A new interesting Paradox!!

[BrainStove]

I don?t want to rain over wet slippery floor again, but chatting yesterday with some of you and mainly with *****, I realized myself about an interesting paradox worthy to expose here.

Talking about monthly incomes, revenues and profits stuff, it was clear to me that the most of *****?s incomes arise from his Rigging/GearSupply/AVservices work and maybe as VJ (as far of the strictly act of VJing refers), he could be a such or even more underpaid VJ as the most of us, so I suspect ***** has been VJing long time a lot of times for free just to keep his bundled services fees competitive.

Agreed of course that he, like a sharp eye brilliant business man and good VJ deserves and can enjoy the luxury to VJing for free now (after all he seems to love the thing), but also you have not to worry about that, because while ***** long time ago fortunately he actually could drive through the clean highway in his particular privileged right time/place momemtum to arrive to the finish line, the most of you have started from and still are driving through the alternative dusty roadways, maybe aiming to arrive to the same destiny. (I?m not sure about the same destiny though)

I?m really trusting in ***** when in the chat he told me he smashed his three hanging balls to arrive where he is now (Hey, what were you expecting from a Celtic guy... ;)), but it is clear to me too, he became an A/V services company first obviously since it was/is an aged marketplace which had/have a stronger demand yet and becomes VJ secondly as a smart/curious fucker with the proper gear sorted, just when this whole new/young VJ marketplace demand started to show his nose on the horizon.

But now we are in 2002 and due the current economy and the totally new/different reality/situation to each particular place all over the world, maybe there are not so many lucky/happy and clean highways available to drive over and start the travel from the same point as *****.
The same is true for those of you who haven?t your own house yet and it seems farther each time to reach that goal just with hard/honest work only. :(

So on behalf of the newbies and to cheers you all up again relieveing you from any anguish or existencial troubles (like Elbows :D), just go and find yourself your own speedy highway or comfortable dusty/slower but happier roadways... I do know you?ll find a lot of more valuable stuff along, if you don?t trust me... Hehehe, just take a glance twice to my often used signature. :)

[holly]

I've had promoters who ask me to do discount shows or even asked for me to play mixed tapes for less money. After the obvious "Would you say that to a DJ?" response, I point out how much they'd pay for the equipment rental alone and they realize I'm already throwing in my performance for free. It lets them know the price isn't negotiable based on art or content, but on real world equipment that must be invested in, maintained, and carried to the space, (plus my fee for setting it up and running the show). We tend to market ourselves as a "video installation" instead of VJs. Maybe someday most clubs will have a standard hardware set-up and I just carry in a harddrive -- then I'll charge for the art alone.

If I'm providing visuals for the whole night, you better believe a large portion of that is already pre-mixed or A/V auto-pilot. I only actively "perform" for about 2 peak hours of the night, and I'm free to do content I feel is best, not what the promotor has seen in another club across town. I don't feel like I'm getting ripped off or over worked, and I'm not going to bust my butt to make custom visuals for a one-off night. I'd be making the "art" anyway. I don't need to attach a pricetag to it to feel successful, and if I'm doing the party regularly it's only natural that I'll start to make custom content excusively for that venue. I feel that having no direct relation with art and money keeps everything in perspective, for me AND the promoters.

Holly.

[Denimage]

Well, holly it's the same here in south of France. Vjamming is just rising, and it's very hard to be paid for a mix. Long and long n?gociation, and after a lot of "convulsions" , sometimes i use to be paid.
How much do you ask for a gear?

[PilotX]

The thing about equipment is it's easily definable, and promoters can look at hire companies for comparison on prices. It can also help breaking down the charge you are making into equipment hire, costs and mixing/content charges.