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What Show Design Tropes Make You Cringe?


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By the way, I love this thread.  I was thinking these examples were just "my problem."  It's good to see that others are similarly annoyed by the over-the-top forced stuff.  

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Hornline member dancing with guard member. Dancing Drumline, Dancing Hornline, Prancing guard, hip thrusts, bug squash, anything to do with synthesizers..... I could go on for days.

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1 hour ago, HockeyDad said:

I'll be brave and back you up on this.  Brandt didn't always bust out the gravel voice.  And I too find it cringe worthy.  Phantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam RRRRRRegiment!!!!!!!!   Okay I get it.  But, Brandt, it's not about you, just sayin'.  Just announce the corps straight up, as you used to do.   This is why I like how Bluecoats do their own introduction.  I suppose I just poked the stick into the hornet nest but.... I've been thinking this for years..

 

 

Just make sure you have one of these ready to go...

 

Cheap-font-b-beekeeper-b-font-font-b-hat

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1 hour ago, HockeyDad said:

I'll be brave and back you up on this.  Brandt didn't always bust out the gravel voice.  And I too find it cringe worthy.  Phantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam RRRRRRegiment!!!!!!!!   Okay I get it.  But, Brandt, it's not about you, just sayin'.  Just announce the corps straight up, as you used to do.   This is why I like how Bluecoats do their own introduction.  I suppose I just poked the stick into the hornet nest but.... I've been thinking this for years..

 

Funny how none of the anti-Crocker crowd have complained that he also over emphasizes Troopers and SCV, all 3 corps with which he volunteered for a significant number of seasons. Sounds more like the complainers can''t just come out and say, I want him to highlight my favorite corps. But to each his/her own.

I'm enjoying this thread, chuckling at the fantasy of THE designers reading the posts and furiously (double pun) re-writing the 2017 summer shows. But since it is easier to destruct than to create, perhaps there should be a parallel thread about what DCPers would like to see in a show beyond What Music the Corps should do.

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1 hour ago, xandandl said:

Funny how none of the anti-Crocker crowd have complained that he also over emphasizes Troopers and SCV, all 3 corps with which he volunteered for a significant number of seasons. Sounds more like the complainers can''t just come out and say, I want him to highlight my favorite corps. But to each his/her own.

You couldn't be more wrong about this. I don't like the gravel voice on any corps introduction including troopers, SCV and any other corps you'd like to mention. Phantom Regiment was the example that came to mind. Surely you are being obtuse on purpose. And yes I just quoted both "Airplane" and "Shawshank Redemption" there. 

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  • A themed show based on a very generic and abstract concept, that either starts with or prominently features a prerecorded definition of the show title/theme.
    • (Much more common in HS marching and BOA, but some corps are guilty of it - Bloo's Kinetic Noise for example)
  • Superfluous brass runs breaking up a melody simply for the sake of showcasing technique.
  • Inserting very modern songs into shows for little to no reason.
    • (I'm not against corps utilizing modern pop or other pieces, just that it needs to fit. Madison 2011 playing Empire State of Mind made sense and fit the show, Madison 2016 playing Lady Gaga just because the song name was Judas did not).
  • Characters. I think every corps has been guilty of this at one time or another, but I just don't like seeing individual characters during a show, whether they're a guard member in a completely unique costume that the entire show is based on, or a live narrating character. If I wanted to see individual performances of people as characters, I'd see a Broadway show or a ballet. Marching should be ensemble-focused, in my opinion - and distinct characters detracts from that.
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Horn lines that set their horns on the ground to do some dorky 15 second visual and then run back to pick up their horns

The uniformity of show pacing, it’s always been a trend even if the trends changes. Blues Devils were in about a 12 year rut (ended in 2014) with their own show pacing and of course, many corps followed.  Drum break start shows, horns keep joining until the full ensemble big hit, horns down, pit takes over leads into another drum break, horns barf out a few short segments blends into mid volume full ensemble carried by low brass,  parked brass run, cue  soloist….you could almost set a stop watch to it

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Overacting/bad acting by guard members. 

Ambiguous/relativistic show themes that can mean anything (and therefore don't mean anything), "I believe...in unity, in love, in Unicorns..."

 

 

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Enormous pretension by show designers who think an 11 minute field performance by musicians is an appropriate venue for philosophical or dramatic discourse.

Get out of the way and let the music play.

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