agenda
Crystal CG played a major role in the visual presentation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics – the opening ceremony was watched by an estimated 4bn audience
“UKTI’s team the decision”
digital animation for the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This means Albaredes is one of the very few people that knows what the opening ceremony, directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle, has in store for us. Predictably, he refuses to give anything
away. All I manage to get out of Albaredes is an enigmatic smile and a knowing “you’re going to love it.” He adds, however, that “as the Games unfold, you will see digital animation packages that Crystal CG will produce for each Olympic and Paralympic sport, to help explain the discipline in question, enhance its presentation, and deliver the best possible spectator experience.”
ECONOMIC LEGACY As for the legacy of Crystal CG’s role in London 2012, there’s the obvious recruitment and training of local design talent, but there’s also the considerable learning experiences that the fi rm has
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helped in making
acquired from being in the UK capital. It’s learned, for example, that London is the best place for it to be outside of China. And that’s a legacy Albaredes says will help the city beyond the Games, leading to more fi rms setting up there and more jobs being created, providing a huge boost to the economy. It would be easy to take up our entire
time talking about the Olympics, but there’s more to Crystal CG’s London HQ than 2012. There’s the small matter, for example, of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. “Qatar 2022 commissioned Crystal
CG to produce three animations to support its technical bid presentation,” says Albaredes. “Utilising our resources, both in London and Shanghai, we set about producing three, one-minute fi lms depicting the three main stadia along with accompanying music tracks.” Albaredes splits the business into thirds.
He says: “First, there’s the architectural and real estate work, developing animation for the likes of Lord Foster. Then there’s
the sport side, which we have discussed. Lastly, there’s the corporate business, with clients such as Cisco as well as the world’s leading car manufacturers.” In all, Crystal CG’s EMEA operation
is working on some 200 projects and, before he returns to work, Albaredes is keen to emphasise the role UK Trade & Investment played in the company’s decision to locate in London. “UK Trade & Investment was a constant support when we were looking for an EMEA base,” he says. “UKTI’s team really helped in making the decision to locate in London.” I ask whether he would have preferred
to have been based in his native France. “Not at all,” he responds. “I’m an
internationalist and you cannot compare somewhere like Paris to London. The attention to detail when supporting foreign investors is far better in the UK.” Well, there you have it. There is one
Frenchman who was not saddened when London secured its bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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