danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 (edited) Ok, another completely random thought... Why not create the illusion that different sections of the field are assumed to actually have unique physical properties? I was watching some kids play the other day, and just observing their natural comfort with a complete dismissal of reality - they don't need it, it bores them. I guess we forget that concept as we grow older (the sidewalk is hot lava, etc.). Why not translate this same sort of concept to the field? Different sections of the field are assumed to have different physical properties or attributes that effect the performance. One section can be avoided or skipped over like hot lava. Another section can have the gravity of Jupiter. Another section is completely silent... everything suddenly moves at twice the speed in another. Here's a crude diagram to more clearly illustrate the concept: So, imaging the battery cruising laterally across the field, playing crazy loud... and as each member moves into the silent zone, their physical movements appear to be the same, but they aren't actually striking the head... becoming silent, one by one, and then loud again, as each moves out of the zone. Same thing with brass. How about another section that as soon as a performer enters it, they immediately begin moving and playing (exactly the same part) at twice the speed they were previously. How about an invisible wall? How about trying to create the illusion that a flag is twice as heavy as it really is? Anyway, this is just a start... there are all kinds of things that could be done with the basic concept. Edited October 26, 2007 by danielray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahamay Oton Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Cuing up by broken record here...I do find it rather odd that corps are still wearing uniforms, rather than costumes that actually have some relevance to the concept they are trying to communicate. If you are, however, going to stick with uniforms, why not do something different with the concept? Why can't there be various groups of different colored uniforms? Absolutely solid color, head to toe, in groups primary colors? What about every single uniform being a slightly different shade than another, to the point where you have a full spectrum? It could be extremely difficult to pull something like this off well, or utilize it's full potential (computer modeling is absolutely essential for making this work) but visual concepts like this could add a completely new dimension. What about large, white flags silk screened with a single letter. Drill is written so that, when grouped and spaced correctly, various words and phrases are formed at different points (like a funky moving refrigerator magnet poetry). Who needs narration when you can communicate these same literal words in such a much more unique way? Stilts???? Why are all members on the field all the time and for the whole time? Sometimes less is more? Does the entire corps have to be on the field in order to start the show? What if the first piece started with just one guy, and the others came and joined one by one? or ... what if they left that way? What if you found the next Bobby McFerrin... and threw him out there one year instead of a pit? If you can use microphones, wireless microphones, and mic percussion instruments... why have so many of them? Try something different... 3 snares, 2 tenors, 4 bases... make the guard huge.... Speaking of huge guard, why is a single piece of equipment designed only to be used by a single person? How about some new equipment concepts... HUGE stuff that requires 2, 3, 4 people to use? 10 GIANT .... um, i don't know... things, out there moving like mad. You know those sort of string games, like Cats Cradle or whatever.... one collection of movement makes one stable form, while another creates another. Why not those, but HUGE... with people, not fingers? Is dry ice illegal? You know those frisbees with the hole in the middle? Why not? I could go on for days in this topic... fun. Maybe I should get my lazy ### back into things one of these days. :) How about paying for all these things. Oh, that's right. We don't need all those smaller budget corps. The master plan is for "8 Super Corps". :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaredrummer42 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Ok, another completely random thought...Why create the illusion that different sections of the field are assumed to actually have unique physical properties? I was watching some kids play the other day, and just observing their natural comfort with a complete dismissal of reality - they don't need it, it bores them. I guess we forget that concept as we grow older (the sidewalk is hot lava, etc.). Why not translate this same sort of concept to the field? Different sections of the field are assumed to have different physical properties or attributes that effect the performance. One section can be avoided or skipped over like hot lava. Another section can have the gravity of Jupiter. Another section is completely silent... everything suddenly moves at twice the speed in another. Here's a crude diagram to more clearly illustrate the concept: So, imaging the battery cruising laterally across the field, playing crazy loud... and as each member moves into the silent zone, their physical movements appear to be the same, but they aren't actually striking the head... becoming silent, one by one, and then loud again, as each moves out of the zone. Same thing with brass. How about another section that as soon as a performer enters it, they immediately begin moving and playing (exactly the same part) at twice the speed they were previously. How about an invisible wall? How about trying to create the illusion that a flag is twice as heavy as it really is? Anyway, this is just a start... there are all kinds of things that could be done with the basic concept. I think you mean "why not create the illusion . . ." but yeah. That is definitely one of the coolest show concepts I've ever heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 How about paying for all these things. Oh, that's right. We don't need all those smaller budget corps. The master plan is for "8 Super Corps". :) Many options for costumes are much less expensive than uniforms. I don't really think that much of anything else I mentioned adds any more expenses than currently. Anyway, there is also plenty of money out there... just a lot of people running corps with less consistent operations are not so good at making it. This creates the misconception that drum corps is too expensive of an activity that is incapable of sustaining itself. There is no problem with the nature of the activity in being able to develop numerous sustainable organizations with multi-million dollar budgets. It is only a management issue. Part of this problem is the mindset that potential managers should have experience performing with a corps, which significantly limits the potential talent pool. Though a group of people have a drive to establish a corps and may be good at getting an initial operations up and running, it doesn't mean that they have the skills or experience to keep it going, let alone grow it. The truth is that if there were 50 organizations with competent, experienced management with solid business management experience, there would be 50 super corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Another random concept... Guard has all kinds of random equipment (think along the lines of Star '93 + Stomp + a lumber yard + Burning Man). Throughout the performance pieces of equipment are used, then 'retired' at various points as it is contributed to the building of some sort of structure. Part of this construction includes hammering (btw - giant sledge hammers would be very cool pieces of equipment... the head would need to be remolded out of another material to make it work... but...) and other percussive events. All of these pieces, individually, seem like rather ambiguous pieces of unique equipment. The construction process builds a sort of mystery, as each piece is added... like some funky TinkerToy type puzzle piece, gradually giving definition to the structure, until the final point in the construction where it all comes together and becomes clear, obvious and recognizable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 (edited) Ok, another completely random thought...Why not create the illusion that different sections of the field are assumed to actually have unique physical properties? I was watching some kids play the other day, and just observing their natural comfort with a complete dismissal of reality - they don't need it, it bores them. I guess we forget that concept as we grow older (the sidewalk is hot lava, etc.). Why not translate this same sort of concept to the field? Different sections of the field are assumed to have different physical properties or attributes that effect the performance. One section can be avoided or skipped over like hot lava. Another section can have the gravity of Jupiter. Another section is completely silent... everything suddenly moves at twice the speed in another. Here's a crude diagram to more clearly illustrate the concept: So, imaging the battery cruising laterally across the field, playing crazy loud... and as each member moves into the silent zone, their physical movements appear to be the same, but they aren't actually striking the head... becoming silent, one by one, and then loud again, as each moves out of the zone. Same thing with brass. How about another section that as soon as a performer enters it, they immediately begin moving and playing (exactly the same part) at twice the speed they were previously. How about an invisible wall? How about trying to create the illusion that a flag is twice as heavy as it really is? Anyway, this is just a start... there are all kinds of things that could be done with the basic concept. I LOVE this !!!! A long time ago, in a thread far, far away, I talked about doing a show backwards. Not sequence backwards like BD dance marathon, but FACING backwards. The idea would be to develop a show that APPEARS to be presented to the back stands, but ACTUALLY is enjoyable from the front stands. Kind of a "behind the scenes view", but done cleverly enough that there are still sufficient impact moments forward. With the pit miked, there is no reason they can't be facing the other direction on the other side of the field. Heck, now that I think of it -- the pit could really be set up anywhere now with amplification. Who will be the first to explore drastically different placement of the pit? Not just on the field as has been done, but backfield or in the end zone, or split up/not all together. Why couldn't the keyboards be moved around like props to augment drill and still be played and amplified forward? Okay, I'm done thinking now ... my head hurts .... Edited October 26, 2007 by Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Random Concept #37 Drill is written so that if the form at each 30 second mark were selected, then layered on top of each other in transparency, it would create a representation of a specific painting. A Kandisnky, for example... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Danielray, I absolutely love your field areas idea. Now that's innovation without the need for any sort of rule change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Random Concept #87 Russian circus.... equipment and concepts lifted from the Moscow State Circus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Random Concept #65 Concepts inspired by Alwin Nikolais... costumes that create new shapes with the body, integrated into larger visual forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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