Does anyone know how the payscale for shows works now?

[wvu80]

Has it changed from when it was 1-8, etc.? I remember Don Warren telling me the cut-off was purposely not set between 12th and 13th.

I'm having a bit of a senior moment, and I'm sure the logic is apparent to everybody else BUT me, but can you expound just a bit more, why the cut off was NOT between 12 and 13?

[garfield]

Has it changed from when it was 1-8, etc.? I remember Don Warren telling me the cut-off was purposely not set between 12th and 13th.

Yes, you're correct, Mike. I think the break is now 1 to 6 and 6 to 12 inside each class. Non-finalists are paid lower still.

[bill]

It's is some ways like the Reagen-esque 'supply-side economic' argument. If you lower ticket prices you can get more people through the gate, more at the concession stand, more at the souvie stand then total revenue goes up. But, what does it take - more corps performing.

At my last local show a ticket cost $30, for 3 corps, in June. Yes, they each performed twice, but heck, it was only 3 corps, for $30. If you adjust the 1972 DCI finals ticket cost ($6.00) for inflation that would be $31 today - for 12 different corps at the top of their game. And maybe an exhibition or two thrown in - IDK - I wasn't there, but there were 2 other divisions that competed.

Agree that solution is outside the stadium - we need more corps. The current model is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic (of which the 100th anniversary occurs next week; extra GE points for historical reference).

In reference to the "72" DCI, there was only one division. All the corps did prelims, top 12 were in finals. It was a one day affair if I recall. Prelims started at 8am, scores were placed on a large chalkboard as they were tabulated; there was a break at the end of prelims and the stadium emptied for an hour or so, then everyone was allowed back in...open seating as well.

It's my understanding a show sponsor is given a "package" price which includes the corps performance fees, administrative expenses, judges, etc. Nothing is detailed to the sponsor about who gets what. It can be a big "nut" to crack. It's my understanding that placement determines pay scale. When DCM was going, pay scale was determined by the corps' score at the championship and how many performers were on the field. DCA-Central operates in that DCM formula.

It's my understanding "Open" class shows are a flat rate to the sponsors, and the corps split the pot (after judging and administrative expenses) at the end of the season.

The bottom line, increasing internal costs to the corps (themselves) "may" make the field show performance fees inadequate; increased cost to sponsors may make hosting/continuing shows challenging to impossible. I think we could very well see some bumps in the road, more than usual.

[Donny Drum Corps]

72-73 were 3 days of prelims and NO corps repeated.

[SkyRyder_FMM]

Fundraising idea: Open up the corps food truck outside of smaller venues and sell food to show-goers right out of the corps truck.

If only this weren't looked at as a conflict of interests, the corps could definitely benefit from something like this.

I take it you have never worked on a corps' kitchen trailer before. The kitchen trailer is already fully utilized preparing 200+ meals 4 times per day to feed the corps. There is no bandwidth to produce another meal. Most corps struggle to find volunteers to staff the kitchen trailer as it is. This would stretch these volunteers even further. Folks volunteering on the kitchen trailer have the hardest job on tour. They are up before everyone else to get breakfast ready, and they are typically the last ones down at night, after cleaning up after the 4th meal.

Further, the kitchen trailer is at the housing site preparing the 3rd meal of the day before the kids head to the show - the trailer cannot be at the show site preparing food for attendees.

Lastly, compliance with health codes is complicated when you involve mobile kitchen trailers. If the corps is not locally based and has not been inspected, it cannot serve food for concessions without undergoing a review and certification first. This is not practical when you consider the number of states the corps will travel through over the course of a summer.

Interesting idea, but wholly impractical, if not impossible, to pull off.

Edited April 5, 2012 by SkyRyder_FMM

[Jeff Ream]

Yes, you're correct, Mike. I think the break is now 1 to 6 and 6 to 12 inside each class. Non-finalists are paid lower still.

I would imagine after all the stuff the last two years, the cut would still be 1-8, 9-17, 17-

[Regiment823]

I take it you have never worked on a corps' kitchen trailer before. The kitchen trailer is already fully utilized preparing 200+ meals 4 times per day to feed the corps. There is no bandwidth to produce another meal. Most corps struggle to find volunteers to staff the kitchen trailer as it is. this would stretch these volunteers even further. Folks volunteering on the kitchen trailer have the hardest job on tour. They are up before everyone else to get breakfast ready, and htey are typically the last ones down at night, after cleaning up after hte 4th meal.

Further, the kitchen trailer is at the housing site preparing the 3rd meal of hte day before the kids head to teh show - the trailer cannot be at the show site preparing food for attendees.

Lastly, compliance with health codes is complicated when you involve mobile kitchen trailers. If the corps is not locally based and has not been inspected, it cannot serve food for concessions without undergoing a review and certification first. This is not practical when you consider the number of states the corps will trqavel through over the course of a summer.

Interesting idea, but wholly impractical, if not impossible, to pull off.

Well said and entirely accurate.

[Michael Boo]

I'm having a bit of a senior moment, and I'm sure the logic is apparent to everybody else BUT me, but can you expound just a bit more, why the cut off was NOT between 12 and 13?

It was to take the sting out of not making Finals, and I suspect so that corps that were on the verge of making Finals could get more in performance fees the next year than if the break as between 12th and 13th. The last thing they wanted to hear back then was that a corps folded because they almost made Finals and couldn't deal with the lesser performance fees the following year. That last part is conjecture on my part.

[Lance]

Here's the answer:

not enough.

sponsors have to at least break even, or there's not point in hosting a show.

but in my experience, the payout for the actual corps performance isn't a very big factor in whether or not a corps chooses to go to a show.

[BRASSO]

It's is some ways like the Reagen-esque 'supply-side economic' argument. If you lower ticket prices you can get more people through the gate, more at the concession stand, more at the souvie stand then total revenue goes up. But, what does it take - more corps performing.

The analogy to " Supply Side Economics " here would work better as an analogy if the operating costs of the Corps and shows ( supply ) could be lowered, so that the customers ( the demand ) would be increased with perhaps a better finished product. Once demand increases, ticket prices can be raised. Such an increase in revenues would thus benefit all the parties to the situation. The ultimate goal of " Supply Side Economics " is not to lower costs. Lowering costs are simply a means to an end. The end goal is to increase demand because the supply is stable, yet the quality is improved for both the Corps and show sponsors ( the supply ),so that all parties ( including the customers... the demand ) benefit. So its not about producing more " supply ". Its about increasing quality so that demand increases for the goods and the services. The lowering of the costs of Corps and shows would serve as only an ancillary secondary brenefit of potentially leading to more Corps forming... more shows forming. The primary fundamental goal of " Supply Side Economics "( in a nutshell) is to increase the capital available.

Edited April 6, 2012 by BRASSO