Game of Cones

[drumcorpsfever]

59 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Sometime in the 1990s,  I asked Vince Bruni why his corps (DCA's Empire Statesmen) were basically the only DCA corps (and one of only a few, if any overall, counting the DCI side) who staged their front ensemble on the field, allowing the field performers (brass, battery, color guard) to go in and out of the "pit box" up front.  He replied, "They're giving us a free five yards closer to the audience. Why not use it?"

Frank, I agree with you. If logistics at the various venues can be worked out... go for it. Use as much of the venue as possible.

Why even have the "pit" in the front?  With electronics, I'm surprised that no one has put them on the back sideline yet - or, truly a "pit" as in out of the picture.

[Fran Haring]

1 hour ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Take the penalty lol... 

IIRC back in the 80s Rochester Crusaders ended their show by leaving via right end zone and trooping the stands on the track while playing. Never did find out how that was judged. Think song was “School Days”.

I remember that!!! At one show where we saw them, they tossed Frisbees into the crowd. They had a fun program that year. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Fran Haring

[Ghost]

9 minutes ago, drumcorpsfever said:

Why even have the "pit" in the front?  With electronics, I'm surprised that no one has put them on the back sideline yet - or, truly a "pit" as in out of the picture.

With the current percussion judge restrictions, the pit might never be looked at.

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, ironlips said:

The front sideline boundary is an obsolete anachronism given today's show designs and audience expectations. Let performers go right into the crowd if the writers wish it.

Banish all those folks milling around downstage between the field and the viewers, be they photographers, judges, videographers, staff members or other sideline lurkers. This is show-biz. You wouldn't see that on Broadway, in the concert hall or any other professional venue, including the World Wrestling Federation, to which parallels could be drawn to the activity in question.

Actual quote from a Rules Congress debate regarding corps entering over the back sideline:

Opponent: "But if we give you that, pretty soon you will want the whole field."

Bobby Hoffman: "Hell, I want the whole stadium!"

It may be time for that.

Three problems with that:

1.  The field proper and pit area are a smooth and continuous surface at every venue.  That is no longer true if the boundary is extended even another 5 feet.  Another 5 feet past that will put you in the bleachers at more intimate venues.  The boundary we have establishes a standard so that designers can design something that can be performed anywhere DCI goes.

2.  You cannot banish everybody milling around downstage.  They include judges, without whom there would be no competition; the contest coordinator and a corps representative, who cue judges on when to begin their work; other corps staff watching their performance, who would invade the stands and annoy paying customers if not allowed to mill around there; photographers, who cannot take proper photos from anywhere else; and at some shows, videographers either providing local publicity or filming events for revenue-producing products and broadcasts.  There is also equipment in that space - a plethora of podiums, speakers, sound boards and cables brought out there by each corps, and perhaps some audio/video equipment for event broadcast/recording.

Do you want to banish judging, pre-shows, staff viewing, photography, local press, broadcasts, recording, DM podiums, and A&E?

3.  Performer safety/wellness is PRIORITY ONE for DCI right now.  DCI, their show sponsors, and the corps themselves can control what happens on the performing surface, but not if performers are going into the stands... and especially not if they are marching/dancing their way into a sea of people, equipment, cables, curbs, drainage grates and who knows what else.  (Safety of the judges, contest staff, photographers, etc., matters too - hell, we just sidelined the judges starting in 2019 BECAUSE of safety concerns.)

[JimF-LowBari]

54 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

I remember that!!! At one show, they tossed Frisbees into the crowd. They had a fun program that year. 

Forgot the frisbees... don’t think they were that high in the standings that year so why not...

[garfield]

2 hours ago, ironlips said:

Well, I wasn't actually suggesting an end to competing, just cleaning up the flea market at the front sideline.

Wait, if performers with earbuds cross in front of the speaker arrays, won’t their heads explode from the feedback?

 

[E3D]

Just now, garfield said:

Wait, if performers with earbuds cross in front of the speaker arrays, won’t their heads explode from the feedback?

 

Could be interesting DRAMA. 

[garfield]

2 hours ago, Ghost said:

If DCI eventually allows mm to get into the stands, similar to Blast with the flags in their closer, you'd have to sell ear plugs for the fans.  But, there are the Jim & Teri fans out their who would not use ear plugs and would have on the biggest smiles while their ear drums would be taking a big hit.

I could see a corps using hydraulic lifts spaced out in front of the wall/stands that would raise up groups of brass.

Eardrums?  Pffft.  They haven’t had eardrums since the 60s.

[garfield]

2 hours ago, MikeN said:

Not every stadium has the same dimensions once you're off the field.  Some have tracks, some have brick walls, most have little to no access to crowd seating, and none of it is standardized.  At least with the field, you know what you're getting every time.  Not to mention besides the staff and associated hangers on right now, you have recording equipment, sound boards, generators, a ton of power cables, announcer's table in some cases...

Mike
Associated Hanger On

All good points.

[ironlips]

"Wait, if performers with earbuds cross in front of the speaker arrays, won’t their heads explode from the feedback?"

Probably. But of course, they wouldn't need the in-ear monitors if they were in front of their own PA.

This discussion sure is taking some interesting and amusing turns.