Happy 25th Anniversary!

[byline]

What I want to know is... why didn't they produce the DVDs with the ability to view multiple camera angles?  There's a lot left unseen because of the editing.

It seems to me Tom Blair has responded to this: They literally worked with all they had. In other words, there are no multiple camera angles left. All they have archived is the master tape of the telecast, no other extra footage. In recent years, with the advent of DVD technology, they began adding those extras in, but back in the '70s, when videotape was new, they didn't save any extra footage. That's why, for example, we get the 1978 telecast, glitches and all. That's the best they can do, given the shape the master tape is in. Apparently it had degraded a fair bit before they were able to preserve it in digital form.

Now, my question is this: I know there were high-cam videotapes of prelims in 1980 (and I'm sure other years, too), because the band director I worked for bought a set of those tapes. There's some pretty amazing footage there, and you can really see which corps could march and which corps couldn't. Were those preserved, and will we ever be able to see them on DVD?

Edited December 14, 2004 by byline

[byline]

<== trying to imagine self at a drum corps show in the late '70s and thinking to self "I'm gonna get a hot dog.....the Blue Devils show is lacking in GE"

        NOPE----------CAN'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! :P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL! I remember so vividly people complaining that Blue Devils were boring. I laughed and said, "Yet you're still here watching them!"

[LancerFi]

It seems to me Tom Blair has responded to this: They literally worked with all they had. In other words, there are no multiple camera angles left. All they have archived is the master tape of the telecast, no other extra footage. In recent years, with the advent of DVD technology, they began adding those extras in, but back in the '70s, when videotape was new, they didn't save any extra footage. That's why, for example, we get the 1978 telecast, glitches and all. That's the best they can do, given the shape the master tape is in. Apparently it had degraded a fair bit before they were able to preserve it in digital form.

Now, my question is this: I know there were high-cam videotapes of prelims in 1980 (and I'm sure other years, too), because the band director I worked for bought a set of those tapes. There's some pretty amazing footage there, and you can really see which corps could march and which corps couldn't. Were those preserved, and will we ever be able to see them on DVD?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi, we have the high cam footage! When I say we I mean Malibu and I...she sent me one.....oh wait, maybe you had it first?

You're so right about BD and boring. My God, that word boring would never be in my mouth related to BD.....never!

Edited December 14, 2004 by LancerFi

[byline]

Hi, we have the high cam footage!  When I say we I mean Malibu and I...she sent me one.....oh wait, maybe you had it first?

Lord, I can't imagine the shape your copy is in. You must go blind watching it! My band director made a copy for me, and my copy is pretty degraded. Tragically, the worst part, in terms of video quality, is at the very beginning of the tape: Blue Devils. Argh! Anyway, then I made a copy for Malibu off that, and she must've made a copy for you.

Edited December 14, 2004 by byline

[uncle z]

LOL! I remember so vividly people complaining that Blue Devils were boring. I laughed and said, "Yet you're still here watching them!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HAHAHA!!!! Sue, after 25 years, it's ok to 'fess up that you guys were taking a hot dog break during OUR show!!!!

I know you all used to call us the "Blah Stars"!!!! :P

*waits for someone to say "I saw you on the DVD uncle z* B)

[byline]

HAHAHA!!!!  Sue, after 25 years, it's ok to 'fess up that you guys were taking a hot dog break during OUR show!!!!

I know you all used to call us the "Blah Stars"!!!! :P

Hmmm . . . I do seem to recall comments along those lines! It's funny, though; watching Blue Stars on tape and DVD, the shows were extremely clean and quite pleasing. Just not the barn-burners other corps were at that time.

[LancerFi]

Lord, I can't imagine the shape your copy is in. You must go blind watching it! My band director made a copy for me, and my copy is pretty degraded. Tragically, the worst part, in terms of video quality, is at the very beginning of the tape: Blue Devils. Argh! Anyway, then I made a copy for Malibu off that, and she must've made a copy for you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well then, thanks to both of you! Hope you didn't mind at all......

[byline]

Well then, thanks to both of you!  Hope you didn't mind at all......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, no, I don't mind! Now, DCI, on the other hand. . . . :sshh:

[byline]

Upon reviewing the DVD, I've rediscovered a few of my "highlights" from 1979:

For one thing, what an amazing guard Spirit had that year. Especially the rifle line! I always remember how good the horn and drum lines were, but often overlook their guard. They did some fabulous work, with a lot of difficulty and body work thrown in, and they were pretty darned clean! Didn't much care for the McCormick's rainbow flags, though . . . then, or now. Dunno if they were really McCormick's flags; the running joke at that time was that anything with a rainbow on it must've come from McCormick's, because that was all they did in the way of flag design.

Hearing Spirit play "Nuttville" is such a treat. I'd forgotten what a great piece of music that was!

And Nancy, I just can't say enough for Two-Seven's guard! The only way I can think of to describe your rifle line is that you were so far ahead of everyone else, you deserved your own caption! And the flag line was so innovative, and daring, and clean! I think of your show as a tutorial for the greatness of guard . . . and why guards deserved a lot more credit on the score sheets than we got back then. And then there's that groundbreaking drill . . . which was a forerunner of so much to come.

And, of course, 1979 was the year Guardsmen had such a phenomenal horn line. Their performance of "Tiger of San Pedro" will always be one of my all-time favorite drum corps memories!

But I'm still left with the same impression I had back in 1979. I don't know if I can explain this very well, but it seemed to me then--and still does--that most of the finalist corps were in transition, and their shows weren't fully developed that year. Even Blue Devils, as good as they were, didn't have near the show in '79, IMO, that they did in '80. It was as if many of these shows took two years to develop. Even shows that weren't identical, in terms of music, were similar in '79 and '80, and to me many of them had a lot more power the following year. Even Santa Clara, who went down in placement in '80, had--and again, this is only my opinion--a better show in '80 than in '79. I hope that's not offensive to anyone. It's just how it hits me.

Edited December 15, 2004 by byline

[GGarrett]

I agree! '79 was a crazy year, and I was somewhat disillusioned with corps in general because of that year. So much so, in fact, that I took 1980 off.

If you recall, '79 seemed to lack integrity in judgeing. In a 4 day period, corps scores dropped and raised almost 5 and 6 points from one DCI show to another. At DCI North, things were tight, but at DCI Midwest, some of the eastern corps had dropped in points. It was hard to guage what was really happening, and it smelled of collusion and conspiracy.

The types of instruments available were changing in percussion and brass instruments at a rapid pace, the way those instruments were tuned and new ideas from program designers and chart composers/arrangers was in a state of major transition. Drill design was in need of serious change so as not to keep rehashing company fronts and "starburst" formations over and over year to year. It seemed like several corps could have taken DCI, and from a competitive point of view, I felt (at the time) DCI was trying to create a more exciting atmosphere, at the corps expense, to make it a "anyone could win...isn't this exciting!?" event.

I really do hate this THEORY of mine, in that I mean no disrespect to the Blue Devils, or any other corps. The correct corps won DCI that year, but I agree it seemed like sort of an off year for everyone. I attribute it to the transition of style and design that was going on...