World of Pageantry

Are there any drill writers out there in the Orange County area who are familiar with Pyware and are willing to teach?

I need to learn before summer gets here as I'm trying to put together the field show for my old high school this upcoming marching season.

It's not that bad, they're only a 1A group. I'm hoping to have someone who has written before using Pyware show me the basics when it comes to coordinating a field show.

Thanks!

I'm sure you can figure out Pyware in a couple of weeks by just noodling with it and reading through the manual. If, however, you have no previous design experience, then Pyware alone will not be much help to you. Think of it like Microsoft Word; if you learn how to use that program it doesn't mean you know how to write a novel.

Watch a lot of videos of field shows online and practice writing drill to marching band arrangements (ideally while referencing a score). Use instrumentation numbers similar to what your school will have next Fall. But more importantly ask a lot of questions. There are a lot of designers on these forums that can answer your specific questions and concerns.

Good luck.

Euphman wrote:Think of it like Microsoft Word; if you learn how to use that program it doesn't mean you know how to write a novel.

Great analogy!

Penny Stealer, just sit down and read what each tool does, then play with the program to see what you can do. There is a lot to think about when writting a show, it is more than putting dots on the page. Also, being "only a 1A group" does not make it any easier to design than a 6A group. In fact many times I find it more difficult to write for a small group and make it effective than a large group.

Don't let this scare you from trying it, go for it, have fun, and see what you come up with. I actually worked for a great designer as his field tech for about 6 years before I started designing shows. I got Pyware and played with it to learn it, reading the manual probably would have been easier. Now I watch a lot of shows just to study what other designers do and how I can apply their techniques to what I do. I do not copy their moves, but I watch how they develop forms and transition from one to the next to create visual effects. I am always learning more everytime I write a show.

Have fun and good luck.

MaestroOfBandX wrote: Also, being "only a 1A group" does not make it any easier to design than a 6A group. In fact many times I find it more difficult to write for a small group and make it effective than a large group.

Very true. More often than not, 1A groups have instrumentation issues, tiny guards with little equipment training, and limited staff & resources which limits the depth of your writing. You have to be really creative and make the most out of what you have to work with.

Fortunately, 1A is not a division where judges expect to see groundbreaking effects and drill, so you can get away with just 35-40 pages of basic drill as long as the guard and musical elements are staged well. Keep it simple and don't try to copy what Michael Gaines wrote for the Cavaliers last summer. Overwriting the ensemble is the easiest rookie mistake to make.

Have fun

Euphman wrote: Overwriting the ensemble is the easiest rookie mistake to make.

Heck I have been writting for 15+ years and I still make that mistake every now and then....haha

Phone: "Ring, Ring"
Me: "Hello Mr._____ How are you?"
Mr._____: "Bob, they just can't make it from page 27 to 28. It's just too hard."
Me: (Thinking to self) Oops. Followed by "Are you sure?"

One thing I did to learn the program was to take a show that I had already written by hand (light table, drill paper FTW!) and enter it into Pyware. When your only concern is technical and not creative, it makes it much, much faster to learn. Less stressful, too. If you don't have access to something you've already done, I can send you part of a show that I've done in the past. The first band I wrote for was my own 2A group. Might help. Let me know!