VJ Kung Fu: Structure in VJ Performance from Momo the Monster on Vimeo.
Sometimes, paradoxically, doing more prep and adding more structure is what allows you to really let loose when you improvise. That’s true of music, and it’s just as true of visuals.
You’ve no doubt seen “button-mashing”, chaotic VJ sets – and maybe, in weaker moments, done that a bit yourself. And I’m sure there’s a place for that. But our friend Momo the Monster wonders in a new video how he might make the most of live improv by structuring his clips a bit in advance. Using vdmx – ideally suited to the purpose with its customizable, semi-modular nature – he sets up four layers. As he describes it:
- 1. Background – Scene-setting clips.
- 2. Playground – Video Instruments (Quartz Composer)
- 3. Foreground – Elements on black, textures.
- 4. Overlay – Logos, text.
Making this a bit more interesting, he also takes advantage of VDMX’s Quartz Composer integration to make some of those elements more interactive. (The free Apple tool easily creates simple visual elements with controllable inputs using a patching interface.)
The final rig:
- VDMX 5 for Mac
- Evolution UC-33 for some quick faders and knobs
- monome 128 open-source light-up botton interface
- Logitech gamepad
Of course, you could certainly adapt this sort of approach to your own favored hardware/software configuration – and those layers might well look very different. To me, what’s important here is that he did do the planning, providing a structure in which more freedom is possible. If you have to find clips and set up layers onstage, you don’t have the flexibility to actually play with those elements. But with pre-planning, the boring setup is done, and the play begins.
(If you do use VDMX, there’s a free download.)
A New Kung Fu
The tutorial is available via the newly-updated VJ Kung Fu site. If you like this tutorial, there’s a lot more there – now easier to explore thanks to a video browser and Vimeo videos.
Awesome stuff Momo. Great to see how you're using the Monome, and especially with the 12 key midi note mapping. I dig the bar-dropping thing, that's lovely.
one more demontration, that a good set needs good visual ideas and good content. the visuals you are presenting here are horrible bad !
@'better visuals' – this is an example of sticking some of my existing content library into this new structure. I'll admit it's not my finest work – I was mostly concerned with demonstrating the system and less with creating an amazing set.
Sorry that my visuals offended you so 🙂
nicely explained momo, put much better and more simply than i would have done it. i use a very similar set of concepts when creating my content and always try to bear in mind what role it may play in a finished performance, it helps to keep me away from the mashed up video look. i dont think i have made a "complete" video for years now, everything i make is a component to be used in live compositing. using this pattern can also help with the age old "how to sort my vj library" question as i then file parts in folders such as foreground, background, feature, audio reactive and a few others.
I have been making and downloading clips then playing around with them in VDMX using a massive variety of different layouts to try and get my head around how i should structure things but this has really given me much more solid ground to work with now thanks dude 😀
Now i need to reprogram my Remote Zero & get my XBox controller working with VDMX :p
excellent video. I am a starting VJ and this gave me a lot of new insight and new ideas.
thank you!
Momo,
how are you integrating the gamepad? I bought a rumblepad 2 corless, but have yet to get it working. thx
[url =http://basertas.indieword.com/view/tramadol-free]tramadol pay cod PLEASE [/url] [url =http://www.thatshiphop.com/JanisBiBs]soma on line Paratrooper [/url] [url =http://www.dontstayin.com/members/xanax-overnight]xanax fed ex analogous [/url] [url =http://www.freecodesource.com/user/profile-360661.html]overnight soma cod gues [/url] [url =http://www.dontstayin.com/members/buy-tramadol-online]tramadol no rx needed morgantinker [/url] [url =http://www.freecodesource.com/user/profile-360520.html]gerneric viagra inmates [/url] [url =http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/profile/Fartolvis]cheap real viagra thatched [/url] [url =http://blog.bakililar.az/dertyxelf/6575/]xanax no script foggy [/url] [url =http://blog.bakililar.az/dertyxelf/6578/]valium tablet Shedlock [/url] [url =http://www.cellsea.com/user/home/CR4b5640393575d]diazepam no prescription needed session [/url] [url =http://www.dontstayin.com/members/overnight-ultram]ultram dosage exploiting [/url] [url =http://www.connectusers.com/community/profile/asbetrost/]order Klonopin cod Rhoda [/url] [url =http://www.dontstayin.com/members/viagra-overnight]generic online viagra MariePerezbigpond [/url]
What company are you calling from? Model Youngest
046915
I went to Nn Top 100 😀
I saw your advert in the paper Pthc Ranchi
sgtim