<p>OK, I admit it. I watched the American Idol Gives back show last night. Wanted to see all the performances by all the guests. My favorite was the Celine Dion/Elvis duet. Now I know that he “live” show was really taped Monday night and I know they used an Elvis hologram, but it was really well done!! Digmedia, how’d they do that? All the shots from all the angles. I am guessing that the rear shots were of an impersonator, but the front shots and side shots with Elvis and Celine were really well done! Anyone besides ol’ dig have input into how they did this, and did it so well??
By the way, I didn’t like the ending. I thought it was unkind to the last contestant, Jordin (the 17 yr old).</p>
<p>I was flipping channels and DD yelled out to stop and lets watch. The 3-D effect was neat. I have seem some rather two dimensional music videos done this way, but the 360 was very well done. Not so sure about the Celine-Elvis pairing though…</p>
<p>I’m also curious to get the “how’d they do that” explanation. I also liked the song performance. And yes, jym, I thought it was really nasty to make it seem like Jordin was the “loser”…why couldn’t they have told them they were both “safe” at the same time. Grrr…</p>
<p>I thought it was pretty lousy to keep the audience hanging on for 2 hours to see what the big “shocking surprise” was gonna be…then find out there wasn’t a loser at all. Oh, well…a sucker born every day.</p>
<p>I agree with both points. The Elvis thing was really well done, and that was SOOO cruel the way they treated the 17-year old – making her think she was eliminated. And to say that it wouldn’t be right to eliminate someone during a charity show. But it was “right” to try to fool the audience and the contestants into believing someone would be eliminated? Were they afraid no one would watch if they were upfront about it? Grrrrrr…</p>
<p>Also, does the thing they did to Jordan mean that she WOULD have been eliminated last night if it weren’t for the fact that it was a 'special" American Idol? This REALLY puts pressure on her for next week, since she’s going into it as a deficit regarding votes. It’s not even an even playing field.</p>
<p>I guess I should go on some Idol blog site, huh, and not take space up here . . .</p>
<p>Never really been a fan of Karoke.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who cried through much of AI last night? Those stories were heart-wrenching, especially the story of the 12-year-old boy who lives with and cares for his younger sibling because both parents are dead. I was emotionally exhausted when the show was over. </p>
<p>As for the Elvis thing, I was totally impressed. I kept asking my husband (a video/film editor) how it was done. He was impressed by it, too. I agree that what they did to Jordin was cruel. I don’t believe that she had the lowest amount of votes, though. I think they did that because they had touted “the most shocking result yet”, leading us to believe that one of the better singers would be booted. Personally, I find Jordin to be one of the better singers, so I would have been shocked to see her go. IMO, it’s time for Chris to go, and Lakisha isn’t doing as well as she did at the beginning. I believe Jordin and Melinda are very talented. I like Blake and Phil, too, but think the girls are just better than the guys this year.</p>
<p>VeryHappy - I don’t think so, because they said they were calling people in random order. But then again, what do I know?</p>
<p>Rats - didn’t see it, but they must have composited in a 3D model. I tuned in late. Times are really busy for us right now (in the middle of a move) and making all the upgrades/repairs to the old house that we should have done years ago. :)</p>
<p>Wish I had seen it.</p>
<p>“I thought it was pretty lousy to keep the audience hanging on for 2 hours to see what the big “shocking surprise” was gonna be…then find out there wasn’t a loser at all. Oh, well…a sucker born every day.”</p>
<p>Jumped the Shark with last night’s show IMO (If it hadn’t already).</p>
<p>I was wrong - not composited. Stumps me. Here’s the performance:
<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpH7BlYsdGI[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpH7BlYsdGI</a></p>
<p>LOVED the African Children’s Choir singing with Josh Groban. The big smiles on their faces throughout the performance brought tears to my eyes!</p>
<p>Okay, I’m clearly not the only one whose dirty little secret is watching American Idol. This is my second season. And then there’s Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway and Top Design. Somebody stop me. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I’m too dumb to have a clue about the Elvis thing. I thought there was an impersonater involved. Could it have been an impersonator the whole way?</p>
<p>
Nope. I recognised that performance. That was Elvis, digitally “cut” from old footage and “pasted” into the Celine Dion performance. Like scenes in Forest Gump, or the old Nat and Natalie Cole music video, only way better. The “camera” took you 360 degrees around Elvis. That was old footage that was used to create a 3-D effect, with perhaps an impersonator used for just some of it.</p>
<p>I have that Elvis recording on an old 45!</p>
<p>OK. Called my sister. We think the Elvis performance that was “cut” and “pasted” into the Celine Dion performance was from the 1968 “comeback” special Elvis did on TV. During the original TV airing there was also a jam session that is often still played and referred to in Elvis bio specials (Biography channel?) The special was an hour, and maybe ran on NBC. OK, I am dating myself. But I know I have seen that performance before. I probably watched it in 1968, and have seen excerpts from it since. </p>
<p>I was an Elvis fan for a few years as a teen</p>
<p>Edited to add:</p>
<p>The internet is amazing. Here is the original Elvis performance from that comeback special on youtube.
<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f9TBAYjyUA&mode=related&search=[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f9TBAYjyUA&mode=related&search=</a></p>
<p>Definately the performance they used for the Idol number.</p>
<p>I thought the Celine Dione/Elvis duet was pretty neat technically, but… they just didn’t seem to have any ‘chemistry’ :)</p>
<p>lspf-
Chemistry? Sure they did-- Elvis’s personal cocktail of enbalming fluids. Hers… botox.</p>
<p>aaah!</p>
<p>If I was going to go to all that trouble, I would have just skipped the white suit version and brought back the really young, happening Elvis…</p>
<p>I thought the show was great for the most part…agree that Josh Groban and the beautiful children were amazing. I had said to DH right from the beginning that it didn’t seem right to send anyone home on a night meant to be uplifting, so wasn’t surprised. I think Jordin will be in the final three…with Melinda and Blake.</p>