Before diving into our topic today, we would like to clarify that our theme for the day is not the "sound and light show" as traditionally understood, which is a show of fireworks or holograms, all set to music. Specifically, this content is about sound and lighting during a festive moment, such as a party. When we talk about the organization of a festive event, whether it's a themed party, a birthday, or any other occasion, it's not uncommon to want to enhance the party with the help of a crazy atmosphere, with sound, music, and lights, which heat up the atmosphere and lead everyone into a spiral of enthusiasm and happiness. To define as clearly as possible the entirety of these two concepts, sound and lighting during a party or event, we will compartmentalize them into two axes: the first will be sound, and the second will be light.
It is important to know that the so-called "Sound and Light" shows are typically French events, to the point that even Anglo-Saxons and Asians refer to their "Light Shows" as "Sound and Light" shows.
To simplify and clarify, we will refer to the person in charge of sound at the event as a DJ, or a turntablist, in good French. And as for everything related to lighting and visual ambiance, we will then talk about a light jockey or a lighting designer (but this second term is less commonly used in the profession).
The DJ or turntablist is an entertainer who selects, broadcasts and mixes music for an audience, whether it be for a radio show, in a nightclub or for a specific event. At the origins of the activity, the DJ was a presenter who produced sound effects with his voice and above all, as the English term indicates, with a turntable carrying a 45 or 33 rpm record. The original term DJ therefore referred to the person who held the microphone and intervened in real time on the instrumental version of a record (often on the B-side) in Jamaican sound systems. One can consider that he is a vocal artist on par with the singer. His vocal style is a mixture of spoken, rhythmic and sung voices, and prefigures that of the rapper. The term then became more generalized to describe the musicians of the various currents of electronic music, whether they are original creators, interpretive players, singers, accompanying storytellers, or arrangers practicing the art of mixing and recording on multiple analog or digital supports. The function of the DJ in France finds its origins in two determining factors of the 20th century: the creation of the first radio stations around the time of the First World War which developed in the 1930s, and the creation of discotheques. In parallel, the profession developed at the radio stations in the 1950s, thanks to the influence of the United States: music took up more and more space in programming. In the end, it was on the other side of the English Channel, in England, that the profession became somewhat recognized towards the end of the 1960s during the era of Swinging London, in a few trendy clubs in the British capital.
The Light Jockey or lighting designer, on the other hand, is the name given to the person who handles the lighting system during an event, for example in a nightclub, discotheque, or a private event with, why not, what is called in the jargon a "mobile disco". The term is obviously derived from "disc jockey" (the famous DJ we just talked about at length, the one who juggles with records), "light jockey" meaning the one who "juggles" with lights. Although often neglected and little recognized, the role of the light jockey is very important in a nightclub. In addition to triggering lighting effects during the evening, he generally takes care of all the technical aspects: maintenance of sound and lighting systems, and sometimes even video. He is part of the permanent staff of establishments. The light jockey works closely with the DJ and the artistic director, as he must be in tune with the tone and atmosphere that must prevail. The main objective is to give coherence between the lighting atmosphere and the music, in order to guide the dancers. Secondarily, the light jockey highlights a room in order to give an artistic and decorative coherence to the place where the party or show takes place. For the public, it offers a grand visual show similar to a big spectacle, in order to immerse them in an artistic universe and allow them to escape, as everyone is unconsciously influenced by lighting. Therefore, thanks to the different ambiances and light effects created, the light jockey is able to elicit a very specific psychological state: admiration, excitement, energy or even calm. In the lighting design profession, reference is made to the notion of the collective unconscious. Some professionals even think that it can influence behavior in front of the bar.