Coming from the mind of David Byrne, this event featured ten different teams of color guards paired with a musician performing live at Barclays Center. The performances introduce unfamiliar audiences with what color guard is, while bringing color guard fans to the center as well. I went into this film knowing nothing about color guard and came out with some questions still, but there were also some answers. Basically it seems to me like color guard is a mix of cheerleading, baton throwing, rifle-flipping, and dance team. Yet, I still may be mistaken.
Putting this performance on the big screen seemed to be quite the feat. The film was not shown live, but clearly edited over a long period of time. The technological aspects of creating this performance was jaw-dropping and sometimes mind-jarring. The performances fade in and out as we go backstage in-between the ten acts. The musicians all had a sort of odd vibe as well ranging from David Byrne to Nelly Furtado to TUnE-yArDs. They contributed to the acts with a sense of emotion that also had a wide range. Some seemed to be singing about peace and love, while others were trying to hold back tears as they sang.
As with many live performances, the staging of the event was smooth and seemingly flawless. The color guard teams were synchronized so seamlessly as if they were absolute professionals. I was pulled into a completely foreign concept. Until seeing the film, I thought the color guard was just those guys and gals who carried the flags at football games or other large events. The devotion of these young artists pays off through the film. Finally, color guard can gain the respect it deserves and the recognition for fine arts can be further achieved.
The Bottom Line: Jaw-dropping and mind-jarring performances hold this film together as the audience is introduced to an unfamiliar stage act.
Score: 8.5/10
Image Credit: https://consequenceofsound.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/contemporary_color.jpg
Putting this performance on the big screen seemed to be quite the feat. The film was not shown live, but clearly edited over a long period of time. The technological aspects of creating this performance was jaw-dropping and sometimes mind-jarring. The performances fade in and out as we go backstage in-between the ten acts. The musicians all had a sort of odd vibe as well ranging from David Byrne to Nelly Furtado to TUnE-yArDs. They contributed to the acts with a sense of emotion that also had a wide range. Some seemed to be singing about peace and love, while others were trying to hold back tears as they sang.
As with many live performances, the staging of the event was smooth and seemingly flawless. The color guard teams were synchronized so seamlessly as if they were absolute professionals. I was pulled into a completely foreign concept. Until seeing the film, I thought the color guard was just those guys and gals who carried the flags at football games or other large events. The devotion of these young artists pays off through the film. Finally, color guard can gain the respect it deserves and the recognition for fine arts can be further achieved.
The Bottom Line: Jaw-dropping and mind-jarring performances hold this film together as the audience is introduced to an unfamiliar stage act.
Score: 8.5/10
Image Credit: https://consequenceofsound.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/contemporary_color.jpg
