Organisations Behind Opening Ceremony’s Digital Magic Join Forces

Tait Technologies specialises in combining video and scenic technologies and provided the technology behind the largest ever video screen at the Opening Ceremony, which literally engulfed the audience. The screen is composed of 70,500 individual, full colour Pixel Tablets with a resolution five times that of HDTV and a height of 413 feet.

Crystal is a creative agency which specialises in digital imaging and 3D animation. As the Official Digital Imaging Services Supplier for the London 2012 Olympics, Crystal London created the stunning animated visuals for the bespoke screen that engaged the crowd at the Opening Ceremonies, extending Danny Boyle’s vision beyond the stadium’s field of play. The animations enhanced the excitement for television viewers, as well. A heartbeat pulsing around the stadium allowed spectators to see and feel the excitement and fear of the children in their hospital beds as storybook villains battled it out on the stage. Digital flames also engulfed the audience, intensifying Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ track and the birth of the internet saw Tim Berners Lee’s neural network extend beyond the boundaries of the Olympic Park.

As part of the agreement, Crystal and Tait will act as one another’s preferred suppliers on all experiential event projects. Both organisations have expertise in creating visuals for live and televised events for a variety of sectors including sport, automotive, corporate, broadcast and the arts.

“The impact of the Opening Ceremony proved the power of Crystal and Tait Technologies’ joint offering,” said Gilles Albaredes, managing director of Crystal CG International. “This agreement formalises our business partnership and allows us to keep breaking the technology barriers in order to delight and astonish audiences.”

“Crystal’s designers have the right skill and vision to grasp the possibilities offered by Tait’s technology,” said Frederic Opsomer, CEO of Tait Technologies. “The combination of our expertise and Crystal’s creative talent has made history.”

Crystal CG International is the European Operation of Crystal CG, one of the world’s leading digital media companies. Founded in 1995 and with more than 3,000 employees and seventeen offices worldwide, Crystal CG has extensive experience in static and dynamic imagery, digital animation and interactive virtual reality.
Crystal CG delivers creative digital solutions that engage and inspire target audiences across the Exhibition, Entertainment, Public Sector, Property, Sport, Media and Event Industries, and the Corporate sector.

Crystal CG’s key differentiator is its innovation – both in the creative power behind its productions and in the way it develops advanced visualisation technologies.
·         Crystal CG was the Graphics Design Services Supplier for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
·         Crystal CG is the Designated Multimedia Design Service Provider for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo
·         Crystal CG is the Official Digital Imaging Services Supplier for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Tait Technologies is the European sister company of Tait Towers and Fisher Technical Services. The group has over three hundred employees and has six offices worldwide. Tait are a leading provider of video and scenic technologies providing solutions to the live event, architectural, corporate, film, theatre, fixed installation markets. Tait balances a unique blend of pioneering technologies while maintaining the highest level of quality craftsmanship. Recent projects to date have included
·         World Asian Games, Doha 2011
·         MDNA world tour 2012
·         Detroit and Beijing Autoshow