:55 p.m., the Bird's Nest gradually darkened with anticipation.

After a while, dazzling haloes of light flashed past the ring-shaped LED screen on the inner eaves, marking the official start of the rehearsal for the opening ceremony.

This rehearsal is mainly about a cultural performance, which lasts only one and a half hours. It is mainly to allow the actors to adapt to performing in an atmosphere of a full audience.

Amid the exclamations and cheers of more than 40,000 lucky spectators, the half-hour rehearsal ended smoothly.

The more than 40,000 spectators at the scene were so shocked that they did not want to leave. Various praises could be heard from everywhere.

"Shocking! So shocking!"

“It’s worth it to watch such a grand event in your lifetime!”

"I really want to see the comments from the media over the past few days and see what words they use to describe it!"

…

The Shanhe family was no exception, but at this time they were pointing at Qiu Chuxi jumping under the stands and shouting loudly.

Qiu Jiang kept showing off loudly to the surrounding audience: "That's my daughter, hey, she dances so beautifully!"

The spectators on the side were also very considerate, and they all gave envious compliments, "You must be so beautiful to be able to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games!"

"There are over a billion people, it's really extraordinary to be chosen!"

"If my daughter could be down there, I could blow it for the rest of my life!"

…

The feedback from the audience was very good. What makes the director team even more happy is that with the audience's participation, the entire opening ceremony became more three-dimensional. The actors were more engaged in this warm atmosphere. The effect of this rehearsal was better than the last time. Even better.

The success of this rehearsal allowed the director team to put down most of their worries. Putting aside subjective reasons, objective reasons had to be considered.

The weather conditions on the night of the opening ceremony have now become the focus of the director's team.

The closer we get to the opening of the Olympic Games, the more we fear accidents will happen. The roof of the Bird's Nest is designed to be fully open-air. If it gets windy or rains on the night of the opening ceremony, it will be bad news for the entire opening ceremony performance team.

Especially for the lighting ceremony, whether it is windy or rainy, it will be a disaster for lighting a fire at an altitude of more than 40 meters.

August is the season for thunderstorms in Beijing, and the news from the Meteorological Bureau also indicates the arrival of rain clouds over Beijing in the past few days.

The biggest concern of the entire directing team now has shifted from the theatrical performance and the lighting ceremony to the weather conditions.

At this time, a radar network consisting of 136 new-generation weather radars has been built across the country, which will provide effective information support for meteorological services throughout the Olympics.

The Beijing Meteorological Bureau has arranged artificial rain suppression teams around the capital. The entire Meteorological Bureau will go all out to ensure that no rain clouds cover the Bird's Nest before Li Ning lights the main torch.

The best-case scenario is that the weather will be kind. As long as it doesn’t rain or there’s no strong wind, it will be good weather for the opening ceremony!

On the afternoon of August 6, the Hathaway family arrived in Beijing. Shanhe could not come to the airport to greet them, so Shanhe and his family came to greet the guests on his behalf.

The two families met for the first time and greeted each other cordially with the help of an interpreter.

"Shan He is really busy these days. Our whole family welcomes you!"

"Uncle, you're welcome. We had a phone call with Qiu yesterday. He was busy with the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This is a major event that attracts global attention. What surprised me most was that Xixi was also involved. Our whole family is proud of them!"

"Annie, come here, these are Shanhe's grandparents." Xie Meiyu pulled Hathaway and introduced him.

"Hello, grandparents!" Hathaway greeted in broken Chinese.

"Okay, okay!" Qiu Dahai and his wife looked at Dayang Ma Sun's daughter-in-law and didn't know what to say for a moment. They just looked at Hathaway with a kind smile.

This was Hathaway's first time meeting Shanhe's grandparents, and she was no stranger to them. Shanhe often told her about his hometown in front of the photos and videos on his computer, and his grandparents were naturally the focus.

After saying hello to several elders in the mountains and rivers, she raised her arms, revealing the gold bracelet that grandma gave her and said, "Grandma, this is the bracelet you gave me. I like it very much!"

Grandma understood what the foreign granddaughter-in-law was talking about as soon as she saw it, and she immediately became happy, "Oh, this girl is very pleasing to look at. She has a good figure and features. She looks blessed at first sight. This time the great-grandson is It’s fixed!”

Ha ha…

Hathaway has been learning Chinese for more than two months. She can speak and listen to simple greetings. The old and the young chatted like this, you said yours and I said mine.

Without saying a few words, Grandma took Hathaway's hand and started to caress.

"Mom, let's go home first! Let the in-laws have some rest. They've been on a plane for more than ten hours!"

"Yes, yes, girl, let's go home and I'll make you something delicious!"

The arrival of Hathaway's family made the courtyard even more lively.

The antique charm of the courtyard house and Xie Meiyu's cooking skills amazed the Hathaway family.

Although the two families didn't understand each other, they still got along very lively. They communicated with each other through gestures. When they really couldn't understand, they asked the translator on the side for help.

Hathaway's father Gerald particularly liked the study in the courtyard, and was particularly interested in the four treasures of the study, pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Yu Zhengchong and Qiu Jiang took him to experience calligraphy together.

Hathaway and her mother Kate McGuire were particularly impressed by Xie Meiyu's cooking skills, and a group of women kept talking in the kitchen.

The next day, the two families visited the Forbidden City together and ate Beijing roast duck. They became more and more familiar with each other. Hathaway no longer had to adjust the atmosphere in the middle. The two families quickly found a way to communicate through gestures and You can guess most of what the other person means by his demeanor.

At this time, Shanhe was verifying all the opening ceremony procedures with the director team for the last time. He took some time to make a phone call home, and after a few words with the Hathaway family, he returned to work.

The ignition team also inspected the main torch for the last time, and even the sealed relay torch was taken out for testing. The ignition ceremony cannot fail. There has never been a failure in the ignition ceremony in previous Olympic opening ceremonies.

Shanhe and Cai Guoqiang both have ignition buttons in their hands. Once the lighting ceremony encounters an accident, both of them can light the main torch instantly at any time. This is a last resort preparation.

Tomorrow is the last moment to test the work of more than a year, and all the hard work has come to nothing!

No one can guarantee 100% success. No matter what happens on site, the opening ceremony must continue.

The director team has prepared all the plans. I hope the whole process goes smoothly and do not initiate these last resort plans.

In the early morning of August 8th, all the members of the directing team were staying in the office. Everyone could not sleep, and their hearts were in their throats.

Everything that needs to be done has been done, everything that needs to be explained has been explained, and now we are waiting for the last regular meeting tomorrow afternoon. At this time, it seems that no one has the energy to speak anymore, and everyone just sits in silence.

Time is like being pressed on the slow play button, moving slower and slower in silence and anxiety!

Cai Guoqiang was so nervous that he couldn't hold it in any longer, so he stood up and said, "I'll go to the fireworks display point again. Sitting here, my head is all muddled, and I'm even more nervous!"

"Guoqiang is right, I will go to the site again and just sit back and suffer!"

"Then I will also go to the program team to check the situation..."

After a while, everyone could no longer sit still and walked out of the office. Only Zhang Yimou and Shanhe were left in the room.

"Don't you go and see the ignition team?" Zhang Yimou asked, looking at Shanhe.

Shanhe shook his head, "I'm not going. Everything that needs to be verified has been verified. Li Ning is shaking when he walks now. When I go, he becomes even more nervous!"

"By the way, we just got a call from the Olympic Organizing Committee. Our national team's appearance has been slightly changed. Yao Ming will walk into the stadium with a little earthquake hero. I have arranged for someone to keep an eye on this matter!" Zhang Yimou He moved his cervical vertebrae and said casually.

Upon hearing this, Shanhe quickly responded: "We have to communicate with the national team about this. Don't let anything go wrong by then. The national team leaders don't have the same system as us. Don't let people be blocked at the entrance and unable to get out!" "

This kind of low-level mistake occurred in Shanhe's memory. Because of a momentary negligence in communication, the child was stopped at the entrance of the passage and almost failed to play. Later, he was hurriedly brought to Yao Ming by volunteers!

"Oh! I really don't pay much attention to this matter. It is really possible. During the entrance ceremony, isn't it the leader of the national team who makes the arrangements? They probably don't know about this! No, I have to explain it!"

After listening to Shanhe's words, Zhang Yi stood up and said, "Shanhe, you should also walk around. Don't just sit there all the time. It's even more uncomfortable to think about things!"

"All right!"

Shanhe followed Zhang Yimou out of the director's office, and then walked alone to the stands of the Bird's Nest.

The night sky in the capital was tightly covered by clouds, and the night was still muggy. It didn't look like the weather would be good tomorrow.

The Bird's Nest was still not quiet in the early morning, and many staff were still checking various equipment in the venue. Everyone's face was more or less nervous and anxious.

For the nearly 20,000 staff members of the entire opening ceremony, today will be the longest day and the most glorious day!