2019 Phantom Regiment

[TheAngryBavarian]

There's potential, even with as much dirt as their was. The biggest gaps were in Guard, GE 1, Music Analysis and Visual Proficiency. You can clean 3 of those. My gut says this show at full potential can finish as high as 9th, provided they clean it up. If not, then out of finals is a possibility, depending on BK, Crossmen and Mandarins.

Edited June 21, 2019 by TheAngryBavarian

[Weaklefthand4ever]

2 minutes ago, TheAngryBavarian said:

There's potential, even with as much dirt as their was. The biggest gaps were in Guard, GE 1, Music Analysis and Visual Proficiency. You can clean 3 of those. My gut says this show at full potential can finish as high as 9th, provided they clean it up. If not, then out of finals is a possibility, depending on BK, Crossmen and Mandarins.

I think they will clean it. I would agree somewhere in the 8th to 9th spot from what I am hearing if they can clean it. Battery still seemed a little fuzzy even in the lot videos but that will come. Pretty good power in the hornline as well. I try to never doubt the MM's in these corps and what they can accomplish as the season progresses. But to everyone's point, other corps are also progressing at the same time. 

[EricS]

5 hours ago, Rocketman said:

Ok, was it better than last year, or 2017, or 2016? Yes. Was it raising the bar for the corps? Yes. Was it raising the bar for the activity? No! Unlike last year, I feel there is a lot of room for character development, and that is the only hope they have to stay in the top 12. However, this is a bottom third (or lower) design right now.

NO

[GeneralTsoChicken]

42 minutes ago, EricS said:

NO

Bingo.  I know it's difficult to come into these threads and expect realism, because the majority of the content in these corps threads are from fans of those programs. 

To say that a group is better than last year when the performers are literally falling all over themselves isn't a realistic view. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by GeneralTsoChicken
A word.

[mfrontz47]

Enjoyed the show. Some nice musical moments and a design that didn't entirely hinder the rest of the show. Looking forward to seeing it get cleaned up over the summer. 

[queenanne_1536]

2 hours ago, GeneralTsoChicken said:

Bingo.  I know it's difficult to come into these threads and expect realism, because the majority of the content in these corps threads are from fans of those programs. 

To say that a group is better than last year when the performers are literally falling all over themselves isn't a realistic view. 

Yeah, I saw the video. It's going to be a rough year for them. I'm sorry, but 8th or 9th or even 10th is just not a possibility. They are not going to beat any of the top 10 from last year. I've seen Mandarins. The spread between them and Blue Stars is only going to get bigger. There's no way. But, I hope they prove me wrong and somehow make it in. I do like the music better than the last two years, but from a design standpoint, it is a very lower tier finalist or semifinalist design. It's all going to depend on Spirit, Colts, Academy or Madison. I'm not sure which 4 of those I would consider the best possibility to knock Regiment out. I don't have much faith in any of them....so.

Edited June 22, 2019 by queenanne_1536

[Rocketman]

16 hours ago, EricS said:

NO

No what?

I was not talking about execution (HA!) I was referring to design. IMO, the design is better than the previous three years. And unlike those years, (IMO) there is room for character development. As I indicated , the design as it stands now, is bottom 3rd of the top 12. If they don't develop the show further and only go for cleaning, they will be watching finals. Not  a member issue.  

[kdaddy]

Aside from a drillwriter, the only significant addition to the design team was a Vegas-style show designer. Much was made of him seeing shows in Indy last year (his first drum corps experience) and being blown away. 

For those that have seen the show, do you see anything different that would suggest that this kind of visual/production person was added to the design staff? Does anyone know what kind of elements he has brought?

[RADIO3]

I wish when people say things like 'not top 12 design' etc they would be a bit more specific. That's just a glib catch-all. In what way does the design not work? 

[Weaklefthand4ever]

Ok. Just watched the show and this is just MHO and I don't feel like arguing about stuff today.

I don't get the first 1:10 of the show up until the first impact. With 2010 Into the Light, it worked for me because there was a brass build up and a huge front ensemble presence to that first hit (which still makes me grin from ear to ear.) You knew you were about to get your face melted off in classic PR style. Something just seems disjointed here. The battery sounds muddy as it moves through the back form in that opening segment. Now it's most likely just how they're positioned and the echo from the back stands. It just doesn't work the way I would expect it to because it isn't driving the build up forward into that opening hit. I'm sure the book is good but I can't hear it. 

I really don't like the "I am Joan" scream right before the hit. It would be different if it added something, but I don't feel like it does. Maybe that's just me. The high mark time into the "goose step" COULD be kinda cool but it's dirtier than my flam 7's and trust me, that's pretty bad. Maybe as the show develops and the story becomes a little more clear and clean it will make some sense.

There are some really good moments in the show that make me think they're making a turn in the right direction. I love the set at 4:24. It's well executed and it's clean. Some of the mini "park and bark" moments don't have that same level of execution...but it's early season. The beginning of the ballad feels like it builds too slowly and the MM's feel too spread out. I think of drill design like I look at Instructional Design (which is what I do for a living.) If you put something into a piece of training material, it HAS to add something. If it doesn't add anything, then it's just a distraction. Being so spread out had my eyes wandering around the field trying to figure out what the story was and that pulled me away from the small ensemble work of the brass and guard. It also made me notice that the props at the back of the field hadn't been utilized the entire show. Remember when you were marching and and you missed your cover in the company front and were just hanging out like a 3rd nipple? That's PR's props right now. Just my opinion. /shrug

My hope is that as the season progresses, we will see some vertical staging and actual use of the props. Again, if it doesn't ADD something it's a distraction. 

From 8:28 to the end....THANK YOU PHANTOM REGIMENT! I would say, the front ensemble during the singing portion needs to turn it down a little...or maybe a lot. Ok...a LOT. Maybe from like a 10 to a 2 volume wise. Vibes especially REALLY drown out everything else. 

Look, it's a good show. It could be a REALLY good show. Maybe as high as 8th or 9th. It's just visually not very good yet. Feet can be fixed, intonation and staging of small ensemble sections can be tweaked. Phantom isn't doomed in 2019. I don't think they're going to push any real boundaries and theme shows like this can be notoriously hard to pull off. The MM's aren't making the most out of the product that they've been given quite yet but that will take some time. And, the product that they've been given needs some real thought and consideration too. Hopefully PR is getting some good feedback from the judges and taking it to heart. 

Again just my opinion and feel feel to flame away. I don't read most words that have over 4 letters anyways. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Weaklefthand4ever