Videofeedback is the process that occurs when you point a recording video camera at its monitor. A feedback loop is created when you do this. The video camera picks up the light from the monitor and then sends it back to the monitor a moment later. The delay caused by doing this changes the video by giving it multiple after-images or video echos trailing into a phantasmagoric center.

With a camera properly aimed at its monitor, it is possible to achieve the same optical mirror effect that two mirrors facing each other have, a repetitve moire effect. Other moire-istic patterns can also be made. When the camera is pointed dead center at the monitor display and rotated about its center of vision (roll the camera like a log), many interesting shapes can be created. Also if your video camera is equipped with zoom, macro zoom, focus, titlers, and other effects to the video image, you can adjust these and discover more video image changes. The same is true for your monitor too. By adjusting the hue and saturation controls, the image you create will change colors. It is also possible to place solid objects between the camera pick up and the monitor display. When done properly objects can appear to be floating in a psychedelic space.

A Videofeedback loop can also be called a video kaleidoscope, the kaliedoscopic imagery is fun to look at and you can control it in different ways than a conventional kaleidoscope. To achieve great looking videofeedback sequences it is important to have a good tv, video camera and and recording deck or camcorder. The better your camera, recording deck and monitor the better your recorded picture will be, however, there is a lot to be said for the old panasonic reporter-type camcorders.  I think these babies give you the best vfb. I suggest putting on your favorite music cd and recording it while you also create and record the videofeedback. Have fun.  ~ vid

Another suggestion for you vidio heads, I have, in the past, taken a 2 input production switcher and mixed two channels onto each other. One channel is a camera pointed at an object while the other is generating vfb.  If you do a borderless picture in picture overlay with the switcher/special effects generator, the object in the video will change the videofeedback and make it look cool.

Suggestion 3,  I also took an old Sony turntable-on-top modular receiver and hooked the audio line out signal to the video input on a monitor. Any video technician will tell you this is nuts and you may burn out your unit, so don't do this to your favorite gear. It really shouldn't hurt it but it is mis-using the video input. But I gotta tell you I took another monitor and hooked it up the same way as well. Then I took a cam and tilted it over onto its side, so it is 90 degrees to the floor. I locked that down with a head-on view of one monitor and then took another cam and locked it down with a standard head on view of the other monitor, no tilting this one over, unless it was to tilt the other way slightly. Then I ran both cams into a production switcher and mixed the horizontal image with the vertical image.  Then I played a record of a Strauss symphony through the Sony.  The reason for that choice was that the video becomes encoded with video "bars" representing the sound coming off the turntable. Loud music generates fat bars which overwhelm the final video you get.  But the violins in Strauss's piece produce beautiful traveling stars.

Suggestion 4: My Friend Stefan Heusler from Germany uses a mirror to affect the videofeedback. Point the camera at the monitor, get some good videofeedback going, then take a mirror and place it between the monitor and camera. Angle the mirror so you can reflect different things into the lens of the camera.  ~ vid      eofeedback