jjeffeory Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Okay, I saw it. Looks like they're trying to play the design game with all the compulsories. Of those, I was most entertained by their 8 trombones marching the field for the whole show. I think they need to refine, clarify, and add. It is a very different show than I was expecting, but they can make it their own with smart decisions and hard work. Good luck to them! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 1 hour ago, jjeffeory said: Okay, I saw it. Looks like they're trying to play the design game with all the compulsories. Of those, I was most entertained by their 8 trombones marching the field for the whole show. I think they need to refine, clarify, and add. It is a very different show than I was expecting, but they can make it their own with smart decisions and hard work. Good luck to them! I agree. I watched it this morning (hey, they are not going to be Houston). It is not what I expected, but I think they have the tools to be successful. In my opinion, the closer needs more brass and less percussion. I remember my director in college believed that the volume from the last movement of Prague should come from the percussion. It might be true, but I think it could be more affective with brass. Hopefully Madison can keep up the hard work! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoSurfBass Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 18 hours ago, Jake W. said: Ok, FINALLY got to see the show via YouTube. ~snip~ Finally saw a video, and I agree wholeheartedly with this assessment, with the caveat that it is still June, and about 80% of the corps that have done a show fall into the "need to sell it more" category, and 95% fall in the "need to tweak the design to its maximum potential" category. 12 hours ago, Narrow said: I disagree with those saying change to this magnitude was necessary. I think they just needed to get more creative and innovative with their Madison style, and have good design with good demand and good talent. "78th & Madison" was a big success and really loved by fans of all ages and it was perfect for Madison. "Judas" just had design issues. Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see their take on a Mad Max style show either way. The biggest problem with going the "78th & Madison" route is that old school styled shows are a well that is drying up in the more modern drum corps activity. I would've loved to see more shows like that, but with where the activity was going that act would get stale in a hurry and hurt their competitive chances. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.l. Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Really hope they speed up Miraculous Mandarin to the speed it warrants by end of season. Could be something special if they do that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post tigger2 Posted June 28, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) 12 hours ago, jjeffeory said: Okay, I saw it. Looks like they're trying to play the design game with all the compulsories. Of those, I was most entertained by their 8 trombones marching the field for the whole show. I think they need to refine, clarify, and add. It is a very different show than I was expecting, but they can make it their own with smart decisions and hard work. Good luck to them! 12 hours ago, jjeffeory said: I agree with you in general. Regarding compulsories (it can be debated as to what these are in 2017), they have added/included: a theme-based costume, expanded the electronic sound palate, embraced the trombone, greatly increased use of free form and characterization, included more props, picked a theme/show title that immediately asks "hmmm, I know that word/concept, but what will it reveal itself to be in their show?" All of this is fine and yes, reflects many of the devices used by the "more modern" corps that usually place above Scouts. As of now, the show seems to be embracing these newer devices, but perhaps not considering enough long standing show construction considerations which for me, are the cause of what is currently disjunct, unemotional, and just plain odd. No to be too cliche, I do think there is a ton of potential and I think The Academy has left the door wide open for a top 12 newcomer in 2017. I have always liked the Scouts and had hoped that the rumors of getting outside of their comfort zone was going to happen. They have done so, but not in the ways that make the show itself a wow. We need to get to end of the first impact and think "#### ####", they're in. My questions suggestion for the production: Time and Place: Thematically, how do you immediately put me where, when, and in what circumstances you want me to be as an audience member, on a first viewing? Props: If using the oxygen tanks ( a really cool idea IMO), they have to be worth it, really worth all the hauling around and storage, etc. Do you intend to use them more? Much more? Seems they could be introduced from the get go, at least one of them. That said, the show starts too abruptly. With such a bizarre concept, I think we have to be pulled in slowly so that the intrigue the show title and costuming suggests can be slowly and mysteriously pulled over the audience like a blanket, or like slowly putting on virtual reality glasses, carefully adjusting them into focus so we are now brought into your world. Props: The square stage in the middle seems out of place. Why is it pristinely square in a world that seems anything but. I think ragged edges or at least curved edges would be more authentic. Props: The fleur seems to be a central focus as far as where it is staged, but it is not presented as "home base" enough. What is its role? Can it anchor the theme? Characterization: Though I greatly appreciate that Scouts have gone there, and it seems super appropriate for the show, the members are extremely uncomfortable with these requirements. I understand it is early, but compared to most other units that are currently relying on role playing/characterization as a design component, any comparison shows Scouts as lagging greatly. There is also a lot of awkward body and horn movement. Much is written to be in unison or in A-B structures. I do not find them to be particularly musical and they seem out of place. If this is some survivalist world, perhaps influenced by Madd Maxx, The Hand of Man, etc. (all great inspirations), doing unison body work and horn moves seem too conventional, organized, from some other narrative. Seems the majority of the show should be non-unison, role and character driven, with occasional unisons that have a clear intent (unity, bonding, victory fist pump, etc.). While I know there is some of this type of unifying body motions in the show now- it gets lost amid all the unisons and the intent of the unisons. Pacing: the beginning starts interestingly enough, but not nearly interesting enough to capture and hold interest. Right off the bat the pacing will be effected by this because we then wait to feel connected to the show to some degree, to have been let in so to speak. We may not quite get subsequent effects because we are still in awkward mode. Once the intro is over, the time between major events/resolutions/arrivals/hits/etc. is most often too short. We need time to absorb, to get it and then appreciate it- what ever you want "it" to be. Orchestration/pacing: the pacing here also seems fast, with too much time spent in dense textures. I get that much of the source material is bitonal/atonal/complex harmonies, etc., but such makes arrivals difficult. Will major chords, "conventional" cadences ever sound like they fit? Right now those moments are out of place. Part of it is related to pacing; more room to breathe so to speak, more time for my ears to be taken on the journey with you. I can hear someone explaining that relentless is the message so the music tells that story. I get that, but how that is crafted is how you make it work, and if the theme, the journey, the final resolution was more clear, the "relentless" musical device could serve for better effect. Narrative: One of the most important rules in a play, book, movie, pageantry show with a story, or narrative, or general theme that displays question and answer is "They have to care." The audience has to care about the subject, the girl, the beautiful horse, the lost child, etc. and, has to feel a connection asap. As of now, there is noting to make me care, to pull for someone or something. The question is unclear, so I never care about the answer. The story does not have to be detailed like "Romeo and Juliet" or " The Man and the Sea", but I do not think this show will work its best without much more "story line" than what is there now. The Hand of Man: a dude is drawn to a tree, the tree gives him the thing, others want/need the thing, the things causes actions/reactions, another tree has been calling, it needs the other tree's thing/man's hand, eventually, it gets it. While this may or may not be the 100% exact story line that MCM based its decisions on (and I am being bit obtuse with the story line to make a point), it is what stuck with me and what I followed every time I saw that awesome show. So maybe nothing more detailed than that, but that is enough structure that my mind explores and thinks and sees and is intrigued 100% of the show. I cared to see the resolution and got exactly what I hoped for. I was let in, allowed to enjoy, and allowed to be right. Just my thoughts for how to resolve some show issues: Start much more slowly, add time prior to the backfield playing moment that currently starts the show. Cool electronics, mysterious. Establish that home base is where those that have the life blood/oxegen tanks reside. Maybe the fluer is some other symbol to start that gets replaced. Establish one member that needs to get to the home base Establish that the oxygen is the life blood, perhaps the most valuable of all "modern day" commodities Build to what is currently the start Keep the one character from getting to home base The narrative is now established and the middle portion of the show can let us interpret exactly what is happening and we see conflict, people kept from home base, people storming home base, etc. Does our main character nearly die, someone else, more (the ballad moment)? The not welcomed storm home base Fights ensue Indeed, all fall with last man standing- or all fall except those that have over taken home base, with what ever was on the mast at the home base being replaced by the fleur. Good guys (the Scouts) win so to speak. I know that this may seem too literal. But, only one or two corps get creative license enough to do etherial or obscure. Scouts is not one of those corps and a non-finalist is certainly not gradated that license. The show is currently extremely etherial and obscure. Marching the 8 trombones the whole show- awesome, original, cool, Scouts are the first in history to do it. It isn't enough to get them in. The costume is the best of the season. Inspired and cool. It isn't enough to get them in. The electronics are much improved. It isn't enough to get them in. All of these and the things mentioned above that they have embraced are icing on the cake sorts of things. I applaud them for going there. The cake, the structure needs the bulk of their attention. They have nothing to loose. I would clean what is guaranteed to stay, but sit all day in a room and restructure the show top to bottom so we are easily let into the theme, lead through the narrative, and given conclusion that allows us to be right- to have seen it coming and revel in the glory. Sorry for the comparison, but The Academy 2016 show was largely successful because we were hooked from the get go and hooked the entire time (not sure why they did not follow their own lead). I want all groups to do well. Not sure why I particularly felt myself pulling for Scouts this off season other than I do not want to see anyone, much less a corps as iconic as Scouts struggle to stay in finals. It usually leads to too many issues that eventually cause lots of heartache. I started typing and could not stop. Just my two cents. Edited June 28, 2017 by tigger2 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 What a great breakdown and suggestions. (Seriously.) Thanks! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) 20 minutes ago, tigger2 said: but sit all day in a room and restructure the show top to bottom so we are easily let into the theme, lead through the narrative, and given conclusion that allows us to be right- to have seen it coming and revel in the glory. Sorry for the comparison, but The Academy 2016 show was largely successful because we were hooked from the get go and hooked the entire time (not sure why they did not follow their own lead). For all corps, is this not something that can be done late in the off season to make sure the story line is understood? Can it only be done once the current version is being judged? Most veteran staffs know the judges, know their likes and dislikes, and either write drill/music accordingly or critique their own stuff before late June. PS Forgot to add this. http://m.dci.org/mobile/ViewArticle.dbml?atclid=211638390&DB_OEM_ID=33500& Edited June 28, 2017 by Ghost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoakes Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 @tigger2 Wow. I liked a lot of it. Some good thinking. Still, wow for a post. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cop Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 The show posted Props are not up because of the wind Guards is fighting because of the wind Love the non stop show, love the trombones fielded the entire show. New drill writer in place and I can't get good read with the camera angel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedrick Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 1 hour ago, MikeN said: What a great breakdown and suggestions. (Seriously.) Thanks! Mike agree! That kind of analysis is why I appreciate DCP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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