Ric Birch

Last updated

Ric Birch [1] [2] [3] [4]
Born1945 (age 78–79) [5] [6]
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Education Melbourne University [7]
Occupation(s)Producer, director
Known for"Master of Ceremonies" – Executive Producer and Director of numerous global ceremonies
Website https://www.spectak.com/

Ric Birch (born 1945) is an Australian producer and director. He was first known as a producer and interviewer on GTK (TV series), a popular music TV series on ABC Television. [8] He then founded and became director of Spectak International, an events production company specializing in global ceremonies production, television, film and theatre and themed entertainment. The company has produced opening and closing ceremonies for the Commonwealth, East Asian, and Olympic Games. [9] He is internationally known as the "Master of Ceremonies" due to his involvement in many globally seen ceremonies. [10]

Contents

Education and early event production

Birch studied a combined Arts and Law degree at Melbourne University in 1962, with the aim of becoming a lawyer. But, through volunteering backstage at the Universities annual Arts Revue, he made the change to theatrical production. He got his first job at ABC Television in Melbourne. [7] He became a freelance director in the late 1970s, before getting his start in event production as the executive director of the Opening and Closing ceremonies for the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games. [11] He later went on to be Director of Entertainment at World Expo 88 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, during the Australian Bicentenary year. [12]

Olympic Games involvement

Birch has been involved in the planning and execution of Olympic Games Opening and Closing ceremonies for 5 different editions, making him regarded internationally as an expert these events. [12] His Olympic career includes:

Other events

In 1990, Birch worked as Director on the 25th Anniversary Singapore National Day Parade. [16]

Birch was also director and producer of Sydney New Year's Eve between 1996 and 1999. [17] His last event was NYE 1999, where in the finale light effect on the Sydney Harbour Bridge revealed the word 'Eternity' in Copperplate writing, in honour of Arthur Stace. This scene was then replicated with fireworks in the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening ceremony.

In 2009, he worked as an Advisor on the 2009 Hong Kong East Asian Games Opening and Closing ceremonies. In 2010 he participated in the planning of celebrations to commemorate 200th anniversary of the 'Grito de Dolores' – Hidalgo's call for independence – and the beginning of the Mexican war for independence from Spain. The ceremony took place on 15 September 2010. [18] In the same year, he helped stage the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies, but the working relationship broke down between Birch (and other contractors) and the games organizers as he was not paid in full. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It marked the second time the Summer Olympics were held in Australia, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, in 1956.

Kieren John Perkins, OAM is an Australian former freestyle swimmer. He specialised in the 1500-metre freestyle and won successive Olympic gold medals in this event in the 1990s. He won his first at the 1992 Olympics which he won in world record time and then at the 1996 Olympics when he defended his title. In total he won four Olympic medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Expo 88</span> Worlds fair held in Brisbane, Australia in 1988

World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Fearnley</span> Australian wheelchair racer

Kurt Harry Fearnley, is an Australian wheelchair racer, who has won gold medals at the Paralympic Games and crawled the Kokoda Track without a wheelchair. He has a congenital disorder called sacral agenesis which prevented fetal development of certain parts of his lower spine and all of his sacrum. In Paralympic events he is classified in the T54 classification. He focuses on long and middle-distance wheelchair races, and has also won medals in sprint relays. He participated in the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympic Games, finishing his Paralympic Games career with thirteen medals. He won a gold and silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was the Australian flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Juan Ignacio Rafaelo Lorenzo Trápaga y Esteban, known professionally as Ignatius Jones, was a Filipino-born Australian events director and journalist who fronted the shock rock band Jimmy and the Boys. From 1976 to 1982, the group pioneered the use of shock theatrics in Australia. By the end of the 1970s they were "one of the most popular live acts on the Australian scene" with Jones performing as lead vocalist and contortionist alongside Joylene Thornbird Hairmouth on keyboards and vocals as a kitsch transvestite. In 1981, they scored their only top 10 single with "They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk to Me", which was written by Split Enz leader Tim Finn. In 1982, after their disbandment, Jones pursued a solo career and by the mid-1980s was a member of a swing jazz-cabaret band, Pardon Me Boys, with O'Riordan and Jones' sister, Monica Trapaga – former Play School presenter. In 1990 Jones, with Pat Sheil, co-wrote True Hip and Jones followed it a year later with The 1992 True Hip Manual.

GTK was an Australian popular music TV series of ten minute episodes, produced and broadcast by ABC Television from 1969 to 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Foreman (musician)</span> Australian musician (born 1972)

John Gregory Foreman is an Australian musician and television personality. From 1992 to 2004, he was the music director for Network Ten's Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton. From 2003 until 2008 he was musical director of Australian Idol. He is the chair of the National Australia Day Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday, 15 September 2000 in Stadium Australia, Sydney, during which the Games were formally opened by then-Governor-General Sir William Deane. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. Veteran ceremonies director Ric Birch was the Director of Ceremonies while David Atkins was the Artistic Director and Producer. Its artistic section highlighted several aspects of Australian culture and history, showing Australia's flora and fauna, technology, multiculturalism, and the hopeful moment of reconciliation towards Aboriginal Australians. The ceremony had a cast of 12,687 performers, seen by a stadium audience of around 110,000.

Chong Voon Lim is a Malaysian-born Australian-based musical director, keyboardist, producer, and session musician. Lim attended St. Michael's Institution for secondary education. He relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 1977, where he attended Geelong College, and then completed a mechanical engineering course at the University of Melbourne from 1978 to 1981. Lim has toured with Jermaine Jackson and John Farnham, after Farnham's long-time collaborator David Hirschfelder left to concentrate on film scores. He has toured and been music director and producer for Olivia Newton-John since 1998 and is patron of the Olivia Newton-John Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Commonwealth Games</span> Multi-sport event on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport had an equal number of events for male and female athletes.

The Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics took place on August 4, 1996, at the Centennial Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, United States at approximately 8:00 PM EDT (UTC−4). It was produced by Don Mischer. The official motto of the closing ceremony is "An American Day of Inspiration".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney New Year's Eve</span> Annual event in Sydney

Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual New Year's Eve fireworks event in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The event currently consists of two fireworks shows, with an evening display known as the "Family Fireworks" held at 9:00 p.m. AEDT, and the main "Midnight Fireworks" held at 12:00 a.m. Fireworks are launched from barges in Port Jackson, as well as nearby landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which serves as the main focal point of the show via lighting and pyrotechnic effects.

Mark Opitz is an Australian record producer and audio engineer. He started his career with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1971. He has produced AC/DC, the Angels, Australian Crawl, Cold Chisel, Divinyls and INXS. He has won the ARIA Award for Producer of the Year in 1987 and 1988. He had previously won Best Australian Producer at the Countdown Awards for his work in 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1986. On 8 June 2020 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "significant service to the performing arts, particularly to music production." In August of that year he was listed as one of The 7 Most Influential Music Producers of All Time by Mixdown Magazine's David Tomisch and Will Brewster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 20:00 China Standard Time (UTC+08:00), on 8 August 2008, due to the significance of the number 8, which is considered to be auspicious and is furthermore associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture. The artistic part of the ceremony comprised two parts titled "Brilliant Civilization" and "Glorious Era" respectively. The first part highlighted Chinese civilization and the second part exhibited modern China and its dream of harmony between the people of the world. The stadium was full to its 91,000 capacity according to organizers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Zolkwer</span> British event producer and director

David Zolkwer is a producer and director of international public events, theatre, ceremonies, celebrations, festivals and immersive corporate experiences. His work has been witnessed live by millions and on television by billions.

Peter "Peewee" Ferris is a DJ from Sydney. Ferris began mixing at an early age, being inspired by his older brothers Stephen and John who are also DJs.

Yves Pépin is a creator of multimedia shows and large-scale events including the multi-awarded Eiffel Tower Millennium Show. In the course of his career, Pépin's projects have been honored with many awards; an outstanding personal honor was received in 2006, when his peers in the Themed Entertainment Association, the international association for creators of compelling places and experiences, presented him with the prestigious TEA Thea Award for a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The 2000 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony was held on 1 October 2000 in Stadium Australia. As with the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony was directed by Ric Birch as Director of Ceremonies while David Atkins was the Artistic Director and Producer. The Closing Ceremony was attended by 114,714 people, the largest attendance in modern Olympic Games history. The ceremony celebrated Australiana; Australian cultural celebrities, icons, media, and music, with floats designed in the style of Reg Mombassa. Around 2.4 billion watched the telecast of the closing ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony for the 2018 Commonwealth Games took place on the evening of Wednesday 4 April in the Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast. As mandated by the Commonwealth Games Charter, the proceedings of the ceremony combined the formal opening of the sporting event with an artistic performance to showcase the host nation's culture. The 2018 Games were formally opened by Charles, Prince of Wales. Jack Morton Worldwide was given the contract to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The theme of the opening ceremony was Hello Earth and directed by David Zolkwer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics cauldron</span> Olympics cauldron for the 2000 Sydney Olympics

The 2000 Summer Olympics cauldron is a heritage-listed former Olympic flame holder and now fountain at Cathy Freeman Park, near the corner of Olympic Boulevard and the Grand Parade, Sydney Olympic Park, in the City of Parramatta Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was originally designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell for the 2000 Summer Olympics with the design of the re-presentation in Cathy Freeman Park by Tzannes Associates. It was built from 2000 to 2010 by Engineers Tierney and Partners with the assistance of LUSAS Civil and Structural. It is also known as Olympic Cauldron at Sydney Olympic Park, The Cauldron, Sydney Olympic Games Cauldron, Millenium Games Cauldron and Sydney 2000 Games Cauldron. The property is owned by the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 September 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Page 207: Ric Birch (photo: A. B. C.) from Sydney Morning Herald – 26/6/1969, Ubu Films: Sydney Underground Movies, 1965–1970, By Peter Mudie
  2. ↑ "GERALD STONE'S CANBERRA SHOW". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 41, no. 22. Australia. 31 October 1973. p. 45. Retrieved 24 November 2016– via National Library of Australia., Photo:..At back, from left: Ric Birch(director)...
  3. ↑ [Biographical cuttings on Ric Birch, film producer, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals], 1900, retrieved 24 November 2016
  4. ↑ Byrne, Jennifer (14 September 2004), "Ric Birch", The Bulletin with Newsweek, 122 (6438), A C P Computer Publications: 36(3), ISSN   1440-7485
  5. ↑ Birch, Ric (2004). Master of the Ceremonies: An eventful life. Allen & Unwin. p. 1. ISBN   9781741144178 . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "AOK for GTK". The Canberra Times . Vol. 44, no. 12, 540. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 February 1970. p. 15. Retrieved 24 November 2016– via National Library of Australia., ...The success of GTK is due...headed by 24-year-old producer Ric and his production assistant, Mike Carson 22...
  7. 1 2 Birch, Ric (2004). Master of the Ceremonies: An eventful life. Allen & Unwin. p. 2. ISBN   9781741144178 . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Elton John on 'GTK' with Ric Birch (18 March 1971)". YouTube. ABC Television. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Spectak International". Spectak International. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Master of Ceremonies Ric Birch Joins Filmmaster Events". TASS Russian News Agency. PR Newswire. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  11. ↑ Birch, Ric (2004). Master of the Ceremonies: An eventful life. Allen & Unwin. p. 9. ISBN   9781741144178 . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  12. 1 2 "AU 3:19 / 9:58 27/1/2020 ABC 612 Breakfast interview;....Ric Birch, all things Spectak, including Expo 88". ABC Radio Brisbane. 27 January 2020. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 Walker, Tony. "Olympics fear and loathing: Ric Birch unloads". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 Osborne, Paul. "Ric Birch given new role with company associated with Rio 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  15. ↑ Butler, Nick (11 February 2016). "Ric Birch given new role with company associated with Rio 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies". Inside The Games. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Singapore 25th Anniversary (NDP 1990) Jubilee Spectacular". YouTube. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  17. ↑ Allen, Lisa (10 December 1999). "NSW and Vic going crackers over year 2000 fireworks". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "Spectak International". Spectak International. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  19. ↑ Doherty, Ben (7 February 2011). "Birch was rude and cynical, say Delhi officials". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.