briefcase VJs

[warpTV]

Not sure about that title but...

lately we have developed a relationship with an professional AV company (who normally do conferences & corporate work) who in turn now rigs all the gear (all good quality in great condition which ishired from them by the club or promoter) - leaving us to come in before the gig patch our PCs and get into it - and then in turn - leave when the gig is finished. When budgets are tight we are sometimes still rigging but not if we can help it. We like this as it keeps us fresh for the gig which in itself can be quite long...we have been known to do 12hr sets..

interested to find out how many people are also in this situation or how many people prefer to rig their personal gear. I ask this partially as I want to travel as a VJ in 2003 - and want to find out how easy that will be...no desire to travel with excess equipment

[krezrock]

i show up with my laptop and camera and throw down just like a dj would.

i tell the promoters that i don't have projectors or lights. over and over. people are starting to understand.

there are perks to bringing all the gear yourself. but i think that defeats the title of vj. you might as well be the a/v guy again that sits in your van all night. i like to be onstage performing.

[spark]

yes yes krezrock.

i got fed up of post gig having to climb up dodgy ladders over a shit spilled floor trying to untie a projector from the roof. not to mention the last out of the gig blues in some dodgy area of town with loads of expensive kit, either having stayed sober to drive or find a cab.

FUCK THAT! I downscaled. I do visuals. I am a VJ. Like a DJ. My record bag: Laptop, DV Cam. I also have a rider, and its nice and simple: 2 foot square surface, on stage, with a cable leading to it.

[LEVLHED]

My friend Brainfarm and I were just talking about the possibilities of being a "wandering VJ".
We decided the most efficient/powerful setup would be those NAPA "walkman" mp3/VCD players (thanks Morph for reminding me about those!) a mixer, and a small LCD for a video moniter. If one needed to, one could even encode his VCDs in PAL(or NTSC) for a jaunt overseas as these players will play both....

hint: search for NAPA on www.pricewatch.com and shit your pants at how cheap these are now.

[KillingFrenzy]

You guys are pretty lucky.

Promoters around here are on such a tight budget that they will pay whatever it takes to get lights up on the wall, and then as little as possible above that. Even in the artsier community, I still have a hard time explaining why having one person do a 8 hour night isn't a very good idea. Trying to get someone full pay for the actual gear setup, plus 2 or 3 people pay for doing sets is even more difficult.

I've been trying to promote my vision by hiring friends to do a "set" during larger events I get booked for. Usually, this means I just take it up the ass for the night, and end up spending half the budget on hiring in someone to do 1/4 of the work. They get to show up, plug in, do a set, and then leave or enjoy the night. Hopefully, this vision will expand and I'll be on the opposite end of that equation at some point.
It would be great, and I mean GREAT, if I actually had enough of a budget to get a real "fly in" vj.

[unjulation]

depends upon the set up, if i'm surpliing the projector then yes i feel it's up to me to do it, and i'm not geting enough mony to pay someone else, it's bad enough haveing to hire a driver for the night, allso i trust myself to set it up right rarther then any one else.
i surpose it's about how big the gig is, if they've got a light crew seperate to myself then i'd try and blag them to do it.
but i realy like to be hands on throught the whole process "if you whant to do it right do it yourself" thats allways seen me through most spaces, i mean only you know exactly how you whant to set it up.
but seeing as most of my gigs i'm involved in the organization i end up seting it up my self with a mate, this normaly includes lights, backdrops, projectors etc etc (the first thing i did at parties was deceration and enviroment) so i end up working for about 24-36 hours solid.
it gets a bit mad but i personaly like that aspect of it the total hands on aspect.

[wellREDman]

yeah i agree with unj. we make a big thing of our selling point that we work towards having the visuals as integrated with the rest of the club theme so planning and controlling how things are rigged is important, plus how often do the lampeys aims conflict with yr aims? do you really want to trust them to give priority to yr beamer and scrn over their supastrobawhizzyscan2000?
Killingfrenzy why dont you half your fee to the guest VJ and use it to get someone to roadie, or the guest can get the whole lot by helping out,
we've always found that the peeps who've guested with us have always been very helpful, and we havent even paid them!!
seriously, dj's know that they have to play for free for a certain while until they have pulling power why should we be any different. I think we have to separate in the promoters eyes vj's and visual crews(gear suppliers and designers/rigger) and I think the best way to do that is to breed a guest vj culture, unfortunately we all know how tight/nonexistent profit margins are. we have a kinda open mic policy where an hour of screen time iss available at selected residencies for peep to come do their thing. then make sure the promoter knows who is guesting, then if they ask for them again...Kerchingg$$.
(in theory anyway)

[MoRpH]

I'm with warp, krez and spark.... I'm a VJ not an A/V tech/roadie. And your right warp if you don't have to stuff around with projectors b4 hand your much fresher for your set. I have simple requirements (like spark) space on stage, a bench/table/scaff @ the same hieght as the decks, power to that spot and a cable out to the projector/a/v room/what ever... I just look after setting up my rig (I have this down to less than 10mins now) with power in and signal out.

Persoanlly I have been championing this sort of idea of VJs in sydney for years but its taking sometime to catch on due to most of the VJs either playing DIY type parties or the video ppl also being the suppliers of the projection setup (and getting paid for that accordingly)...

[vjpixylight]

There are benifits of both and also the difference in club Vs.big event...I really dig the idea of VJ tours both together,(for events) and seperately @ the club's(as guest)...
some daysoon, too. All we need do is be able to mix internet AV streams with just a small lappy's... to me this is a true EVJ...
If you are into scene creation and video installations though.:>
it is sure good to know the whole game of creation, technique and enviromental control setups...

:cool: runnings

[MoRpH]

Yeah I agree its a good thing to know and its something I get involved with occationally when I want to achieve something special (but I just direct the roadies).

Personally I used to do all the setup aswell but as I matured as a VJ I decided that for the majority of parties (big and small) it was easier to let A/V pros handle it and concerate on what I do best mixing and performing.

[Amukidi]

So what do you charge?? I'm doing 4 nights at a Arts festival in May - 2 hours each night and they've offered ?100 per night. (about $270 Aus, $180 US). All projectors/screens supplied and fitted up, no fuss, no mess Should I be happy? I've no idea at all how much VJs are getting, so I'd be fascinated to hear from you all.

[MoRpH]

Yeah for 2 hours thats quite reasonable... although I normally find i'm just warming up (getting drunk) by the third hour :p

[Amukidi]

Know what you mean! I've only been in this game a few months, so I'm just chuffed to get the gigs - Got a festival this summer!!!!Result!

[MoRpH]

You should be considering yourself damn lucky to be getting paid like that after such a short time in the game...

Actaually on that note just wanted to mention that I got booked today (after my stellar performances recently for cream and gatecrasher, and with scratch perverts and Cutla roc) to play a series of fortnightly parties in one of the best venues in sydney (the metro) with Meat Katie, LTJ Bukem and Krafty Kuts!.... wikkid :)

[Amukidi]

You mean cream and gatecrasher in the UK?

[krezrock]

that's a pretty good rate for 2 hour set.

[MoRpH]

WEll the UK brands yeah, but when they have done events out here :)

[Amukidi]

Respect! I'm impressed. And yes, I do count myself lucky, tho I've been nudging un-knowingly into this area for a bit. My first av project was an installation with Roger Eno, simple stuff, but sweet. He did a collaboration with UK DJ Lol Hammond, I met him and the rest is history. A real case of being in the right place at the right time if ever there was one!

[krezrock]

congrat's on eno!

[Amukidi]

Gotta say I learnt 99% of what I know from this forum! Couldn't have done it without you lot.

[spark]

woah this thread has grown!

wellredman is wise in this area: his crew APT are full-on rig meisters going the whole distance through the club and beyond, and they do it well. they are in the market of club dressing and touring bands. but they see the other side of the coin, which is the vj-as-dj market, hence their guest slot - which is how I know them and I had a top weekend around it!

a little history that explores this thread's issues:
I started visuals a few years back using all the toys; hired begged borrowed and stolen. The APT rig is where that was heading.
But then my partner got bored of getting no rep and the hassle of it, and pulled out. At our blow out last gig together (http://www.prosession.co.uk/events/radio1/prosession.php) we got spotted by a breaks label and were invited on tour - but they could only afford one guy and no equipment hire.
So I looked at my shiny new tibook, did some research, and as an advance got the label to buy me this all in one software mixer... and lo! I was spark, I was mobile, could fit in anywhere and liked the new lie of the land. One of my residences was already sourcing the projectors themselves (their PA people do it as a sideline), so that one just got a thousand times easier, and it took a little persuation to get the other residency to do the same, but the irony is I get a lot more respect from them now they know the hassle we used to go to get that beeding thing in the roof in the first place! And, they've now bought a cradle for it, which they never would have done for us!

And as for the money angle on the vj/visual solution debate, I can see its swings and horses but I know where I stand. On the lone vj side, its a lot more affordable to have a lappy, camera and some neat software. My rig also has a daytime life of my freelance work. Its There is also less risk: I have a lot less to break and stuff that is easier to insure. If money is tight (and it is) I would worry about trying to provide the whole solution on a shoestring budget as a means to more profits, as economies and fuckups can tip the balance all too easily.

And as for ?100 for two hours: bastard!!!

woah... I've lost myself here. anyway, here to vjs in a briefcase and full-on solution people... cos the world is richer for both of 'em!

[unjulation]

" It's all in the mix :p "

[MoRpH]

Yeah my laptop/DV camera have a day time purpose with my own freelance work aswell, it great to get such good value from your kit :)

[LEVLHED]

I think I totally missed the train at the beginning of this thread. Was looking at it like we were in the hardware thread.

I'm glad you kept it from straying off topic like it usually does.
Y'all didn't even flinch.

splendid thread

[MoRpH]

Hahaha.... VJ forums... more like OT forums :p

[eXhale]

You are over-judging, starting with negative prejudices about EVERYONE but yourself. There are tons of VJs who are developing their own softwares and their own hardware, just check the "Developers Area" forum. If you don't call this DIY, I don't know what it is. It just can't be compared with DJs.

And why can't you understand that not everyone here is over-obsessed by the hardware part? I can understand some people like this part, and I also think DIY skills are important, but you should respect that others don't and they are not necessarily worse. It's just a damn tool, even if you think that it's important for the "industry" that we all become hardware fanatics, I will still and always consider this as a mere TOOL for doing what I want to see. If I respect and admire a VJ, it's on what I see on the screen, not on how many projectors this VJ has and how much he's getting paid.

I really wonder if you are getting much respect from VJs with an attitude like yours.

Of course I can't miss this gem:
I had hoped the group would see how easy it is to corner the market, keep it pro and bank a fortune. but what the hell!!!
Its not my problem.. I was just playing fair..
At least some of us know thier is a food chain,
Its safer at the top than the bottom...I can safely say that a lot of people here don't want to be part of this food chain. It's the world we live in, but we don't all want to fully jump in this mess and kill each others to be at the very top, with plenty of $$$ and no real friends. This is not the way the VJC community works (think about it, we wouldn't share all this information otherwise :rolleyes: ) so this is probably why you don't feel comfortable here.

[MoRpH]

Originally posted by *****
We made this industry, we understand it and know how fragile our creation is. The magic is in the mystery of the AV equipment, Those of us who worked it from the earlydays can walk in as a guest with little more than a laptop without throwing away that mystery that gives us the room to have an industry.

Hmmm the mystery should be in a combo of your rig (which I always will supply, just not screens and projectors), your skills and your material.

I'm not getting into all the other stuff...... we covered most of it privately, personally I have used loads of different kit over the years, rigged a million projectors, learnt the lessons and now I'm in a good position, working steadily for the best promoters in town+, have a great list of internationals I have worked with and am repected for what I do, without having to setup screens and projectors..... works for me :)

[eXhale]

theres a whole bunch of stuff Not goin on here for a site covering VIDEO JOCKY issues. and a hell of a lot ppl trying to redefine the VJ as a loop artist.

Exhale respect for the site man.. But get off yer ass and lead from the front, Im not defeatist, im enthusiastic enough to be yellin, All of us warmly welcome new content on VJCentral. It's an open-publishing system and many VJs here have already contributed, although we are all quite busy to be able to dedicate as much time to this project as we would like.

If you are so enthusiast about it, then please feel free to publish articles, FAQs, reviews and all you want on the site, as well as post new threads for fresh discussions on VJForums. Another idea would be to help unjulation and other UK members to setup the VJCentral gig we are planning this october, they'd definitely need help (see the "VJCentral Gig" forum).

There is no time for complains and "dissappointement" here, use the VJCentral system to share your experience, knowledge and opinion, like others have been doing, and this website will go where it has to go. I'm the person who developed this site, but I'm not defining the direction it will be going, although I also reserve the right to express my own opinion through the same system :)

[Amukidi]

"n can we skip the dumb badly thought out reactionary replys this time?"
Well we can try, but the words "Pot", "Kettle" and "Black" spring to my mind here! From my veiwpoint, I create all my own animations and before this I spent 20 years as a painter and teacher.People invite me to Festivals and clubs/events cos they want to see my work, for which I usually get generously paid. ALL the gigs I've ever done have been professionally organised, furnishing the artists with a stage, PA, decks and AV gear. Why the fuck would anyone want to go out and buy thousands of pounds/dollars on gear that will be out of date next year (and worth a fraction of the original price to boot)?? I would then require a Van (and all the costs involved in running it), then I'd have to spend hours setting it all up and even worse stiking it at the end of the gig. I'll always lend a hand in this area but I'm more than happy to leave this to folks who have the experience and skills needed. I'm sorry if this sounds arrogant, but I'll repeat my original statement that DJs turn up with a box of Vinyl/CDs, so I'm ok with turning up with a laptop and scan converter. If you think that turning up with the whole system makes you a better/more professional VJ, then OK, but don't knock others who, IMHO have got themselves sorted otherwise, not everyone is a control freak;-)

[Anyone]

the whole idea is about if you want to be stuck there all night...

if you've got all your gear rigged up on the ceilling,
you have to come in before everyone else,
then leave after everyone else is gone.

good luck mate,
I dont know how long you've been at it
but you wont last very long...

besides,
how you gonna do two gigs or more per night?
like DJs, sometimes you need to be at one club from 10 to 1
and at the next one from 2 to 6 ... and maybe an after party...

that's energy well spent!

now more and more, VJs are only required to bring their own console,
ie decks, laptops and mixers.
if you need to be a control freak about what angle the screen needs to be tilted, just email a plan to the promoter and his riggers will take care of that...

VJ NE1

[eXhale]

I won't bother going into all your arguments and personal attacks, most of them being based on prejudices and on the idea that anyone in his right mind should think like you. Besides all this has been discussed over and over in the past, either on eyecandy or on VJForums before the crash.

As I said, my manager is here to do all the business stuff and it's fine with me, I don't want to bother with such things. I'm into VJing because I love video and music, not because I love to sign contracts with promoters and install projectors. I have other stuff to make me money, although I wouldn't mind getting paid fairly for what I do (it's getting there...). Without a manager I might have stuck with playing in bands and it would have been fine with me. This is probably not something you understand though.

As for your nice comment "Bookings make VJs, not web boards", yes I know that but I still put hundreds of hours into coding VJCentral, plus lots of members put much of time to fill the site with content. If this is all you have to say about our efforts to build this community, and if you can't be bothered to write constructive content on VJC, then don't be surprised if not everyone welcomes you here. You really show who you are with such comments, I won't bother attacking back and you can continue acting with such an arrogant attitude but it's really sad to see anyway.

[Amukidi]

Okay, you're going down the old "you've only been VJing for 6 months so you don't know jackshit" routine. Prior to this I've been involved proffessionally in TV, Theatre and exhibition design (including AV presentations), many fine art exhibitions with work sold all over the world, specialist lecturing in colour theory and composition and fathered and brought up 2 daughters now 13 & 15. And you don't think my opinion counts eh? VJing is NOT rocket science, a good deal of it is manipulating images and movies using software, for my money the clever bit is the work that we are projecting, and all of my work is original and based on 25 years experience as a visual artist. I certainly had the humility to say to the AV co-ordinator of the organisation I do my work for, that I was a bit new to it, he simply replied, "No you're not, you are simply transfering hard earned skills through a different conduit. Modesty would normally prevent me from quoting what he said next, but in this case I'll make an exception: "Plus, your work is the most refreshing and original I've seen in years!. So don't try that lame old chestnut on me mate. I drive a car, but do not have a workshop and pit, I own a TV, when it busts, I get someone who knows what they're doing to fix it - does this make me a crap TV viewer? Here's a bigger shovel mate - put it to good use!

[unjulation]

i stil think it's a shame that you wont be able to make october in leeds ah well........
'cos i think it would be realy good to meet up
:)

[hamageddon]

reminds of that old joke MoRpH and used to have about the Visual Wrestling League, with the legendary Arkaos Annihilator
the VJO Vindicator, the Winamp Waster and now the MX-Menace :)

whaddaya think, unj, any chance of getting a suitable
setting @ leeds for sorting dat kinda differences out?
i'll bring my own gloves :)

[hamageddon]

cover ur nose, dude :D

btw:
u obviously good at showing attitude,
how about showing some good visuals
made with ur high'n'mighty equipment?

[eXhale]

I think I'd rather vote for (b) " ing egocentric control freek" because you are not interested in conversation, as you pretend to be. Many people have been making valid points but you just ignore them and continue with your rant about how we have to be winners, how this is not a game, how you have been in it for many years, how all the "pro VJs" think like you, etc, etc... All your posts are the same. How about you just stop with that , relax a bit and then, maybe, post on other subjects?

[Jorjo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hamageddon
cover ur nose, dude :D

btw:
u obviously good at showing attitude,
how about showing some good visuals
made with ur high'n'mighty equipment? [/QUOTE

lol, if i needed your aproval, i'd send ya some.


Yo exhale?
I been posting all over the boards dude,

back up your point and ill listen.

Your saying Im wrong,, ok heres what your arguing against

plenty of work, recignition, travel and am well paid.
I started with fuck all, and and now Im kitting out my own club.
half the board is wondering if it can be done and Im here saying yes and its a fucking ugly trip
you think that bragging? Point A to point B
Ive offered help. ive offered solutions, Ive offered work.
and Ive told it like it is, hard work and the industry riigged to fuck you round every corner.
then a bunch of you tell me, I know fuck all.

I guess you could all be right, I did think I was a VJ till I joined this board.
so far Ive learnd that I shouldnt need a desk, or monitor stacks, domes, tripods cams & dollys and projectors. I shouldnt need whinch gear truss or screens & Ive learnd that im over paid.

It used to take all that, just to make a chance to be a VJ.
I guess that somewhere while I was busy VJing, Ive ended up with a live production company and a club while I wasnt looking.
no wonder you guys where all thinking Im rubbing it in. So what I should be realising is the VJ part is just the fun bit with the images.
Ok guys.... my bad
Sorry bout that. ill limit my convos here to VJ stuff only from now on


:)

[Anyone]

can't we just all get along :grrr: :help: ?

[Anyone]

Anyhow,

going back to the ORIGINAL topic of this thread,

I just rememered paying a visit backstage to Kriel
at Homelands in June and he showed me his set-up

what really surprised me is how his whole gear fits into
2 100 vinyl DJ boxes, one for putting two laptops
a small keyboard sampler and a small mixer,
and another box for cables... voila!

[hamageddon]

we're working on a port-a-[vju:] right now,
two vmixers, two vcd, two v-eq, a programmable
8x8 matrix and a 5,5'' TFT pre[vju:] monitor
in a case of the size of a standard 61key
midiboard flightcase...

[LEVLHED]

like it or not, the "Rich White Boy Invasion" is here...just keep in mind, money can't buy talent...
it should all work out in the end...when they realize that being a VJ isn't their "calling" we'll be able to buy all that gear for a steal! hah hah

I've almost got all my parts together for a (fairly) slick little rig too, consisting of my precious Rebelle, a full Apex DVD player, one of the "walkman" VCD players and an 5"-ish LCD, and a power strip/cords...all mounted in a mid-sized hard-shell suitcase...right now, my only problem is the LCD I bought doesn't do PAL (AAARGH)...so, I'll have to get a diferent one...I like the suitcase vs. a "real" road case cuz it works like a disguise for my kit...looking at the case, you wouldn't know its worth $$...

[hamageddon]

Originally posted by LEVLHED
like it or not, the "Rich White Boy Invasion" is here...just keep in mind, money can't buy talent...
f**k, ur right, i almost 4got about that prophecy of urs
*shudder* thinking about that this has only just begun...

[eXhale]

LEV, you know you are at the front of the "rich white boys invasion" ever since you bought the rebelle, don't you? :p

[LEVLHED]

yes, I am their reluctant leader....
well, I coined the phrase anyway... :)

[Anyone]

by the way,

have you heard of green-Hippo ?
they are in the business of selling VJ hardware to clubs,
so that VJs giging in this context only need to bring down their VCDs...

the future is now!

http://www.green-hippo.com/hippotizer/

[MoRpH]

OK so wheres the picture of the actual unit????

Great another set of built in sounds reactive boring rubbish, I'll be the first to be happy if the clubs that fork out for this actually get real VJs in to come and use their material on it (I doubt ppl will want to abandon the flexabilty of their own setups though), but I bet the buyers will just run the preset shit ad-nausium......

BTW one of those pics looks like a chick dancing blue screened over winamp..... oh yeah deee-lite clips=VJing??? now thats just :sad:

[eXhale]

does this thing use visualjockey for the engine? i agree with morph, i personnay wouldn't mind playing with it just for the fun of it, but this is a potentially "dangerous" unit, and i sure hope that in the future VJing will not only be about bringing commercial VCDs and playing them through an unit like this one.

i have to disagree on dee-lite though, i love the clip! :D

[LEVLHED]

VCDs?? looks like it relys on MPEG2....but agreed, potentially dangerous....but what could happen, they gear up, buy all the shit, run the junk ad-nauseum during the week, then hire YOU for the weekend...and since everything is all set up, you just bring yer kit...

[MoRpH]

Originally posted by eXhale
i have to disagree on dee-lite though, i love the clip! :D

Hahaha... it was a nifty clip 7 years ago, chick dancing chroma keyed over swirlies now = *yawn*

BTW LEV, when they pay nothing (after purchase) for swirlies/genreative stuff all week, why you they pay you to bring in your kit on the weekend???

[BrainStove]

Maybe it seems *GrandP?* could put some order to this thread!!! :)

I bet I?m the oldest (Age) member in VJC having traveled each one of the tortuous roads struggling with high tech gizmos hype ranging from Audio, Video, Computer Graphics, Interactivity, Communications, etc.,etc.,etc., since the early 70s, therefore I can understand all of your points of view on this thread so far... So ***** is right and everyone else is right too.

So as a devil?s lawyer I could say the following:

1.- Sometimes ***** loses the scope of his remarks because it appears as if he was thinking about this thread as if it were the only one thread on the whole VJCForums.
Man... people are not stupid, even less the eager newbies trying to get on the fast line the advice, hints and knowledge they don?t have and could take them years to gather (probably they cares a shit about our experience).

Usually the newbies come here as a shortcut way hoping to find and looking more for the best hardware/software/accessories solutions and buy choices advice (what is not currently available anywhere else), just to get a closer idea on how their VJ ambitions could be achieved and of course as an easy way to save time and money making the research by themselves. (Why not taking advantage of the so many of us who have already spent the time and money searching for the info and sharing it for free).

So there is no way to get the newbies puzzled or confused as you said, they are not brainless and they only have to run and read all of the other threads/posts through the VJCForums to clear any other doubts they could have ?Right?

About the food chain thing... Hehehe... the most important and conclusive reality is (from the selfemployee perspective) that each one of us could get a ton of $$$ more like a VJ Consultant than VJing, it?s obvious everybody wishes to earn some money doing what they like most just as a fair retribution to the time and effort devoted to the service they were booking for (After all, our most valuable possessions are time & knowledge), but not exactly to be rich with that.
Almost 99.99% of the time you?ll never earn a decent living with whatever you like to do most, even less if it has any stroke of pure artistry or scientist aspirations. So only those lucky enough whose most enjoyable activity is fixing the ordinary things that people need in everyday life, could get closer to that utopia (Medical doctors, car mechanics, electrodomestic/computer technicians, plumbers, etc.) and for sure if their main goal is to make money more than bring solutions.

Due the philosophical nature this thread has been contaminated and going off topic, I?ll try to conclude with 3 more additional thoughts (other way I have material to fill a encyclopedia).

1.- ***** is right about most of his opinions and he has said truths as big as a house, but... clearly from his long time tanned skin perspective as a old veteran who started in this AV field when no easy solution was there.

2.- Maybe *****'s mistake was pretending to form from this forum to the new VJs generation hoping they start from the same starting point some of us did it, so that could be the reason of some of his claims about the shortage of threads that under my point of view are more old A/V stuff than VJ related, so don?t worry man, we are now in 2002 and the newbies have a ton of shortcuts and the new technology aid to do with a pocket size or indeed a briefcase size VJsetup the same stuff we did with a truck of equipments long time ago.

3.- Regarding the "I'm just fucked off that any bunch of wanker's can buy shit in the high street and suddenly start yapping about how they should be respected for their "Talent" with a few weeks experience behind them" remark, well... again... don?t worry, only good quality work will have success and BTW, I think there is no VJ industry yet neither any VJ market to corner.

Sorry for my awful english, but jumping on these never ending, deeper, philosophical arguments... I realize myself my Spanglish thoughts can?t be better.
I only hope you can understand what I mean :)

[Anyone]

Hey yo Morph,

Green-Hippo commissionned me to do that Dee-lite swirlie...
and that's my friend dancing there so relax your comments.

carefull slagging off stuff too eagerly
(guess you've just jealous);)

the hippotiser is fully customizable, you can just replace my
dancers with your fractals or whatevers you use...

you know, DJs dont bring their own sound system to clubs
(although they used to in the 80s), so why should VJs bring
a van-full of gear?

Having said that, it will take a bit of adjustment for me too,
to bring only a VCD case to a gig, I bet I'll feel naked the first few times...

evolve or fossilize :alien:
NE1

PS:
Brainstove, can youkeep your comments down to 300 lines, pls?
I've got low attention span, and you loose me each time...

[MoRpH]

Originally posted by Anyone
Hey yo Morph,

Green-Hippo commissionned me to do that Dee-lite swirlie...
and that's my friend dancing there so relax your comments.

carefull slagging off stuff too eagerly
(guess you've just jealous);)

Hahahaha its all good mate...... its FUN, not what I would use in a gig but still FUN :)

[fluchtpunkt]

to the original question:
i like to have the video-beam & screen installed with a cable leading to my desk. i insist on calibrating the beam myself though because its just to important to get the colors, contrast etc right. on big/important events i will want to install the beam & screen myself, cuz i feel i know best how to 'do it right'.
the rest of the equipment i always rig myself (which takes me 'bout 10 to 30 mins & 5 to 10 mins to pull down). i wouldn't want to do my viz with a laptop alone because the endresult tends to be too slick (tiefglanz = low gloss) for my taste - i like my viz to be kinda dirty - i depend on a good ol' hardware video mixer for that! i work with up to three vhs's (one for sampling/resampling) which makes it kinda hard to be a briefcase vj.
also i like to play on my own 'vizual instruments', rather than having a club provide them for me. i need to know my gear just like a musician plays on his own instrument he knows - or just like a live-act plays on their own samplers/synths! i don't like the idea of vj'ing merely being the mixing of prerendered loops and video (to which my work'd be reduced if i'd have to play on standard equipment clubs provide me). that's just the samples! for me it's about creating something new out of it, live!

[Anyone]

glad you took it so well Morph,
cheers for the good spirit...