How to... Survive a 20 hour VJ set

Your memories of your last music festival, club night or gig might be a bit hazy, but there are always a few big moments that stand out. Your favourite act going on stage. The heady vibes of a 3am set. The time the lights went out and everything got weird. As a VJ - Video Jockey, mixing projected visuals live in the same manner as DJ - your role in helping craft these moments is that of a supporting actor. With a mix of Macgyver-esque improvisation, creative performance, ego suppression and mental endurance, the lessons learned from a (short lived) career putting images on screens to music can teach us a lot about surviving regular office life.

Make something strange out of something mundane

The core of a VJ’s work is taking a collection of images, video and generated graphics and mixing them live to create a visual atmosphere that plays along and twists itself into the narrative of the music. By applying a range of effects to crush, stretch and mutate the source material we can take a few clips from an 80s resort VHS and turn them into hours of theatre. 

Between diving into source material like this and animating content from the ground up there’s a limitless pallet to craft a show out of, however it can be a double-edged sword - creativity has to start from somewhere, and often constraints are the best route in to getting started. Trying to take a single element like a single line drawing onto screen and creating as many different variations as possible, or trying to pry something out of a source video like an advert for second hand furniture. It’s weird esoteric nonsense like this that will make your show (or personal brand) unique and something else.

Appreciate being part of the scenery

For all of the hours and effort VJs put into their craft, it is almost (with a few exceptions) entirely secondary to the primary act of the musician on stage. Preferential treatment is for others, as the majority of the time is spent lugging gear, trying to figure out odd production setups and standing in a dark corner. 

For the choice circumstances where you’re going to be closer to the action, compliments are often received from patrons through class-A induced grimacing and jaw clenching. All that said, it is a deeply satisfying feeling to be a part of building up and sustaining a huge party where everyone’s having a great time. So, enjoy it for what it is!

Get ready to improvise

Anyone who’s been able to peer into the world of live music production will have their stories of how things have gone pear shaped. From smoke machines choking out whole tents to power cuts covering half the site, it always pays to have a head for being able to think on your feet and jump outside your comfort zone to make a solution. 

There’s a bit of a free-for-all when you show up on site at 10am that can feel a bit like the chaotic rush to the line on an over-ambitious pitch. Your bag of every kind of cable and adapter will of course be missing the one you need that morning, and the person you need to brief you on who’s who and what’s what will of course be running between two other stages trying to replace projector bulbs and decipher poorly translated LED wall instructions. 

Having such valuable currency as a few different kinds of tape, a folding seat and a phone charger will serve as important bargaining chips and make you some new friends very quickly. Just make sure they don’t pinch them when you’re not looking.

Be stimulated

As teased in the title, there comes occasions when the shifts drag on a few hours. Running a festival stage can range anywhere from a few hours for the headliners to an all-day-and-night affair of non-stop button pressing and knob twiddling. Staying awake and alert is key. Before diet, the most easily overlooked component is the exhausting effect hours of live music has on the brain and on the soul. Aside from protecting future self’s hearing ability, a good pair of fitted earplugs will keep you going for hours and hours against relentless beats without sacrificing hearing quality. 

Stimulants of all varieties of legality, strength and duration have floated in and around the workspace of any VJ, but beyond the occasional awful tasting energy drink the most sustainable practise is remembering to take a quick break every couple hours and drink enough water to remain lucid and locked in to the beat.

Go with the flow

All things told there’s always going to be a new challenge that pops up that you didn’t expect. Artists bringing their own VJ who requires a totally different set up last minute. Brand managers breathing down your neck for not putting the sponsor logo of choice on screen every 5 seconds. Half the LED wall failing in the middle of a set. These are the crucible of many a good story and should be appreciated for the colour they add to life. If it all went to plan it’d be a bit dull.