Dancer Archive
Thread: Cantina Crawl IX Debrief
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picklesSW
Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:32 am
#1
Hopefully everyone had a good time! The crawl went off fine. We had a few small glitches (Doasa going linkdead halfway through was a big one), but were able to rally and carry on.
We visited a total of 5 or 6 places, including two private venues, one of which was a stunningly decorated cantina in the middle of a very small town still building up its roots. It felt like a jungle in there, with massive amounts of water and flora, all in the middle of the desert.
Hopefully we're learning to cut down on the inevitable confusion at the beginning of these things. Once again we had roughly 70 people join us on this crawl and you all showed incredible patience as we formed groups and handed out clothing. Thank you.
For every crawl, I always get a bit of negative feedback filtered through to me...sometimes people talk to me directly, other times I get the feedback through a friend or one of the staff. I want to say to everyone that I value that feedback very much. The fact that we had a crawl at 2pm on a Saturday is a direct reaction to feedback from the European folks. Please do not be afraid to talk to me, or Doasa, or anyone on the staff. Also, there is a forum on the gypsy site (click my sig below) dedicated to the crawls, and your feedback is welcome there as well. I want to improve things and I don't see most of the chat during the event, so it's important that you let me know how you feel.
I want to take a moment to thank the people who were on the crew, the choreographers, the medics, the music directors, and Doasa of course. I know how much work it is, and I deeply appreciate you all.
Finally, I'm sorry to say that, due to technical difficulties and a particularly long and involved edit, the movie will not premiere today, and probably not tomorrow as well. I'm working as hard as I can, but as these movies get more involved and complicated, the post production stage tends to lengthen as well. I promise I'll have it up sometime this week.
We visited a total of 5 or 6 places, including two private venues, one of which was a stunningly decorated cantina in the middle of a very small town still building up its roots. It felt like a jungle in there, with massive amounts of water and flora, all in the middle of the desert.
Hopefully we're learning to cut down on the inevitable confusion at the beginning of these things. Once again we had roughly 70 people join us on this crawl and you all showed incredible patience as we formed groups and handed out clothing. Thank you.
For every crawl, I always get a bit of negative feedback filtered through to me...sometimes people talk to me directly, other times I get the feedback through a friend or one of the staff. I want to say to everyone that I value that feedback very much. The fact that we had a crawl at 2pm on a Saturday is a direct reaction to feedback from the European folks. Please do not be afraid to talk to me, or Doasa, or anyone on the staff. Also, there is a forum on the gypsy site (click my sig below) dedicated to the crawls, and your feedback is welcome there as well. I want to improve things and I don't see most of the chat during the event, so it's important that you let me know how you feel.
I want to take a moment to thank the people who were on the crew, the choreographers, the medics, the music directors, and Doasa of course. I know how much work it is, and I deeply appreciate you all.
Finally, I'm sorry to say that, due to technical difficulties and a particularly long and involved edit, the movie will not premiere today, and probably not tomorrow as well. I'm working as hard as I can, but as these movies get more involved and complicated, the post production stage tends to lengthen as well. I promise I'll have it up sometime this week.
kirah_ashlin
Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:38 am
#2
Javy, take your time. You do too much as it is. No one will be upset because they have to wait a few extra days for a video. It will be spectacular as always - and probably more so because of the extra time you are putting into it.
Vorpaks
Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:16 am
#3
*dances impatiently*
(grin)
Well, at least I get xp for this.
Honestly Javier, take as long as you need! We all apreciate what you do for us and the time you put into it! I am always surprised by the speed at which you put together such an amazing video anyway. We will enjoy the hell out of it even if it comes out next month!
*dances impatiently*
(grin)
Well, at least I get xp for this.
Honestly Javier, take as long as you need! We all apreciate what you do for us and the time you put into it! I am always surprised by the speed at which you put together such an amazing video anyway. We will enjoy the hell out of it even if it comes out next month!
*dances impatiently*
Geddyfan
Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:27 am
#4
I could not agree more with Kirah and Iosan. I wanted to also thank you and everyone involved in the crawls for all the hard work you do to make them happen.
Bria name = Gedlee
Ravenmist
Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:19 pm
#5
Hey Javier, thanks so much for doing these. I had a great time and these are wonderful events for the entertainer community. Its things like these that make the profession worth playing. You can't make everyone happy Javier, there will always be the complainers no matter how wonderful a job you do. Just keep doing the fantastic job your doing and know that the vast majority of us appreciate all the work you do for us and love you for doing it.
Can't wait til the next one!!
- Ravenmist
Panthu
Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:23 pm
#6
Ravenmist wrote:
Hey Javier, thanks so much for doing these. I had a great time and these are wonderful events for the entertainer community. Its things like these that make the profession worth playing. You can't make everyone happy Javier, there will always be the complainers no matter how wonderful a job you do. Just keep doing the fantastic job your doing and know that the vast majority of us appreciate all the work you do for us and love you for doing it.
Can't wait til the next one!!
- Ravenmist
I agree with RM. These are a blast and I love them! They seem like they would be an absolute nightmare to plan and pull off so you and your helpers (Doasa, Lei, Kirah, and other Crew/Planners) all get nothing but love from me! 
LuapLink
Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:17 pm
#8
Pappi wrote:
hehe, debrief...
/tsk
Shows what Pappi is thinking about. 
Btw Javier it was another great CC, grats to you on it . I'm sorry I missed the start, I was helping QAs test Patch 10 and nearly forsgot all about it 
.
IrinaStarsinger
Tue Aug 17, 2004 3:26 am
#9
Sorry, count on me to be a grump. I'm not Faulting anyone or Criticizing anyone, but one of the things that made all the ones before fun was the spontenaity, the spur of the moment atmosphere. People throwing out ideas and everyone doing their thing in ones and twos and groups.
This time... I felt like I was walking into a military operation.
Okay Your outfits are There.
Masters wear This, Novices wear That.
Novice dancers in This group.
Master dancers in That group.
Novice group line up Here.
Master group line up There.
When my two friends and I didnt choose to Wear the prescribed outfit we got tells like. Why arent you wearing the right clothes? Why dont you want to cooperate? Why do you havea problem participating? Whats your Problem? Why are you trying to mess things up?
When I asked. Do you want us to leave? I was told.. well no you dont Have to leave but I dont understand why you dont want to cooperate with everyone else.
I THOUGHT the purpose and goal of a Cantina Crawl was to have Fun? No to .. follow orders and.. Cooperate which in this event meant shutting up and doing what we was told?
If CC9 was intended strictly as a video production..fine. Then it should have been promoted as such with the caveat that production issues took priority over everything else.
I think you can OVER-organize things to the point where the freedom and spontenaeity that MAKES such events so attractive to so many gets subsumed in the desire for order.
And PLEASE! Thats MERELY my opinion, nothing more. I dont need to be convinced that I'm wrong or told WHY I'm wrong. Right or wrong, good or bad, that IS my opinion and my feelings.
picklesSW
Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:00 am
#10
Nope, it's a party first and a video production second. Or third. Or fourth. Forget the damn video, it's an afterthought.
At the beginning, we do try to be a bit organized in handing out clothing and getting people into groups. In the past it has taken us over an hour to get people into groups, and that's not ideal either. As for clothing, if I don't package them up in crates and have them handed out, I'm innundated with tells asking for outfits the entire night and I can't do my job (though now that Az is a master tailor, it's going to be a lot better).
Having said that, it is never my intention to squash individuality. The clothing is supplied because most people do in fact like to dress in a theme and identically to their groupmates. It makes a very neat effect. The band looked absolutely smashing that night because they were wearing matching outfits. But I would never want to force anyone to do anything on these events and if you were getting pressure to wear the outfit supplied and didn't want to, I'll make sure that stops.
As for "lining up here and there", in terms of the video production, I did ask for one special shot right at the beginning, the lining up in the sand outside the first stop. But that was all. The rest of the night if you were being told where to stand, it's because your group leaders were trying to make their group look organized. I cannot fault them for that. Again, most people actually like to look like a coordinated group when they perform. But it shouldn't be mandatory, and if you want to do your own "thang", that too is what the crawls are about. They're not about the video. I may give general guidelines like "I want to see people dancing with each other tonight", but that too is simply a suggestion which you should feel free to throw out.
In summary, if the beginning of the event felt like a military operation, good. I want it that way, so that we can get past the forming groups and handing out clothing to get to the actual fun part of the event as smoothly as possible. The rest of the night should, however, feel like a huge party, and I will take your feedback to heart and try to improve upon that.
Thanks for letting me know how you feel.
At the beginning, we do try to be a bit organized in handing out clothing and getting people into groups. In the past it has taken us over an hour to get people into groups, and that's not ideal either. As for clothing, if I don't package them up in crates and have them handed out, I'm innundated with tells asking for outfits the entire night and I can't do my job (though now that Az is a master tailor, it's going to be a lot better).
Having said that, it is never my intention to squash individuality. The clothing is supplied because most people do in fact like to dress in a theme and identically to their groupmates. It makes a very neat effect. The band looked absolutely smashing that night because they were wearing matching outfits. But I would never want to force anyone to do anything on these events and if you were getting pressure to wear the outfit supplied and didn't want to, I'll make sure that stops.
As for "lining up here and there", in terms of the video production, I did ask for one special shot right at the beginning, the lining up in the sand outside the first stop. But that was all. The rest of the night if you were being told where to stand, it's because your group leaders were trying to make their group look organized. I cannot fault them for that. Again, most people actually like to look like a coordinated group when they perform. But it shouldn't be mandatory, and if you want to do your own "thang", that too is what the crawls are about. They're not about the video. I may give general guidelines like "I want to see people dancing with each other tonight", but that too is simply a suggestion which you should feel free to throw out.
In summary, if the beginning of the event felt like a military operation, good. I want it that way, so that we can get past the forming groups and handing out clothing to get to the actual fun part of the event as smoothly as possible. The rest of the night should, however, feel like a huge party, and I will take your feedback to heart and try to improve upon that.
Thanks for letting me know how you feel.
Lianne
Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:23 am
#11
Im not going to tell you your opinions are wrong Euclase. But heres my view :
Ive been attending Cantina Crawls since CC VI (the first time i even heard of them!) and the only one which did not have a prescribed costume was CC VIII, where, for the sake of his song choice, Javier wanted us all in varied and colourful outfits.
Admittedly, since CC VI the need for splitting dancers into groups of similar ability has become greater due to the numbers of people turning up, and the different costumes i believe was simply an idea that was intended to make the groups more distinct from each other and was in no way intended to make people feel judged or segregated.
Wearing matching costumes though was always a feature of the Crawls, so that the charging mass of purple or red or gold or black or yellow forced people to look twice and take notice ! Its part of the reason Javier always asks people to turn up early to get fixed up and ready-to-go. Both he, Doasa and all those involved invest a great deal of time and money on costumes, travel plans and communication with anyone willing to go along. It is nothing but admirable that they have an open-door policy for those people who want to come and have fun with such few expectations.
The spirit of the Cantina Crawl is one of camaraderie, teamwork and good times. When people don't wish to join in with the clothing scheme thats been decided upon the question should be : why did you come ? It is always made clear whether or not clothing will be provided, so the folks whodecide not to wear that clothing are already excluding themselves from the 'Event' and causing dissent. When such events are so hectic and unpredictable (lets face it, a lot of entertainers are kinda nuts ), such infractions are not desirable and i can completely understand the questions you got from the organisers and any other entertainers who spoke to you.
), such infractions are not desirable and i can completely understand the questions you got from the organisers and any other entertainers who spoke to you. The point is tho.. NOBODY suggested you leave, proving that however much you strayed from the expectations of the event, the important thing is that everyone there only wants to have fun, and for everyone else to enjoy themselves.
I cannot and will not attempt to change your feelings but I have nothing but admiration for the intent of these Crawls and every one I have been to has been a resounding success, marred only by a very few people whose enjoyment was spoiled by the ironical chaos of organisation. To those people go my sympathies and Im very sure the apologies of all the organisers. In the future perhaps a mental health warning should be attached :
ENTERTAINERS GATHERING : EXPECT NOTHING BUT SPAM AND HAWTPANTS, BUT PLEASE TRY TO GET ALONG OR WE'LL DO THE BUGSTOMPER ON YOUR SORRY TOES !
Amida_Enterprises
Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:50 am
#12
What I think is also funny is that, though CC8 was gonna be an individual affair with everyone wearing different outfits, despite this we had several groups wearing 'uniforms' like the group I'm in, the 5 of us in matching clothes, and we where far from the only ones
Javier goes through so much trouble even bothering màking us all clothes, some of which cost a bundle in resources, and doesn't expect anything in return except us and himhaving fun.. travel costs payed to every ent not able to pay for this on his/her own, ànd he goes through the trouble of making a rocking vid each time as a souvenir to the good times had..
Javier, you rock... /hug javier
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