A DJ visual brief your event VJ can actually use
Before commissioning visual files, collect the information that connects the artwork to the real show. This checklist is for DJs, artist teams, clubs and festivals arranging remote content production—not a universal export preset.
Reviewed · By Flow Visuals
Name the operator and the delivery deadline
Identify the person who will load and operate the visuals: your artist VJ or the event VJ. Ask who can confirm the playback specification and who can approve a test. A booking contact and a technical playback contact may be different people, so do not leave that distinction until delivery day.
Provide the performance date and a separate file-delivery deadline that leaves time for testing. Flow Visuals produces remotely; onsite operation and equipment remain with your show team. If several venues are involved, collect requirements for the confirmed dates rather than assuming one layout covers the tour.
Request the actual screen canvas
Ask for pixel dimensions of the playback canvas and a layout drawing where available. Find out whether the VJ uses one combined canvas, separate files per screen or a master image cropped into several areas. The physical size of an LED wall is not enough to establish the image dimensions or composition.
Mark important areas for faces, artist names and logos, including gaps between screens or sections that will be cropped. Specify any requested portrait, square or promotional versions separately. Do not pick a resolution from this article: the correct canvas should come from the event's technical team.
Separate identity assets from visual references
Supply your preferred logo artwork, exact name spelling, approved photos or artist imagery and any brand rules. Explain which references show the mood, colours or pacing you want. Also say what you want to avoid. A precise description of a visual direction is more useful than a long folder of examples with no explanation.
For lyric visuals, provide the approved text and the passages to feature. Check that you are authorised to use any supplied artwork, footage and imagery. Flag missing material early; a temporary logo or an unapproved portrait should not silently become the basis of a final visual identity.
Freeze the audio version for mapped sequences
For track mapping, provide the exact final audio version. For full-set mapping, include the agreed order and transitions. Identify the passages where a visual change matters, and explain any live edits, tempo changes or possible early mix-outs. Replacing the recording later can change the timing relationship.
Agree how the VJ starts and stops mapped content, and what they should use if the performance deviates from the plan. A loop package can remain flexible, but a timed sequence needs its own playback instructions. Do not assume a particular timecode or software setup unless the operator confirms it.
Let the playback team specify the exports
Request the accepted container and codec, frame rate, canvas dimensions and any limit or preference the actual playback setup requires. Ask whether files should contain audio and whether transparency is needed for any asset. These are questions to resolve, not a claim that every format or feature is included in every package.
Share this specification before production and confirm the agreed deliverables in the brief. A familiar file extension does not prove that a file is suitable: the encoding, dimensions and playback environment matter too. Keep the original technical response available so later revisions do not rely on someone remembering the settings.
Test the final version in the intended setup
Ask the VJ to load and test the delivered files before show day. Check aspect ratio and cropping, readable names and faces, loop transitions, the start point of mapped sequences and whether playback stays aligned with the supplied audio. If a screen layout cannot be tested physically, agree how the operator will check the canvas and flag the limitation.
Label the approved version clearly and keep it separate from previews and superseded exports. Confirm that the operator has the final files, knows which scenes are loops or mapped sequences and understands any remaining limitations. If something fails the test, describe the file, version, setup and exact symptom so the right adjustment can be discussed.