Other mistake: On the DVD, when you put the subtitles on, in the scene where Devon, Jason and Ernest are in their dorm, one of the subtitles say "Jason groans," but Jason is just sitting there doing nothing and it is really Ernest groaning. (00:18:36)
Factual error: During Devan's audition to get onto the A&T drumline, Devan is using a Pearl Competitor CSD snare drum with a high-tension Remo K-Series Falam marching snare drum head with a black center dot. This snare drum head can only be used on snares designed for use with extreme-high tension heads, such as the Pearl FFX-1412 snares that the P1 and P2 drumline members use. If used on the Competitor CSD snare drum as Devan was, the lug casings and bearing edge could face possible damage and failure because of the extreme high-tension required for use by the Kevlar head. (00:30:05)
Continuity mistake: When the Panthers are marching out for the first football game, you can see the track is wet. When the camera switches to the cheerleaders the track is dry. Then the camera switches again and shows the wet track again. (00:41:24)
Continuity mistake: During the first half-time performance by Atlanta A&T, during one shot of the band, the scoreboard is shown with 13 minutes remaining for the half-time performance. The problem is that the clock is standing still. (00:41:55)
Audio problem: When Shawn starts to play his solo in the first game before Devon starts to copy him, take a good look at the way Shawn plays and notice how his left hand plays every hit while his right hand is doing that circle effect. When Devon comes in, take a look at what he's playing. it may seem close, but there are a few shots where you can easily see that he isn't playing the full part of the solo. He basically hits every accent in the shot right after he starts. Right before Devon moves in front of him, there's a close up of the arm circle effect while the other hand plays, but you can see Devons stick in his other hand which is not playing. In another shot he raises his right hand for the circle effect and his left hand is not playing while its supposed to, neither is Shawn, but you can still hear it. It helps to listen to the drum and watch the sticking. (00:44:55)
Factual error: When Devon receives the tapes from his dad, the zip code for Brooklyn is 11258. The 11258 zip code is actually for Massapequa. (01:17:51)
Audio problem: When Devon and Shawn are in the band room challenging each other, the printer makes the sound of a dot matrix printer. The printer that was actually being used was an Hewlett Packard all-in-one ink jet machine. They do not make the same sound. (01:20:00)
Continuity mistake: During the beginning of the drum-line tie breaker between MBC and Atlanta A&T, the section leader for the snare line for MBC starts the band off, then holds his hands up in air and looks around and behind him at the drum-line as they do a roll. In the next shot that pans across the snares, they are all rolling, including the section leader. but in the next shot of the cymbal players spinning their cymbals for effect, the snare section leader is just standing there kinda messing with his sticks, moving them around the rim of his drum and turning them around, butt end forward, front end, etc. (01:45:25)
Audio problem: In the tiebreaker between MBC and Atlanta A&T, after the initial roll and cymbal players spinning their cymbals for effect, the section leader for MBC hits four quarter notes on his snare drum, but if you look closely, the sound is not synchronized with the video and he hits after the sound plays. (01:45:50)
Continuity mistake: In the BET Classics, when Morris Brown is playing their first tie-breaker, they pretend to drink something and throw the cups away, but the cups are never seen again. (01:46:29)
Continuity mistake: When Shawn is teaching the new drummers not to look at their drums while they play, he and Devon play together until Shawn drops a stick. At this point, Dr. Lee comes over and starts playing with Devon, until Devon drops a stick. The drum stick falls from Devon's hand and bounces around on the field. In the next shot, Dr. Lee is talking to Devon, neither has moved, but now Devon has both sticks in his hand.
Audio problem: At the graduation in the beginning, the percussion section is playing on concert snares, but the sound those snares are making is that of Kevlar heads on a high tension snare. It is not possible to tune a concert snare to sound like that.
Continuity mistake: In the scene in the cafeteria where Ernest is pigging out, Ernest is shown eating half a burger, then the shot changes to his friends watching him. When the scene changes back to Ernest he's shown taking a bite out of a whole new burger, but only a few seconds went by. When did he have time to get a new burger?
Audio problem: In most of the drumming scenes, the drumming usually doesn't match up, especially during closeups with Devon. This happens throughout the movie.
Continuity mistake: When Donell challenges Jason for the spot in the show, you can see the Drum majors. You can see that one of them has braids, but when the camera angle switches, you can see that neither of the drum majors has braids. Then when the camera angle switches back, the guy with the braids is back again.
Factual error: Although the tie is obviously done for the purpose of the story, the fact is that Morris Brown would never be given high marks for their performance at the Big Southern Classic. This is a marching band competition, and they do little moving at all, let alone actually marching, changes of formation, etc. If anything they would rank last of all schools, if they weren't disqualified outright.
Revealing mistake: In the scene of the first game, the camera pans across the fans at the game. They are mostly dressed in sweaters, coats, sweatshirts, etc. Also, the breath is seen coming from the mouths of the band during their performance. The setting however, is Atlanta, Georgia. The first football game of the season is always in late August or early September. Average temperature during the day is about 90 degrees. This scene was shot somewhere during the winter.
Continuity mistake: When Dr. Lee is watching the tape from the first game, as you watch Devon perform, you can see that his playing on the tape is not the same as it is at the game.
Continuity mistake: When Devon is paying for Leila's food, Leila says something and has this big smile. Then they focus up on Devon's face and in the corner of the screen you can see Leila, but she's not smiling. After the closeup, they show Leila again, with the same smiling face as before.
Factual error: When Devon gets a package from his father, the stamp on it reads "Atlanta" when it should be New York, where Devon's father is from.
Suggested correction: It says New York.
