INTRODUCTION TO SHOW DESIGN AND DRILL WRITING WHAT

INTRODUCTION TO SHOW DESIGN AND DRILL WRITING: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN GOOD DRILL DESIGN Mr. Don Linn

MUSIC! � � Drill – All about the MUSIC!!! Movement and form matches music in character, shape, mood, and velocity. Know the score you are working with and analyze to see the big picture. Impact points – what do you want your show to communicate?

Good Drill � � � Interprets the music Provides clarity to ensemble balance Minimizes difficulty to bring ease to performance Makes the best use of space Integrates the musical with the visual

Drill Velocity � � � What generates speed in a drill? How does drill velocity change with music Speed is relative.

Slow Velocity

Fast Velocity

Difficulty � � � Know your group Know how much rehearsal time you have Know your goals Know your music Drill is only effective when it is CLEAN.

To make things easier: � Snap form endpoints to yard lines Good Not as good

To make things easier: � Linear forms on yard lines and hashes. Good Not as good

To make things easier: � � Avoid excessive backward marching Avoid large step sizes Forward marching – try not to exceed 6 to 5 Backward marching – try not to exceed 8 to 5

To make things easier: � � � Know the best places in the music and drill to put halts. Think about effective “park and bark” situations and think about difficult passages for the band or certain sections. Minimize number of consecutive moves without halts Avoid a lot of small moves (8 counts or less) strung together

Form Reading � � � Think about your stadium and the audience perspective. Perspective can be adjusted in Pyware to see how the band might look on the field. For clean readability at average stadium heights: 12 – 16 steps between layers in the front third of the field, 16 steps or more between layers be in the middle third, 20 steps or more between layers in the back third

Drill Flow � � � Drill should be more than just nice forms and pictures. A good drill writer will think “between the pictures” Different forms : symmetrical, asymmetrical, linear, curvilinear, block, free form Different movement: float, rotation, morph, follow, scatter, structured step A good show will have variety.

Look for Drill That: � � � � Supports the MUSIC! Uses different velocities effectively Supports proper ensemble balance Is appropriate for your group Makes sense between the pictures Makes sense from the stands Uses a good variety of form and movement