skywhopper Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 (edited) Saw one post saying you must understand the Bourne movies to understand the scaffolding in their show. For me, I just want to enjoy a drum corps show – not have to go see all the Bourne movies to understand what's happening on the field. Hmm. I've seen the Bourne movies and I don't know how that helps understand the scaffolding. I think its main point is to add visual interest and provide a place to feature various groups, BUT I think so far it hasn't worked out to be a net positive. Maybe if it were mobile and could reframe things during the show (like Blue Stars 10, Crown 07, and BD 10), that might help, but I think it's out of the question for this particular prop. Or maybe if it had more levels rather than so many ramps. There's a promise that the "trash bags" are going to be replaced, but while that will definitely improve the look, something more needs to be done for the prop to become a net positive visual benefit. In terms of verticality, the Cavies' stilts are interesting, but I don't feel like they've used them as well as they could yet. The stilt guys were spinning their walking sticks last time I saw the show, so that was interesting. Get them doing flag tosses from up there! Or I wonder if they might will put some horn players up on stilts, too. The screamer soloists totally should go vertical! If they really wanted to pull out an August surprise, they should put the whole corps on stilts for the finale. I also think Crown is using their trusses well, too. At least for the horn players. I feel like when the guard gets up there, they have to be a little too careful with handling equipment to do anything really spectacular. But they are already doing far more interesting things than I expected. Wonder what else they'll add. So what props would I get rid of? I think the Cascades' cubes take up too much of the field. I think the Blue Stars prop will work out in the end. Not a showstopper, but it's interesting enough to keep. Boston's sheet, yeah I'm not a big fan at this point--I spend most of my time thinking, "whaaaat?" when I should be thinking "wowww!". I've only seen Troopers show *without* the road, but I didn't feel like anything was missing. And Spirit's lampposts I don't recall being all that important (although the stools in that show are a nice prop). Edited July 21, 2011 by skywhopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 What is your source for this? Hell has been depicted in any number of ways in literature and other media over the past thousands of years, including escapes therefrom. Does the lack of brimstone and ability to escape ruin The Divine Comedy for you? The Aeneid? Does the fact that he described a trip through hell in a book get you down on C.S. Lewis?I think the show design is incredibly evocative of a terrifying vision of Hell in which no matter how hard you try to escape, things keep folding back on themselves, like in Labyrinth or in an M.C. Escher drawing. And the title source material by Ligeti is absolutely the perfect musical counterpart to the the visuals and the theme. Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven is generally understood to be a dream, though it's not explicitly described as such in the poem. Even if it were a "real" journey, he doesn't "escape" as such, since he's not a d###ed soul but a living person -- merely a tourist, not a resident of Hell. (I haven't read the Aeneid --obviously a source for Dante-- or Lewis's The Great Divorce, but I think the same understanding applies.) No one condemned to Hell in Dante's poem actually escapes during its narrative. Even Dante's tour guide through the first two-thirds of his journey, Virgil, is sent back to Hell's outer circle (Limbo) after being allowed to see the Earthly Paradise atop the mountain of Purgatory. Dante would have said that the only people ever to have escaped the Inferno were those released in Jesus's Harrowing of Hell. He'd also argue that the souls in Hell are there of their own volition ("they are eager for the river crossing / because celestial justice spurs them on, / so that their fear is turned into desire" -- Inferno III, 124-6; trans. Mandelbaum). To bring this back to SCV: if their show includes a story in which someone actually manages to escape from Hell simply through effort, then it would be a strange Hell. But I haven't seen it yet, and look forward to doing so! Speaking of which, a question for all and sundry: I only just signed up for the Fan Network for the first time a couple weeks ago, and so far have only used it to watch historic performances, or those 2011 shows that I've already seen in person. Ought I to watch the others in advance of my seeing them in Allentown, or would that spoil the effect of a first live viewing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Watch the shows live *first*, then go back and watch the videos. See what your eye is naturally drawn to without having seen where the cameras tell you to look. That's my suggestion. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Watch the shows live *first*, then go back and watch the videos. See what your eye is naturally drawn to without having seen where the cameras tell you to look. That's my suggestion. Mike Well, since everything on FN is high-cam as of now, since we've lost Denver, wouldn't it be okay to watch it there? If it was multi-cam, I'd say watch it live first, but getting a good overall picture I think could help enhance his live viewing later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Not sure what you mean about it being a blatant rip off - Kevin Ford wrote the drill for this Blue Stars show as well. The ramp is supposed to be a spy tower for the CIA, who chases around Jason Bourne. They aren't done with the spy tower yet, there will be more added to it, and the trash bags will go. I'm well aware of the connection. Which doesn't, automatically, make it NOT a rip off. If anything, it makes it MORE of a rip off of a BOA program. I also love it... hey, the amps have to sound perfect the first show... but you guys won't see the props and half of our show theme until the last two weeks of the season. That's really fair to the paying audience members all over the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 But you are TOTALLY WRONG about the Juliets the opener. It is nothing short of a masterpiece setting the stage between theme, music and drill. The dual soloists start so simply, as does the singe Juliet in the middle of the field. Then it builds with the horn line expressing its love for Juliet through the incredible beautiful music, and for the last blast you have all the Juliets in the middle of the field with the horn line in full volume right behind them. It is THE HIGHLIGHT moment of DCI 2011. We will talk about this opener for years. +++ If it was that seamless, I'd be in complete agreement. Instead, in the present state, we are introduced Juliet (the one, singular) as the primary character, then they are all the same character. throughoutuought the show, you don't know who to look for to find the juliet acting out the storyline, because now, they keep changing. Even more confusing and hard to follow, only muddy-ing the storyline more. If the segue was as you described, I'd be melting out there in the stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralTsoChicken Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 But you are TOTALLY WRONG about the Juliets the opener. It is nothing short of a masterpiece setting the stage between theme, music and drill. The dual soloists start so simply, as does the singe Juliet in the middle of the field. Then it builds with the horn line expressing its love for Juliet through the incredible beautiful music, and for the last blast you have all the Juliets in the middle of the field with the horn line in full volume right behind them. It is THE HIGHLIGHT moment of DCI 2011. We will talk about this opener for years. +++ If it was that seamless, I'd be in complete agreement. Instead, in the present state, we are introduced Juliet (the one, singular) as the primary character, then they are all the same character. throughoutuought the show, you don't know who to look for to find the juliet acting out the storyline, because now, they keep changing. Even more confusing and hard to follow, only muddy-ing the storyline more. If the segue was as you described, I'd be melting out there in the stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommytimp Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) I'm a pithead until I die, but I just might go ahead and get rid of that fourth or fifth marimba. As Picasso once said, "Dude, if you can't make the point with THREE marimbas, go back to Berklee or something." Edited July 22, 2011 by tommytimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtIhNeE1423 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Id get rid of the excuse "I dont understand X's show, therefore it sucks." etc Why cant a corps just play music and march drill? Its just marching band. All the more power to those who can write and perform a show with a story line or theme. But for those who tried and cant, or just have a vague them, no reason to dog them. They are still playing music and running around on a football field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven is generally understood to be a dream, though it's not explicitly described as such in the poem. Even if it were a "real" journey, he doesn't "escape" as such, since he's not a d###ed soul but a living person -- merely a tourist, not a resident of Hell. (I haven't read the Aeneid --obviously a source for Dante-- or Lewis's The Great Divorce, but I think the same understanding applies.) No one condemned to Hell in Dante's poem actually escapes during its narrative. Even Dante's tour guide through the first two-thirds of his journey, Virgil, is sent back to Hell's outer circle (Limbo) after being allowed to see the Earthly Paradise atop the mountain of Purgatory. Dante would have said that the only people ever to have escaped the Inferno were those released in Jesus's Harrowing of Hell. He'd also argue that the souls in Hell are there of their own volition ("they are eager for the river crossing / because celestial justice spurs them on, / so that their fear is turned into desire" -- Inferno III, 124-6; trans. Mandelbaum). To bring this back to SCV: if their show includes a story in which someone actually manages to escape from Hell simply through effort, then it would be a strange Hell. But I haven't seen it yet, and look forward to doing so! Speaking of which, a question for all and sundry: I only just signed up for the Fan Network for the first time a couple weeks ago, and so far have only used it to watch historic performances, or those 2011 shows that I've already seen in person. Ought I to watch the others in advance of my seeing them in Allentown, or would that spoil the effect of a first live viewing? they need some Slayer in that show - there is a cool cover of number of the beast (Iron Maiden)by Zwan that would make a great ballad - even a sample of the scream at the tempo change of the original would rock, should be their drum solo A hell show would be awesome but I’d go back to the origins with drill sets based on Zoroastrian Temples and then take it through the theological history of hell by way of different religions and influences I did a cool gates of hell show in 13 sets, need to re-work that a bit - my upside down cross was awesome, but sadly, my pitchfork looked like a trident Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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