Visual Djing

[Kane 0]

Im thinking about buying an LCD television to use at the front of my disco for visual effects and displaying texts and requests from people and playing videos, instead of buying a set of light screens

 

But i have absoulutly no idea of how to go about doing this, oviously im not going to rush out and do it right now but its going to be a big investment for me and i need some advice from you guys, (i think disco direct does this?), pros and cons etc...

what else would i ned apart from the LCD and a custom flight case?

[ChrisPointon 0]

it sounds like a big investment in time and money.......

 

 

and for what exactly?

 

Isn't the goal of a Dj to get people dancing and enjoying themselves rather than watching TV?

 

Do you expect that people will book you for this feature - weighing more importance on it than your skills as a DJ

 

If the answer is a resonding yes, than you've justified the purchase, if its no or "not sure" maybe it's something that you should consider in a little more depth

 

Let's put it this way, how many clients have actually asked you for this feature when enquring / booking you?. Have you ever actually lost a booking because you didn't offer it?

 

I once tried a similar thing with a moving message display and SMS - the MMD is now in the loft, draw your own conclusions! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

 

What Dan does is an entirely different business concept, it's a fully fledged video disco, a mobile MTV if you like, and not purely for visual effects or messages!

[Kane 0]

Well like i said, i dont know anything about vdjiing http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

 

Anyway i got the idea after looking through the argos catalogue and i was surprised by how cheap they are at the moment, i just thought it would be different and unique to other mobile discos in my area.

[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

Anyway i got the idea after looking through the argos catalogue

 

Don't tell me.....you were looking for another set of car mats, or a magic tree?? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

 

Dan's idea is good but it hasn't been without its problems, after all the idea is fairly unique, however i'll let him tell you about the pros and cons.

 

All I will advise, is not to rush into anything until you've done the market research!

[Kane 0]

QUOTE

Don't tell me.....you were looking for another set of car mats, or a magic tree??

For your information i was looking at Road Angels me ol' chap http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/laugh.gif

 

 

QUOTE

All I will advise, is not to rush into anything until you've done the market research!

 

Yeh defently, i will have to look into the cost of getting a custom flight case built and the software etc for it to work on my laptop

[vibemobilediscos 0]

sounds extermely expensive....

[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

For your information i was looking at Road Angels me ol' chap

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/offtopic.gif but Go for the Talex Lite or Talex with 6 months subscription, its got better reviews on the motoring publications is updated on a regular basis and is about 50% of the price of the Road Angel.

[bluejools 0]

i would be so so worried about protecting an exspensive screen at punter knee height!!!

[YourBigEvent 0]

You would need a 42" plasma, not a LCD TV

 

Plasmas start at about £800, but for a decent one you need to spend at least £1600, and I would advise more than that. Go for a Panasonic.

 

You would also need a decent laptop to run graphics / video and an O level in PPT.

 

I thought about this a few years ago and decided against it, not because of costs or applications, but because people want a disco not a TV turning up, like Chris says Dan's idea is the other end of the spectrum and if you were to do it it would cost AT LEAST £5k to get it right.

[Jimbo55 0]

I mainly do mixed Karaoke/Disco bookings. I use upto 5 lcd 17" and 19" lcd screens and occasionally an LCD projector. It has it's limitations being mainly for smaller venues and a huge setup/takedown time (typically 1 hr). You would need a roadie or two for cable sorting alone. Plasma has the advantage of size and daylght viewing against the projector. DVD mixing equipment is expensive and will require a dedicated VJ. Quality cabling for even a modest set up can run to over £100 easily. Without giving away to much 'Adapt' your idea. A pair of LCD projectors make 'cheap' very adaptable lighting effects. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/whistling.gif

 

Jimbo

[UKHero 0]

I thought about this a while ago. but was going to go down the road of using Flat screen TFT PC monitors maybe two one each side of a gantry. As my laptop, and most others can put a second output or desktop to another set of moitors, using a VGA splitter from maplins this would be quite cheap to do. I agree though that playing music videos might encourage your audience to sit and watch more than dance. But I did think for special occasions ie weddings etc you could create some power point slides photos text etc. Also if you do Karaoke then this might look good. As always with more kit though its more set up and break down time and usually the punters wont pay more. Great idea though but not sure if its practical or cost effective. Imagine the worst drunken punter you have had holding his pint over your equipment asking for a tune do you really want a 2 grand plasma at his feet.

 

Nik

 

[Kane 0]

Thanks for the comments,

i didnt think about LCD projectors, i will look into this a bit more and give you a reply of what im gonna do.

 

[Dukesy 0]

In short Kane...

 

It's a pretty newish idea in the UK but abroad, the VJ is looked upon in a different light.....try selling the idea of a VJ to a UK client who is simply price calling and looking for a DJ....you can guess what the answer is!

 

However, once the experience is seen, never forgotten.

Word is finally getting around and I can now say that I'm wearing a smile. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

 

OK, from the top.....I've taken the 'known VJ' experience (venue equipment install) a stage further and taken this little known concept on to the road; I'm a dedicaded mobile VJ.

 

My style of video DJ'ing is not just an extension of my 15 years as a mix DJ.

For example, apart from music production and composition, I produce and make original videos which are interwoven into the audio visual experience (beat matched as well as providing aesthetic visuals for the occasion as required). A lot of planning and production goes into every VJ gig before and after.

 

Financially, I have invested thousands of pounds in the last two years to 'get it right' for the mobile market but this includes a lot of equipment for video production, camera (live audience feed, filming and production), software (video editing), licences, etc, as well as re-purchases in having made a few mistakes in the first year (getting the wrong tool for the job!) and of course purchasing the music videos and back catalogues.

 

Whatever type of entertainment you provide, the equipment is going to take 'X' amount of investment, but remember the music format costs.

You know to date, I've managed to notch up several music formats for music purchases including DVD, CD Audio, CD+G and mp3 (legal downloads)....and now I'm waiting for the next 'digital format' http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

Have used Mini Disc and DAT in the past.....sold the DAT and the Mini Disc is sitting in the drawer, I wonder how long it will be before we hit the crystals!

 

For VJing, I mainly use two Pioneer DVJ-X1s which play DVDs and have the Numark DVD system as a back-up (never used but it's there for peace of mind).

The Pioneer players were purchased a little lower than the £2,500 price tag (each) but I feel they are the best tools for the job I do. Both Plasma screens cost less than £3,000 each, the Numark back-up system was under £2,000, digital camera cost £2,000. Between the equipment costs and the flight case costs, investment for that alone has been around £15k excluding dedicated media laptop, software and DVD music costs.

 

So far, Mixmash have been the best source for music material but a trip to the local supermarket or Music DVD retailer can reveal excellent bargains for DVD purchases.

Mixmash DVDs can be around £40 for 2 Discs and 30 tracks.

 

I purchased The Prodigy video collection DVD for around £6.99 from Asda (December 05) and feel that's excellent value for money when you consider the sound and visual quality to that of an album (CD)

 

Incidently, I've never had any problems with client guests at one of my VJ gigs....touch wood.... most of these type of gigs have been with very good paying clients, Weddings, etc.

 

You are more than welcome to give me a bell and I will try to answer as many questions as possible but I would say first forget the domestic Argos catalogue! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

VJing has many aspects..... you may like to offer something different in your show to set you apart from your competition. But don't venture into if you are thinking it will increase your income overnight. The long-term plan is only just beginning to work out...but up until a while ago, I thougt it would never bloody start!

 

If you are that serious, have a look at some of the VJ dedicated sites.

BBC Radio 1 (for example) has some visual examples and advice.

Dedicated VJ software and hardware sites can give an insight into what does what, how quickly things operate and of course the cost!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Following up since I first posted....

 

Cutting edge Video DJing will not be everybody's cup of tea.

Remember, everyone is different.

Some 'DJs' provide projectors during gigs and run screensavers (laptop) in the background which can be extremely effective visually for all types of function.

Apart from reports of allocating valuable floor space for the projector so that the 'visual impact' can be appreciated better without an audience getting neckache from the ceiling visuals, visual blurryness and discoloration off floors and dark coloured walls, etc, many are happy with their systems and have little clutter visually.

The best projector system I have seen would cost considerably more than a Plasma and one should be more worried about that getting knocked or damaged (setup projecting from the dance floor)! Why some people continue to carry these around in a cardboard box is beyond me?! At least put the packaging back please!

 

My productions (unique visuals) that are not available off the shelf.

For straight music/video mixing, the commercial tracks available (off the shelf) are more often than not radio edits, not ideal for dance/club mixing hence why I create unique visuals that I can seperately mix in sync with the audio mix.

Theres a lot of work involved...apart from loving it, its merely one of my USPs!

 

Like I mentioned before, my gear is flightcased and I have no worries about damage to any of my gear in transit. Many of my cases have been custom built and have cost over and above 'off the shelf' heavy and poorly constructed box's that do not do what I want.

Nothing existed for my DVJX1s let alone the video monitors. The case cost over £500 but compared to the value of the equipment used I consider the investment VFM.

This case has become the 'awkward' item in the setup (sheer size) but it houses both mixers and players as well as the radio mic.

The plasma's are literally one of the quickest to set-up and packaway out of all the kit. The full equipment setup can take under 20mins to assemble, under 5 mins to connect the speaker leads. After powerup, etc, I would say the setup has usually been around 40 mins but that's including chin wagging and dragging it out. When a client is paying a top rate..... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

The fastest packaway (and in my friends van with two of us) was under 35 mins. Longest item to pack away was the lighting on a T Bar!

Has any of this VJ'ing increased my workload? It was slow but I would say yes, word is getting around and the increase has been steady.

Evening Wedding Reception booking for September is confirmed at £1,110 for 4 hours performance excluding travel to and from venue which is a 120 miles round trip (add min 2 hours for that - Bury St Edmunds) and seting up, etc.

Edited July 7, 2006 by discodirect

[YourBigEvent 0]

Great post Dan

[analyst 0]

I don't go anything like as far as video dj'ing, but I do use a data projector at every gig.

 

I run music-synched visual displays, can use videos where I have 'em and visual messages or pics of course. The pics/messages can be dissolved in and out of the other visuals.

 

Getting a plain clutter-free projection surface can sometimes be tricky and most often use the ceiling (remember to reverse and invert the image).

 

After setting up, I always start with some graphics on part display with a fixed big message along the lines of "congratulations to xxxx and xxx on xxx" or whatever. You'd be quite surprised how "wowed" people get about seeing their names "up in lights" so-to-speak, as they are blazed right across the ceiling of the function. Kids running out grabbing adults "mam, mam come and look at . . . " I only leave that up for the intro part of the evening, then resort to full screen projections.

 

Advantage: No TV screens to hump and carry (and break)

Disadvantage: Hi quality data projectors don't come cheap (but are getting cheaper)

[RichardP 0]

That sounds good, analyst.

 

It's a laptop you're using to drive that, presumably? Any special software for that, you'd recommend?