Little Film of Olympic Proportions

If you were one of the millions in the U.S. who watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, the first action you saw was from Bonnier Corp.'s Warren Miller Entertainment. The three-minute video that kicked off the ceremonies was produced by Bonnier's acclaimed film division. The footage featured Johnny Lyall hitting the slopes to set up the 23-year-old U.S. snowboarder's live stadium stunt, welcoming the crowd to the 2010 Games. Nearly 68 million U.S. viewers tuned in.

Filming the Olympic video began in April 2009 at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in Blue River, B.C. in Canada. Chris Patterson, longtime Warren Miller director/cameraman, was at the helm. In May, Warren Miller shot the final jump and the maple leaf section at Whistler Mountain. It took a crew of more than 100 people, including 50 extras, to get the money shots that close out the video. The snowboarding footage was edited at Warren Miller's Boulder, Colorado, headquarters during June and July.