Visually grooving

• Source: Global Times
• [09:03 July 19 2010]
• Comments

VJ Hean performing. Photo: Courtesy of Blakeney and Hean

By Nick Muzyczka

Video jockeys or VJs produce and perform visual displays, typically accompanying DJs or live musicians, often in bars. The Shanghai VJ scene is still somewhat small, but according to Tina Blakeney, a visual artist from Australia, there are more and more people becoming involved.

"There are somewhere in the region of a dozen artists that I know personally and have worked with, a mix of locals and expats," she told the Global Times.

With rising access to technology, producing visual content is becoming increasingly popular. Blakeney, who performs under the name Tina Sprinkles, has been involved with creating visuals for the last 10 years.

"I started off working on film, expanded cinema and experimental screenings back in Australia. After arriving in Shanghai and seeing that there weren't many people VJ-ing I wanted to help establish the scene more firmly."

Blakeney's work as a visual designer is mostly freelance, complementing her main job as director of events at the Chinatown burlesque club.

Her designing also extends to corporate work, including creating videos for branding and other marketing events.

"Corporate work is where all the money is, but none of the fun," she said.

VJ Hean, a South Korean visual artist who has been living in Shanghai for two years, also views VJ as a part-time activity. "It is hard to survive on a VJ wage, so I also work as a motion graphic designer. I'm actually really lucky to work in a field so closely related to VJ-ing," she said.

Blakeney typically performs live and uses programs that allow her to manipulate pre-made content.

As the DJs work through their sets, she switches between different tracks, creating loops and adding various effects in real-time.

"It's all in the moment, which is one reason I like working with the Acid Pony boys (two French DJs and music producers). I know their music very well and work with the rhythm and feel of their tunes. I tend to use a lot of layering effects, with maybe three or four different video clips going on at the same time to create new textures."

VJs will often synch effects to the beat of the music, using their keyboards in a similar manner to a piano, bringing up different video clips with different buttons.

Blakeney sometimes uses a sequenced set of videos that work well with a particular track, while at other times she manipulates the ordering randomly. "When I play live, I don't like to over-plan because I enjoy what is created spontaneously," she added.

Improvisation is also crucial for Hean: "I usually make short video clips (5-20 seconds) before a show, and use 300-500 clips for a given set. I mix these short clips and add in some live effects. I try to avoid playing long, pre-made videos, because it's not really VJ-ing then. You might as well just use a DVD player at that point."

"I listen to musicians' music for at least a week to get a feel for their style and beats. For musicians from abroad, I take time getting to know their music. When on stage, this helps me follow their music better and flow creatively with them," said Hean.