No more countdown?

[2CoolVK]

Better yet:

Mail 5 or 10 free passes for director and staff (get them committed to going *and* earn good will) and then a form to request

as many BOGO coupons as the band requests. This gets a full theater, lots of popcorn sold (theater makes money), and promotes the product to the core audience. For the first mailing just compile a list of competitive programs -- don't try to reach every band room yet. This keeps costs down on the mailing.

I suspect you'd have theaters having to add the telecast to multiple rooms at each theater. Theaters would actually *make* money on the event. DCI would be building their fanbase.

Extend the promotion by offering programs who participate to a certain base level (25 kids or something) additional price incentives to attend a local show.

Connect corps who offer clinics with band programs who attend the theater event.

Now you're building tickets sales at events, recruiting kids to march, creating a new pool of potential housing sites... ALL stuff DCI should be doing already.

Cost to DCI : almost nothing.

DCI did that this year with 10 tickets at each location. Whether they got used or not is up to the directors.

[corpsband]

DCI did that this year with 10 tickets at each location. Whether they got used or not is up to the directors.

10 tix per location is a very tiny baby step but hardly what it will take to get directors and students involved. The bogo coupon would really drive student attendance up (as most probably wont pay 12.50 but they would probably be will to pay 6.25),

[2CoolVK]

10 tix per location is a very tiny baby step but hardly what it will take to get directors and students involved. The bogo coupon would really drive student attendance up (as most probably wont pay 12.50 but they would probably be will to pay 6.25),

Agreed, but there are limitations in the way the tickets are sold via Fathom Events or the local theater box office. It's impossible to administer a bogo. This year, DCI created a street team to promote at a grass roots level. That effort will continue to grow as will several other initiatives such as comp passes to band directors who purchase summer event tickets for their band. If you'd like to assist with the effort, email streetteam@dci.org. Everyone's help would be welcomed and appreciated.

[chaos001]

You could put me at the top of the list of those who wouldn't want to see me in 3D. I'm already 3D enough.

13 hours and countless revisions later and that's all you could come up with?

i, for one, am disappointed.

[CasualFan]

Better yet:

Mail 5 or 10 free passes for director and staff (get them committed to going *and* earn good will) and then a form to request

as many BOGO coupons as the band requests. This gets a full theater, lots of popcorn sold (theater makes money), and promotes the product to the core audience. For the first mailing just compile a list of competitive programs -- don't try to reach every band room yet. This keeps costs down on the mailing.

I suspect you'd have theaters having to add the telecast to multiple rooms at each theater. Theaters would actually *make* money on the event. DCI would be building their fanbase.

Extend the promotion by offering programs who participate to a certain base level (25 kids or something) additional price incentives to attend a local show.

Connect corps who offer clinics with band programs who attend the theater event.

Now you're building tickets sales at events, recruiting kids to march, creating a new pool of potential housing sites... ALL stuff DCI should be doing already.

Cost to DCI : almost nothing.

Does DCI or National CineMedia own the cinecast? In other words, does DCI pay NCM to broadcast the show and then DCI receives a portion of ticket sales or does NCM pay DCI for the content and then NCM gets the ticket sales? Another thing to remember is that NCM is a venture of AMC, Regal and CineMark.

[bandocommando]

Wow, 1 almost filled theater!

2008 In Voorhees, NJ 13 people.

2009 in Overland Park, KS 9 people. (12 if you count the three that walked out after SCV)

Edited May 17, 2010 by bandocommando

[ContraFart]

I no longer live in FL....but from what I can remember the Royal Palm beach show usually sells out, and one year opened a second theater....they even expanded north just for the countdown to Jensen Beach. Quarter finals are always sold out even with 2 theaters....but the Jensen Beach theater cannot support the live feed (as of the time I last checked).

If this was not financially viable for DCI and fathom events neither would do it.

[BlooContraGuy]

I thought it was fine, and the very crowded theater I was in seemed to really like it a lot....most of them were high school kids who clapped after the classic performances even more than some of the 09 ones.

I honestly don't want to see an entire countdown of older shows (00 or 01 and earlier) they just come off as tacky after awhile, but the clips they showed was just good enough for me and very tasteful.

I dislike the voting system because its not a voting process of which shows the public thinks is best its more of "which corps has the most alumni with internet access", then they go see their own shows. If they changed it back to a fan vote I can guarantee we can predict right now what the line up will be....unless they rule out any shows that has already been on the countdown previously. That would be a nice twist to it.

Not everybody has the dvd!

Just a lot of people on dcp. A lot of people aren't willing to shell out $100 for a dvd.

I've only bought 1 and its because it was my age out year, and I really enjoyed all the shows that year.

I haven't bought the 09 dvd year because I would just be paying 100 to watch crown and bluecoats over and over. So I'd have to wait till the price comes down or until I won it from the street team competition. So I haven't seen drum corps with an audience and great quality since finals, so its been months and I was ready to see it.

The nearly full theater I was at was probably half filled with people who never seen any 09 show or much less kept up with the 09 season, or drum corps at all for that matter. These events are a great tool to introduce people to drum corps to push it into more of mainstream entertainment and it worked at my location. Yes DCI has made a few choices I'm not happy with when it comes to certain things but I still support it and spread the word as much as I can about it.....nice to see you support and spread the word about it too.

Well I know this was on page two... But I just have to say thanks for reminding some of us that DCP is not exactly a perfect sample of the drum corps universe.

And to the OP, I imagine that there were a majority of theaters across the country with at least 30 people in them. I was in a relatively small theater but there seemed to be around 50 or more people in there. And the atmosphere was great! I loved the throwback clips. I loved the high quality. I loved getting to go out with my other drum corps friends to watch the fruits of our labor. I loved getting to see the previews for Boston, Troopers and Bluecoats. The only thing I didn't like was the use of so many puns! Though they were kind of funny in their own way.

Bottom line:

I thought the production was great. And even if it hadn't been, having the right people around you makes it fun anyway.

Wow. Is it tour yet?

Edited May 18, 2010 by BlooContraGuy

[CSGreen]

I think it's appropriate to point out....

I went to see Iron Man 2 at the same theater I would end up seeing the Countdown. The manager of the theater came into the screening of Iron Man 2 and talked to the audience about general stuff. One point he made was:

'Thank you to those of you who visited the concession stands, that's truly where this theater makes the money to stay in business. Almost all of your ticket price goes to the studios and people in the film, so thank you for choosing to come to the theater and watch a movie. Me and my employees thank you.. and the concession stand is still open, wink wink'

So if the same is true for the Countdown, then the Countdown in my theater was the most full showing in the entire theater that night, and with the amount of concessions purchased, probably was worthwhile for that particular location.

I can't imagine the Met Opera, or the political debates, or other Fathom special events are HUGE blockbuster numbers, but they are obviously worthwhile or Fathom wouldn't still be running them... and when you look at the ad space Fathom dedicates to all their events, DCI and the Opera are overwhleming the largest component to that advertising package. I think that says something.

I loved this year's countdown, AND I had already purchased my Blurays. The camp reports, and tying in the classic clips worked very well for me, and is a very cool event to bring a newbie to.

[silvertrombone]

Observation: Absence of Phantom Regiment from the broadcast.

Observation: Absence of phans in the stands at the broadcast.

Correlation? I think maybe so.

Lesson learned??

Do a broadcast/countdown with no restrictions. ALL shows eligible, no limit on one per corps. Really give the people what they want, ya know? 12 best shows of all time...yeah, maybe only 4 corps would be included, but everyone would get a fair chance.

And I'm sure the economy didn't have anything to do with attendance either.