One of those who bring the Games to the world
By Tang Yue (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-08-02 14:04
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File photo of Wang Haiwei as torch bearer of the 2012 London Olympic Games. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
OBS has about 160 full-time staff, far from enough to broadcast the world's largest sporting extravaganza. They bring together about 6,000 experienced television production professionals during the summer Games and about 4,000 for the winter Games from different countries, with their expertise in particular sports.
Very specific instructions about visuals and coordinating sound are crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page in such a big project, he said.
"As the production coordinating producer, I have to ensure that not only the light on the arena is right, but the light at the entrances, the warm-up zone, the backstage and elsewhere as well. We also have to ensure that the medals presentation rostrum and the national flags are in the right place. The location of cameras must be accurate to within one centimeter."
He has been to Rio about 10 times in the past three years as OBS has prepared coverage, he said.
Wang started his career as a TV sports reporter in 1997 and joined the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co, which OBS and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics jointly set up in 2005.
Before the Beijing Games, he was offered a job with OBS in Madrid once the 2008 Games were over, and he was one of OBS' first two Chinese employees.
"The most challenging but also interesting part of the job is to work with people in different host countries. The national character, the culture and management style varies greatly. The Brazilians are quite different from the Russians (The 2014 winter Games were held in Sochi, Russia). You need to adapt to the multicultural environment, and I very much enjoy that."
Wang sees in his life inklings of his Olympic destiny. He was born in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, the city that will co-host the 2022 Winter Olympics with Beijing, and grew up in Beijing and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, host city of the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in 2014.
When he was 14 his family moved back to their hometown, Shanghai, and he lived there for 16 years.
"Just look at the Chinese cities I have lived in and you will see that my life is tied up with the Olympics. I hope Shanghai will host the Games one day. My Olympic story will then be complete."
