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Stuck In A Rut


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Are there any corps out there who you feel are sort of stuck in a rut creatively and could use a bit of a makeover? A fresh approach? An opportunity to reinvent themselves and turn the page? And if so, how would you like to see that makeover manifest itself?

I have a few in mind, but I'm eager to know what DCP thinks before I jump in with my opinions.

(If you're going to single out specific designers or directors, please try to avoid being nasty or making it personal.)

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Phantom. Killing people was inventive and interesting the first time, but doing the same thing every year isn't as exciting. There is some great classical music out there they can do without doing the same storyline each year

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Are there any corps out there who you feel are sort of stuck in a rut creatively and could use a bit of a makeover? A fresh approach? An opportunity to reinvent themselves and turn the page? And if so, how would you like to see that makeover manifest itself?

I have a few in mind, but I'm eager to know what DCP thinks before I jump in with my opinions.

(If you're going to single out specific designers or directors, please try to avoid being nasty or making it personal.)

I think you could argue that most corps are in their own respective ruts. IMO, that has as much to do with what their respective staffs feel comfortable with and what their strengths/weaknesses are as it does with what DCI is currently rewarding. That's not to say that shows aren't performed well or aren't entertaining....

It's just become somewhat predictable in what so and so is doing and how they do it. Again... not necessarily a bad thing. But based on what I've heard so far for this year, I'm not all that upset that I'll be missing finals this year.

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The secret is to maintain the corps brand identity while still presenting new ideas in some form. It's one of the reasons why some corps have trouble succeeding or that some fans have trouble really feeling an affinity towards that corps.

And that brand identity can cover both visual or musical branding as well.

As to who's been stale? Hard to say. To me, some are trying to be too fresh and end up leaving the audience scratching their collective heads as to why that Corps is doing what they're doing on the field...

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The secret is to maintain the corps brand identity while still presenting new ideas in some form. It's one of the reasons why some corps have trouble succeeding or that some fans have trouble really feeling an affinity towards that corps.

And that brand identity can cover both visual or musical branding as well.

As to who's been stale? Hard to say. To me, some are trying to be too fresh and end up leaving the audience scratching their collective heads as to why that Corps is doing what they're doing on the field...

i think the secret can also be to know how and when to drift from ones brand and maybe update SO you dont continue to look or sound like same ole same ole..then when a corps decides to ddrift back a bit for whatever reason its can be much more exciting and even fresh

as far as head scratching , I think some people just get very un comfortable when ANYTHING that they are used to changes

Edited by GUARDLING
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The trick with the Cavies for many years was that their branding was the visual design and aesthetics. They could and did make radical changes to music, theme from year to year, but there was always that visual aesthetic people expected and they delivered on.

When that visual branding was lost- they took a hard hit that year.

A Brand can be pretty broad and have a lot of room for a lot of different options- PR's for example. There's a lot of music literature they can approach and use that's contrasting from year to year.

Also take note- when the Crossmen are groovy, people get excited about them, they do well. When a friend;s son asked me about them the last time they made finals and he was excited about their show, I know it was more than just dino talk. When they run away from that groovy feel, and I mean run away from it as they have been inclined to do since their move- they end up farther down the list at championship weekend.

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I'd like to see a no-ballad show.

It seems that every competition corps follows a de facto "show formula" of a ballad somewhere in their show... usually in the middle.

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Phantom. Killing people was inventive and interesting the first time, but doing the same thing every year isn't as exciting. There is some great classical music out there they can do without doing the same storyline each year

There's an early-season video on YouTube from Phantom '88 where they talk about playing Romeo and Juliet. They mention they aren't doing the story, but are instead conveying the emotion of the music.

http://youtu.be/lPc_1eaoYfg

Maybe it's my dinosaur roots, but there has never been a year where I looked forward to a "story" on the field. A show can just be a show with great music and visuals. It doesn't have to be more than that.

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I'd like to see a no-ballad show.

It seems that every competition corps follows a de facto "show formula" of a ballad somewhere in their show... usually in the middle.

I agree and disagree with this statement. When you're in the audience, ballads can sometimes seem boring if not done with the effect of pulling you in. But if you're the performer, when running around most of the show, that ballad gives you some time to take a "breather."

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I'd like to see a no-ballad show.

It seems that every competition corps follows a de facto "show formula" of a ballad somewhere in their show... usually in the middle.

Interesting, because just a few years back, the Colts were doing some beautiful stuff that drew the crowd in and were getting no credit for it- people were saying the Ballad was dead at that point.

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