Pursuing a career as a VJ...

[glitch]

Hi everyone :nod:

Just spent the majority of the morning mooching around the net, and stumbled across the forums a few minutes ago: cool!

I've got a question for all you experienced VJ's, something that I couldn't see had been asked before... although if it has, just point me in the direction of that thread! :rolleyes:

A little about me first: I'm 23, live in England, and I'm stuck in a dead-end job and need to get out and do something with my life. Been into clubbing now for about 8 years, and apart from thinking 'whoooah. wouldn't it be cool to be a DJ' like most people my age nowadays, I've always been more impressed with the visual side of it: that's what I generally remember more than the records being spun.

So recently I started thinking about the whole VJ thing: and I've been looking for as much information on the subject as I can get my grubby lil' hands on. It's certainly an area that I'd like to progress into, but most of the people on here seem to already be VJ's.

So this is a question from a newbie: How would you go about starting a career in VJ'ing? Are there any courses that could be taken to help you in such a career? (such as computer animation, video work etc.) Have any of you guys and gals taken a dedicated course at Uni to pursue your chosen career, or did you just fall into it? Where should I be looking to find out more about VJ'ing in general?

Any help would be gratefully received!

P.S. Apologies for the length of my first ever post on here! :rolleyes:

[krokodril]

get a cam
get a vcr
get a video in on your pc (sorry maccies)
get software
take notes take notes take notes take notes
see also audiovisualizers.com

Don't try to organise a career at once, stick to your favorite subjects/ideas/mindfuck and make a few 10 minute one hour sets/experiments

last, meet a friend and coproduce

[Primebase3]

follow a new media course if the money is there (or like most to get a studentloan...shit still paying :)), get the grips with some good software, get a good cam and learn to work with it , and lastly make cool content to fiddle with during a set. don't make it a career immediatly: start slow en learn from mistakes ,grab books once in awhile about to programs you use , get tutorials from the web to learn more, make a demo when you reach a spot where you think you can do a set network network network ..get the set..come in early learn the mx-50 in an hour or 3.


worked for me ;)

[glitch]

Cool, thanks for the advice.

I've just been bumming around for a few years, flitting from job to job, and I think it's about time I went and leaned a skill... Luckily I've been saving some cash over the years to fund an 'education' so I'll have a look into the New Media courses Primebase3.

Is there any other media courses that would come in handy for a potential VJ?

[LEVLHED]

actually, this very board is probably the BEST resource to learn of all things VJ!...between here and befriending another VJ you should be able to learn all there is to know....
of course, as already mentioned, www.audiovisualizers.com is a very very good resource...
I also agree that picking up a digital video camera of some flavor and starting to shoot original footage NOW is a good idea...you might want to look into learning After Effects too.
As for school? BAH, fuck that. Spend the money on kit. Just know that most here aren't actually making a living fom being a VJ (yet)!

[unjulation]

the best pice of advice i can give is you aint going to get rich quick doing this, and leading on from this you have to realy luv this work 'cos outherwise come 6am sunday morning after someone has pored beer ito your keybord, the promoter has sort-changed you and you then got get all your kit home you're just going to give up

(someone once gave me a pice of advice just when i was geting into veicall traverling in the 80's which has kept me in good sted ever since " take a shovel so you can dig a shit pit" which cut through the romantic idea of the situation and brought it into the reality of the life i chose to be part of)

haveing said that there carnt be anything better when you realise that the dj has started bringing tunes in based upon the visuals that you are putting out-happend once :)

but there are a few people/vj's runing vj workshops vj anyone is in london i think, i do ocasionel workshops in leeds dont know what else there is spercificly aimed at vj's

if you realy whant a corse, film or computer would be a good place to start 'cos a lot of this merlarkey is based upon an inderviduals style so it depeds on what visualy terns you on, as it were, is it film based or 'puter animation?

anyway got a gig to do but will post latter if i'm still coherant

[petewarden]

Hey Glitch, welcome aboard. I see you're based in Reading, if you're around this Saturday night, a great way to find out more would be to come down to Project Ozma, at the boxing club on Chatham Street. There'll be VJ's galore, all happy to chat...

Pete

[KillingFrenzy]

And I mean that in a nice way.
One thing I've done is manage to get jobs that dovetail nicely with the VJ thing. I worked in video production, and that was great. I had access to equipment and learned much about the technical side. Now, I work at a video store (ah, the beauty of never having to be awake before 10am and a flexible schedule) and have access to all sorts of inspiration. My point is, try and find a job you can exploit if you have to have a day job. You can't select footage to mix with when you're flipping burgers.

[holly]

Ah, to be 23 and bumming around for a few years.... No commitments and no hardware/software investments waiting to become obsolete....

*sigh*

[unjulation]

ahhhhhhh............ once was the day, now it just herts the next day, lol :)

[vjrei]

Get a Mac, a Powerbook.
Get After Effects and learn it as well as Photoshop.
Get Motion Dive 3 and learn the footage that comes with it.

You are done with a basic powerfull set up to begeing with.

Now, the best VJ is a very good musician. You have to feel the music and take it in to images.

Take any curse of After Effects, Photoshop and specially Photography to really understand the rest.

Do not buy mixers of projectors if you are not really in to the business. To be efficient and quick is the best part to acomplish when you are new.

And... take notes all the time, there are so many things to learn and to introduce in to your work out there that is easy to loos track of the ideas.

[Anyone]

em, can't access hiperhouse.com

[glitch]

Originally posted by petewarden
Hey Glitch, welcome aboard. I see you're based in Reading, if you're around this Saturday night, a great way to find out more would be to come down to Project Ozma, at the boxing club on Chatham Street. There'll be VJ's galore, all happy to chat...

Pete

Aaaaaaaargh! Was supposed to bloody go, but made the fatal mistake of heading out for some pre-boxing-club drinkies, started on the hard stuff too early and ended up getting completely battered and missing the action. Shame really, as the rest of the group that did make it were suitably impressed. 4am finish too? Is that fabled late licence heading back?