Carolina Crown 2022

[ZTWright]

1 hour ago, NewArpege said:

Yea. They could have lost the red ribbons.  I don’t think they added anything. But honestly, I could say the same thing for other shows. I still don’t know what BDs show was about or why stairs were part of it.  Nor do I know what cones had to do with Boston’s show. IMO, Bluecoats we’re the only ones with props that tied to their theme, which they usually do a good job with.

My gripe with the Bluecoats props were pretty simple...what did the Cadillac Ranch have to do with the storyline? The story took place in L.A. and the Cadillac Ranch is in Texas. Pretty confused on that front. Other than that, the props made sense. Props in DCI are starting to be a little more outlandish, and have no ties to the show whatsoever. 

 

Blue Devils and their stairs.

Crown and their playground equipment.

SCV and their Vox Eversio 2.0 props.

Blue Stars and their sleigh beds.

Phantom and their odd fashion runway (wait, is that what the show was really about? No walk in designer clothes is too far?).

 

There are still props that make sense on the field, but the majority of them just make zero sense to me anymore. Also, what is going on with the useless tarps on the field that really don't do much visually other than add color (when there isn't a glare from the stadium lights shinning off them)? From a designer standpoint, it seems to me like the top high school bands in the nation are starting to push the envelope more than drum corps anymore.

 

SCVs props from 2019 and 2022 are pretty reminiscent of Broken Arrows from 2015. 

Blue Devils stairs from 2022 and Cadets stairs from 2019 remind me of Blue Springs from 2018 (albeit theirs did not move). 

Troopers show literally was mirrored from Avon 2015 thematically and visually.

BACs cones have been done as well, but I can't quite put my finger on them.

 

We have high school marching bands portraying flight (Flower Mound 2016), portraying a romeo and juliet story told from inside a fishtank with lifesize working fishtank props (Avon 2018), exploding nuclear reactors (Leander 2019), working (rotating) oil drills and rigs (Avon 2015), working water fountains (Russell, Ky 2019 [not exactly a leader in the activity, but I was extremely impressed with that when I saw it at Grand Nationals]), and insert any high school bands name here and their use of lights. I haven't seen anything like these from drum corps, but rather much more of the same. Tarps, stages, stairs, ladders, beds, and abstract props that look like they belong in the Museum of Modern Art. Granted we see more bands in our local areas trying to portray what they see corps doing, but the top notch marching bands in the nation are becoming true leaders when it comes to design. I'm just not understanding the visual design thought process from these DCI designers anymore. Why the monotony? Why more of the same? Why not take risks and be different? The last true risk taken that we have seen was Bluecoats in 2016.

 

Sorry guys, what started out as a simple reply turned into a rant of mass proportions. Please forgive me.

[wigwam]

3 hours ago, MikeRapp said:

Boston’s cones represented trees in the Garden of Eden. Maybe they should have been green.

Trees?    No way, they were giant snow cone holders.  

[skevinp]

4 hours ago, ZTWright said:

My gripe with the Bluecoats props were pretty simple...what did the Cadillac Ranch have to do with the storyline? The story took place in L.A. and the Cadillac Ranch is in Texas. Pretty confused on that front. Other than that, the props made sense. Props in DCI are starting to be a little more outlandish, and have no ties to the show whatsoever. 

 

Blue Devils and their stairs.

Crown and their playground equipment.

SCV and their Vox Eversio 2.0 props.

Blue Stars and their sleigh beds.

Phantom and their odd fashion runway (wait, is that what the show was really about? No walk in designer clothes is too far?).

 

There are still props that make sense on the field, but the majority of them just make zero sense to me anymore. Also, what is going on with the useless tarps on the field that really don't do much visually other than add color (when there isn't a glare from the stadium lights shinning off them)? From a designer standpoint, it seems to me like the top high school bands in the nation are starting to push the envelope more than drum corps anymore.

 

SCVs props from 2019 and 2022 are pretty reminiscent of Broken Arrows from 2015. 

Blue Devils stairs from 2022 and Cadets stairs from 2019 remind me of Blue Springs from 2018 (albeit theirs did not move). 

Troopers show literally was mirrored from Avon 2015 thematically and visually.

BACs cones have been done as well, but I can't quite put my finger on them.

 

We have high school marching bands portraying flight (Flower Mound 2016), portraying a romeo and juliet story told from inside a fishtank with lifesize working fishtank props (Avon 2018), exploding nuclear reactors (Leander 2019), working (rotating) oil drills and rigs (Avon 2015), working water fountains (Russell, Ky 2019 [not exactly a leader in the activity, but I was extremely impressed with that when I saw it at Grand Nationals]), and insert any high school bands name here and their use of lights. I haven't seen anything like these from drum corps, but rather much more of the same. Tarps, stages, stairs, ladders, beds, and abstract props that look like they belong in the Museum of Modern Art. Granted we see more bands in our local areas trying to portray what they see corps doing, but the top notch marching bands in the nation are becoming true leaders when it comes to design. I'm just not understanding the visual design thought process from these DCI designers anymore. Why the monotony? Why more of the same? Why not take risks and be different? The last true risk taken that we have seen was Bluecoats in 2016.

 

Sorry guys, what started out as a simple reply turned into a rant of mass proportions. Please forgive me.

Actually the story took place in someone’s head.  In dreams people and places and things are always shifting.  

[Vidal28Rdg]

5 hours ago, ZTWright said:

My gripe with the Bluecoats props were pretty simple...what did the Cadillac Ranch have to do with the storyline? The story took place in L.A. and the Cadillac Ranch is in Texas. Pretty confused on that front. Other than that, the props made sense. Props in DCI are starting to be a little more outlandish, and have no ties to the show whatsoever. 

 

Blue Devils and their stairs.

Crown and their playground equipment.

SCV and their Vox Eversio 2.0 props.

Blue Stars and their sleigh beds.

Phantom and their odd fashion runway (wait, is that what the show was really about? No walk in designer clothes is too far?).

 

There are still props that make sense on the field, but the majority of them just make zero sense to me anymore. Also, what is going on with the useless tarps on the field that really don't do much visually other than add color (when there isn't a glare from the stadium lights shinning off them)? From a designer standpoint, it seems to me like the top high school bands in the nation are starting to push the envelope more than drum corps anymore.

 

SCVs props from 2019 and 2022 are pretty reminiscent of Broken Arrows from 2015. 

Blue Devils stairs from 2022 and Cadets stairs from 2019 remind me of Blue Springs from 2018 (albeit theirs did not move). 

Troopers show literally was mirrored from Avon 2015 thematically and visually.

BACs cones have been done as well, but I can't quite put my finger on them.

 

We have high school marching bands portraying flight (Flower Mound 2016), portraying a romeo and juliet story told from inside a fishtank with lifesize working fishtank props (Avon 2018), exploding nuclear reactors (Leander 2019), working (rotating) oil drills and rigs (Avon 2015), working water fountains (Russell, Ky 2019 [not exactly a leader in the activity, but I was extremely impressed with that when I saw it at Grand Nationals]), and insert any high school bands name here and their use of lights. I haven't seen anything like these from drum corps, but rather much more of the same. Tarps, stages, stairs, ladders, beds, and abstract props that look like they belong in the Museum of Modern Art. Granted we see more bands in our local areas trying to portray what they see corps doing, but the top notch marching bands in the nation are becoming true leaders when it comes to design. I'm just not understanding the visual design thought process from these DCI designers anymore. Why the monotony? Why more of the same? Why not take risks and be different? The last true risk taken that we have seen was Bluecoats in 2016.

 

Sorry guys, what started out as a simple reply turned into a rant of mass proportions. Please forgive me.

Something I did notice about HS groups is that they are quite colorful, and that their props usually evoke their show theme more directly than abstractly and are quite obvious to the spectator, which I don’t think is a bad thing haha. I’m kinda tired of seeing gray/white metallic cages at this point😂

[NewArpege]

10 hours ago, ZTWright said:

My gripe with the Bluecoats props were pretty simple...what did the Cadillac Ranch have to do with the storyline? The story took place in L.A. and the Cadillac Ranch is in Texas. Pretty confused on that front. Other than that, the props made sense. Props in DCI are starting to be a little more outlandish, and have no ties to the show whatsoever. 

 

Blue Devils and their stairs.

Crown and their playground equipment.

SCV and their Vox Eversio 2.0 props.

Blue Stars and their sleigh beds.

Phantom and their odd fashion runway (wait, is that what the show was really about? No walk in designer clothes is too far?).

 

There are still props that make sense on the field, but the majority of them just make zero sense to me anymore. Also, what is going on with the useless tarps on the field that really don't do much visually other than add color (when there isn't a glare from the stadium lights shinning off them)? From a designer standpoint, it seems to me like the top high school bands in the nation are starting to push the envelope more than drum corps anymore.

 

SCVs props from 2019 and 2022 are pretty reminiscent of Broken Arrows from 2015. 

Blue Devils stairs from 2022 and Cadets stairs from 2019 remind me of Blue Springs from 2018 (albeit theirs did not move). 

Troopers show literally was mirrored from Avon 2015 thematically and visually.

BACs cones have been done as well, but I can't quite put my finger on them.

 

We have high school marching bands portraying flight (Flower Mound 2016), portraying a romeo and juliet story told from inside a fishtank with lifesize working fishtank props (Avon 2018), exploding nuclear reactors (Leander 2019), working (rotating) oil drills and rigs (Avon 2015), working water fountains (Russell, Ky 2019 [not exactly a leader in the activity, but I was extremely impressed with that when I saw it at Grand Nationals]), and insert any high school bands name here and their use of lights. I haven't seen anything like these from drum corps, but rather much more of the same. Tarps, stages, stairs, ladders, beds, and abstract props that look like they belong in the Museum of Modern Art. Granted we see more bands in our local areas trying to portray what they see corps doing, but the top notch marching bands in the nation are becoming true leaders when it comes to design. I'm just not understanding the visual design thought process from these DCI designers anymore. Why the monotony? Why more of the same? Why not take risks and be different? The last true risk taken that we have seen was Bluecoats in 2016.

 

Sorry guys, what started out as a simple reply turned into a rant of mass proportions. Please forgive me.

100% agree about the meaningless props.  I’m amused by people who keep saying the show should tell a story and Crowns didn’t stick to one thing.  Most of these shows didn’t tell a story nor use coherent props.  The designs are all over the place. Now that doesn’t mean I disliked the shows — many were great.  It is what it is. 

[Cappybara]

19 hours ago, MikeRapp said:

A designer has 12 minutes to build and deliver their story. Don’t waste 20% of it on a big tarp that people stick their heads through.

And if you have the best brass arranger in the business, don’t spend part of your third act having them wave a ###### flag around on the back line.

Or finish off the show with one of the best hornlines in the business screaming vocals instead of blasting us with their horns 

[DrummerParent]

20 hours ago, Quad Aces said:

At the risk of sounding completely naïve , what exactly was the app used for/what was going on in it during Crown’s show?  And no, this is absolutely not an attempt at trolling - I genuinely am interested in knowing, since I didn’t use it during a show this season (please read on).

I loved Crown’s show this year - such an incredible amount of energy!  One of my favorite shows of the season.  I wanted to watch the show itself last night at LOS, instead of checking out the app during their performance.

I thought the ballad alone was one of the most memorable parts of the entire DCI season!

Congratulations on a great season, and looking forward to seeing what’s in store for 2023!

 

I just turned the app on and held the phone.  I didn’t pay attention to it but it does flash the camera light during parts of it so I thought it would be cool for the performers. / finals video when you can see the crowd.

[BWise]

In totality .. there was a lot fabric in a lot of shows .. and the tarp and fabric vendors seemed to really push the digital print material .. cheaper .. easy to transport etc. Leaving it laying around on the field was a slop fest  Subel to me is still stuck in Winter Guard visual that fails at scaling to the big field.. and frankly it doesn’t work with Jeff’s drill .. imo.

You can take any show and grind it into the ground and on really close analysis you could say none of them make any sense. I say just perform what you want and skip all the esoterica of the show explanations. 

Edited August 15, 2022 by BWise

[Metalbinky]

Congrats to Carolina Crown 2022 on a fabulous season!  The show was so much awesome.  

[BWise]

So amid all the conspiracy theories and tied placements. 
What if DCI were judged like ice skating (another artistic sport).. the judges punch their numbers in and you get a score after each performance. I guess their technical scores are more codified.. but maybe a crazy idea. Ppl would lose their minds I think. 
I only say this as I have been schooled that the numbers go into the scoring system tabulated and that is it .. I’ve never got a clear answer on when the numbers get entered into the device just a curiosity .. but they would judge it as they see it and less relatively to each other. Then it truly is just the numbers .. simple math.