Blue Knights design and approach

[Design Hound]

It's good for them that they more than make up for it in merchandise sales.

For corps like Blue Knights, they literally couldn't afford to run a camp without collecting fees.

Totally agree, but consider this;

Whether it's purposeful or not, a smaller fan base provides less opportunity for potential donors/supporters of the corps. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, or that BK's shows are bad by any means, but There is nowhere near the excitement surrounding the corps that there is in say, Bluecoats or Crown (not trying to make this about them either, don't get me wrong). Were these corps much better or worse off than BK when they started their rise at the start of the decade?

As much as I hate it when it does happen, drum corps gets compared to actual business (although, really, it IS these days, it has to be...) as opposed to just mostly independent youth organizations serving the community, with a portion of those groups actually doing the tour gig, going to nationals, etc. It's looking more and more like it HAS to be business/marketing approach to be both financially and competetively successful (that much, I do agree with you on 100%, but it isn't necessarily the amount of money a corps has, but how they use that money, and how they use their assets) These days, since there ARE so much fewer corps, there can't really be the local corps with a limited tour, that can still thrive off a fan base and community support. The expendable-income fan base, to me, seems so much more sparse than it was in the 70's, before video games, online poker, yoga, reality television, etc etc etc distracted who would possibly have been fans, or if they are casual fans these days, would have been ardent supporters of the activity.

I'm getting totally sidetracked... but the point is, I am willing to bet that out of (totally arbitrary number for ease of fractions) 120 newcomers to the DCI Finals crowd, there were not 10 new fans for Cavies, 10 new for Bluecoats, 10 new for Crown, etc. It's more likely 4 new soandso fans, 20 new fans for them, 7 new fans... etc. The corps that are more entertaining for the crowd are more likely to gain more fans, and more souvenir sales, and more financial support... but you don't need that money to use the talent (both design, instructors, and performer) in order to make that connection to even those 2 more fans out of 120.

I think I made some kind of point in there somewhere, I just ran out of steam...

[Keith Laubhan]

I am not a business major either, but I actually believe the amount of corps that separate the administrative from the design and tech teams are more numerous than the other way around. On that note, what happened to Kirsten working to get corporate financing a few years ago? I though that was going to bring in more cash and stability.

I think you're right, from an organizational standpoint. I know many corps (BK not being one of them) have a corps director who is not the executive director, among other deliniations.

The point I'm trying to make is this: lets say BD, or Cavaliers, were to stop ranking so high every year, for whatever reason. Let's say instead of 1st-4th place finishes, they suddenly started placing in the 6th-10th place neighborhood. In that situation, I think it would be highly conceivable that the organizations would lose a lot of the financial benefits they reap by being one of the top corps. Less merchandise, less visability, etc. would all take their toll. In conjunction with that, I think it's also very possible that they'd no longer be able to attract and keep the best staff members in that situation, and it would create a similar situation for them that corps like Blue Knights deal with on the business end of things.

Again, I know money isn't a cure-all, and I know those corps successes can be attribute to a variety of factors, not all of them being monetary.... but it's certainly a big part.

For BK, I'm not sure of the status of the project you referenced. I haven't heard anything.

[Perry S]

Dark Knights was a good show. I enjoyed the mood or ambience it had. Very nice.

[Keith Laubhan]

Totally agree, but consider this;

Whether it's purposeful or not, a smaller fan base provides less opportunity for potential donors/supporters of the corps. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, or that BK's shows are bad by any means, but There is nowhere near the excitement surrounding the corps that there is in say, Bluecoats or Crown (not trying to make this about them either, don't get me wrong). Were these corps much better or worse off than BK when they started their rise at the start of the decade?....

I think I made some kind of point in there somewhere, I just ran out of steam...

You absolutely made a point in there, and one which I agree with.

I do believe BK could be more widely accepted and stay true to their personality... and meanwhile generate the same sort of excitement that you refer to.

Again, I don't think BK strives to be unentertaining, over any one's heads, etc... they just want to bring something different to the table. Sometimes it hits, sometimes it misses. While a Shostakovitch ballet suite with intricate body movement isn't going to generate the same response as a Latin jazz throw-down or large geometric drill moves (things that I like as well), it's no less important. It's just a more difficult path to appreciation than some of the styles that other corps use. They know that going into it, but they also know that there is a less vocal minority of the audience that feels as strong a connection to them as anyone else can garner.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Keith Laubhan

[Pinwiz]

BK has one of the most unique styles in the activity, and that's a good thing. I'm always excited to see what they do, even though they have a 50% success rate.

Can BK write a lighter, more-accessible show? Sure! Look at 1998. Look at Troop 1995. (Remember, if things went differently the BK trademarks would still be at Troopers.) But I don't know if they want to, or if I want them to do so. No one else is doing the dark, dark, DARK shows on a consistent basis and it fills a niche.

[Design Hound]

BK has one of the most unique styles in the activity, and that's a good thing. I'm always excited to see what they do, even though they have a 50% success rate.

Can BK write a lighter, more-accessible show? Sure! Look at 1998. Look at Troop 1995. (Remember, if things went differently the BK trademarks would still be at Troopers.) But I don't know if they want to, or if I want them to do so. No one else is doing the dark, dark, DARK shows on a consistent basis and it fills a niche.

That's great for you, and for BK, that you are such a fan. But, are there enough of you that feel that strongly to keep the corps from drifting into obscurity just so they can fill that very specific "niche"? That's my only concern/worry with that there latest, somewhat cohesive, train of thought...

[TexasPRfan]

I'm not sure I would label a corps that just had 2 of it's more successful back to back competitive seasons in 06 and 07 as "fading into obscurity." Top 8 is a real accomplishment this decade.

Harvey

[Design Hound]

I'm not sure I would label a corps that just had 2 of it's more successful back to back competitive seasons in 06 and 07 as "fading into obscurity." Top 8 is a real accomplishment this decade.

Harvey

I didn't say they are fading into obscurity, nor did I say will that fan base pull them out of obscurity, I said, can it keep them from fading.... a potential future possibility IMO

[Keith Laubhan]

I didn't say they are fading into obscurity, nor did I say will that fan base pull them out of obscurity, I said, can it keep them from fading.... a potential future possibility IMO

Well, I suppose if that started to happen, they could always self-adjust. That said, I think homogenizing would make them more obscure than their current style. Whether, as a fan, you like them or not, they're hard to completely ignore.

[Design Hound]

Well, I suppose if that started to happen, they could always self-adjust. That said, I think homogenizing would make them more obscure than their current style. Whether, as a fan, you like them or not, they're hard to completely ignore.

Sure, but so were so many other corps that are no longer with us....