Jump to content

DCP Official ESPN2 DCI Broadcast Reaction Thread


Recommended Posts

I subscribe to Drum Corps World and noticed the advertisement on ESPN2. You would think Drum Corps World is a DCI newpaper the way the various editions were edited to show only DCI headlines. This ad is just another arrogant example of how DCI thumbs it's nose at DCA and Alumni Corps and it's disregard for drum corps prior to DCI.

WHOA!! Hold on here. I made that ad and I had to work with the resources we had on hand. I did not have ANY DCA material to work with and the deadline was very close. For you to assume that DCI had an agenda is not only incorrect (Because DCI had nothing to do with its production) but is just plain silly.

Steve Vickers and I had total control over the ad's content.

You need to stop and get the facts before you complain!

The truth will set you free!

Edited by Rawtv_JohnChristensen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 625
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

All y'all who are propping DCI up with the whole "Be glad you got anything" party line can be first in line when the revolution comes and you're made to eat your CDs and DVDs. That might be better-tastring than the table scraps you seem to think we're entitled to.

And, of course, this is the first year that you didn't get it for free. (Unless you're a cable pirate, and more power to you. Or in jail.) It's called a cable bill.

Still sucked. I deserve better, and so do you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked it, parts of it lost my interest (and my dad's too, he kept leaving the room), but considering it's purpose - I think it was successfull. :)

I'm a little disappointed in the 3-4 minute CLIPS of performances, but there was a brief 5-second or so performance of a Non-Top 12/Non-Divison I corps that made my day.

Did anyone else notice? It was during the "judging" vignette...

It was shot at Central Division Showcase in Kalamazoo, MI and Memphis Sound was performing on the field when they talked about judging from the box. So...I was on ESPN2 and didn't even have to march a Div. I finalist corps! lol Sweet... B)

Anyway, good job DCI/Tom Blair/etc. I rather enjoyed my table scraps and I'll be back for dinner next year. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And, of course, this is the first year that you didn't get it for free. (Unless you're a cable pirate, and more power to you. Or in jail.) It's called a cable bill.

Moot point. Most people were watching PBS on their cable systems anyway. And at least we had commercials, and not some guy begging us to donate $100 for a copy of tonight's joke of a broadcast as a way of saying thanks for helping to make sure public broadcasting can keep airing fluff-laden clip shows featuring three minutes of the Cavaliers, six minutes of the Blue Devils, and a whole lotta kids singing crappy Bon Jovi songs on a coach bus, or a color guard girl saying "Girls, I can FEEL it! Tonight we can make it happen! LET'S DO IT!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought the overall production was very well done.

First of all I want to thank all the corps members for representing drum corps at it's finest!! BRAVO! You make everyone proud. I know a lot of people complain about this or that, but we love you, we really do.

Steve Rondinaro, you d' man. He has always been so right as a drum corps announcer. At the same time he fit in with the ESPN vibe. Great job Steve! And Dennis was very good too. Both seemed very comfortable in their roles, as usual. (Thank god they didn't have Cesario.)

The human interest segments were nicely done. Very good production values and well written. But, I thought each could have been tightened down to about half the length. It was too much of a good thing and it really eclipsed the shows. Also, the drum or guard feature would be better as the first story. People relate quickly to drums and pretty young dancers. Nothing against horn guys, but I'd put you later in the show after we already know what drum corps is about.

In the first 30 minutes there was about 6 minutes of drum corps. In my opinion that was a mistake. This may have lost some viewers. Good TV production lives by the "teaser" and the "reveal." Give us 2 or 3 minutes of real drum corps up front at the start of the show, a montage of the most powerful moments, maybe 15 seconds per corps. Then reveal the particulars so we can relate it to something we've already seen. I do a lot of educational programs and have found this to be essential in getting an audience to relate quickly to something new. Show them what you're gonna show them, show them, then tell them what you showed them. So many questions were answered before any curiosity was generated. Don't explain drum corps before you show it. The explaination is wasted that way. (what the heck are they talking about... a mello what? - we've not seen one on the field yet.)

I'd also like to see more drum corps. I understand cutting it into smaller chunks and not showing everything. But, more show segments would better balance the other material.

And now on to things I recall about the shows, as I didn't get a chance to see them live this year. In no particular order...

Overall: As complete packages, the performance energy and excitement factor was up a few notches from what I saw at TOC last year. The visual shows are really nice, almost impossible to do cleanly, but still pretty cool. But, the musical arrangements, while well orchestrated, are directionless. Music from any show should be able to stand on it's own and this stuff just lays there.

Yowza... I don't understand what all the fuss was about. The BD segment sounded great and I think the vocals blended perfectly and added a level of excitement to the show. I could do without the countdown. But, the announcer/performer was excellent in his delivery. Nice job guys. And the horn line was crankin too.

Fred Astaire or whoever he was supposed to be... Guy, you dance great. You steal the show! Literally. I just wish you weren't so distracting.

Carmen... Nice effect. But how did Carmen become West Side Story? ENOUGH WSS ALREADY!!!! geez.

Cadets... The show was basically entertaining and fun. Unis really didn't add much. It would have been just fine with no girl and no door. One point penalty for being dumb. But, the Bjork segment was BRILLIANT. Powerful, fresh, vicious! THAT's the kind of sound I expect to hear from a corps in 2005. Excellent! The drum speak, however, left something to be desired. Chomping the mic works fine for gangsta rap, but not for bibbity bop. And the composition was just weak and too long. Get some tabla lessons. It was just amateur. Sorry guys. One point penalty for being self indulgent. It's also an awful long time for the rest of the corps to not play much. Honestly, I think this show won in spite of these things, not because of them. A tribute to the players.

Phantom... The arrangments left me flat but this corps can MARCH! Wow. That one set in the middle of their segment was... well... perfect. Came out of no where and hit like a picture post card. Bonus points for perfect! Nice flags too and the guard was well integrated and effective. Phantom was every bit as good as any corps out there and their performers deserved better than 3rd.

Cavies... Musically, it didn't grab me. But there was one drill move in the middle. I don't know if they've done it before but fast random movement in the center dissolves slowly into an X in a box. That's just F'n good drill man! Actually, I would want to dissolve to something more interesting than an x in a box (duh), but the execution and design was amazing. Personally, I think the Cavies performers are the best out there and got stuck with a musically dull show.

It was NOT nice to see Jeff Fiedler almost chastising the Cavies players before the show. His frustration was obvious. They players didn't seem to like it much either from the looks on their faces. This is where drum corps goes wrong in my opinion and it shouldn't have been aired that way. They were a better corps this year than last from what I could tell and they should be addressed with the respect of a champion whether it's the corps director talking or not. Boo. Just my 2 cents.

Overall, nice job DCI. I hope next year is even better. (as if they're listening! hehehehe....)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...