Introduction to VJing Workshop
with Carrie Gates

otherartists@gmail.com


Have you ever wondered how VJs create their artwork? Have you ever wanted to create a custom visual projection to work with a dance or theatre piece? Have you ever tried adding live visuals to a band’s performance or a DJ set? We can show you how!

In this fun and fast paced workshop, participants will be guided through the basics of VJing (live video mixing), including an overview of basic analogue video mixer features, configuration of live performance setups, and a quick sampling of some of the software options available for digital VJing. We will discuss how to capture, edit, and compress video to optimize it for VJ applications. If time allows, we may also take a look at some experimental methods using live cameras or no-input mixers.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop computers, if possible. The demos for the VJ software applications can be installed on laptops beforehand to maximize workshop time.

Software Links:

Arkaos (Mac or PC, 3 week trial full version)
http://www.arkaos.net/
Modul8 (Mac only, watermarked free demo)
http://www.garagecube.com/modul8/
Cosmic Painter (Mac only, free)
http://www.garagecube.com/opensource/cosmicpainter/
Max/MSP/Jitter (Mac or PC, free 30 day trial)
http://www.cycling74.com/products/maxmsp
MPEG Streamclip (Mac or PC, free video codec converter)
http://www.squared5.com/

More About the Instructor:

Carrie Gates’ diverse art practices span the realms of VJing, experimental turntablism, sound art, sculpture, performance art, digital media, and the catylization of provocative interactive situations. Her work is unified by a pluralist vision and an appetite for teasing the uncanny from the familiar, critically yet playfully using and abusing any media she encounters. Recently, Gates has been working with creating innovative VJ performances using Max/MSP/Jitter and Arkaos software, sharing her findings with her peers through workshops and artist talks to encourage others to reclaim digital media as a tool for personal artistic expression and social change. Since 1996, she has been performing regularly at electronic music events, noise and experimental music shows, new media festivals, and art galleries. She runs the BricoLodge net.label with Jon Vaughn and works at the Division of Media and Technology at the University of Saskatchewan. Her performances, compositions, videos, and research work have been shown across Canada as well as in Germany and the USA.

Watch some of Carrie's videos and silent VJ clips at: www.youtube.com/carriegates

Contact Carrie Gates at otherartists@gmail.com for more information.

 

Examples of Workshop Files:

These files will help you understand the technical aspects of compression and encoding, as well as provide an overview of some of the issues VJs face in regard to sampling, copyright, and using other people as video subjects in their work.

*please contact Carrie Gates for permission to access these files

Workshop Hardware:

We will start the workshop with an overview of the Videonics MX video mixer, which can be found on Ebay for appx. $300. Several places in Saskatchewan rent the Videonics MX-Pro by the day. Many VJ-oriented digital video mixers are popping up on the market lately, but the Videonics model below is the most accessable at this time.

Workshop Software:

We will be using Arkaos 3.6 MIDI VJing software throughout the class. A 3-week demo can be downloaded for either Mac or PC computers at www.arkaos.net.

We will also do a general overview of GarageCube's Modul8 Mac-only Vjing software, in order to compare user interfaces and different types of effects. A watermarked demo can be downloaded at http://www.garagecube.com/modul8/index.php.

We will also do a quick peek at a VJ patch made in Max/MSP/Jitter that allows VJs to do some interesting things with RGB values (colour). A free 30-day trial version of Max/MSP/Jitter can be downloaded from the Cycling '74 website: http://www.cycling74.com/products/maxmsp.

We will also briefly look at Cosmic Painter, a free, Mac-only program made by GarageCube. It allows you to make videos using still images and a "spinning and zooming", "drag and drop" interface to animate your images in surprising ways. These videos can then be encoded to work in any VJing software, burned to disc, or recorded to VHS tape.

We will also be using the free software MPEG Streamclip to edit our video codecs and compress the files. It can be downloaded for Mac or PC computers at www.squared5.com.

Arkaos User Manuals:

All of the basics explained here: Arkaos User Manual (from Arkaos website, .pdf)

Advanced info available in the Arkaos VJ 3.6 Release Notes.

Arkaos Support Site:

The best place to find answers to your questions about Arkaos online.

The Arkaos Discussion Forum

Selected Online Resources:

There are some excellent resources online for learning more about VJing. Please see the "Helpful Software" handout above for a more detailed list.

VJ Forums:
international discussion forum, tons of information
http://www.vjforums.com/

Archive.org:
a great place to look for open source video and free VJ clips, you can also start an account and upload your own files here
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=vj%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies

YouTube:
lots of VJs post their mixes online here, do a search to find them
http://www.youtube.com

VJ Node on YouTube:
Carrie Gates and Leeane Berger have created a YouTube page just for showing off the work of VJs. This is a great starting point in familiarizing yourself with what VJs do.
http://www.youtube/vjnode

Deep Visual VJ School:
there are lots of videos demonstrating different types of VJing software and hardware on this site
http://www.deepvisual.com/vjschool.html

Engage Media:
a cool online video label
http://www.engagemedia.org/

Opticlash:
annual VJ Battle in Seattle
http://www.opticlash.com/d_main.html

Eyetrap:
free VJ clips
http://www.eyetrap.net/clips/hamageddon/index.html

Wetcircuit:
free VJ clips
http://www.wetcircuit.com/category/free-loops/

The Ultimate Video Feedback Page:
cool things you can do by pointing your videocamera at the screen
http://www.videofeedback.dk/World/

Common Weal Community Arts, Inc.
amazing Saskatchewan organization dedicated to promoting art for social change, with offices in Regina and Prince Albert
http://www.commonweal-arts.com/

One Word Movie:
very cool site that collages images on the internet based on a one word search term
http://www.onewordmovie.com/

Paved Arts:
Saskatoon's artist-run media centre and gallery that hosts workshops in technical arts and rents equipment at excellent rates (you can rent video mixers and projectors, see their 2007 rental price list here)
http://www.pavedarts.ca/

Soil Digital Media Suite:
Regina's artist-run media centre, affiliated with Neutral Ground Gallery.
http://www.soilmedia.org/

VideoPool:
Winnipeg's artist-run media centre that also acts as an international distributor for Prairie-based media artist's works.
http://www.videopool.org/frameset/index.htm

Studio XX:
Montréal's artist-run media centre catering especially to the needs of women
http://www.studioxx.org/

Aboriginal Curatorial Collective:
excellent new organization dedicated to promoting the art and curatorial work of Aboriginal people
http://www.aboriginalcuratorialcollective.org/

CARFAC Canada:
national organization that represents artist's concerns to the government and negotiates fees for artists working with galleries
http://www.carfac.ca/

Creative Commons:
an excellent place to research what's happening in the world of innovative copyright practices
http://creativecommons.org/

Canada Council:
Canada's national government arts funding agency
http://www.canadacouncil.ca/

Sask Arts Board:
Saskatchewan's provincial government arts funding agency
http://www.artsboard.sk.ca/