DESIGNER'S TOOLBOX - SETUPS

[DrumManTx]

Crowd response to aggressive volume? Their GE score would have been even higher with some behind the scenes application of concept.

But you didn't answer the question, why didn't 2011s - 2013s deeper conceptual shows score higher?

Also, if you look at the numbers from finals in 2015, all that kept them from overtaking Crown and even Blue Devils on finals night were a few tenths here and there in performance related captions. Funny thing about that, they actually had the highest score on finals night in content, which guess what that is? The overall design, including concept, of the show? Their biggest deficits were in brass, music ensemble, and visual proficiency. How would more "application of concept" helped there? (by the way everyone else, I think finals nights placements were right, just doing some numbers analysis here to prove a point).

Sum of content from all four GE judges on finals night:

Bluecoats - 38.9

Blue Devils - 38.6

Carolina Crown - 38.5

Source for this:

http://recaps.competitionsuite.com/9a101fcd-d847-459b-838e-8ccd0a20f3b1.htm

So in the end, nothing about Bluecoats getting 3rd and not placing any higher in 2015 was nothing to do with their approach to show design, it was merely performance related. One could argue those 1st in GE content 3 and 4 could have been even higher if they performed last, but judges had to leave some room for BD and Crown.

Look, I LOVE conceptual deep shows when they're done right. Blue Devils the past two seasons have been absolutely MASTERFUL in that regard while also being more approachable and I have loved it. I love watching "Felliniesque" still and finding new things in there. I defended them pretty hard on finals night last year in that I think they deserved the win. But not every show has to be taken with that approach. Sometimes, stepping back, picking some great music, finding a simple theme that ties them together, and fleshing the hell out of it and layering the depth in musically and visually, not conceptually, can get the job done. Sometimes keeping it simple after failing at trying to be complex works out pretty well......

Edited May 23, 2016 by DrumManTx

[Stu]

I golf clapped too. But maybe BD's Cafe Voltaire theme had a direct correlation with the marching members as alternative artists at the cutting edge of experimentation. That just fits. 12.25? Turandot? Starry Night? For the Common Good? UnMasqued? These were concept shows that were deftly performed, but how did the show concepts resonate personally with the performers? Maybe that's what the judges were thinking. Yes, the conveying of the historical context, and making the who/what/where platform could have been much clearer, but in terms of depth of concept, this is pretty tight: https://bluedevils.org/programs/a/2012/repertoire.php

And………….. By sending us to the BD website you just pointed out the huge (I mean very huge, really huge) disconnect problem many DCI show designers have today as it applies to relating, or not relating, with the typical paying audience as well as the typical marching member. To even come close to getting the BD 2012 show concept we had to read descriptions like,“…a theatrical event that involved radical innovation-its definition of a mode of artistic practice in which art could elicit audience response, be it shock or conspiratorial amusement.” and “Where the presentation could reveal a militarized duty-bound masculinity contrasted with a complete disregard for the rules. Instead of a carefully orchestrated structure, evening performances offered improvisation, the deliberate juxtaposition of uncoordinated actions, and a delight in the chaotic.” Furthermore, who the heck knows Tristan Tarza and Hanna Hoch, who were also quoted in the description, without us doing even further in depth research? We as audience members, as well as the marching members, were supposed to comprehend all that with an intellectual cerebral thought process, as well as enjoy the academic lesson process itself, in order for us to just be entertained by a DCI performance; what the…?!?!?! And again, the BD performance was actually 'a carefully orchestrated structure' thus making it erroneous to the description presented on their own website!!! And I say again, they still won. Oh yeah, to use your own words… Thanks for playing.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Stu

[cixelsyd]

Tilt could have easily won if the design team applied meaning to it, behind the scenes, but the show coordinator refused. Tilt could have been a metaphor for social acceptance for young adults. Tilt could have been a metaphor for overcoming depression. Tilt could have been a metaphor for alternative musicians' overcoming their sense of alienation. Tilt could have been a metaphor for rocking the boat politically and succeeding. Tilt could have, behind the scenes, been a metaphor for the perspective scientist Leon Battista Alberti, whom the marching members researched and admired and followed his zest for the marreage of art and science. Pick a powerful metaphor, apply it to the performer's lives and leverage the f*** out of the concept in critiques. Easy.

Unfortunately none of these metaphors was promoted publicly by the design team, the show lacked real world meaning behind the scenes for the marching members, and the show's depth of concept suffered as a result. Thanks for playing.

Just wanted to quote this, before the OP removes it in total embarrassment.

[Fish]

Tilt could have easily won if the design team applied meaning to it, behind the scenes, but the show coordinator refused. Tilt could have been a metaphor for social acceptance for young adults. Tilt could have been a metaphor for overcoming depression. Tilt could have been a metaphor for alternative musicians' overcoming their sense of alienation. Tilt could have been a metaphor for rocking the boat politically and succeeding. Tilt could have, behind the scenes, been a metaphor for the perspective scientist Leon Battista Alberti, whom the marching members researched and admired and followed his zest for the marreage of art and science. Pick a powerful metaphor, apply it to the performer's lives and leverage the f*** out of the concept in critiques. Easy.

Unfortunately none of these metaphors was promoted publicly by the design team, the show lacked real world meaning behind the scenes for the marching members, and the show's depth of concept suffered as a result. Thanks for playing.

...and Tilt could have been about the motion my head made when I read this post.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Fish

[DrumManTx]

...and Tilt could have been about the motion my head made when I read this post.

[Michael Boo]

As someone who regularly analyzes drum corp shows for my job, and who tries to express my thoughts in the simplest way possible...sometimes a show is just a show and sometimes what's going on down on the field is just fun and meant to be enjoyed.

We can analyze an ice cube until it melts, but we'd still be just talking about water in one form or another.

And why hasn't a corps presented a show yet titled, "Melt"?

[Stu]

Scenario 1) ‘Tilt’

Audience Member: “Wow, that was new to me; what was it?”

Show Designer: “Some Indie Rock stuff by Braxton and Teng; check them out!”

Audience Member: “I will; Thanks!!”

Scenario 2) ‘Cabaret Voltaire’

Audience Member: “Uhhhh, that was new to me; what was it?”

Show Designer: “A metaphorical exploration into the esoteric realm a raucous skepticism about accepted values and Its embrace of new artistic materials and methods created an abiding legacy for the century to come, with strategies that included collage, montage, assemblage, ready-mades, chance, performance, and… Wait, where are you going?"

Audience Member: “I am going to check out some cool stuff by Braxton and Teng!”

[leanlion]

Love channel3 posts. Make you think if anything.

Lets pretend for a moment channel3 is the strong-willed director of a long-time DCI powerhouse corps always in the mix for the almighty title. Channel3 walks into the annual designer meeting hoping these creative geniuses will have the next best thing thought thru but all tell channel3 ,"we got nothing."

Channel3, shocked, tell the assembled it's time to call Michael Boo.

The assembled collectively rolled their eyes and asked the pregnant question WHY?" as the program coordinator quits on the spot.

Channel3 says, "goodbye and don't let the door hit you on the way to the bus station".

Silence ensues as channel3's opening rant is, "Michael has a large brain and goes to China once a year."

One brave soul asks. What does that do with the price on onions?"

"Very simply you idiot, Michael has been elevating many corps' mind-numbing productions to high art for years with his literate riffs."

Channel3 goes on to challenge his Broadway producer wantabes to a title game and create a musical landscape that will support the visual. He will ask Boo to do the same and see who wins.

With this channel3 offers the following titles:

LIFE AND DEATH AND WOODY ALLEN

JOY, HAPPINESS AND MADISON AVENUE

FOX OR MSNBC

PAPAL BLESSING

JEPARODY

THE SPOKEN WORD

THREE TUNES AND A DRUM SOLO

DANCIN' FOOL

UPDATED SOUSA

THE MIDDLE EAST

BLUE BLOODS- WALTON WITH GUNS

THE TOUR

Channel3 welcomes the input of the dcp community in fill in the blanks as well hoping a new program coordinator is hired by this bit of fun fiction.

Have at it folks using the above titles.

Channel3 will be judge and jury.

[Shempy]

Tilt could have easily won if the design team applied meaning to it, behind the scenes, but the show coordinator refused. Tilt could have been a metaphor for social acceptance for young adults. Tilt could have been a metaphor for overcoming depression. Tilt could have been a metaphor for alternative musicians' overcoming their sense of alienation. Tilt could have been a metaphor for rocking the boat politically and succeeding. Tilt could have, behind the scenes, been a metaphor for the perspective scientist Leon Battista Alberti, whom the marching members researched and admired and followed his zest for the marreage of art and science. Pick a powerful metaphor, apply it to the performer's lives and leverage the f*** out of the concept in critiques. Easy.

Unfortunately none of these metaphors was promoted publicly by the design team, the show lacked real world meaning behind the scenes for the marching members, and the show's depth of concept suffered as a result. Thanks for playing.

Bluecoats' 2012 show Umasqued did go into that metaphorical territory, fairly heavy-handedly. And yet Tilt was way more accepted by both the judges and the audience. Why is that?

[Tobias]

DESIGNER'S TOOLBOX - SETUPS

Consider how you convey the narrative platform of your show to your audience. How do audiences get what it's about? Is the concept intuitive? Does it require prior knowledge of history or knowledge of the music itself? How do you convey to your audience your point of view?

The more information that the audience knows about the subject, the more they're likely to ride with you and enjoy the experience.

In film, television, theater, advertising and marketing, there are tools that directors and producers use to help the audience identify the narrative platform of a show, including the who/what/where platform. In non-narrative programs, the designers create a subject matter simply from the pattern of movement or based on the understructure of the music itself.

Here are some of the components that designers can use to help prepare the audience for the program, and to help them understand your theme and its progression:

1. SHOW TITLE - So much information about the production is conveyed in the show title. The title is announced as part of each performance. It's critical. The title reminds the audience in the moment about the subject matter, or the theme, and can even hint at the progression or the resolution/ending. The audience response to Felliniesque would have been different if audiences didn't know it was about him. They likely would have self-immolated. But with the announcement of the title, the show made perfect sense.

2. DIALOGUE/NARRATION - Narration is most loathed method of exposition in drum corps. Brief is better. Carolina Crown did it efficiently in one sentence. "Two lovers (who) sat (what) on a park bench (where) with their bodies touching each other."

3. ASSUMED/INTUITIVE BACKGROUND INFO - This natural information from our experience or knowledge helps fill in the blanks of the subject matter. Audiences have preconceived notions about space, Fellini, sound wave theory, or a shark and a fat lady singing. Our preconceived ideas help us prepare for what's likely next. Or if the show offers no preconceived ideas, that's a disadvantage. And no, it's not a hidden advantage. It just creates confusion in the audience's mind, and results in a low depth of concept score. The more relatable a theme is, and the more universally resonant it is, the bigger your depth of concept score-- even if your show concept is abstract.

4. REPETITION - In non-narrative, and even narrative shows alike, the pattern that you create sets the audience's expectations for what comes next. Cadet's repeating Z-pull move gave audiences all they needed to raise their expectations and satisfy them. Imagine the audience's reaction with a different ending. When an audience screams their heads off at a repeating move, it's because audiences feel like they get the pattern. Audiences crave understanding the pattern. When audiences can't tell where a dramatic action is going, they feel confused and separate from the performers.

5. EMBLEMS/SYMBOLS - Symbolism and pictures are worth a thousand words. Pictures of Paris sure helped Phantom define its location-based show. Imagine Phantom's show without the Paris panels to help inform the viewer and root the show in a specific location/ouevre.

6. MUSIC BACKGROUND INFO - The music itself has a history, reputation, and social commentary. The audience's knowledge of the music and the composer goes a long way to conveying your production's point of view. SCV's Phantom of the Opera show was rooted in the popular musical, and relieved their storytelling burden-- Santa Clara could have brought out pinatas and tequila and the show still would have made sense, based on everyone's prior knowledge of the show.

7. SEMIFINALS SHOW COORDINATOR SPIEL - This broadcast segment seen by thousands of corps fans and professionals alike is the corps' chance to fill in what the designers couldn't make clear with any other tool. This is the chance to add depth to the show concept, and convey its universal truth, which sometimes isn't obvious to the casual or first time viewer.

8. COSTUMES, PROPS - These components help convey not only the who/what/where platform, but also other clues about the production's point of view, timeframe, and social context.

9. FORM, SHAPE, PACING - In non narrative shows, these components help convey the show's pattern, progression and resolution. Drum corps old timers insist this is all you need.

10. SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS - Ancillary videos and web promotions help clarify your exposition and build your point of view. This component raises the personal stakes of your show and how it relates to the performers and designers as artists. This component raises the universal resonance of your show, and prevents designers from flaking out with comments like "And Im talking until late March, we had no idea where it was going." Or " When we started the conversation about perspective, thats how we got into the word tilt. " Story or no story, the show must mean something to you personally in order to raise the stakes and create a resonant depth of concept. The web is the best place to build and promote that resonance.

Face it. Narrative tools or not, you've got to have a strong concept to start with-- a universal human truth or a resonant perception of life as we know it and how it relates to these marching members and to the audience now, in this place, tonight.

Great post! Agreed. I don't want to sit in a stadium and be baffled by a drumcorps show. The concept should be cohesive and digestible at one viewing. Layering and nuances for repeated viewings absolutely.