Carolina Crown 2019

[karuna]

A little CrownGuard action

 

[karuna]

 

[karuna]

 

[crownisking]

I sure hope Crown nails the design this year. I’m not sure at this point just how optimistic I should feel about that happening but I think most would agree that the last two shows from them were far from perfect. 

[karuna]

1 hour ago, crownisking said:

I sure hope Crown nails the design this year. I’m not sure at this point just how optimistic I should feel about that happening but I think most would agree that the last two shows from them were far from perfect. 

I guess that's all a matter of perspective.  2017 was 2 places from winning and medalist program.  2018 finished  just one place short of the medals.   Perhaps you chose to characterize those as "far from perfect".   I guess it depends on what "far" means.  

There have been some shortcomings in the designs. 

Last year IMO the music guys fell in love with their cleverness and gave the visual guys a soundtrack they weren't able to marry to the concept.  That needed to be fixed WAY before the first camp.  

IMO 2017 suffered in the guard caption.  The written book was not coherent and at times lacked the unity required to create the desired effects.  

I attribute both of these years to a design team learning how to work together to create that synergistic magic that winning shows seem to possess. I also think the guard team needs to write things more transparently.  You often had to watch very closely to find the musicality in the written work.  IMO it was frequently too subtle for outdoor and often completely missed by some GE judges.  On a football field sometimes you just have to bow to the obvious and use a hammer!  

Still -- both of these years saw Crown striking off in a brand new direction and performing the snot out of what they were given.

Anyway I don't agree with "far" from perfect.  In fact I'd say just the opposite -- not far from pulling it all together.    Sure it frequently didn't look like or sound like "old Crown".   That's a giant plus in my book.   I don't want to see or hear retreads and clones.  

[crownisking]

23 minutes ago, karuna said:

I guess that's all a matter of perspective.  2017 was 2 places from winning and medalist program.  2018 finished  just one place short of the medals.   Perhaps you chose to characterize those as "far from perfect".   I guess it depends on what "far" means.  

There have been some shortcomings in the designs. 

Last year IMO the music guys fell in love with their cleverness and gave the visual guys a soundtrack they weren't able to marry to the concept.  That needed to be fixed WAY before the first camp.  

IMO 2017 suffered in the guard caption.  The written book was not coherent and at times lacked the unity required to create the desired effects.  

I attribute both of these years to a design team learning how to work together to create that synergistic magic that winning shows seem to possess. I also think the guard team needs to write things more transparently.  You often had to watch very closely to find the musicality in the written work.  IMO it was frequently too subtle for outdoor and often completely missed by some GE judges.  On a football field sometimes you just have to bow to the obvious and use a hammer!  

Still -- both of these years saw Crown striking off in a brand new direction and performing the snot out of what they were given.

Anyway I don't agree with "far" from perfect.  In fact I'd say just the opposite -- not far from pulling it all together.    Sure it frequently didn't look like or sound like "old Crown".   That's a giant plus in my book.   I don't want to see or hear retreads and clones.  

Some fair points here. Perhaps I could have chose better wording but the point that I was trying to get across is that IMO the last two shows fell short of the level of excellence most of us have come to expect from Crown. That being said, I’m happy to see them go in a new direction. I’ve said several times here that I was getting bored with the old Crown. Would it at least be fair to assume that if 2019’s design isn’t a home run, the critics will start to multiply? 

[Tim K]

20 minutes ago, crownisking said:

Some fair points here. Perhaps I could have chose better wording but the point that I was trying to get across is that IMO the last two shows fell short of the level of excellence most of us have come to expect from Crown. That being said, I’m happy to see them go in a new direction. I’ve said several times here that I was getting bored with the old Crown. Would it at least be fair to assume that if 2019’s design isn’t a home run, the critics will start to multiply? 

After the departure of some talented folks at Crown in 2016, there has been a noticeable difference in their shows. For me, in both 2017 and 2018, there are many interesting pieces in Crown’s show, but they don’t quite come together as they did in 2009, 2011-13, and 2015-16. I think 2014 could also be in this category even though placement was not spectacular. This could point to lots of talented folks doing great things, but cot communicating or working together which is similar to Karuna’s observations.

Regarding people getting tired of the “old Crown,” I didn’t see a great deal of change in audience enthusiasm, though there is a change I have noticed. Crown used to own the younger audience, particularly the high school/college crowd. Since “Tilt,” that has gone to Bluecoats, and I see Boston Crusaders having more fervent ypunger fans. Cavies seem to be regaining this audience, and I would wonder if Mandarins make a leap forward whether they will be seen as cutting edge and Cadets could have some tricks up their sleeves. 

Placing 4th is not a ship that can’t be turned around, but it will be challenging and a well designed show as always will be critical, especially where BAC is more than hungry enough to medal, Cadets want to return to a place that with a few exceptions has historically been their’s since 1982,  as do Cavies.

[karuna]

1 hour ago, crownisking said:

Some fair points here. Perhaps I could have chose better wording but the point that I was trying to get across is that IMO the last two shows fell short of the level of excellence most of us have come to expect from Crown. That being said, I’m happy to see them go in a new direction. I’ve said several times here that I was getting bored with the old Crown. Would it at least be fair to assume that if 2019’s design isn’t a home run, the critics will start to multiply? 

I see three classes of critics:

• Those who hate the new direction and want a return to the old style.  I don't think they'll be happy no matter what.
• Those who just want Crown to win and are disappointed when they don't.  I expect they will remain faithful.
• Those fans of other corps who realize they need someone to move down for their corps to move up

 

19 minutes ago, Tim K said:

Regarding people getting tired of the “old Crown,” I didn’t see a great deal of change in audience enthusiasm, though there is a change I have noticed. Crown used to own the younger audience, particularly the high school/college crowd.

 I see (and hear) no less enthusiasm from the younger audience but I do agree that Bloo has become equally well-favored in that age-bracket.  But "favorite" is not a zero-sum proposition.  They've simply made room for another favorite corps.  

Edited November 23, 2018 by karuna
revised the classes!

[karuna]

 

 

[karuna]