PR and their visual woes...

[Threats]

So, I've been doing a little bit of diging around and asking a few PR alumni friends of mine about the various years as far as visual design is concerned...because honestly, I was pretty sure I rememebered a time when Phantom was one of the better corps, visually speaking. I started to wonder how did they go from that to what we have today and I hope DCP can help fill in some blanks here.

2008-? New guy. Don't know his name. On the one hand, he has a title under his belt. On the other hand, he also has a bottom three ranking in GE and Ensemble Visual under his belt as well. Future undecided.

2005-2007 - Jamie Thomson. I liked 2005 and 2006, though they were very effective drills. 2007 was a miss, but that can happen to any drill designer...was he "retired" because of the 2007 drill? If so, that is a shame. I liked this guy's designs when he was with Glassmen too.

2002-2004 - ? Most of the alumni I know are older, so I don't know anyone who knows who the drill writer was, but I am sure someone here can. Was he let go, or did he move on to another corps? 2003 is the only show I am really familiar with, and I thought the drill was adequate. It seems to me that while corps like Cavaliers have figured out the right number of members in each section in order to make geometric forms a possibility, PR had not figured this out as of 2003. A lot of those blocks were uneven (like the one that has three rows of 4 and one row of 3....why not just make 3 rows of 5???)

2000-2001 - Leon May. Leon has since made a name for himself at Crown and Avon Park HS. Was he just starting out at this time? The drill from those years is ok, nothing spectacular, but not terrible. Was he also forced out? Someone told me that there used to be severe restrictions placed on the drill writer, and that Leon may have quit in frustration.

1999 - ? I remember seeing this show in Madison and thinking the drill was not that great. I don't know who wrote it. It could have been a down year for the corps in general. Felt like it.

1998 - Guard guy, then Ryan Hildreth from what I am told. Anyone know what happened to the original drill writer and why he had to be replaced mid-year? Was any of his drill used?

1997 - ? Unknown. But I like the drill. It's not terribly innovative, but it isn't bad.

1996 - Michael Cesario....is this right? I had no idea Michael wrote drill. It wasn't spectacular, but there are two moments that still bring me shivers: The mess-of-a-block that turns into a ###### wedge at the end of the opener, and the three arcs at the end of the show right before that chord that moved me to near tears in Orlando.

1995 - Steve Hegemiyer? Never heard of this guy. Any idea why he was only a one-and-done?

1993-1994 - Tony Hall. These were some really good drills. I used to hang with Tony when he worked with Garfield back in the late 80s, and he was (and still is, I am sure) a super nice guy.

19?? - 1992 - John Brazzalle (sp?) - PR had a good thing with Brazzalle. 1987 through 1991 especially have a lot of great moments.

I don't know who wrote Phantom's drill before Brazzalle....anyone?

In any case...what is to be done now? If you look at their past history, it seems they have had a slew of 1- or 2-year guys. Of course, that is no way to build a consistent team (how long has Mike Gaines been at Cavaliers or Jay Murphy at BD?)

On the other hand, if you absolutely KNOW that this person does not have the goods, then you have to replace them, much like pulling off a bandage quickly.

The problem is...there aren't a ton of really great drill designers out there right now, so unless the PR organization has the money to throw at Pete Weber or Myron Rosander or Kevin Ford, it's likely they are going to have to go with someone as equally untested as the current guy.

So...let's say you are PR's executive director (do they even have one of those...? Someone who can really call teh shots, the way Hopkins does with Cadets?)....what do you do:

a. Retain the drill writer, get a new guard design team, and hope for the best?

b. Let the entire visual staff go and try to go out and hire the best people to represent you in this day of visually-oriented DCI?

c. Other.

I don't envy them their decision-making processes in the coming weeks, because they are going to have to move fast. I *do* wish them the best of luck, though. PR has recently re-converted me over to their phanhood, after a few years of "bleah, I don't care for this show" in the late 90s and early 00s. I really hope they can make themselves a contender again within two years, especially in this new landscape of tougher competition from spots 1 through 9.

Sidebar: Thinking about Jamie's drills with Glassmen, I looked at their shows on Fancast again...that uniform REALLY helped sell some of the forms. Does anyone else think that PR's uniforms really don't help the drill from up top? Whenever they wear a mostly-white (like this year, when they have the silver sash, or last year with the golden sash), they seem to get lost. But when I look back at 1989 with the black sash and gloves, and the black cape, they seem to stand out more. Maybe PR needs to go back to the white with black accents instead of white with white?

Twalk awmongst youwselfs....

[Silver_King]

Sidebar: Thinking about Jamie's drills with Glassmen, I looked at their shows on Fancast again...that uniform REALLY helped sell some of the forms. Does anyone else think that PR's uniforms really don't help the drill from up top? Whenever they wear a mostly-white (like this year, when they have the silver sash, or last year with the golden sash), they seem to get lost. But when I look back at 1989 with the black sash and gloves, and the black cape, they seem to stand out more. Maybe PR needs to go back to the white with black accents instead of white with white?

Twalk awmongst youwselfs....

which uniform

[Threats]

which uniform

The one from 1998...I think it was the same for a few years after that....I remember seeing them again in 2002 and I didnt think the uni had changed, except maybe they got rid of the triangle in the front.

[Threats]

Just watched 2004 Glassmen....it seems they changed their uni by that year, they had removed the triangle for sure. I don't think it was as effective as the look they had from 1998-2002.

I wonder if PR could do something like that if they ever decide to change unis again. Instead of a triangle in the front, a chevron?

Nah, I cna't picture it. They just need to add the black accents again.

[raphael18]

The one from 1998...I think it was the same for a few years after that....I remember seeing them again in 2002 and I didnt think the uni had changed, except maybe they got rid of the triangle in the front.

Well, the corps went all black for 1995-1999, then to the tan and white from 2000-2002, then to white from 2003-2008, and to a new white in 2009. So, there have been a lot of changes. The gauntlets and baldrics do change every year - we had black accents in 2003 (and I think 2004).

In 2003, Johny Sanchez was writing the drill, and I'm pretty sure he had been doing it for a few years prior. We had some cool stuff, and it fit the music, but I think Tony Hall and Bob Smith were responsible for a lot of the cooler visual effects.

Right now the corps is in a tough spot, because consistency breeds success, but you should also cut someone loose if they aren't meeting expectations. It's hard for me to believe the same guy wrote 2008 and 2009, because the drills are so radically different. I'm not sure if the design staff put a lot of restrictions on him, or the guy was simply uninspired. What I do know is that if the guy uses a drill writing program, perhaps the staff should be requesting rough drafts of the drill in order to see what they like and don't like before a single page of drill is ever learned by the corps. Regardless, the visual design has become a glaring Achilles heel.

Edited August 9, 2009 by raphael18

[jpaul]

It seems that the story became an issue in this year's production. I think things had to be rewritten to make the story clearer and those changes came fairly late in the season. The problems may not have been entirely the drill writer's responsibility.

[Phantombari1]

I think we are letting people of the hook. They had to know this design was poor from the get go.

[Tom Brace]

I think we are letting people of the hook. They had to know this design was poor from the get go.

Has current drum corps passed this corps by? I mean, we are back to music dominating and drill as an afterthought. And the guard book was just abysmal. At one point this season, the 14th place corps beat them in guard. What does that say?

All of this falls on the Program Coordinator's door. Does anyone really expect Dan to step down? Nah. Won't happen. I'm sure there were discussions with people over this past weekend. I expect changes to be announced well before Thanksgiving.

[DCIHasBeen]

Has current drum corps passed this corps by? I mean, we are back to music dominating and drill as an afterthought. And the guard book was just abysmal. At one point this season, the 14th place corps beat them in guard. What does that say?

All of this falls on the Program Coordinator's door. Does anyone really expect Dan to step down? Nah. Won't happen. I'm sure there were discussions with people over this past weekend. I expect changes to be announced well before Thanksgiving.

For some reason, Phantom's current management also have a problem putting together a competitive visual program at Vanguard.

Wondering if this is just a coincidence.

[Threats]

For some reason, Phantom's current management also have a problem putting together a competitive visual program at Vanguard.

Wondering if this is just a coincidence.

I was under the impression that Valenzuela is an executive director and has little bearing on the direction of the corps' programs in general...is this wrong?

The long-time program "godfather" is Dr. Dan Richardson. I imagine he is the one that has a big say in who gets hired and fired.

P.S. It's silly to say that current drum corps has passed this corps by when they just won a national title last year.