Overview
Ok…Here we go…This is one is short but it’s a bit deep! Are you ready? We’re going to talk about the types of EFFECT you can utilize to make an engaging, enjoyable exhibition drill routine!
It always pays to be as intentional as we can about everything so think about this as the nuts and bolts of why something is “cool” in exhibition.
What Is “Effect”
effect – noun
a distinctive impression, the creation of a desired impression, something designed to produce a distinctive or desired impression
In the context of exhibition drill, effect is the impact a movement, sequence, or routine has on the audience, often the judges, that makes it unique or memorable.
Effect is important because we want to make sure we’re fully engaging the judges – fully engaged judges are far more likely to forgive things like mis-alignment, a slight timing error, etc. because they’re engaging with the routine not just in terms of the execution but also in terms of the overall feeling they get when they watch it!
What Are The Types of Effect
There are 3 key types of effect that nearly every imaginable sequence falls into! Sometimes, sequences or moves can overlap between categories as well!
- Aesthetic
- Emotional
- Intellectual
Whoa, whoa! Those are some fancy words…I thought this was military drill! What gives?
Well, those fancy words are just pre-existing distinctions that are already happening in exhibition drill! Let’s go piece by piece with examples from each!
Aesthetic Effect
Simply put, aesthetic effect is how cool or neat something looks or sounds. If a formation change is eye-catching and unique, aesthetic effect. If a beat gets the judge bobbing along in time, aesthetic effect. This is the most basic form of effect and what MOST teams try to rely on heaviest but it’s also less strong because it mostly engages the audience on a superficial level. If you’ve ever watched a routine and said to yourself, “Wow! That move looked really cool!” you’ve experienced aesthetic effect in action!
Emotional Effect
Emotional effect occurs in a routine when something performed causes the judge or audience to FEEL something in particular. This is the second most popular way teams engage judges. Popular examples include singing or chanting a military song or cadence (makes the judge feel pride) and performing seemingly death-defying moves that appear to be dangerous (makes the judge feel on edge). But nervousness and pride are but two emotions in a sea of MANY! Could you make an audience chuckle without breaking the bounds of military bearing? We’ve seen it! Thinking about how to make your audience feel something emotionally goes a long way!
Intellectual Effect
This is the hardest to pull off but the most effective (pun completely intended) when executed correctly. Intellectual effect engages a judge or audience member’s brain and forces them to mentally engage with your performance. On the simple end, if a movement is so complex that it leaves the judge wondering how it all came together, that is intellectual effect. But here’s one that’s deeper: many times, teams or individuals will perform routines with SUCH MASTERY and intentionally choose to perform LESS demanding movements. For example, an armed solo driller might choose to only perform a double aerial while their competition performs triples but perform it with SUCH AMAZING EXECUTION that the judge starts to ASSUME they could’ve thrown a higher trick if they’d wanted to. Now, the judge is playing mind games with themselves. They’ve just graded that driller on something they didn’t even perform. This is intellectual effect!
What Do We Do With This?
When creating your routines, ask yourself: What kind of effect am I creating? If you’re heavy on aesthetic effects, consider making sequences that rely more on emotional effect, for example. By using a variety of effects throughout a routine, you’re more likely to capture the judge’s eyes, heart, and mind rather than just relying on their eyes alone as many teams do!