NATURE'S five elements - metal, wood, fire, water and earth - existing in harmony, with ink paintings and calligraphy woven seamlessly into the scene. Together, they reveal the five rings of the Olympic Games.
There were also the awe-inspiring athletes, like the swimmers in a pool of fire and wrestlers fighting it out on the earth.
The official opening title sequence of the Olympics has been seen by millions of viewers across hundreds of countries.
The 30-second clip has been played and replayed on television since its first screening right before the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Yet not many Singaporeans realise that the sequence was produced right here in Singapore, by local creative agency Bruce Dunlop and Associates (BDA) Singapore. The agency is located at Kim Yam Road.
The company, which has been in the broadcast-design and channel-branding industry for eight years, won after three rounds of pitching to Beijing Olympics
Broadcasting Pte Ltd. They ousted seven other international design agencies in the process.
However, 13 out of 14 viewers my paper spoke to were surprised that it was made here by a homegrown company.
Undergraduate Ephraim Loy, 25, who was quite surprised at the achievement, said: "It is a simple concept which was able to combine elements of Chinese culture with sports. The animation must have taken a lot of effort to produce."
The opening sequence, which took the company over four months to produce and four long days to film, was conceived after sacrificing much sleep to research numerous Chinese legends and stories. The team of 18 even explored the idea of using Beijing opera as a concept.
Filming and production took place in March.
Ms Lilian Chow, the executive producer behind the sequence, told my paper: "Finally, we went for the five-element concept because it doesn't just work well for the Chinese, but the rest of Asia would also be familiar with it as well.
"What really clinched it for us was the similarity between the five-element concept and the Olympic spirit."
Involving a total of 18 crew members and 22 athletes, including Singapore Slingers captain Ben Knight and SEA Games-winning gymnast twins Nicole and Tabitha Tay, the team was faced with a series of challenges along the way.
Ms Chow said: "Location proved to be difficult since there were many factors that we had to accommodate, such as budget and availability.
"But the biggest challenge was finding the right athletes. It took us three months to cast the group of varying ethnicities and both genders, as it was important for the international nature of the games to be represented."
Combining live action footage with 3D animation, the opener was filmed entirely against a green screen at the National University of Singapore's Sheares Hall, as well as the pool at Clementi Swimming Complex.
Ms Chow, who is also the business director of BDA Singapore, on watching the clip on TV: "I was ecstatic. I felt very proud of my entire team.
"It just proves we don't have to look far for talent."
