OK... what else is being faked?

I wasn't prepared to sit in front of the TV for 4+ hours and watch the whole Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies from start to finish, so I got lazy and found that the CBC Newsworld channel was broadcasting a 2 hour abbreviated version later that night. Abra-cadabra - PVR to the rescue. I finally got around to watching the event yesterday.

OK, so those ceremonies were quote unquote spectacular. Very well executed. I was thoroughly impressed. But wait a minute.......... breaking news.............. some of the special effects were faked.

As the ceremony start counted down, TV and stadium viewers watched as 29 giant footprints made out of fireworks advanced toward the stadium. Little did they know they were watching a computer simulation, meticulously created over the good part of a year and inserted into the broadcast in place of live footage. The footprint fireworks were actually happening, but the experts decided in advance that it would be impossible to capture the whole sequence from the air - live. Only the last footprint visible from inside the stadium was recorded live.

The visual effects team that put the sequence together worked hard to make it as realistic as possible. They even recreated the hazy smog and camera shake effect to simulate the helicopter platform for the camera.