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Forum: General Discussion

Topic: Is Video Mixing THAT Important?

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Hi everyone,

I didn't have a great deal of enthusiasm regarding Video mixing to begin with. But, I tried to keep an open mind.

I thought, if so many DJ software developpers put THAT much emphasis on improving Video mixing, then it MUST mean there's a need for it.

I thought, okay. Maybe it's just me. Maybe nightclub crowds DO give a sh** about watching a Video Clip while dancing the night away.

I thought, there HAS to be a great demand for Video Mixing in the DJ industry. Otherwise, why bother?

So, as I said, I tried to keep an open mind and see for myself.

Well, a few months ago, it finaly happened. I went to see my friend perform at a DJ gig he got at a popular nightclub in Repentigny, QC.

My friend is one of those guys who is OBSESSED with the fabulous Video Mixing features of Virtual DJ. I am not one to disagree on this. The features ARE fantastic, that much is true... My friend spent COUNTLESS hours editing video files, remastering the audio, enhancing video, cutting out "non-musical" sequences, and the likes. He now has a library of several hundreds of the hottest video clips around.

But, are they really THAT important to a crowd? Well, based on my observations, my doubts were confirmed. The most I've seen anyone look at any of the TV's in the club, was a few seconds (just the time it took to acknowledge that the images on the TV match the music playing in the club.) BIG DEAL!

Was it really worth all the effort? Just to have a handfull of people, one minute look at the TV's and say "Hey man, check it out, that DJ dude plays videos!", and the next minute completely IGNORE those videos? I DON'T THINK SO!

I don't wish to start a controversy. I'm just saying, sure video mixing is fun to do in your basement, when you don't have anything better to do. But, is it REALLY the DJ'ing of the future?

Internodal.
 
Posted Sun 04 Nov 07 @ 6:03 pm
It Depends on the Club/audience

I've had bigger reactions from using the text plugin to announce somone's Birthday that the music video.

The Shadow dancers DVD series is great as well - when you are just playing audio stuff and want something playing in the Background.
But I have gotten that reaction That you are speaking of... the "cool - videos...now where my ho?" reaction.

When I've done mobile gigs - especially weddings - VDJ is a Lifesaver for being able to do musical slideshows for clients - without having to spend a couple of hours editiing they're baby pictures.

And on top of it all - My rates Went up because of VIDEO
 
uuuuuhhhhhh laughing at Marcel's where my ho .......

yeah the scrolling text can have more impact sometimes ......" Happy Birthday Lenny ! You don't look a day over 60 ! " this for my client who's celebrating his 42nd .......

i'm just trusting my gut , nothin' more better than that but i think it's worth it ..... i think since it is so new , i sprinkle around text (Mr. Monitor seems to have a mind of his own ) visualizations and slideshows , plus video ......makes for a lot of cool variety .........
 
DJ Marcel,

Your point of view is interesting. From what I understand, it is not so much the actual video CLIPS, but the other gadgets surrounding the video aspect of the software, which enhance the overall gig.

I can relate to that. For instance, the use of Karaoke, I can understand, because it's so popular. It's also true, what you said about birthday announcements: People go nuts for those!! But, couldn't a good ol'microphone do the trick?

As far as increased rates go, there is a general rule: You have to be a damn good DJ (by reputation) to begin with, to have people actualy pay MORE to have video at their party. I could be mistaken on this one, it's just my 2ยข :O)

Internodal.
 
You're absolutely correct: A mic can - and Does do the job perfecly well.

But I can PLace the name on the screen for the length of the song they requested - they tip me for that.
I can put multiple peoples names on screen so that I'm not constantly on the Mic.

BTw I'm not a big name in My city - but I'm well known - and the Manager at the Strip Club I currently work at, his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped when I showed him VDJ.

I could work there Full time if I didn;t have a Higher paying DAy job.
 
here's anudder fer instance ..... at the school Halloween party Officer Joe says hey chuck can you announce that the kids need to call to get there rides home .......

so i make the announcements at the times he wanted ...... so what

i says hey Joe check out the screen ... there's the message flashing away , so they are getting the message even when i'm not on the mic .....
 
Internodal,
I completely get where your coming from. I would say it's kind of tough to really know what the crowd actually thinks. When I did my first night of video's the club owner was like "that is the shit" the staff thought it was pretty cool as well. The best crowd reaction I have gotten is when I put MJ's Billy Jean Video (classic ha!). But I don't feel that if it wasnt for the video's I wouldnt be able to rock the house. My thoughts are, if the club has multiple plasma's where no matter where the patrons go they will see it. I think at that type of venue, that's when it would really shine. Now where I'm doing it, it's just the projector. I'd say your limited to your song selection as well. (EVERYONE HAS WAYYYYYY MORE SONG TO SELECT FROM THAN VIDEO'S) Just my two cents

D
www.myspace.com/dfwdjdea
 
The biggest thing I have found is the 'non-dancing' crowd. When I have people just hanging around waiting for their dance or they just don't dance, it gives them something to be entertained with other than watching the dance floor. I think a lot of it comes down to the environment of the club and how you use it. I don't use a lot of the additional gadgets and the majority of my 'transitions' are simple fades. I still treat my club as a music only club and let the video speak for it's self.

So it just all depends.
 
You all have good points and I thank you for expressing your opinions. I am glad to have brought up this topic, because it got me thinking about a couple of tricks to suggest to my Video-craving friend.

Personaly, I am still not convinced that Video is a must, but I see how it can really enhance the mood in specific circumstances.

DJ Marcel, you have some very good ideas. It would be nice to chat with you again some time!

Internodal.
 
Video is just another tool at your disposal to entertain a crowd. I have embraced the new technology with open arms. I am also working to advance the technology and that brought about my touchscreen system.

To the question posted, In my case yes video makes a difference. I have a residency, but I also travel to other locations. When I'm not at "my house" and the owners use a fill-in, all I hear the following weekend is how bad the DJ was and he didn't have any videos. My show is marketed as The DJ Nutz Experience, and that means my show is total sensory over load. I couldn't do that without video.

My residency has 7 42" plasmas and a video screen all showing my vids
 
on top of it all VDJ can scratch video on vinyl or TCCD, wich makes video the the icing on the cake ;-)

you'll allways have the people who are too drunk or too tired to dance in most situations, and video helps keep them entertained ;-)
and those people usually bring more money to the venue on food or drinks wich means a happier manager that might give your raise a 2nd thought. ;-) "for those who's payroll depends on the bars income inside the venue"


alot of dj's can go without it, but alot love the fact that they now can do it.
 
internodal wrote :


DJ Marcel, you have some very good ideas. It would be nice to chat with you again some time!

Internodal.


Thank you sir for the polite & kind words.

One last thing I can add: PUB crawls. Not sure about where you are but here there are companies that arrange for 50 or more people to cram on a schoolbus - get drunk and then arrange for them to get into a club - fast and I get to announce when they leave - with VDJ i can make the announcement - and text a sign on the screens and get the annoyning over-drunk little S**T's - I mean fine customers out of my establishment
 
cstoll wrote :
The biggest thing I have found is the 'non-dancing' crowd. When I have people just hanging around waiting for their dance or they just don't dance, it gives them something to be entertained with other than watching the dance floor. I think a lot of it comes down to the environment of the club and how you use it.



I agree with that statement.


----


My personal experience through the past 8 years has been mainly doing retro themed clubs. Started at the Polly Esther's in Houston Texas, then 8.0 Retro inside the Drink Houston Nightclub and now in the Polly Esther's in Las Vegas. (among other various venues as well)

Since '99 I have been actively collecting video content from ETV, promo only, and other sources. Before DVD burners I would edit the videos and play them on VHS. People would EAT UP the fact I had the video to most of the songs in the retro themed environment. Some were custom produced because I couldn't find a video for it.

For the past 2 years I have been using VDJ with the timecode vinyls along with my midi compatible Ecler Nuo 4 mixer I have been able to move an old school way of spinning (turntablist) to a new form of entertainment. It adds SOO much to venue when done right.

I have well over 4 thousand videos (and growing by the day) to my disposal at any given night while spinning. Most are custom edits or versions that are now DJ friendly mixable versions. Everything from oldies to the newest dance/top 40/hip hop & rock. Give me a format (besides country & latin) and I am sure I can handle it with ALL video.

I believe in the next 5 years you will see a transition to mainly video DJ's out there. If are not doing it now are at least inquiring about it... you might get left behind and limit your success.

Another prediction will be dj competitions with video as well. I have had an ass load of fun editing scratch friendly tracks with movie clips or samples along with the music video edits that have visually appealling parts to scratch with throughout a show.

Customers, employees, and management are always in awe when they see me do my show with 100% video.

It is the future!!

 
cstoll wrote :
The biggest thing I have found is the 'non-dancing' crowd.


Exactly.

It's about making the people sitting at the bar, booths, or just standing around part of the same environment that the people who are dancing are enjoying. What the visuals and videos combined with the audio create is a synergy amongst everyone at the venue which, from my experience, results in increased drink/food sales, attendance, and a general higher level of energy overall because everyones enjoying the same thing regardless of what they're doing.

Many venues have lots of displays and/or screens that, until now, would be displaying things that had nothing to do with the music (and therefore the ambience that we as the dj artist are trying to create), so you would have a section of the venue with people enjoying what we were doing, while others were watching a sports game, unrelated music videos, or just general tv programming, none of which could be heard... great! (not). =P

The addition of associated (music videos) and/or even non-associated (graphics, animation, text, etc. selected by us) visual imagery that can be manipulated by us using turntables, cd/dvd decks, or just software is a HUGE evolutionary step (the 3rd actually, following dj'ing and turntablism) in the traditionally audio only art form of dj'ing.


- VT ConQuest
(Visual Turntablist)
 
When i first started playing, back when we first started walking upright, we didn't have any effects. We still rocked the party. Then I got a black light, and it was the shit. Then I got this little strobe light, boy I was hot shit. Then I went big time, and got a mirror ball, and then a police beacon. Now, when you put them all together, you have something. When you go into a club now, they have a million dollars worth of effects. Do you just stand there, and look at the effects all night? No, but you see them all night, and it's not just one effect, but the image that they all create. The videos are just another effect, but one that you can constantly change. You are making the classic mistake; looking at this through DJ eyes. You can't forget who we are playing to, patrons on some kind of mood altering drug, looking to get laid. They are in awe with the effects, not us. We are using all kinds of stuff, to create an atmosphere of pure fantasy, ultimate craziness. When I look at it, it's all bullshit, but we continue to look for the next thing to take their minds off of reality. Here's some more bullshit for you, text messaging. I don't get this at all. But guess what, they do, and I am looking into getting it myself. So, like the other forward thinking DJs, I have jumped into video full force for the last two years. I make more money with it, just like I do for my light show, and my club and mobile customers love it. I decided I wanted to be in the forefront of this, not bringing up the rear. Once you decide to catch up, I'll be on the next new thing. It looks real nice when I have "Don't cha wish your DJ, could mix like me" scrolling across the bottom of the screen.
 
Pehaps "mixing" anything isn't all that important as much as if the "next" song is the right one to follow the track currently playing.

That being said, if one has ever witnessed a master at mixing videos one will never ever be satisfied with what ever skills one thought they had. That was clearly evidenced at the DJ Expo in Atlantic City, NJ, this past August. No idea who it was doing the demo/mixing however he had the entire arena mesmerized with his skill, cleverness, feel, touch, and vision.

Do I need to do that? No. Do I want to learn? Desperately!
 
I love having video as a weapen. I use probably every other wk at a location and that's only because of the mood i'm in. But i've had people come up to me a say " My friend saw my picture last weak on screens, can you take another one us together? " I think it brings a sense of connection to you. I have seen woman try to copy the shadow dancers movement because it's sexy. My general manager loves when I put drink features up on the screen just before I do a floor rotation. Liquor promotors love coming to locations where they used to bring hot girls in skimpy outfits and free samples. Now they do the same thing but bring a sample video of the product. All I have to do is place it decrypter and 1 minute later I have new addition. Then I ad my own little spin to it.

Private parties like to have the screen filled with slideshows of thier pictures or anouncements. It just add another way stimulating the senses. It doesn't replace my job but it just adds a little different appeal of has been done for the past 30+ years.

I have received ballgame tickets, extra cash, concert tickets, invite to corparate parties. Now, I'm not saying that I get all this just because of video. I work very hard to add personality behind it.

But, I find it amazing that when another DJ has been at the same location almost as long as me and NO ONE even knows his name, not even the staff members. The only reason they keep him around is because they want a different style than mine.
 
Interesting debate as video goes main stream, check out my site n click the equipment page/VJ to see old skool VJ system from three years ago. www.diamonddiscos.co.uk

video is great but it's only an add on, creating an atmosphere from the music is what it's about still

I have to quote: The biggest thing I have found is the 'non-dancing' crowd. When I have people just hanging around waiting for their dance or they just don't dance, it gives them something to be entertained with other than watching the dance floor.

I say: I have to agree totally!!!! from experience.

The conclusion I come to is that video is good but only reall early door as an add on.
 


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