On VJing with Resolume 2.0
Less than 48 hours before before the first concert I guess I've tried out the VJ software RESOLUME enough to say something about it.
RESO... WHAT?
Resolume is a neat looking and (for the most part) smooth functioning VJ software. I use it for "real time editing" of short snippets of movieclips that I've collected from various sources and will present on a live show with the band Autoband. I'm using Adobe Premiere Pro to import, edit and export the movie files. The files are exported and encoded as Microsoft AVI with Cinepak Codec by Radius and then imported to decks in Resolume.
CUT/RENDER TRICK
I'm not the most experienced user of Adobe Premiere but the program is quite intuitive. At least if you're used to MM Flash. Here's a trick that saved me lots of time: If you want to create many small bits from a large videofile you don't have to export/render them all one by one. Just cut the parts you want to keep and add them to the timeline as in a normally edited movie. Choose "Render work area" and when rendered all files should be found in the folder named "Adobe Premiere Pro Preview Files" normally where your project file is saved. Render all files while you eat and do yoga. (Thanks again JohanG!)
FLASH SUPPORT
The support for Flash movies, actionscript and variable-interaction makes it even more handy for a guy like me. So far I've just made a few simple flashfiles which are monochrome textfields jumping and skipping at small (random) intervals. Since you can alter the text from Resolume (AND apply effects to it) at realtime it actually has a lot of different uses. (I'll post these flashfiles and more in a separate section when I get the time to try it more out)
RENDER _AGAIN_
A problem with Resolume that appeared in the last hour here is that if you export your moviebits in the wrong way you get only white preview on your decks. Strangely enough this appears only after saving and loading the deck. The solution was to export from Premiere with the checkbox export keyframe every 1 frame. It's mentioned in the manual but not as a MUST DO...
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
One more thing: Resolume crashes sometimes. Hopefully it won't crash at the live show. I'll post a followup to this after it's all over. So far I've had most crashes at first import on .avi video files. For my concert I prepare all in decks, that may save me. That and some
luck. (On friday 13th...?)
Posted by jensk at May 12, 2005 12:12 AM
Oy, good luck ! Remember to provide your computer some extra attention before the concert, think positive thoughts of it, and don't forget to pray for the best to Bill.
The concert is over, it was great. Thanks to everyone who came out. Great sound, great projectors (Thanks to Tvibit) and color-contrast, no computercrash, crowded place and great feedback. We are now more than ever looking forward to the Insomnia Festival gig in august!
JohanG: Thanks for the support and the hardware/software-support. You know this machine... I did a defrag some hours before the gig and closed/removed as many apps as possible. I think this Dell has never felt better...!
