How can VJ's become more prominant on the club scene?

[Gumby]

Hey guys. I need your help if you will.
I'm studying Art for my A2's and I have to write a 5000 word essay which is related to the piece i'm guna make.
My final piece (or performance if you will) is going to be AV art.

However, for the essay I have to write, i need some good quotes from you guys (being artists yourselves).
The essay question I have come up with/what I will try to answer is
"How can VJ's become more prominant on the Club scene"
What i basically mean is how can VJ's become as well known as DJ's so they can avoid silly questions like 'can you put this record on next' kind of thing.


If none of that makes any sense, I just need your thoughts on what AV art means to you and how VJ's can make themselves more well known.


Oh and also, if you do reply to this, I might use your responce in my essay..so no sueing!

Cheers!

Gumby

[PiedPiper]

1. become part of an combined A/V act, providing gfx for a spcific audio act, and identifiying themselves that way.

2. Approaching gigs form an "Art" angle, promoting the visual imag above the music or feel of the room.

3. Just become part pf the background, and as with all television slowly become "expected" everywhere u are...

[many2]

(by the way, since my english is far from perfect - my main language is french - please feel free to correct any errors in my text if you ever decide to quote me)

I believe that VJing, until lately, has had success mainly because it was a novelty. It was something new that most people did not know. Now screens are everywhere : in clubs, yes, but also on the streets, in the shops, in theater, classical, music, opera, dance, and all other kinds of shows, etc. It is not a novelty anymore : now people are used to screens. What matters now is what is on the screens. Much like at the beginning of TV, people were watching almost anything that was on the screen, without requiring any level of quality, neither in the content nor in the image quality (hey, it was even in black and white !). But now, that time is over : the audience are not surprised by the use of video projections anymore. What matters is what is on the screen : the content.

Great content is almost always the result of a lot of efforts. You have to work long and hard to create great content that is made to fit perfectly with the acts you are accompanying. It is also, by necessity, a collaborative work : you cannot fit perfectly with an act you do not know, nor with people you haven't rehearsed with.

Knowing that, "How can VJ's become more prominent on the Club scene" ? By going over the novelty of VJing and providing high-quality content to the audience. By high-quality, I do not mean high definition. I mean content that fits perfectly with the rest of the club : the music, yes, but also the lighting, the set, the style, the culture of the audience, etc.

[deepvisual]

"How can VJ's become more prominent on the Club scene"

by learning how to do it properly.

[crustea]

Originally Posted by many2

(by the way, since my english is far from perfect - my main language is french - please feel free to correct any errors in my text if you ever decide to quote me)

Same for me

I do agree with many2, I think when visuals and projections were quite new, people were impressed and interested, whatever the content was, and there wasn't that much VJs, to start comparing quality and content anyway..

Now I think we are at an interesting point, where projectors and VJs are everywhere, most of them doing almost the same (multilayers + effects on a 4:3 screen). Unfortunately, I know that the majority of the promoters (and crowds) thinks VJ is only that, and it doesn't matter who you book, you will have random visuals and that's it. (It's even better if the VJ can bring his rig, play all night long for drinks ).

The only good point in this, is that when visuals are REALLY good, then everybody will notice that it's different than the usual VJ soup.. and bookings and everything will follow.

But I don't think VJing in general will become more prominant, I'm even thinking that VJing (as we know it) is dying, because of lack of creativity, and people following the old fashioned VJing rules / basics..
As long as most of the VJ's will do random multi-layering + old effects + 320x240 + 4:3 + composite cables + play all night long for 20quids, I don't think VJing will go anywhere.


So maybe it could become more prominant, but when some VJs will become famous and start changing everybodies minds about Live visuals.
I think some people are on the right way (pfadfinderei, Legoman, Aalto, Sanch, Ratsi, MFO..) and I'm sure they will generate new passions for live visuals, and new VJs doing amazing things, but it might take a while anyway..

[crustea]

Originally Posted by deepvisual

"How can VJ's become more prominent on the Club scene"

by learning how to do it properly.

Seconded !

I could'nt agree more

[ASMD]

Originally Posted by crustea

But I don't think VJing in general will become more prominant, I'm even thinking that VJing (as we know it) is dying, because of lack of creativity, and people following the old fashioned VJing rules / basics..

An excellent point Crustea, one which I agree with all too much, especially as we reach an oversaturation of VJs as prices come down and variety of software increases coupled with a general decline of the superclub culture. My opinion is that VJs (in the modern sense) only came about because originally you'd have loads of clubbers facing a mega DJ on stage who doesn't really provide much to look at - live camera feeds show what's happening on stage mixed with brands, messages and visuals. The novelty has worn off and people are less prepared to pay for big name DJs.

I believe 'silent' VJs will only survive if they use their screens and style of content to brand themselves, and differentiate themselves from the Laptop + resolume + Analogue Recycle loops + tunnel effect crowd.

AV is the way forward because as a trend live entertainment is on the rise, plus when you watch a band you face them so the screens become a part of the their visual presence. If rehearsed correctly they can work in harmony with the audio and lighting and add a huge extra dimension to the performance.

Gumby - please post your essay (or relevant extracts) on the boards if you do decide to quote us, all to often people request information and are never heard of again.

[Hive]

Would like to add something but after many2 and crustea it is hardly possible. Quality of content is everything, that is my strong belief.
I don't see any other way for getting prominent for individual vj or for the genre on the whole but by bringing it to the brand new artistic level, by representing bright, original, tastefully selected visual set. Fofrtunatelly times when punters were happy to see bouncing oscillator curve shown on the screen passed by. Nowadays vj has to gain his unique style to differ from colleagues and therefore to survive. And this is when content maker becomes the industry's key figure. The future of the vjing depends not on big guys from hardware companies, not even on vjs, but on video producers.
(As my English is far further from many2's level, well... you know. )

[Rovastar]

Originally Posted by Gumby

"How can VJ's become more prominant on the Club scene"
What i basically mean is how can VJ's become as well known as DJ's so they can avoid silly questions like 'can you put this record on next' kind of thing.

I don't know think any of us here think we will be as popular in clubs as the people providing the music. I am not even sure if any will get "famous" outside our tight circle.

How can we get more prominent so they don't think we are the DJ. I am not even sure we will get to that age. People talk about AV acts being the saviour of VJing, well frankly, that will make matters worse for the increase in 'can you put this record on next' as the person/people on stage now do the music.

I think there is if anything less awareness of the VJs are playing then there was 5 years ago. I'm sure there are less names on flyers, etc.

[vdmoKstaTi]

First I would like to highlight 2 great points mentioned;

I believe 'silent' VJs will only survive if they use their screens and style of content to brand themselves

The future of the vjing depends not on big guys from hardware companies, not even on vjs, but on video producers.

Additionally, by promoting and performing at VJ specific events it would raise the higher profile for VJing overall. Don't be shy to put VJ'ing above DJing, if you don't do it, DJ's sure won't. Self promote yourself and your art, I consider serious VJ's self produce they own content and evolve to new heights with time(content and techniques and equipment wise). If you produce your own content, then let people know about it, ask promoters to put that on brochures, flyer's along side DJs profiles. Why not? Most likely you will be the one who is playing throughout the whole night

Why not have camera's showing what VJ's do also? If you responsible for showing what happens on the screen and DJ responsible for music, then use this opportunity to highlight that once in a while. If you not going to do this, then how do you expect to become more prominent in the electronic scene. don't over do it, but have some self-promotional input from time to time.

Have a pause in between. People might grow deeper appreciation for your presence on stage or a change in between VJ's, etc.

Requests your name listed on every event you perform at! Don't do it just for you, but do it for every other brother and sister VJ out there walking behind you also. At the end of the day, you not walking this road alone and there are many others who deal with the same issues as you, help the global cause by working on promoting this art and respect towards it together.

"How can VJ's become more prominent on the Club scene?"
Ask for it!!! If you don't open your mouth, you won't get fed!

Education
My estimation would expect larger percentage of VJ would be producers then what you'd get from DJ crowd(especially on the % of what is created by yourself). Stress that out to those who can contribute to your growth and perfect your content on a regular basis.

Apply business sense to your VJ career!
Learn as much as possible from your personal mistakes as well as some of the others before you(VJ forums has listed a few examples over few years) and try to avoid it.

Approach branded events with opportunity to expand on your takings, ie charge on any custom content that you create for each show. Promoters and Businesses will see value in this and there is an obvious value in delivering such proposal to them for your own benefit.

You are the one who can send the messages to the public and someone who can strongly contribute to the environment of the party. Think of the tools you need to create to make yourself stand out, -possibilities are endless, - the only limit is your imagination.

"How can VJ's become more prominent on the Club scene?"
Think from the bottom up. Imagine no single visual at some event to the point of you being there doing visuals and attach everything that is required to boost the event to the new heights. Your personal response will display the equivalent of prominence in this analogy exercise!

Try to be as professional as you possibly can be at every step of the way!


p.s I have spotted the flyer for this event in LA, - this would be pretty good example for visulists being prominent at the event.