Thoughts on Div 2/3 DVD

[funkrocker049]

I've had the opportunity to view the 2007 Division 2/3 DVD and I am curious what other people think. With the holiday behind us, I assume many people have had the chance to view the disc. I haven't watched every show yet, but some thoughts...

Spartans

I won't comment on the performance because I was a marching member, but I am quite pleased with the DVD. This is the first year that I feel DCI managed to capture the nature of our show. They spread the footage among the various sections and even peppered in a good deal of high-cam at the right times. Nice.

Jersey Surf

Not having the chance to see their show, I was eager to check it out. The corps performed their show very well. The hornline definitely put out some great sound and the drumline was tight. I liked the bits of California Dreamin' that were woven through the show. Nice ballad. Feet were pretty good, but the drumline could have moved more.

Teal Sound

I really enjoyed the music of this show. The hornline had a very nice sound and maintained it even while moving quite a bit. This corps seemed to have the most ambitious drill of the top 3 corps, but they were really hindered by their body carriage. Guard held them back, but was not a distraction. The improvement from early season to Finals was very very impressive. I enjoyed viewing.

Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets

The members looked like they were working very hard, and that's the problem. I think the drill, in many respects was written above the level of the corps. I truly don't mean this in any disrespectful way, either. Hornline sound really suffered from endurance issues and became quite ragged at times. Guard did a nice job. I would have preferred them to do a show that hadn't been done before.

Memphis Sound

We passed Memphis on a couple occasions during warm-ups, and I was consistently impressed with the sound coming from their arc. The video demonstrated that it also carried over to the field. My only quibble with the music is that Song of Aeolus lasted too long, but that's a design issue. They marched well and the drill resembled division 1 writing in some spots. I wish they would have kicked up the tempos...they could have handled it.

We had the opportunity to hang out with Memphis Sound and Yokohama Scouts while waiting for Div 1 retreat. That was definitely one of my favorite moments of the summer. The folks from Memphis were very nice. We even set up a combined contra-arc with the 3 corps.

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Take my comments as you will. I tried to approach the viewing as objectively as I could possibly be. I am pleased with the DVD production for the first time in my marching career. Also, kudos to DCI for structuring the disc menu just like the div 1 discs.

[Phirefenix]

Agreed. The production quality of this year's DVD was a huge improvement over previous years.

Spartans show was presented superbly on the DVD. I enjoyed seeing the whole picture come together.

Surf was much improved over past seasons. They bit off a big chunk of show, and handled it very well. The trumpet line was a monster. Holy cow. Nice.

I thought Teal's visual program was good, but the lack of movement in the drum break was a missed opportunity. The hornline however was superb. The continuity of the concept of sunrise to sunset was conveyed effectively.

Biggest BDB ever? The hornline sounded solid, and display a nice dynamic range. I think they could have handled more notes to be honest. That has been the biggest point I've noticed with them. I feel they can consistently handle more, but don't get it.

SCVC carried a big show this year with a smaller corps. The hornline was strained. Obviously at moments. The show's flow didn't hold me alot of the time.

West Side Story is a common staple. I felt Raiders didn't give it a new treatment, and as such I wasn't too into this show. Kudos for bumping up to Div. 2. The drumline threw down, and the guard progressed tremendously over the summer.

Mempho's hornline this year was the best sound I've heard out of a div. 3 corps ever. Hands down. The visual package flowed, and the writing was spot on. I hope they hold on to whoever wrote that drill. The drumline matched the hornline's virtuosity, and to my eyes this corps was the total package. They had it all, and won rightfully.

I've only seen Fever via youtube. So I can't comment on their final performance.

Dutch was a big surprise this year. Pleasantly. The show was not as serious as other corps, but was perfect for them. The right amount of design for this corps. The drumline sounded great, and was controlled enough to not overpower a smaller hornline.

Revo's show was a spitting image of the angle they've had on design since their inception. I felt the opener dragged though. The tempo was just slow to me. Visually I didn't know what was going on technique wise. I saw elements of Blue Knights style. Highly stylized bent knees. But not from everybody. I think I saw some points where people popped the left knee out of a halt ala BK, but once again not committed enough to really be sure. If the corps committed 100% to the visual end it would have cleaned up immensely.

Oregon's show this year was also uniquely theirs. The smaller hornline still carried a solid sound reminiscent of what they've achieved since 2004. Visually they struggled, and posture problems seemed to be the biggest issue. The props also were distracting to me. The euph soloist was great, and I must say kudos to OC. You truly kept this activity open to all. Bravo.

I still haven't watched all of Impulse's show. I have trouble being pulled into this show. It's not in line with Impulse's nature to me, and I struggle with focusing through it.

Yokohama Scouts were the only other G bugle line on the field. I liked the show, and think the members were amazing to meet prior to Div. 1 retreat. I'm glad I got a great international experience before aging-out. I look forward to seeing them stateside again.

All of the above reviews are my own thoughts. I'm not a judge, and as such it's all opinion. I don't disagree with the placements, and think the judging was consistent.

Edited December 26, 2007 by Phirefenix

[raidersdbcbass]

I am pleased with the DVD and all the competing corps. It would have been nice if they had the angle options or at least the high-cam option. I realize that doing this for only the top 6 Div I corps pushed the marketing price WAY up. It's a nifty thing though when you think you see something cool happening, but the camera is focusing on the drumline or guard or a soloist or something.

[Nex]

We had the opportunity to hang out with Memphis Sound and Yokohama Scouts while waiting for Div 1 retreat. That was definitely one of my favorite moments of the summer. The folks from Memphis were very nice. We even set up a combined contra-arc with the 3 corps.

I can't count the number of times I heard, "*High pitched scream* Yay! You nice guy!" in response to the fact that I could say, "Watashi wa John desu," that night. Definitely some great fun!