What does a Live VJ do?
Live VJs are visual artists who create, curate, and improvise video for concerts, clubs, festivals, and other live events. They prepare or capture visual material, synchronize it with music and performance, and manipulate imagery in real time with playback, mixing, projection, and media-server tools.
At a Glance
Live VJs come from a number of educational backgrounds, including film, music, graphic design, and visual art. Most start out working nightclubs and bars, but may book gigs at festivals or even tour alongside a musical artist as they become more established. They could also start taking on contract work for high-profile going on tour.
Aspiring live VJs should aim to build exceptional videography and video editing skills, knowledge of a wide range of music, and a large collection of images, videos, and effects to remix live. A great reputation and large professional network are helpful for finding jobs, but in lieu of that, a sample video treatment of an album, concert setlist, or DJ playlist can serve well to demonstrate a live VJ's skills to a potential employer.
Video editing software; analog video manipulation; broad musical knowledge; comfort with a wide range of video styles (ambient, dance, psychedelic, etc.); lighting design; animation; 3D digital design; networking; live performance
Live VJs are cutting-edge visual artists who know a little bit about everything, from film editing and graphic design to music, fine art, and pop culture. They're usually interested in archival footage, nightclub culture, and remixing as an art form.
Live VJs lead varying lifestyles based on the types of work they pursue. Those who work mostly in the nightlife scene work, unsurprisingly, in the late afternoon and evening—although they're likely to spend part of the day searching for existing footage, shooting original video, and preparing a plan for the show, if not creating a video beforehand.
