Sydney Opera House fireworks: Australian Idol

This excerpt comes from Australian Idol Series 1, Episode 32: Finale Live From the Opera House. The hosts are Andrew G (Osher Günsberg) and James Mathison with the Opera House used as a dramatic backdrop in the final showdown between Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll. The choice of location adds musical credibility to the event.

This special episode ran for two hours, with the excitement building across the first hour of musical performances and sweeping shots of the crowd. Here at the one-hour mark, fireworks allow for the release of some of that tension and hint at the big budget behind the program.

The soundtrack features an inoffensive but rather bland fanfare, typical of a fireworks broadcast, and then morphs into a remix of the Australian Idol theme song. The display is juxtaposed with the faces of screaming fans before Noll and Sebastian arrive on stage. The performers' dress and style have been carefully crafted to contrast what they have to offer voters.

The Australian Idol logo is everywhere on the night and colourful lighting and crane shots successfully emulate a concert setting. The camera picks out famous faces in the crowd including Kieran Perkins and his wife Samantha. Idol judges Ian 'Dicko' Dickson, Marcia Hines and Mark Holden watch on, as do proud family members and third-place-finalist Cosima De Vito.

This event employs multiple cameras and slick editing. It's a good example of professional live editing and successfully captures the energy and excitement for the television viewing audience.

Notes by Beth Taylor