East Coast Showcase -- Lawrence, MA -- 8/4

[KVG_DC]

Watched last night too while dual tasking a bit on some stuff.

Spirit of Atlanta seemed a bit flatter.  I'm not sure they'll have the time to grow this show all the way out. Bottle Trees have a long history in the south and are a carry over from African cultures that came over with enslaved people and mixed and melded with each other.  The Gullah culture of South Carolina and Georgia is one of the 'preservation spots' of the practice but you'll now see them crop up all over the south in gardens whether people doing them know the background or not.  The notion was a protective step where evil spirits would get attracted to the color (usually a cobalt blue) and trapped in the bottles at night.  When the sun rises, they are dispelled. The bottles are sometimes likened to the powers of the ancestors in trapping evil spirits and protecting the household too.  

https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/blue-bottle-trees/

like i said about my first read, i would not mind at all if they took this theme further and learned from what isn't communicating in this season to revisit a fully fleshed out take on the Legend of the Bottle Tree next year.

Cadets percussion has not missed a beat since 2019.  They were pretty much the only thing I really liked about Behold.  But this year Cadets have a much stronger all around package.  Seeing them come on in a block flanked by the guard gives me oldtimer chills.  

Bloooooo.  Lucy is growing on me.  Again, I'm sort of glad it's in a non-comp year that they're doing "Beatles part 2" though as it gives them a chance to "do all the things that didn't make the cut for 2019's show" and have a bunch of fun with it.  

BAC. I love everything about this show but the screens.  Frankly they're not necessary.  They don't add all that much either in my opinion.  I found myself staring at them at times to figure out what they were doing with them.  

Like, are the graphics actually pulsing to the musick being played as a responsive app would (like the old iTunes graphics thing)?  or is it just that they've matched the BPM of the graphics with the music?  I start missing musical moments trying to figure it out.

Are they showing 'old time BAC' moments? do those complement/contrast what's clear on the other side of the field with the live MMs?  Doing the tennis match to see because they're staged so far apart.

Are they doing live gopro cameras that feed to the screens so we're seeing actual closeups, closer up?  Again, I couldn't quite tell and got distracted.

And frankly, I ended up trying to figure out the screen usage so much I realized I was missing some meaty guard book and legit moments.  So...it seems a distraction.

I had similar feelings with Tarpon Springs' use of screens. They just 'do flashy things' a lot and didn't really add much to the show in how they were used.  They seem "in the way" and take away a bunch of field space.  This allows the corps to do more compressed stuff without 'blank space' but half the time I'm missing what they're doing cause i'm looking at the screen.

I think the screens COULD be used more effectively.  But right now it still seems like they're just 'there.'  LIke the banners from the  conquest show (although those got moved around) they largely seem like visual noise that becomes more distracting when they glitch.

 

[OldSnareDrummer]

One more thought on the Boston screens, then I'll cease. I've got the answer. Just set them back field a ways, flip them to landscape and show the show itself live on the screen ala concerts, some church services etc so the people in the cheap seats can see what's going on. With that said, I still find them distracting at concerts and church. Ok, done. Pie hole is shut. 

[cixelsyd]

5 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Yikes.  Glad to know how you really feel.  No problem with that.  Just as an FYI, something like this has undoubtedly been discussed by designers, and now everyone can see what they can and can’t do. Give BAC some credit for stepping up and testing this for real versus it being an idea that is only on paper.  Never really knowing.  They’ve learned about error, which we’ve seen with amplification over the years and that has improved.  I wouldn’t view it as a crutch.  That infers they need it to get over the hump of never ending visual shortfalls.  That is not the case with BAC.  It is a look at increasing visual interest for the screen generation. $$ is not the issue as the screens are leased I believe.  They don’t own them. No one could afford these size screens.  A criticism has been their “distraction”.  

That is exactly my reaction to those four giant smartphones.  Since they are active throughout most of the show, I keep glancing over at them thinking the designers need me to see something there... and I keep missing cool things the performers are doing that are the real reason I am watching.  The issue is compounded by their staging far left, which draws my view away from most of the corps.

Two things that would help my enjoyment would be:

1.  Stage them in back, where they are in my field of vision while watching the performers.

2.  Use them for a slide-show effect.  Continuous video requires continuous focus be taken away from the performers.

Of course, none of our reactions really matter.  If judges give points for pointless distractions, corps will use them.  It is up to the judges to impose some tiny bit of common sense.  The entire arms race is a consequence of whether the judging community ties rewards to performer achievements, or to how much equipment each corps can display in their 11-minute shop window.  Even without judges in 2021, there seems to be little respite from the latter trend.

[Smug Trumpet Guy]

9 minutes ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

One more thought on the Boston screens, then I'll cease. I've got the answer. Just set them back field a ways, flip them to landscape and show the show itself live on the screen ala concerts, some church services etc so the people in the cheap seats can see what's going on. With that said, I still find them distracting at concerts and church. Ok, done. Pie hole is shut. 

I sort of had the same thought, push them farther back on the field so they are not so distracting visually. If there is a positive its that they add interesting colors to the field

[Den8uml]

3 hours ago, kkrepps said:

Do they have this show again tonight? If they do, will I be able to still get a ticket at the gates do you think, or are these sold out?

It’s not sold out! And the rain has stopped.  

[KVG_DC]

Are we using this thread to continue tonights show?

TFW...you suddenly feel like Music City is doing more interesting things with hula hoops that are staged and integrated into the show's visuals than BAC has done with their expensive video screens...

[Dpsouthern81]

4 minutes ago, KVG_DC said:

Are we using this thread to continue tonights show?

Might as well

[kkrepps]

1 hour ago, Den8uml said:

It’s not sold out! And the rain has stopped.  

Thanks. We just made it in. Missed MC, too bad. 

[Liahona]

13 hours ago, waliman4444 said:

If I'm in the minority on this observation I'll be okay: The screens during BAC's performance were cute but I found my visual loyalties diverted too often while BAC was playing their ##### off...maybe too much of a good thing?..just a thought..peace

 

12 hours ago, George Dixon said:

Sign me up to "I hate the video screens" crowd - and I'm using the word HATE here. Very distracting, enormously prone to error, and high cost of ownership. Nothing but a design crutch IMO - I'd rather them save the $$ and reduce member fees - we already have way too many screens in our lives

 

11 hours ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Kinda leaning now towards this and George's view on the screens after last night showed them a little better. I don't see the value add either, but BC definitely gets the E for effort. If nothing else, their changes in design direction year to year are always creative and innovative. Just SOS to Goliath over the last two seasons were giant leaps. 

 

11 hours ago, craiga said:

I respect this point of view, George. And, several folks here on DCP seem to agree with you.  I wonder however if you would have the same reaction to the screens if you were seeing the show in person.  Last night, I made a point of scanning around the audience several times (because I too have had the distraction concern) and I found to my relief that most folks were watching the corps intently and just glancing over to the screens intermittently. The only time people seemed to focus intently on them was the beginning of the ballad. Anyway, hope everyone continues to enjoy the show!

 

11 hours ago, Terri Schehr said:

You’re probably right.  They translate poorly on tv.  Unfortunately, I won’t be seeing any in person drum corps this year.  Second year in a row.  Maybe next year. 🤷‍♀️

 

11 hours ago, Tim K said:

On Tuesday night, I was not that impressed with the screens and it had nothing to do with the malfunction of one of the screens. I was sitting on the 40 yard line to the right of the screens and I did not know what to watch. I found the videos/photos/special effects projected to be well done, but it was a bit much. Last night I sat on the 50 yard line and there was less head turning. I also knew what to expect. I’ll wait to make a final assessment in Indy where it could work very well, but right now I find it an interesting novelty in a non-competitive year and a real attempt to do something amazing for the crowd, but the screens could be a major distraction if this were a competitive season.

 

8 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Yikes.  Glad to know how you really feel.  No problem with that.  Just as an FYI, something like this has undoubtedly been discussed by designers, and now everyone can see what they can and can’t do. Give BAC some credit for stepping up and testing this for real versus it being an idea that is only on paper.  Never really knowing.  They’ve learned about error, which we’ve seen with amplification over the years and that has improved.  I wouldn’t view it as a crutch.  That infers they need it to get over the hump of never ending visual shortfalls.  That is not the case with BAC.  It is a look at increasing visual interest for the screen generation. $$ is not the issue as the screens are leased I believe.  They don’t own them. No one could afford these size screens.  A criticism has been their “distraction”.  Last night I found the moving of ramps in Lucy far more distracting.  I hardly noticed Cadets attic because I was so locked in on their uniforms.  I just look at it all as great shows performed exceptionally well.

 

8 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

I may be in the minority, but I love the video panels that BAC is using. I am excited to see what other things they can do with them and different ways they can stage them. It's definitely an experiment but certainly one that has been rumored to be in play by a few corps...namely Bluecoats. At least for now the idea of using these is not going away. Like other new ideas in drum corps, this one will take some time to find the right balance of size, placement, use, cost, etc. 

 

7 hours ago, TexasPRfan said:

I could not agree more.  Somehow, DCI needs to rein in the arms race (electronics, more and more mics and speakers, props and now Video).  The pandemic & the budget challenges almost every corps has had should have been an opportunity to reset, and build rules that support that reset.  While 3-5 corps might have the $$$ to keep pushing the arms race forward - I question the value of the impact on the product, and it will inevitably pressure others to step it up - and we will lose more corps because of it.  Even more so to me, it just dilutes the amazing magic of the product - marching, playing, emotion and amazing acoustic moments that move the soul and are magical.  

Remember when a lavish corps budget was $1M- $1.5M?  Now the top end lands in the $3M - $5M range.  The arms race is just not sustainable - especially in these uncertain times.

Look at how everyone has reacted to Cadets this year - that product is still the heart and soul of drum corps, and it doesn't require an arms race.

Just my 2 cents - flame away...

Harvey

 

6 hours ago, Musicman1084 said:

I don't have a strong opinion either way on Boston's screens, but I will mention that there have been some groups in WGI that have used them to TREMENDOUS success as an additive feature in their shows. The groups that have used them effectively have spent a few years developing their usage of them, so I do see this as an experimental year for Boston in the sense that they have the same opportunity to see whether it does/doesn't work for them, and if there is promise there, it gives them to the opportunity to evaluate what changes would need to be implemented to further integrate or utilize them in an effective way.

 

5 hours ago, Poppycock said:

Success in an indoor, smaller venue and lighting environment is not the same as that of a football field indoor or outdoor. Making the field smaller with props or backdrops might help, but reduces the performance area. Bluecoats have shown that color, size, height and mobility is better suited for the performance venue. Personally I’m not a big fan of props unless fully integrated and designed to be an integral part of the production. 

My 2 cents on the screens...

I am not sure how I would react to these in person, but I found them to be at times a little distracting...but at others the screens were pretty cool when the guard interacted with them at a few of the impacts of the show.  I watched the replay of the show just watching the screens, and it wasn't really adding anything thing to the show in my opinion. I am not a fan of the staging of these screens either as I watched a few videos and if you were sitting stage left, they seem to distract even more than from the front or even stage right positions. 

I saw a video of the 80th+1 reunion and the screens were a backdrop with the corps on steps as the screens were ABOVE the corps.  I think in that venue, they work extremely well because there is no visual in a standstill performance and it just works.  I am on the fence as to whether they enhance the field performance if at all.  I give them kudos for trying something new and it was a great idea to go for it in a non-competitive year.  I think I honestly prefer the guard creating the visuals for me, but I am not sure if this might become a trend with other corps experimenting in other ways in the future. 

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Liahona

[kkrepps]

My first show in two years!