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Re: Court is Good(tm) (Was: RE: I'm so proud.)




Poster: Dave Montuori <damont@wolfstar.com>

I'm a court junkie. Always have been. Combine this with a background in
theater tech and production, and you get someone very dangerous (though
mostly to himself).

Scripsit Eldred:
> The next best thing to being on the Throne is to be the herald
> at Court!

I'm with you there! I got into heraldry primarily because I wanted to help
do cool courts.

> I notice that a lot of people avoid Court. I am aware that there
> are several in the kitchen preparing feast, but I also know that
> ...they certainly don't make up the balance between event
> goers and Court attendees.
> What about... people that seem to disappear when Court is about to
> start, yet plan to stay through feast/bardic circle/etc.?
> 
> Excuses I have heard [and responses interlaced:]
> 4.  I don't like crowds.
> R.  Neither do I.  Just sit near the edge or the back, or even off to
>      the side where you can still see or hear.

This works... *if* you can find edge space and still hear what's going on.
You *should* be able to; that you often cannot is a point I'll get back
to. Me, I don't mind spectating in crowds, but understand that some do.

> 3.  Court is boring.
> R.  If it is boring, let us know what we can do to make it more
>      exciting.  I'm open to suggestions (except car
>      chases and big explosions).

What do folks find "boring"? Is it that you can't hear what's going on?
that you don't understand what's going on even if you can hear it? too
much "dead air"? something else entirely?

The first three questions require one word each to fix: 1) Projection.
2) Enunciation. 3) Preparation. Hey, I never said the implementation would
be easy... If the problem is something else, please point it out, hard to
fix a problem you can't identify.

> 2.  I need to get ready for feast.
> R.  So do most people at Court....

This is a moot point if Court is not right before feast. (Hint.)
If necessary, allow time just before court for folks to set up their
gear; I've found this works nicely.

> 1.  I'm not going to win anything, why should I go?
> R.  Because you never know whether you will or not.  Not being in Court
>      can be construed as an insult to the Crowns/Coronets and to those
>      receiving awards.... If you were receiving an award, wouldn't you
>      want people to know about it?... If it was your friend going up to
>      receive an award, would you stay to share in your friend's moment
>      of glory?

Of course. So the aim here should be to make folks feel like it will be
worth their while to attend -- the more inclusive our circles of friends,
the more likely it is that someone we know will be called into Court.

======

A few words about projection and enunciation. Anyone who enters Crown
Tourney should take lessons in these, as part of being prepared to deal
with winning. That way, when you want to be heard, you will be. For the
herald it's even more important, as they provide the framework ("Will
XYZ please come before Their Majesties") and close-captioning ("Her
Majesty wishes to discuss the question of tax") for the audience.

As to preparation: "Dead air" is a cardinal sin of broadcasting -- nothing
happening when something should be. There was a lot of it at second Court
last Saturday. "Nothing," BTW, is a quantity measured by the *audience* --
so although I could see quiet discussion going on at the thrones, that was
still effectively nothing happening. (Those around me could probably hear
me groan "Dead air, dead air..." under my breath.) While I have no idea
what was the cause of these particular occurrences, in general one will
get less of it if the royalty and herald(s) get in the right amount of
advance preparation.

---
Evan, Kraken Herald, who is unlikely to be doing any courts anytime soon
but that's irrelevant.


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