goldkind's first (dumb?) VJ question - multiple projectors/monitors?

[goldkind]

Hello all,

So glad I found this site. I apologize in advance for my ignorance. I'm learning fast though, I think.

So.... I'm less interested in live VJing, but rather producting vid programs for club viewing/projection as well as DVDs. I'm using Final Cut Pro but have looked on this site and am excited by the software that's out there to work more vid wonders.

Here's my question. Again, forgive me if this is dumb. I'd like to be able to make multiple tracks of video on FCP (or another program if necessary) and port them to different projectors, i.e., discrete video streams/channels. Example: I'd like to have, say, 3 channels of video. For our discussion's purposes, let's say that I have a "normal" untreated vid of a dog running in the park on what I'd like to be a "center" channel, to be projected on a center screen. But I'd also like to have a "left" and "right" channel/screen/projection, each one altered, say, one colored green, the other red, each with some different alterations to them (motion blur, etc.). Is there a way, via hardware? software? to either get one machine to do this, or, if not, to use multiple machines (say, each running FCP) but have them run in sync? (Perhaps chasing a common TC?)

Sorry for the long and perhaps-stupid question. I appreciate any help any of you can provide.

If anyone wants to be overly generous and be my online mentor, please feel free to email me at goldkind@ornette.com. Otherwise, I'll naturally check this board (and continue reading other posts, learning, etc.)

Thanks!

[burstingfist]

3 laptops and a MIDI sequencer

[holly]

One DVD player and three effect/fader boards.

? or ?

One DVD player and three laptops running VDMX3 or similar fantasy software capable of realtime effects on a videofeed.

?or?

One DVD player and you fuck with the color settings of the three projectors and one you deliberately misfocus.:p

HOLLY

[goldkind]

First of all, thanks for the responses.

Burstingfist: How do you control the laptops with the midi sequencer? Or, rather, is there a way to trigger FCP via midi, or did you have other software in mind? And if so, what software? (DVMX?)

Holly: How does the DVD player come into play? Sorry, I'm particularly ignorant about DVD. Can it contain and simultaneously output/feed multiple vid streams?

Again, sorry for the ignorance. I'm actually a quick study, but this is all quite new to me.

Best,
El

[holly]

I was thinking you wanted one video image repeated (like from a DVD player) 3 times, but what you actually want is 3 synced videos....

I would suggest you check Google for "syncronize video". There are machines that are used to split a single video image into quadrants and feed each quarter to a different monitor for video walls, but honestly they are high-priced corporate rentals and would probably be way too expensive for an art project (selling soap, on the otherhand, is a totally different animal....)

Phillips or Pioneer (don't remember which) make museum/installation-quality DVD players that can send a pulse signal to one another so they will stay synced. I recently saw an art piece that used three screens in a triptych and I waited for everyone to leave the room and tried to get a better look at the equipment:p: three Pioneer(?) DVD players connected with a cable. There are also PC drives that can be syncronized through software. MIDI would probably be the most likely sync-signal, but not necessarily the only one.

In my opinion, part of the advantage of having three different screens and three different video sources would be to deliberately make them different lengths and loop repeatedly. for example: vid1 is a 3 minute loop, vid2 is a 4 minute loop, vid3 is an 5 minute loop. every few minutes two videos, or even all three, would harmonically converge or approach sync in mathmatical and unexpected ways ? leaving you open for an exciting play of chaos and time math. If you allow Lady Chance to be your partner you will get results that are very similar in the eyes and minds of the beholders, while saving tens of thousands of dollars in specialty equipment rentals, and occaisionally surprising yourself with your own work in the process!

[wellREDman]

other ways of doing the multiple synced outputs are to get 3 of the same model dvd/video decks the when u hit play on the remote they will all spring to life at once, not true sync but close enuff and loads cheaper,
also u could try vjamm pro with AVIs playin in different quadrants of the screen and three scan converters zoomed into the different qudrants