On the night of Friday, Feb. 12, with seven years of planning in the rearview mirror, the lights will dim inside Vancouver's BC Place. Nearly 55,000 people in attendance, and hundreds of millions more watching on televisions around the world, will wait eagerly in anticipation.

What happens next, at the first Opening Ceremony to be held indoors, is anyone's guess. How will organizers decide to light the Olympic flame? Where will that flame burn? Only this much is known: Officials promise that the performance will unite passionate Canadians, thrill the world's best winter athletes and bring hope to the world over.

"The Opening Ceremony is our biggest chance to speak to a global audience and tell the story of a contemporary Canada that will inspire the world," said John Furlong, the head of Vancouver's organizing committee, when the ceremony's production team was first announced.

Remember Sydney 2000?

The man responsible for fulfilling those hopes is executive producer David Atkins, an Australian who produced the Opening Ceremony for the Summer Games in Sydney 2000, as well as the Opening Ceremony for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Preparations for the show remain closely guarded, but given the indoor venue and the team of directors named to collaborate on the project, the roof certainly makes for an interesting twist. Lights and music always play an important role as the host city works to compile a culturally unique show.