cowtown Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Drum corps shows are social events for many so bring on the dead time !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I shot the live streaming video for DCI Fan Network at DCI West at Stanford. From the first note that the Renegades played, to the last note of Santa Clara's encore, it was 5 hours. 2 1/2 Hours of that 5 hours was DEAD TIME ... corps moving cr*p on/off the field ... save 1/2 hour for intermission. Would you go to a 2.5 hour play, and watch it 11 minutes at a time with a long break between acts, but not long enough to go to the bathroom or get a hot dog (and if you did, you weren't allowed back in your seat)? The format of drum corps shows is "grueling" ... forcing fans, who have paid a lot of money, to sit there for 50% of the show, watching the "backstage hands set up the next scene". This way of doing shows is not a "fan friendly" format. Your thoughts? Two words. Condom Catheter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterA Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 If you take out the intermission, I am really surprised at the numbers. Most corps are given 17 minutes, from entering the field, to having everything off the field. Most corps have around an 11 minute show, some then add a preshow, or postshow(like Pioneer this year playing before they leave the field instead of trooping the stands as they used to do). So other than intermission, the amount of down time is very small. Now the small shows are very nice, as with 6-8 corps, there is usually an intermission. Nice time to run to restroom, buy a few souvies, chat with old friends, etc. However, when you get to regionals, there are times where they have 7-8 corps blocks, which means sometimes a period of 2 or more hours, without any kind of break, other than the 1-5 minutes between corps. I do like the idea of jumbotron, but a lot of fields don't offer that, and the expense for DCI to bring them in would probably be more than DCI would want to spend. You could always email DCI and suggest it though. If they did anything extra between corps, however, I would suggest going to a 20 minute span instead of 17 though, especially at regionals. I feel so bad for most of the women. The line to the women's room is always much longer, and it seems that more women will miss the next corps due to not being able to get to the restroom and back in 4 minutes or less. Add preshow, and some attendants not allowing people back in once the show, or preshow starts. And sometimes 2 hours between actual "breaks" in between corps is a little too long for some people to have to wait. And the biggest difference between say a Broadway show, and drum corps, is that face that a Braodway show is usually all one storyline, performed by the same cast, where as drum corps is a bunch of individual shows, by individual performers. Very few people who attend shows, are going to complain about the down time, as a good percentage of the audience has been involved somehow with corps over the years, either as a performer, staff member, volunteer, or family member of a performer. So a good percentage go to the shows(especially the expensive regionals)are aware of exactly what the day is going to be like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCI_DAD Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I posted this on another thread as well. They could make it a bit linger for the livestreaming. I think it would be great to see a quick 20-30 sec video of the corps warm up in the lot before they take the field. It could even be from a previous show. I think that would give a quick peak at who was about to take the field. Then maybe have a little 15-20 sec intro from the DM. "We are _____, from the city of ______. We are a _____class corps, marching _____ members. Our show is tiltled _____. It is about ______. We hope you enjoy the performance. That would only take 40-45 sec. You would have to set a limit on both parts to make it far. Maybe not all the stadiums have this ability, but for sure they could do it at the regional shows and finals week. I don't know but for me and other parents, and kids I think this would be a great way to intoduce and explain the show and Corps you are about to see. Not all show goers have the background of knowing all this information. I think it might help grow the fan base a bit. What do you think? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I shot the live streaming video for DCI Fan Network at DCI West at Stanford. From the first note that the Renegades played, to the last note of Santa Clara's encore, it was 5 hours. 2 1/2 Hours of that 5 hours was DEAD TIME ... corps moving cr*p on/off the field ... save 1/2 hour for intermission. Would you go to a 2.5 hour play, and watch it 11 minutes at a time with a long break between acts, but not long enough to go to the bathroom or get a hot dog (and if you did, you weren't allowed back in your seat)? The format of drum corps shows is "grueling" ... forcing fans, who have paid a lot of money, to sit there for 50% of the show, watching the "backstage hands set up the next scene". This way of doing shows is not a "fan friendly" format. Your thoughts? Thus the TOC. Of course even the 1st iteration TOC shows ran way too long and this year they're back to an almost normal show format. How can you reduce the time even more? Dump the competitive aspect at TOC shows completely. This gives you a lot more freedom to play with the format. Reduce the number of corps at TOC shows (maybe rotate the top 8 in groups of 6 and then bring them all together for the finale show). Use one set of pit equipment for the entire show. Corps only do a part of their competitive program and go back to doing more encore / extra material. If you do the full show the kids will be too tired to perform much else. More extra material to learn -- yeah that's an issue. Feature each section of the corps: eg. have each guard present a few minutes of an "indoor" style exhibition. (Down time for the brass). Write transitional pieces for each corps so the next corp can enter (and join in ) while corp 1 is performing the end of their time slot. For example Crown ends their show with William Tell -- the rest of the corps know this piece as well and can join in. Would be very cool to have Bluecoats enter the field *while* Crown was playing, so that by the end both corps are performing. Crown runs off leaving the field to the Coats, rinse and repeat. Give each corps 20 minutes so you have 60 mins / 30 min break / 70 minutes (still do the mass encore). No scores so everyone just leaves :-) Just blue skying -- lots of ways to make this all happen. But I think the no full shows, shared pit and exhibition only are keys to creating a show that's more accessible to the general public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Enter TOC.... except reading the Houston review....a TOC show...not much happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gak27 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 The pre-shows make it very hard for stadium staff to know when to stop letting people into the stands. I think it's time to take that nebulous quality out of drum corps events. Pre-show can still exist, but it needs to start at a certain time and that timing should be made clearer somehow. Also, if it's "pre-show" does that mean people can still take their seats without being viewed as rude and disrespectful? That's the problem with "pre-show." If it's meant to be paid attention to, then make it part of the show. This. The corps are putting huge levels of effort into their shows, why not a little put towards planning an orchestrated setup (and post-show teardown), rather than the uncoordinated, inefficient mishmash that happens sometimes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 This. The corps are putting huge levels of effort into their shows, why not a little put towards planning an orchestrated setup (and post-show teardown), rather than the uncoordinated, inefficient mishmash that happens sometimes... well...as each venue is different, therein lays some challenges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gak27 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 well...as each venue is different, therein lays some challenges. I agree, I guess I was more referring to once the prior corps is out of the way, having a more "regimented" process so the corps setting up doesn't look like they're just wandering around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I agree, I guess I was more referring to once the prior corps is out of the way, having a more "regimented" process so the corps setting up doesn't look like they're just wandering around. well here's the thing: they know they have 17 minutes. So they use it. There's no reward for being done fast! Hence, my call to adopt a system like WGI does. Cross the 50 away from the entrance gate, next unit should be already on their way out. You could easily cut 2 minutes in between out. But again, those minutes between shows are important for fans and the venue. bathroom breaks, food sales, you name it. Trust me, in many stadiums even then you can't run to the bathroom or get another water and make it back before the next corps has started, but at least you have a shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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