THE PLAN

week 1 Vocabulary and reference

• History and vocabulary pass: expanded cinema, Vasulka and the Experimental Television Center, Nam June Paik, club-era VJing
• Core vocabulary: layers, blend modes, feedback loops, sync versus free-run
• Build a reference reel of 15–20 clips, each with a one-line note on what it is doing technically
• Write down three aesthetic directions to pursue
• Confirm TouchDesigner and VDMX both run cleanly on the machine

Deliverable·Reference reel and direction notes

week 2 Retooling existing networks for live

• Audit existing networks against live-performance needs: frame rate discipline, GPU load under audio-reactive stress, network bloat
• Build or refactor a feedback network for live tweakability — exposed pulse, level and decay rather than baked animation curves
• Wire audio reactivity to exposed macro controls rather than hardcoded parameters

week 3 Shaders and stress-tested pieces

• GLSL for live contexts — quick-iteration shader work with exposed uniforms
• Build two VJ-ready pieces: parameterized, hot-swappable, stable frame rate under 20+ minutes of simulated live load

Deliverable·Two performance-optimized TouchDesigner pieces with exposed live controls and verified stable frame rate

week 4 VDMX orientation

• Interface orientation via VIDVOX's official VDMX training playlist
• Layers and media bins — build a minimal two-layer patch

week 5 Effects chains and blend modes

• Effects chains, Quartz Composer plugins, blend modes
• Expand the patch to four layers

week 6 Controller mapping

• MIDI/OSC mapping basics — map a hardware or virtual controller to key parameters

week 7 Audio analysis in VDMX

• Audio analysis inside VDMX — a separate system from TouchDesigner's, and worth knowing both
• Finalize the patch

Deliverable·Performance-ready four-layer VDMX patch, MIDI-mapped, audio-reactive on at least one chain

week 8 Syphon and NDI routing

• Route the Phase 1 TouchDesigner pieces live and confirm VDMX receives them as layers

week 9 Content library structure

• Build a content library structure: pre-render versus live-feed rules, naming and tagging for fast recall mid-set
• Organize the Phase 1 pieces into it

week 10 Hybrid patch

• A generative TouchDesigner network feeding VDMX live, triggered and mixed from inside VDMX

Deliverable·Working TouchDesigner → VDMX live pipeline

week 11 Controller and first practice

• Choose and map a controller — hardware, or OSC from a tablet if going software-only
• Practice layer-triggering along to a track, no recording yet

week 12 Practice set one

• Recorded practice set #1, one track or genre, no do-overs
• Review afterward: where the hesitation was, where the room was lost

week 13 Practice set two

• Recorded practice set #2 in a different genre, targeting the weak points from set #1

week 14 Practice set three

• Recorded practice set #3 — syncing to a DJ or live-set feel, reading pacing
• Review all three sets together

Deliverable·Three recorded practice sets with self-review notes

week 15 MadMapper basics

• Install MadMapper and calibrate a flat-surface test

week 16 Non-flat surfaces

• Warp content onto a physical object

week 17 Live content through the map

• Route TouchDesigner-generated content through the mapped output live

week 18 Mapped installation

• Finalize a mapped installation piece using content from earlier phases

Deliverable·One physically-mapped piece, photographed and filmed

week 19 Capstone planning

• Plan the capstone set: track list and patch prep

week 20 Rehearsal

• Rehearse the full set two or three times, refining transitions

week 21 The set

• Perform and film the full live set — real gig or self-shot at real tempo, no edits

week 22 Reel and review

• Edit the footage into a three-to-five minute portfolio reel
• Review the full curriculum and note which phase to go deeper on next

Deliverable·Filmed live set and portfolio reel