cixelsyd Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 Did it occur to you that maybe -- just maybe -- Daniel was referencing Bill Cook? I mean, it's not like this text has been on the internet in some form for 16 years or more. I took the opportunity to re-read this and was struck by how RIGHT Bill was on almost every point. (Except for bingo being the "lifeblood" of drum corps. It certainly was the lifeblood of some corps, but his statement has proven to be over broad.) Almost makes you wonder where DCI would be today if they had listened to him 20 years ago, no? Anyway, I feel like there are 7-8 truly WORLD CLASS drum corps in existence. I am perfectly fine with those corps wanting to be truly in a class of their own. Maybe DCI Finals should have 8 spots. That might make things more interesting. Maybe the TOC shows should have 8 spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Maybe the TOC shows should have 8 spots. I think there should be 8.47326 spots,..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 The only thing that matters is the amount of money DCI can disburse to the corps, since that's their primary purpose, as an organization (all the mission statement fol de rol notwithstanding). First of all, a mission statement is not "folderol". But since that mission statement directs DCI to preserve the activity and showcase the top corps, and making money for them is an excellent way to do that, why would you argue? Is that number going up significantly these days? It certainly is for the top corps. They get double pay for those TOC shows. The Finals audience has settled in at 15-17,000 - better than Miami in '83, but not exactly stellar, Go ahead and discount Finals attendance as an important metric, but do so knowing that you mean you don't understand the idea of maximizing opportunities, since there are NO other nights of the year when DCI can realize so much extra money as they could by selling another 10,000 seats to Finals. Wanna guess how much more money DCI could distribute to each WC corps if they sold those extra seats? $25,000 each corps - for an additional expense to DCI of exactly $0 in stadium costs. Your presumption about finals night potential is based entirely on available seats, with no regard to the desirability of those seats or the price they currently sell for. What makes you think 10,000 other people will pay $60-$75 to sit down low and/or at the goal line, and watch field programs that are directed toward a single point in the press box on the 50 yard line? Who really bears responsibility for this? The DCI office staff do not have the authority to change show design, equipment and performance techniques so that shows truly play to the whole concert side, instead of just the higher center seats. That is up to the corps themselves, who have instead progressively aimed their shows specifically at press box judges. Has there been a study commissioned to find out why more people aren't going to Indy? Has it been done and the organization decided to ignore the results? There have been several studies done. I tend to believe that DCI ticket pricing accounts for that feedback so that they can maximize revenue working with the hand they have been dealt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) I 'feel' like there are 7-8 truly WORLD CLASS drum corps in existence. Great debate point you have there; that is like me saying that I 'feel' like there are only 7 - 8 beautiful colors available to artists!!!! Edited March 20, 2013 by Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Your presumption about finals night potential is based entirely on available seats, with no regard to the desirability of those seats or the price they currently sell for. What makes you think 10,000 other people will pay $60-$75 to sit down low and/or at the goal line, and watch field programs that are directed toward a single point in the press box on the 50 yard line? Who really bears responsibility for this? The DCI office staff do not have the authority to change show design, equipment and performance techniques so that shows truly play to the whole concert side, instead of just the higher center seats. That is up to the corps themselves, who have instead progressively aimed their shows specifically at press box judges. That has always been the case for drum corps shows, going back well before DCI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 That has always been the case for drum corps shows, going back well before DCI. You must not go back very far in time. The first drum corps field shows were essentially parades around the allotted space. Decades later, corps still started at one end, finished at the other, and played in all directions (whatever direction they were moving at the time). By the time you marched, some thought was given to planning the music to better match the above described drill. Horn angles, sidestepping, projectors on the drums, removal of the end line requirements, and amplification all came in the DCI era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 You must not go back very far in time. The first drum corps field shows were essentially parades around the allotted space. Decades later, corps still started at one end, finished at the other, and played in all directions (whatever direction they were moving at the time). By the time you marched, some thought was given to planning the music to better match the above described drill. Horn angles, sidestepping, projectors on the drums, removal of the end line requirements, and amplification all came in the DCI era. I started in 1964, and I said 'well before DCI', not back to the parade-era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 First of all, a mission statement is not "folderol". But since that mission statement directs DCI to preserve the activity and showcase the top corps, and making money for them is an excellent way to do that, why would you argue? It certainly is for the top corps. They get double pay for those TOC shows. Your presumption about finals night potential is based entirely on available seats, with no regard to the desirability of those seats or the price they currently sell for. What makes you think 10,000 other people will pay $60-$75 to sit down low and/or at the goal line, and watch field programs that are directed toward a single point in the press box on the 50 yard line? Who really bears responsibility for this? The DCI office staff do not have the authority to change show design, equipment and performance techniques so that shows truly play to the whole concert side, instead of just the higher center seats. That is up to the corps themselves, who have instead progressively aimed their shows specifically at press box judges. There have been several studies done. I tend to believe that DCI ticket pricing accounts for that feedback so that they can maximize revenue working with the hand they have been dealt. yes, DCI has been doing marketing. One piece was done this winter asking if there was interest in broadcasting finals for a fee on the Fan Network. This is something many of us have been advocating on here for years. There are many people that aren't going to Indy for a variety of reasons....real life, economy, INDY sucks, etc........but would pay to watch it online. I know I would. This is revenue to date DCI has been pissing away. People say "oh it will hurt attendance". I highly doubt it. WGI is filled every year and they show finals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Great debate point you have there; that is like me saying that I 'feel' like there are only 7 - 8 beautiful colors available to artists!!!! Today, I had a chicken sandwich for lunch. It was quite good, but a bit too much mayonaise and the bun could have been a bit softer. Really, though, great sandwich. I really enjoy Matlock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 yes, DCI has been doing marketing. One piece was done this winter asking if there was interest in broadcasting finals for a fee on the Fan Network. This is something many of us have been advocating on here for years. There are many people that aren't going to Indy for a variety of reasons....real life, economy, INDY sucks, etc........but would pay to watch it online. I know I would. This is revenue to date DCI has been pissing away. People say "oh it will hurt attendance". I highly doubt it. WGI is filled every year and they show finals. This was actual marketing or market research? I got the same thing, but understood it quite differently. The clear conclusion from my side... DCI was feeling internal pressure to kil DVD (move to online) and some live events. The survey was a conclusion in search of validation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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