how "techie" should a good VJ be?

pifco · Post by **pifco** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 21:32

I sometimes feel VJs get lost in technology.
How computer literate does a good VJ need to be?

levon · Post by **levon** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 03:46

i think the more you know about anything, music, film, software, hardware etc, the easier, and better your performance will be. i dont think learning something new will ever take you in the wrong direction.

SuperficiaL · Post by **SuperficiaL** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 13:24

totaly agree with levon...
oh and by the way, i feel if u get lost in something its more of a shortage of knowledge instead of too much knowledge (in general that is, not meant to diss Pifco)...

continuity-B · Post by **continuity-B** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 18:09

You should know your way about your chosen medium enough to have sufficient control over it so you can say or do what you want with it.

So I'd agree with the first 2 poll choices and there's absolutely no need at all to be an IT expert.

A little naiivety and playfulness can go a long way too, since you have less conventional expectations of what your medium is for/can do.

I agree totally about some VJs 'getting lost in technology' even to the point of forgetting what it's about IMO - the content...

mfo · Post by **mfo** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 09:31

Originally posted by continuity-B
I agree totally about some VJs 'getting lost in technology' even to the point of forgetting what it's about IMO - the content...

I absolutely agree. I would even say "many VJ's".

SuperficiaL · Post by **SuperficiaL** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 09:57

i believe that one of the many challenges in vjing is knowing everything there is to know about software/hardware/video/beamers/and so on and still keeping your "naive" and playfull vision...

continuity-B · Post by **continuity-B** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 13:21

Creativity comes before technical knowledge for me - I go by the idea that if you're creative enough you'll find out how to make it work as a matter of course.

You definitely need a 'good working knowledge', by definition obviously, but that is not the same as 'everything there is to know', which I don't think you *need* to be a good VJ as long if your ideas are good and well realised.

What I mean is I don't think technology should lead your creative practice, unless your work is specifically 'about' technology.

Learning new working possibilities and methods is always good, don't get me wrong, but they are not an end in itself for me.