Channel3 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Show Concept Rankings - 2016 Here are the rankings of the top twelve's concepts as presented in their show announcements. Each production concept is judged on clarity of theme, specificity, universality, and uniqueness. These rankings will impact finals night rankings more than say "How tight the drumline is." Depth of concept includes the meaning and purpose behind the production and carries the largest scoresheet weight, impacting all captions. 1. Cadets - Awakening of the Design Team - Statues dare to come to life, a metaphor for self realization and self-identifying. This could be the most powerful metaphor in a drum corps show ever, and directly relates to youth and personal development. Profound. 2. Blue Devils - As Dream Wins are Made On - Shakespeare's The Tempest. Classic tragic-comedy, universal and whimsical, with a flare of fantasy and humor. Sophisticated fun around the theme of love and redemption. Incredibly hard to stage and clarify. 3. Carolina Crown - Relentless - Spaghetti Western about revenge. Sendup or serious? They better decide. The description is all over the place and mentions three dramas from three different eras. On paper, it's a confused stylistic mess that needs focus. 4. Blue Stars - La Reve Your Engines, story based on the famous painting or a dream or Emile Zola's version, likely a romance fantasy sequence. Original, sexy and fun. 5. Boston Crusaders - Don Quixote In 12 Minutes. This story-based show could be a barn burner. And there's only one way to do it in twelve minutes, and that's if the entire corps transforms from criticizing and trampling Quixote, to by the end mirroring Quixote's movement, in a show of support for his crazy vision. Skip the story points on this one. 6. Cavaliers - Propaganda, In General - If they stick with well known political propaganda, this show may work. It might rely on historical audio recordings of the likes of McCarthy and George McGovern. If they build a transformation by the end of taking off their masks and breaking out of lockstep conformity, it may be an effective ending. (Note: Their promotional video entitled "Propaganda" featured Martin Luther King, a big gaffe. He's known as a Nobel Prize winning humanitarian, not a manipulator. Do they even know the difference? Are they muddying the definition of propaganda- - that's way too heady and thankless a POV for a twelve minute show, and the notion that King could be considered a propagandistic manipulator is just so... wrong. Really almost fascist and sickening- - King's inclusion as a propagandist exposes the corps to a media firestorm of controversy.) 7. Madison Scouts - Judas Christ Super-risk At least this show has a specific intent, but there are just so many stylistic potholes that they can encounter with this campy Broadway musical and weighty subject matter. Incredibly exposed. A 20,000 foot interpretation is best. Jesus help them. 8. Phantom Regiment - Voice of Vagaries, a dusty and confused anniversary show concept, have your capes and checkbook ready, alums. 9. Santa Clara Vanguard - Force of Nature Buffs - Looks like a melange of natural destruction imagery without a specific expository platform. If they use the seasons, it will provide some understructure. Where's the humanity and relationship to the corps member's lives? 10. Crossmen - Continuum. Um. Right. Andrew Markworth's original composition. Great. What's the theme? What's the show about? Drum corps is not a concert with added random movement. It's a visual performance medium with all the added responsibility of imagery, theme, meaning and story, either behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Get Markworth to start talking. 11. Bluecoats - Great Big ? in the Sky Blue's design team can't write a show description because they don't have a thematic through line. This corps is struggling artistically and is unable to build a thematic argument into their recent shows. Today, drum corps is not simply a concert with movement. Being glaringly theme-free will cost them on the score sheet. A meaningful theme isn't that hard to build, even with random musical selections like these. 12. Blue Knights - The Great Sixth Grade Book Report - The show announcement is an embarrassing sixth grade book report-- unedited, sprawling, rambling and vague. Change, innovation, illusion of safety, new story... yams are a super food... beginning of a new vague something, hey this wallpaper smells like a upholstery shampoo. Edited June 1, 2016 by Channel3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Oh boy. Lol. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshClements403 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I swore I would never do this but here goes nothing. The Blue Knights show is an interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "The Great Event" and it revolves around the idea of the Human Condition. The theme is very apparent if you bother to read the show description that they made readily available 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shempy Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Blue's design team can't write a show description because they don't have a thematic through line. This corps is struggling artistically and is unable to build a thematic argument into their recent shows. Today, drum corps is not simply a concert with movement. Being glaringly theme-free will cost them on the score sheet. Yeah, Tilt and Kinetic Noise did so awfully on Finals Night. Better step it up, Coats. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Like I Know this guy is a troll but it's SO entertaining. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) I do believe that the Cavies inclusion of MLK in their brief promo clip for this year's Theme, was at best, confusing. It could be that the Cavies PR clip included MLK because someone at Cavies believes MLK was the recipient of propaganda in their view rather than a propagandist himself. That might be one take away from that Cavies Theme promo clip. On the other hand, perhaps someone at the Cavies believes that MLK was a propagandist. I personally would not share this view of MLK, if that is their intent. But Ch. 3 does make a valid point, imo, that the Cavies inclusion of MLK in their promo clip for this season's theme " Propaganda " was perhaps ill advised, in retrospect. Edited June 1, 2016 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerix Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I feel like after having read this I don't know if I should take this post seriously or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 all jokes aside, it's an interesting discussion worth having probably a little soon, maybe a month from now we can really discuss how well the show concepts "Rank" in terms of effectiveness and meaning... even "importance" in our small little world of drum corps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbeatty89 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 These rankings will impact finals night rankings more than say "How tight the drumline is." I much prefer a schlockfest with a good theme behind it as opposed to clean "concert with added random movement." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddyt Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Channel3 gonna' channel.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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