Finally decided to download the video plug in for Serato and give her a whirl...hooked into one of my flat screens and practiced on the fly at a gig last night (a jewlry shop that wanted the music pretty low while everyon mingled - a perfect chance to play) and I've officially caught the bug! Takes the challenge of beatmatching and scratching to a whole new creative level. Not to mention VJ's are demanding twice the DJ fee in the clubs around here!
Video Jocks First gig VJ'in....and I'm officially hooked
- Thread starter knardini
- Start date
Welcome to the world of video. I've dropped a small fortune repurchasing my audio library in video format and do you know what I get asked when playing at the club? "do you download from youtube?" Arrrrgggghhhh
A VJ should command a higher fee than audio-only, however, it's all about the bar selling more drinks/getting more cover charges at the door/ and the servers/bartenders making better tips, otherwise, nobody cares (that's my experience). Sure, people think it's cool, but the bottom line at the clubs where I have played, is it's only important if everybody is making more money because of the crowd you can draw in.
I'm currently hooked up to 20 50" flatscreens and 2 projectors in a 10,000 sq ft club. I "think" the video adds a total nuther level of entertainment, but, that's just my humble opinion...
A VJ should command a higher fee than audio-only, however, it's all about the bar selling more drinks/getting more cover charges at the door/ and the servers/bartenders making better tips, otherwise, nobody cares (that's my experience). Sure, people think it's cool, but the bottom line at the clubs where I have played, is it's only important if everybody is making more money because of the crowd you can draw in.
I'm currently hooked up to 20 50" flatscreens and 2 projectors in a 10,000 sq ft club. I "think" the video adds a total nuther level of entertainment, but, that's just my humble opinion...
It's a cute fad -- but distracting IMHO...
What I mean, is it distracts from the social experience, which is the reason people come together in the first place. I think it's really a step backwards, and not in our best interests to promote it.
Think of your local sports bar -- a bunch of guys watching TV, and drinking cheap beer. They're not jumping around getting thirsty, nor buying chicks drinks -- their eyes are focused on the video.
Lose-lose in our industry.
What I mean, is it distracts from the social experience, which is the reason people come together in the first place. I think it's really a step backwards, and not in our best interests to promote it.
Think of your local sports bar -- a bunch of guys watching TV, and drinking cheap beer. They're not jumping around getting thirsty, nor buying chicks drinks -- their eyes are focused on the video.
Lose-lose in our industry.
I have to completely disagree with Rick. Every club where I have VJ'd, the servers and bartenders have liked having the music videos playing and have told me that people tend to stay longer, and order more drinks, because of their interest in watching the music videos.
I think of video as a total exponential leap in lighting. If some people get all excited about static color architectural lighting (uplighting), look at how much more complex video is. Especially when you have 10, 15, 20 or more flat screens extending the "light show" throughout the bar.
I seriously doubt anyone would disagree that a cool dance club needs to have cool dance floor lighting. DMX? Intelligent lighting? Lasers? The video is just an addition to the lightshow. Especially when you provide streaming video of the feeding-frenzy on the dancefloor on the video screens as well. It ties in the entire club and gives something cooler than the other clubs have.
In addition, I have been doing music videos and streaming live video at weddings for more than two years now. It has been very popular and people do pay more for video at weddings. All it takes is proper presentation so they can see the difference.
Further, we now live in a multimedia world where an entire generation of people have grown up with youtube and don't know that songs come without a video to them as well. People share their video of the moment with their friends on facebook thousands of times each day. WHY... would anyone not want to have the additional stimuli of video? Cause they dont' want to repurchase their entire audio library? I have news for you, there is an entire generation of up and coming VJ's that didn't start with vinyl & cassettes, then repurchase on CD, then rip to mp3 or wave, and then repurchase in video format. There are lots of peeps starting with an all video library and if you don't keep up with the times, you are gonna become extinct.
How many wedding DJ's do you see carrying two hundred pounds of vinyl with them for every wedding they entertain at? Music video is not a fad. If you want to continue listening to your music in mono, instead of stereo, or 7.1 surround, continue listening in mono, but there is an additional dimension that is much, much better that the nay sayers just haven't tried yet. That's ok... let the nay sayers become extinct. Video is here. Video is now. "Audio only" is now like listening to everything in mono... cause video is here.
And lastly, remember the Buggles? Video killed the radio star... How true...
I think of video as a total exponential leap in lighting. If some people get all excited about static color architectural lighting (uplighting), look at how much more complex video is. Especially when you have 10, 15, 20 or more flat screens extending the "light show" throughout the bar.
I seriously doubt anyone would disagree that a cool dance club needs to have cool dance floor lighting. DMX? Intelligent lighting? Lasers? The video is just an addition to the lightshow. Especially when you provide streaming video of the feeding-frenzy on the dancefloor on the video screens as well. It ties in the entire club and gives something cooler than the other clubs have.
In addition, I have been doing music videos and streaming live video at weddings for more than two years now. It has been very popular and people do pay more for video at weddings. All it takes is proper presentation so they can see the difference.
Further, we now live in a multimedia world where an entire generation of people have grown up with youtube and don't know that songs come without a video to them as well. People share their video of the moment with their friends on facebook thousands of times each day. WHY... would anyone not want to have the additional stimuli of video? Cause they dont' want to repurchase their entire audio library? I have news for you, there is an entire generation of up and coming VJ's that didn't start with vinyl & cassettes, then repurchase on CD, then rip to mp3 or wave, and then repurchase in video format. There are lots of peeps starting with an all video library and if you don't keep up with the times, you are gonna become extinct.
How many wedding DJ's do you see carrying two hundred pounds of vinyl with them for every wedding they entertain at? Music video is not a fad. If you want to continue listening to your music in mono, instead of stereo, or 7.1 surround, continue listening in mono, but there is an additional dimension that is much, much better that the nay sayers just haven't tried yet. That's ok... let the nay sayers become extinct. Video is here. Video is now. "Audio only" is now like listening to everything in mono... cause video is here.
And lastly, remember the Buggles? Video killed the radio star... How true...
I find this very interesting the article welcome to the world of Video. I've got a 900 strong clip catalog of Original music videos from 1964-2000 mostly AVI formatted from DVD and some converted from VCR video tapes, this took me years to source and acquire, and from all over the world. A lot of folks don't realize the work involved in getting these and they are the real ones not compressed bad quality You Tube stuff, some people say oh that's easy I can download all of these! Well I just say c'mom get me the original promo clip of Yes Owner of a Lonley heart in Broadcast quality at least 100 meg, one I can project on to a screen no matter how big, the one I use is about 15 feet across by around 12 feet, You start looking for these and you will be all over the internet with links that end up with crap mostly. I play at venues with a public broadcast licence and usually the venue just pays a small monthly fee other wise I could do it but will cost me $100 a month in Australia regardless if I'm playing or not. The wow factor is the big thing and properly promoted gets a fantastic result with many people just blown away that they have never seen the original clips. For this service I would expect to get paid more than just doing Audio, this has cost me a lot of money and time where lots of Audio only jocks may be using free downloads so there is a big difference. I'm not even sure how to value the catalog for insurance purposes. Us VDJs have got to charge more, be interesting to hear from any of you what you think a reasonable hourly charge out rate would be lets say if I just plug in and play the only equipment I provide is my laptop and cables.
I disagree Rick especially when you throw it through an huge concert PA and reverse projected screen so you can dance right up with Mick Jagger or who ever, now I don't always have access to this type of Equipment but with multiple TV monitors that's just as good, I don't do sports bars that are mainly full of Blokes, you get the woman in the guys will follow, generally they stay longer as well according to many of my bar staff.
You can disagree all you want .. Our dear Ricky has passed on. 
In his defense, it does distract from the social aspect .. people watch the videos versus actually talking to each other.
In his defense, it does distract from the social aspect .. people watch the videos versus actually talking to each other.
You can disagree all you want .. Our dear Ricky has passed on.
In his defense, it does distract from the social aspect .. people watch the videos versus actually talking to each other.
Or maybe makes it better it keeps them from staring at their f**king phones
Same same .. not better .. though I don't know many people that dance while texting (I believe it does happen though).
Take a dance floor with no screen .. watch the interaction. Take the same floor with a screen and watch how much interaction disappears.
Take a dance floor with no screen .. watch the interaction. Take the same floor with a screen and watch how much interaction disappears.
I did one back in December Tig there was lots of interaction with the video screen there but it may be that it's a new fad for this generation it's only the last couple of years a few of us started doing video before that it was rare to have a video dance anyone who did had to use the national company and it was ultra expensive
I'm hearing you and I understand. That said, I have regularly been part of a team playing videos for a few years now on 40" plasma screens. The interaction is lost in the audience. Instead of talking to each other, they're watching the screens. Even those dancing are not paying attn to each other .. they're watching the screens. They're not constantly watching the screens (there is some level of interaction) .. but the difference is noticeable. The people sitting down are .. yep, you guessed it, watching the screens.
We do a lot of VJ'ing events. I have noticed exactly the same thing that others here have mentioned over the years. While i do enjoy mixing video it does change the whole vibe. Even those dancing are just seemingly mesmorized by the screens and it seems to reduce a lot of the socializing that you'd normally see.
That's entertainment, folks. If what is being provided is better than talking, texting, and idle chatter, to me, it's a hit.
I'm talking typical mobile dj entertainment applications such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, mitzvahs.
There are significantly more applications for videos then there are not.
And as in any other tool or equipment, it can shine brightly or become a disaster depending upon the presentational mastery of the user.
There are significantly more applications for videos then there are not.
And as in any other tool or equipment, it can shine brightly or become a disaster depending upon the presentational mastery of the user.
IMO, the videos belong in the bars / clubs .. and not at mobile events. The longer you keep people hanging around, the more alcohol / food they sell. For alot of mobile events, the attn should be on the people on the dance floor and the party (I believe in socializing), not on the video screens. If you have an on site camera, different story.