?? Should there be a VJ magazine ??

[Lucidhouse]

Sounds like this subject could be a hot potato, but really I don't see why there shouldn't be a VJ mag out there...I think general interest is in our field is growing, so the time could be good.

To be honest we should all do what we're good at,, and publishing is not my field, but if a quarterly VJ mag where to be published, it would be shit if it was done by someone who knew little on the subject and was doing it purely as a commercial egotistical enterprise.
Ideally it should come from this online community, with some profits going back into it...
As usual some peeps on this forum will question it, witch is good ...

For me one of the main functions of a VJ mag would be to raise the profile of our artform.

Some key words/features would be: professional, aesthetic, informative, useful, hip

Having worked in advertising, I would be happy to do the branding/logo design for first cover lay out.
(in fact I'll design a cover/logo anyway and see where it goes from there)

The variations and approaches are endless, so I've narrowed it down with a poll.

Personally I'm curious and just trying to kick this off,...might happen, might not, it's worth a shot.

Who can offer their Ideas and services?

[Architects of Tomorrow]

[quote=Lucidhouse;53940]Sounds like this subject could be a hot potato, but really I don't see why there shouldn't be a VJ mag out there...I think general interest is in our field is growing, so the time could be good.

To be honest we should all do what we're good at,, and publishing is not my field, but if a quarterly VJ mag where to be published, it would be shit if it was done by someone who knew little on the subject and was doing it purely as a commercial egotistical enterprise.
Ideally it should come from this online community, with some profits going back into it...
As usual some peeps on this forum will question it, witch is good ...

For me one of the main functions of a VJ mag would be to raise the profile of our artform.


Morris - I think that this is a good idea. Some options would be to highlight new hardware, techniques as well as chat with vj's from different area's. I would be willing to contribute to this project as well. Another option would be to include a dvd or cd with free loops and performances. -Perhaps an issue every quarter. How would you distribute the magazine? Mail order or have it placed in bookstands? Has anyone looked int the cost of producing such a magazine? I estimate that it would cost easily a few thousand to get the first issues out depending on printing options.

Sean

[sleepytom]

the vjkungfu people are making a vjmag afaik (see this thread where they are trying to choose a logo http://vjforums.com/showthread.php?t=22883 )

a print magazine will cost an insanely large amount to setup - i simply cannot see that it could ever cover it's costs given their are so few VJs in the world.

maybe one day we will see more VJ sections in mags like "Computer ARTS" this would make more sense to me as the creative / design market is actually big enough to viably support a print mag and designers would be interested in reading about some VJ stuff.

[hamageddon]

since i had 1st hand experience dealing with a special interest print mag the last year , i can only say: *don't do it*
unless..
u got lots of money to burn for organistion, editors, promotion, advertisement and distribution. usually it takes more than a year to cut tru, if u're lucky, that is...
i guess the vjkungfu idea is a good start, building up reputation via the web
,pdf printmag next , and if that works and if there's money to burn, consider going print.

[vdmoKstaTi]

hamageddon,

i was going to say something similar. online publications are the way to go if it comes to specific visual enterprise mediums. very true about limited number of parties that would commit to buying such product to sustain its business operation, unless online(majority of us are spread all across the globe). such publication could come though pdf of blog like mag for people to view, participate, download.

I also feel, that with idea of vjmag people expect a lot of eye candy which would also be bombarded with tons of products promotions, while this forum in particular is the bleeding edge of where vjing is and going. you ask a question, top professionals can respond and offer advice on millions of subjects and topics they are good at. I just wanted to highlight that as well. Very few could over jump what this forum and community offers today.

vjfungfu, createdigitalmotion on the other hand do tend to cover some elements of upcoming technologies followed on by a number of blogs and technical speciality forums through technological software forums and blogs, vvvv, processing.org, vjamm, resolume, no fat clips, etc, etc.


with this being said, I would like to see pdf like magazine which would run well executed summaries on things that do go on in the scene today with projected overlook on the future, profiles on artists in various countries(perhaps cover different countries with each edition), some tutorials for beginners, faq type pages and perhaps its own top 100 vj lists(i had enough of dj mag running top 20 personally)

If I can draw little analogy with Australian Open - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (38) has beaten Rafael Nadal (2) in straight 3 sets. If you only tunnel in on top 20, you'd never see this. Random point, but some of you will understand.


my 2 cents

[hamageddon]

I also feel, that with idea of vjmag people expect a lot of eye candy which would also be bombarded with tons of products promotions, while this forum in particular is the bleeding edge of where vjing is and going. you ask a question, top professionals can respond and offer advice on millions of subjects and topics they are good at. I just wanted to highlight that as well. Very few could over jump what this forum and community offers today.

true, this forum is in fact a information goldmine, and a pdf-zine could help
diggin out the gold by focussing on various topics on various levels based on the vjf-infobase, and could be easily filled with content by ppl willing to share their experiences while researching vj related topics....

[vdmoKstaTi]

Outlook on the pdf vj mag that I would to read and participate in.


1. Well balanced and informed overview by the editor of the mag that brilliantly captures the moment with a forward view for the future without using branded products in every paragraph.

2. Expressed overview from the visual conferences and events from around the world within last 6 months with interviews by distinguished artists and some of the outcomes from those events as a result, etc.

3. Segment which would be part of the series highlighting artists around the world and in particular giving an overview on visual scene in different countries; especially interesting if those are the guys who aren't heard before(Any links to reels / loops or clips from the shows/video style interviews youtube style)

4.New Technology. If possible hold a focus on affordability of such items. At the end of the day, it would good to sustain some realism. I would find it difficult to publish some brand new projectors for 50k or some midi controllers for 10k, etc.. You know? The closer the angle to open source or affordability,- the better. Create more, consume less, be Creative about it! I know this goes against business like practises where sponsors want you to plug them everywhere, but f*ck it. If people need something, they get it anyway!

5. Approach some of the new technology toys with tutorials or further overview by those professionals that use them on a regular basis. Explore possibilities for others to make they own tools and incorporate open source technologies if available.

6. Business like information segment written especially for Visual artists who are already in the business and are dealing with day to day business operations. Tips of marketing, business side of things, self promotion, from those that are established in the industry and the like. Tips on organising your own events, writing proposals, links to resources online could come extremely handy. I feel it could easily be one of the most essential parts for this publication.

7. Some eye candy graphics and perhaps links to DVD releases and Loop packs that are out for various genres. :)

8. Frequently asked questions segment. Seriously, this could be reprinted every single time. Im using this example followed on by the seeing amount of identical questions posted on a weekly basis on these Forums. Could be refined weekly, but generally the questions always stay the same, obviously there is a need to cater for those that evolve into Visual world and some hand on basic questions needs to be approached. They will be thankful for it and loyal to the cause.

9. Overview for the conferences and visuals events throughout the year calendar. Highlight most noted events
and at least cover once for every continent to have a global feel. Add additional online resources that would update such info on a regular basis.


10. Aspects on history of VJing. Stories and interview from those that have been there done that.


Overall, approach could be - "You can do it! Get inspired! Promote this further!" with focus on professionalism and quality to the work that you do. This would have to be carried out for the mag to sustain itself as a valuable resource. Well anyway, these are some of my initial thoughts on this if this came to play, but it would be great publication I feel.

Also annual vj top 100 to be composed every year would come handy.

[vjair]

vdmoKstaTi, you seem to have a good idea of what you want in a magazine, maybe you could offer your services to the one thats coming together at the moment?

as an unrelated question, when i typed your name in this message i read it, then tried to say it back as i typed it to save looking at the screen, but i couldnt work out how to pronounce it. how do you say your name? can you type it phoneticly please :) ( not meant as any kind of comment by the way, i just have a bit of a thing for being able to say words i see fairly regularly)

[vdmoKstaTi]

vjair
:)

well.. I'll break it down for you
vdmo Kstati (видимо кстати) is a russian play on words. vidimo(видимо) which is abbriviated to vdmo means "seems". kstati (кстати) means "by the way". All together it comes together "seems to be right now" it can have few other spins, but generally that's what it means.

vdmo also sounds a bit like video+more

prononciation goes like this

vide-more Ksta-t[ee]** ee as in see. ** hope that explains it :)

as far as contributing to other publications, I think eventually I will make my mark, I speak frequently to paranoidkarma who currently is involved in production for a vj mag, so if this discussion comes up again, I'll offer some services. :) we'll see how we go, hey alex? :)

[sleepytom]

I somewhat disagree about the content suggestions you make...

a FAQ for newbies is totally unnecessary and devalues the point of a visuals magazine - almost every article i've read about VJing has been 100% aimed at newbies - there is a huge amount of info for people who are just starting to do visuals - it would be an utter waste of space to fill a magazine with questions like "how do i hook up my laptop to a projector?"

I also disagree that product reviews and the like should all be aimed at the low end small budget VJ - again this cuts out a whole load of people who would be interested in a magazine but are working at a higher level. I'd love to read an article about how to integrate the vista spyder into a show, next to an article about how a VJ is using the triplehead2go. This kind of breadth would set the magazine apart from the current range of lowend newbie focused stuff that is on the web.

I'd also suggest that a magazine should really aim for a good percentage of articles to be about CONTENT and CONTENT CREATION. This is the area which is really lacking from much (any) coverage currently. Everyone is doing articles about gear and software but nobody is trying to get good high level content creation stuff out there. Most VJs would benefit far more form an article teaching them how to design and integrate decent content into shows (especially content for non 4:3/16:9 displays and multiple displays) this area is great for articles as it can cover both technical howtos and more conceptual issues with creating content.

[SteveG]

Totally agree with everything that Tom has said above. Production techniques, incorporating multiple cameras, editting techniques, unusual installs. The high end equipment operation would be great. Once you get an understanding of this level of equipment you can then look at self hire and offering a totally new and more attractive service, and dare I say it, perhaps be competitors to the larger production companies.

The mag could take a similar format to that of DJ Mag perhaps with a set format going through the magazine...like most mags. You know that on a certain page or there abouts you can read about new gear and technology on another about the VJ's etc etc. DJ's and labels spend a lot of time and money on self promotion.....it's about time the VJ's learned to do the same. For the mag in main, production and techniques gets my vote.

I see the future of VJ'ing closely linked with those producing music whether DJ or band, it would be good to include the musicians and DJ's who are really embracing the visual aspect, it might help promote this to others.

Sponsorship and advertising for such a mag would be advantagous but carries obvious downfalls. It would generate good revenue though, not only from companies but also from the VJ's themselves.

[vdmoKstaTi]

I'd also suggest that a magazine should really aim for a good percentage of articles to be about CONTENT and CONTENT CREATION. This is the area which is really lacking from much (any) coverage currently. Everyone is doing articles about gear and software but nobody is trying to get good high level content creation stuff out there. Most VJs would benefit far more form an article teaching them how to design and integrate decent content into shows (especially content for non 4:3/16:9 displays and multiple displays) this area is great for articles as it can cover both technical howtos and more conceptual issues with creating content.

I agree, as per my previous comment "Create more, consume less, be Creative about it!"

I also disagree that product reviews and the like should all be aimed at the low end small budget VJ - again this cuts out a whole load of people who would be interested in a magazine but are working at a higher level. I'd love to read an article about how to integrate the vista spyder into a show, next to an article about how a VJ is using the triplehead2go.

I may be wrong, though I wouldn't project great amount of visual performers who are right up there on the first name basis with vista spyder offerings. It may be amazing product and as they claim - "If you own a Vista Systems product, you’re working with the most powerful video processing in the world." then power to ya. If you get stuck, you can read they own list of FAQ or get a training in Arisona USA for $600 a pop or get one in person for $1500 per day + travel expenses. Most VJs budgets are right up that alley, - sure of it. That's if you can even afford it.

The likes of tripplehead2go is much more accessible, but once again this wont be one of the first purchases that most VJ's would make.

Fundamentally, the chase for the greatest and most amazing tools is in all of us. You want it before you even see it or try it. Everyone wants to have an advantage over the guy behind you. That's great! What happens in between that? Content anyone? Individuality, creativity? if you concentrate on content creation or even principles to why such and such size parameters are important, then it has greater benefit. You got remember though, people work within they own constraints and environment.

Maybe initially I have come from low budget Vjing which has been steadily growing, though I always learned to make the most from what I have got. I would love to see that being implemented into foundation what such mags can relay to people. Don't be afraid to create with what you got. Whenever possible I encourage people to understand this principle.

So, Make the most from what you got! If you can't afford tripple head to go, try something else, maybe you can make your own by getting couple of bits from the junk yard or electronics shop(drawing up on possibilities here bare with me :)). If you cant afford one software, here is another - Open source, learn it, explore it, build on it. Likes of Processing, Arduino, Pure Data are cross level apps that could be stretched to any possibilities regardless of your budget but dependable of your level of expertise. If there is an analogy on the aspect of maintaining this way of thinking, that would be it.


At this very point we throwing ideas out in the open that are important to us.
I respect both of your opinions;Sleepy Tom and Steve G. Lets get some of these ideas moving and perhaps we can draw up some balance between those points and allocate relevant amount of info for major type of groups that would enjoy and explore the mags offerings.


There are many sides to how visuals are created and perceived and hows its projected. Acknowledging numerous faces of the industry gives a wider overview to possibilities then seeing everything in branded blinkers. I really cant stand that. Its all about content, create it with what you got!

[sleepytom]

whats the point of aiming something at such a low level though - i'm not interested in a magazine aimed only at people with little experiance and no budgets. A magazine would have to feature at least some articles from people working at the top of their game for it to interest me.

by your reasoning a Vj mag would never have any articles on LED screens, would not feature HD video, would not talk about the latest AV mixer, and the vixid would be missed. You'd prefer people not to talk about multiscreen environments because it is too expensive and complicated for a newbie to immediately get into. Maybe i'd get to read a really interesting article explaining what a keyframe was?

I know that it is possible to do some really cool and interesting stuff with cheap / free tools but that doesn't mean that i'm not interested in what you can do with really expesnive tools. (eg i'd love to read an article from the guys that did the George Michel concert with VVVV which is free and an led screen worth over a million pounds - that would be interesting as their choice of tools was not limited by budget but they still choose to work with a freely available tool)

Limiting the scope of something to the very low end is stupid as it prevents people making the transition from small scale low budget VJ to larger scale visuals designer who is able to knowledgeable choose the right tools for the job. To encourage growth of visuals we need to enable people to make the transition and to get people who are already working at the top to pass on their knowledge to the rest of us.

[paranoidkarma]

(eg i'd love to read an article from the guys that did the George Michel concert with VVVV which is free and an led screen worth over a million pounds - that would be interesting as their choice of tools was not limited by budget but they still choose to work with a freely available tool)


Just tell us, you saw the George Michael concert because you like George Michael not because you were interested in the led screen :violin:

Currently i'm aiming at the professionals but i will not forget the new ones.
Just help please, if you want to write content email me at paranoidkarma@vjkungfu.tv

[vdmoKstaTi]

Tom, I think you slightly missing my point. I explore the views for the mag to aim at topics which cover CREATING content and techniques at whatever level you are, you aiming at looking at PRODUCTS that professionals tend to use. In a world where there are hundreds of websites that do that already and audio video exhibitions are plenty, Summary stories from those would fill that gap quite easily.

If you run few decent interviews, such info will easily float up the top, so your needs will be fulfilled very quickly. I'm making notes on your preference, and I'm sure the day will come when Sleepytom edition would see the light :)

To encourage growth of visuals we need to enable people to make the transition and to get people who are already working at the top to pass on their knowledge to the rest of us.

I wonder how the interview with Addictive TV would go? "Buy DVJs and remix commercial movies, - get famous!" Before you get to that level, there are many more steps which those in the industry need to take. For once, I would write an article on importance of asking for your name to be printed on the flyers, or the whole growth of VJing is rather pointless.

By the way vvvv is free only for non commercial use. If you use if for the likes of George Michael, you'd probably should cough up couple of hundred for a licence, - as you should. Just thought I'd mention that.


p.s all of this is hypothetical at this point also... lets not make this into some uber "this is final" fight. someone still has to put it together and stuff :)

[sleepytom]

That's the thing - i know that if you asked addictive to write an article on creating AV remixes they could write an interesting and informative article about the production techniques which they use. You assume that because they are "famous" they are unable to offer anything to someone who is just starting out. What's nice about VJing is that some of the people who are really well known, or are working on very large scale projects would be happy to write an article explaining more about what they do. (see the pixnmix website that i helped put together for channel4 where there are content production tutorials from coldcut and fatboyslim's VJ)

Writing an article on how to get your name on flyers would be fine - but i'd balance it with a few interviews from people who are working at the top of their game who have never had their name on flyers. After all some of us just want to make a great show rather than become a famous VJ. Your setting yourself up fo a fall if you expect to get famous from VJing. I don't see the point in trying to push people in that direction. Articles and interviews about how to go about making a better show should be interesting to anyone involved in visuals. I'd like to see a magazine which appeals to all (even the very experienced) rather than making assumptions about the ability, interest or budget of the readership.

keep it broad and it will stay interesting.

[Lucidhouse]

.
By the way this is an old, old thread posted round 2004... so it's good to see someone is championing this now (http://vjforums.com/showthread.php?t=22883) , looks like paranoidkarma is on the right track ...
.

[vjair]

That's the thing - i know that if you asked addictive to write an article on creating AV remixes they could write an interesting and informative article about the production techniques which they use. You assume that because they are "famous" they are unable to offer anything to someone who is just starting out. What's nice about VJing is that some of the people who are really well known, or are working on very large scale projects would be happy to write an article explaining more about what they do.

this is true. i've had quite a few experiences where people who ive known of for a long time and look up to are very approachable and happy to share information. ( coincidentaly, the first "big name" visual act i randomly approached was Addictive TV - only time ive met them and it wasnt for long, but i had a great conversation, i learnt and was given a DVD to take away with me )

i've even had situations where the tables have been turned and people who i consider to be far ahead of me have commented on my work and weve actualy sat down and discussed how I do things. VJ'ing is one of the few scenes ive come accross where the majority of the "top end players" do not live in ivory towers, act like divas and keep thier work processes hidden away under lock and key.

[vjair]

.
By the way this is an old, old thread posted round 2004...
.

hehe, yeah i was going to post the other day mentioning that it had taken three and a half years for someone to reply but decided not too. my sarcasm and dry sense of humour often gets me in to trouble so i decided against posting it....lol

[6071842]

VJ'ing is one of the few scenes ive come accross where the majority of the "top end players" do not live in ivory towers, act like divas and keep thier work processes hidden away under lock and key.

i agree :)

my sarcasm and dry sense of humour often gets me in to trouble so i decided against posting it....lol

haha i love it and you should have!!! :)

[deepvisual]

VJ'ing is one of the few scenes ive come accross where the majority of the "top end players" do not live in ivory towers, act like divas and keep thier work processes hidden away under lock and key.

at a guess, I'd say this is because there just aren't enough people around who are

a - clever enough
b - talented enough
c - mad enough
d - cheap enough
e - with chronic insomnia

to pose a threat.

speaking of which, that reminds me of the time i did an all night projection for St Thomas Hospital's sleep disorder unit. I was up all night projecting across the river onto parliament and at around 3am one of the SDU patients wandered over in his pyjamas and proudly announced - "I haven't slept for 2 days" to which i replied, "hey i haven't slept for 3"
He was quite surprised to learn that what he saw as a problem could sometimes be an advantage and I advised him to get a job in a night club.
I've had chronic jet lag for ten years now. Looks like its here to stay.

[sleepytom]

it's also because the wage gap between the top and the bottom is not as big as in many other areas- nobody is earning the kind of silly money that top djs or musicans get so there is less chance of getting on a paranoid one about loosing out to new people. (although we have seen that a couple of times here in the past!)

their is also something more laid back about people who work to enhance the show rather than see themselves as the show. you need much less of an ego to be a VJ than you need for djing or music.

[vdmoKstaTi]

This reminds me to give little attention to health issues.

I've had chronic jet lag for ten years now. Looks like its here to stay.

Care for your eyes, your back (low tables and everything), lack of sleep, etc, etc. Anyone wants to be a resident doctor?

[6071842]

it would be difficult but i would like to see a newsletter or something like that. i know creative cow have newsletters and mag.

a nice little newsletter :)