Phantom Regiment and the Visual Department...

[audiodb]

Then again, even as recently as a year ago there were always a couple of trolls making snide comments about PR's drumline, since they had never quite won that caption. It didn't stop until their drumline was so obviously superior to everyone else that to criticize them would be plain foolish.

They have effective drill (won GE at finals last year). They perform well (won performance last night in Allentown). But the critics will still be there unless they become dominant in both visual design and execution.

[JFitz19]

I saw Phantom the other night in Lawrence. I am not particularly a big Phantom fan, and I went to the show with negative exectations, given what I had read about the corps. However, I loved the show and thought the drill was just fine and a step up over last year. While it might not have jaw droppng moments, I found it continuosly engaging and interesting, saw things I had not seen before and thought it did a fine job of presenting the music. Opener-Airplanes-is just terrific, by the way. Don't count Phantom out for the championship yet.

[Nizerifin]

Phantom's visual package keeps them from winning every year. Their drill is simply too simplistic and under designed. I've watched them practice this year and I can tell that the marchers are very strong and agile. They're simply not being pushed visually. Check the recaps, they do all the talking.

[gottalovit]

Is there a reason for so many staff changes in that dept? I don't keep up on every staff member at every corps, but it seems like this is a higher turnover rate than most other DI corps.

I honestly think alot of the weakness in the visual comes from the colorguard. I can't remember the last time I thought their colorguard was in the same league as Cavies, BD, Cadets or even Crown for that matter. Even the last 2 years, when they have placed the highest since the mid 90's, it seems that the colorguard is lacking(I think the talent may be there, but drill designs set them back). For example in 2005, the main focus was on the gentleman in the guard. While he was amazingly talented, it was at the least, very distracting from the rest of the guard. He was a solo performer for probably close to 5 minutes of the show. Then last year, they changed the focus to the 6 male performers in the guard, who had very little integration with either the rest of the guard, or the rest of the corps. It was also kind of a shame, as Phantom was one of the last 2 corps with an all female guard. And while I am not saying that it is bad to have the co-ed guard, I think it is a shame when a majority of the focus lies on the male members.

[Feathers Up]

Phantom's visual package keeps them from winning every year. Their drill is simply too simplistic and under designed. I've watched them practice this year and I can tell that the marchers are very strong and agile. They're simply not being pushed visually. Check the recaps, they do all the talking.

I checked the recaps..They beat Crown in Visual GE and took visual performance..They have also beaten The Cadets in guard a couple of times and have beaten Crown and The Cadets in visual ensemble this year..I've seen people raving about Crown's Visual GE package this year while Regiment has been over Crown in that caption more than just a couple of times..I haven't seen Regiment, so I won't be able to form an opnion until the 13th..

[Nizerifin]

I checked the recaps..They beat Crown in Visual GE and took visual performance..They have also beaten The Cadets in guard a couple of times and have beaten Crown and The Cadets in visual ensemble this year..I've seen people raving about Crown's Visual GE package this year while Regiment has been over Crown in that caption more than just a couple of times..I haven't seen Regiment, so I won't be able to form an opnion until the 13th..

Their latest captions scores:

Total Visual - 24.95 (tied for 6th)

-Visual Performance - 17.1 (1st)

-Visual Ensemble - 16.5 (tied for 7th)

-Visual Colorguard - 16.3 (7th)

General Effect - Visual - 17.1 (3rd)

Like I said, those kids are hardcore, but they're just being held back by simplistic drill.

[Loud-is-good]

Phantom's visual package keeps them from winning every year. Their drill is simply too simplistic and under designed. I've watched them practice this year and I can tell that the marchers are very strong and agile. They're simply not being pushed visually. Check the recaps, they do all the talking.

Every year, too under designed? For the zillionth time, they ####### WON GE VIS AT FINALS LAST YEAR. Being "under designed" obviously is not what kept them from winning. Get the #### over it and stop rehashing the same old ########.

[carter90210]

Every year, too under designed? For the zillionth time, they ####### WON GE VIS AT FINALS LAST YEAR. Being "under designed" obviously is not what kept them from winning. Get the #### over it and stop rehashing the same old ########.

Well, IMO there's no way in hell they should have won GE Visual last year, just like there's no way in hell Cavies should have won (over Phantom) GE Music. That made no sense to me. Phantom's musical design last year was much superior to the Cavies and Cavies visual design was much superior to everyone. They both executed so darn well - I just don't understand those two judges.

Edited July 8, 2007 by carter90210

[carter90210]

Then again, even as recently as a year ago there were always a couple of trolls making snide comments about PR's drumline, since they had never quite won that caption. It didn't stop until their drumline was so obviously superior to everyone else that to criticize them would be plain foolish.

They have effective drill (won GE at finals last year). They perform well (won performance last night in Allentown). But the critics will still be there unless they become dominant in both visual design and execution.

"So obviously superior to everyone else!!!" COME ON. That is ridiculous. I'm not a drum person, but have NO DOUBT they deserved the drum title last year - they were awesome. But I think that statement is a little overboard.

In terms of visual design, I think only Cavies and SCV have consistently better visual packages than Phantom. I think Phantom is on par with most other units (top units) on the field.

IMO, Devils have one of the weakest visual packages. Flame away.

[Loud-is-good]

Well, IMO there's no way in hell they should have won GE Visual last year, just like there's no way in hell Cavies should have won (over Phantom) GE Music. That made no sense to me.

When you compare 2004-2007 to anything before - greatly improved. 1989 was so well designed, but so easy. 1996, IMO, was a mess - very easy, poorly designed, and with a guard that was invisible. Their great brassline saved that show.

That's your opinion. Your opinion has no basis on who actually wins; the judges' opinions do. Just cause you THOUGHT they shouldn't have won vis doesn't change the fact that they did win vis. You comments on 1996 are similarly absurd; they won (edit: came in second in) GE vis, and therefore their brassline didn't save anything. Your opinion is meaningless as to what actually determines who wins. So, the fact remains, talking about their "consistently poor visual program" causing them to lose every year is stupid in light of the last couple seasons. The absurdity of the examples you chose to use only further illustrates this point.

As a side note, I thought it was absurd that they won GE vis last year too; it's still the fact that they did though.

Edited July 8, 2007 by Loud-is-good