contents analysis 1

The colour is predominantly purple with an evident filter to make the hand itself appear purple. Moreover, the colouring of the image itself is one tone, which keeps it minimalistic, enphaisimg the way jazz should arguably be portrayed, due to the sophistication and passion behind it.  The subheadings are highlighted by purple, following the colour theme. The mix of the two colours purple and white add a sense of minimalistic consistency and also appeals to the eye.Additionally, the colour purple isn't particularly gender specific, thus its applicable to wider audience. For my magazine I want to use consistent colours throughout of possibly yellow or orange, to emphasise the connotations, that are traditional jazz. Additionally, this supports the point of minimalist colours, which supports jazz being reinvented rather than its history and prior sophisticated audience to be lost through too many modern aspects.

The image it's self is an image dominating background. Image dominated backgrounds are used to tell a story. In this instance it's used to portray the focus on hands, most likely a musicians hand, to demonstrate the intensity and passion consumed by the genre. It's the dominating image to explicitly demonstrate that the artist ( or instrument ) is the most important aspect in jazz. Particularly, by showing no face this empathises that identity and status in jazz isn't valued as much as genres like pop, for example. Again, this reinstates the tradition and history Jazz has produced. The image is of a hand holding a cigarette. This demonstrates it is an older jazz magazine, yet follows the codes and conventions. This is because smoking and jazz were heavily connected through jazz clubs, where it was promoted. The image is very minimalist, as its a closeup, it shows solely the hand and the cigarette. The way in which this image is so effective, is that it only shows merely a photo of a hand holding a cigarette. However, by just looking at the image, and seeing the pearls and cigarettre (associated with the 1920's), it conveys very strong messages and inferences that this Is a jazz magazine. I really enjoy the idea of making smoking look so elegant and minimalistic, like this cover has done. The positive is it still follows the codes and conventions and will allow me to use it as an example of a traditional element. 

The fonts used are minimalistic and traditional, varying small amount throughout the page, yet they have added their own sense of brand by making letters larger than the other. I want to use this as inspiration for my magazine, to create a unique sense of brand on fonts- therefore I will plan out a way to make my fonts unique, such as an emoji in the font, to suit and address the modern audience.

Each of the main articles has a large description of what it entails  For jazz readers this is very helpful as it demonstrates what specific information they will read about, as this is very important to them. It also shows that the articles have had alot of dedication and time spent on them, in order to have so many main, large paged articles. 

For my magazine I want to follow the convention of using a description, as this will pull the  jazz audience in further, if they see that the article will be very knowledgable and specific for the genre. 

The text is all positioned around the image itself. This makes the image stand out alot more, particularly as its an image dominated photo, the text around it really enphasies its importance of the messages it conveys- like sophistication and keeping the history of jazz (the smoking) alive.

I want to challenge this convention by having the articles over the image, this is because I want to stress the proudness of the articles, showing how much time, research ,knowledge and dedication went into them. Rather than divert the attention towards the photo, to suit my aims I want to attract attention towards the text.

cover analysis 3

The colour follows the traditional blue and yellow colour theme, that many old jazz magazines used. This is unusual as it is a modern magazine. Although for my magazine my overall idea is to fuse modern and traditional. As stated in my initial ideas, I am fond of using these colours and using different elements of modern magazines, or changing the colours and using elements of traditional magazines. Additionally the background colour is black in order to create a contrast for Wayne Shorter to be the main focus. Particularly, it creates the contrast so the instrument, being gold, stands out more than his clothing. Overall, due to lighting and colour his face and instrument draw the most attention. This follows the usual theme that the artist and their instrument is the most valued piece of the genre- instead of the focus being on the materialistic and marketed flamboyant clothing or jewellery other genres like pop are recognised for. For my magazine I want to follow the idea of having the instrument and artist as the prime focus, in order to address the target market with the same genuinely jazz magazines have always used. Also, by using contrast of colour to highlight the most important parts of jazz, ( instrument and artist over marketing of facade ) it means more of the target audience will be inclined to buy and promote it, in support of the dying tradition.

The significant difference, as this is a modern magazine, to a traditional magazine is the text/font. As shown below there is minimal text in more traditional magazines as jazz listeners in particularly 60s/70s were very dedicated and passionate about jazz and therefore knew the content would apply to their interests, them whatever was written. However as content has changed over time, such as interviews, this means the people who read magazines expect new and unique information presented on it. The fonts used on this look very modern such as 'Helvetica'. This shows that the magazine 'all about jazz' has succumbed to the modern generstion, 'moving with the times'. Ultimately, this would've been done as a desperate tactic to keep/attract readers, instead of reinventing jazz (which I aim to do), this magazine loses some of its roots and uniqueness from other magazines by converting to moderinity.  For my magazine i aim to use fonts relating to the era of jazz, such as the 20s or 60s/70s. Additionally I will use mainly black fonts throughout, in order to maintain the traditional magazine essence. Also, it creates a sense of consistence and brand. I enjoy the idea of using dots in between the title or between other text as it brings a modern touch and uiqueness.

The image itself depicts Wayne Shorter dressed in black with a black background. This emphasises that jazz is a genre based on passion and devotion; its getting the message across that jazz, in the perception of 'all about jazz', should keep its traditional background, and not be consumed to fit in to a modern society. Rather than attracting audiences through face value and materialism, e.g cars, gold chains etc shown for instance in hip hop / pop or rock magazines, the main ' dominating image' (therefore the main message) shows that the artist / instrument are valued over anything else. This is a modern jazz magazine which shows a modern jazz artist. By using this is is appealing to perhaps the younger generation who want to become more involved in jazz, as they don't have the knowledge of original jazz artists.  I enjoy the idea of using minimalist colours for the model to emphasise the artist itself. As an alternative i feel i could make the photo black and white and contrast it with a bold coloured background. This brings direct attention to the artist yet stays true to the codes and conventions of traditional jazz magazines.

The prop used is a a traditional jazz instrument, the saxophone, keeping the conventions true to jazz. The photographer has chose to have the instrument and body positioned closely together and both in sight is in order to show the equality, and stress how important and influential instruments are for the genre. Additionally, as this is a modern magazine, it features insiders along side the photo. From my research I can conclude this would've been done as an aim to attract more or varied types of readers. Also, from analysing older magazines it seems the positioning of the title hasn't changed, it still remains above the image. This creates a sense of brand and legacy to the reader, whilst using a more modern font the magazine is able to satisfy both moving with the times and keeping some historic roots.The positioning of the image itself primarily follows basic codes and conventions of a music magazine, as it has a dominating image of the artist, insiders, a title, date etc. However, the difference is, it uses undertones of traditional routes of jazz mentioned above. For instance, the importance of the instrument placement. This is to ensure the more dedicated jazz readers are still being aimed at, to ensure their loyalty, also it maintains the theme of jazz being revitalised not completely reinvented. For my magazine I am likely to do the text above the image, like all the front covers analysed. This enables me to follow the codes and conventions perfectly. Additionally, I aim to include text along side the photo, such as insiders, or jazz artists, to include more modern elements. 

cover analysis 2

Immediately, the luminous yellow colour strikes the readers attention. This creates a bold contrast to the artist itself, Ella Fitzgerald. This infers the focus should primarily be on the artist. Additionally, the only other colour is a minimalist black, which supports my point on the main focus being the artist. This follows the prominent jazz magazine theme of ( especially in the 50's when this was published ) the artist or their instrument being the most important aspect to jazz enthusiasts. This is mainly due to jazz being a very particular genre, a genre that is grasping and requires a lot of dedication and passion. Therefore the focus needs to be on the most important aspect to relate to the reader, as the traditional magazines are always targeted at intense jazz fans. For my magazine, i enjoy the idea of the colour luminous yellow as it immediately catches the readers eye. I also enjoy yellow as its views as a modern colour, as well as a traditional, since it has been revitalised into the trend of bright dramatic colours through the 2000's. This follows my overall aim of attempting to fuse modern and traditional elements to attract both common jazz readers and new modern readers. Moreover, i am fond of the black and white focus image. This is because it brings the element of old jazz being rooted in history, as well as being heavily influential in the past. The old fashioned vibe of my black and white photo allows me to create an explicit example of the traditional and modern fusion. 

The image is positioned centrally, therefore its intended to attract instant attention. This demonstrates that the artist / instrument in jazz is the main focus, and the main reason for the target market to buy the magazine- rather than the focus on lots of artists. Additionally, the title of her name is in very small print next to her. This emphasises that jazz is focused on the artist itself. Instead of using large bold fonts to show that the magazines main focus is her, they chose the minimalistic route. This follows the codes and conventions, as its directly targeting the jazz audience, who will instantly know who the artist is without a large font to do so. Although I enjoy the idea of having minimalist fonts, the model featured on my magazine will be reasonably unknown in the jazz industry and by the community, no where near to how well known Fitzgerald was. 

The fonts used looks very basic, yet due to the boldness and curved edges it makes it look more stereotypically associated with jazz This shows that when it was created,  jazz was very popular, therefore there was no need to address any other audiences other than the younger market at the time. Shown by the bold colouring of the background. Additionally, the fonts follow the conventional look by using a minimalist effect. As there is little text featured, not even about the contents. This demonstrates that the magazine understood the target market at the time wanted To know alot about one indvidual artist, with lots of experience and knowledge put into it ; over many artists being featured with less detailed information on them. I Am fond of using one artist and doing my DPS to be very knowledgable, rather than a shorter more brief article, and include more artists.

The image features a mid shot of the artist Ella Fitzgerald, this means the focus is just the right amount. However, there is no instrument shown, as she's a solo artist this is understandable however I want my magazine to really convey the importance of instruments, and to emphasise the talent alongside it, mirroring how much effort I put into conveying the conventions of jazz, like the artist puts into the music.

As this magazine is very old, it means the editing is done in a way which was the standard of that time. Editing has progressed massively since this, therefore it would be hard to create this printed and rustic look. I will spend time to research into editing photos to appear to be edited a long time ago. Which will help me prove traditional elements, and it will show the reader I dont want the history of jazz to be lost. It is quite nostalgic, to fit the traditional market, as old jazz magazines all featured b n w photos.

front cover analysis 1

The colours used on this front cover are both unusual at first glance however at further analysis could be justified. For instance the use of red and white are not necessarily jazz related. However, as this is a more modern magazine out my analysis's, the editor may have used abnormal colours as a diverting tactic to 'revitalise' jazz conventions. Ultimately, aiming for new markets. This particularly makes sense as Miles Davis was incredibly famous in the last century, which may cause readers to instantly judge the magazine as 'outdated'. However, it still follows the codes and conventions for instance (although it uses non 'jazz' colours) it uses minimal main colours, which a stereotypical jazz magazine-and out of all the magazines I analysed- have used. Additionally, Miles Davis has a blue coat on, which is recognised as a jazz colour, therefore this brings a traditional nature to the magazine. The white title isn't that distinguishable, as it blends with the two other main white headlines. This enforces that jazz times ( as it was founded in 1970 ) is a 'magazine devoted to jazz'. This encourages the idea of devotion and loyalty to the reader, hopefully influencing them to feel the same, similar to being part of a community. 

I enjoy the idea of using minimalist colours, perhaps using white too, to subvert classic bold jazz colours like orange or blue- bringing a sense of modernity and freshness. Additionally, I like the idea of using colour to represent traditional jazz. Therefore, I am opting to colour the photo black and white, to bring forth connotations of the long established genre.

The positioning of the Miles Davis himself is slightly off centre, whilst his instrument and hands are directly in it. This brings direct focus to the hands and instrument itself. Ultimately, this reinforces the common theme of jazz magazines using images and positioning to reinforce jazz is a genre of equality. The genre jazz, like the artists value their/the instruments as an equal or most significant part of their performance. This is what distinguishes the jazz look from other genres, because even magazines such as indie or pop use instruments in images, the artists aren't usually playing them. Additionally, the image is overlapping the masthead, 'jazz times'. Overlapping exaggerates the status of the artist over branding, because in jazz, the artist is the main importance. Particularly, this demonstrates to the reader that the core principles of jazz aren't being lost, and thus the magazine is aimed at dedicated jazz magazine readers/musicians/listeners. To further my point, a person who is passionate and knowledgeable about jazz will instantly be drawn to the image of Miles Davis rather than buy the magazine based on the brand. Fundamentally, its showing jazz inst a part of the new wave of branding and marketing to attract masses of customers, especially as the history is usually lost along the lines. The positioning of the smaller texts are to the side. The fact they are significantly smaller and placed away from the main image emphasises the main article is about Miles Davis. Particularly, it horizontally contrasts with the larger text of 'bitches brew'. This means the reader will be subconsciously drawn away from the smaller text, and focus on the main story instead. Ultimately, this keeps a sense of focus and has been tactically used to attract the reader to read the article. I look to use a photo slightly off centre with an instrument, as i feel it creates an indirect focus. Which, ironically makes the reader concentrate more on the image as they have to look at different sections of the page, not just the centre. Which means they discover all the insiders etc used to reel them in. I also like the idea of making the smaller fonts the least important, or at least, less important than my featuring article,

The fonts used vary massively between traditional (like the 'Miles Davis') and modern fonts. Such as the 'bitches brew', is shown in a more modern font than traditional magazines use. Due to its complex structure. However, the curved sides and the funky edges convey a jazz/funk element. Which does fit jazz conventions, however this magazine has chose to adress the modern market more than the traditional.

For my magazine i want to adress both the markets equally, however through fonts i aim to stay traditional, however i may use some modern fonts as a balance and to take inspiration from this. Overall, too minimalist fonts might not attract many of the modern market, which goes against my aims. 

The image itself is very conventional, as it shows a midshot including both the artist and instrument. Which highlights the artist and instrument equality, as well as mass importance in the genre and for jazz fans. The facial expression gives the impression of being very passionate about the music, and also enphasises the artists have alot of musical talent and expertise. I Want to take inspiration from this and use a midshot angled photo, to get the right amount of the artist, to enforce the conventions of the artist and instument being so important, and keeping the main focus on them. 

preliminary task

 CONTENTS PAGE

Before I begin my music magazine, I produced a preliminary magazine. On my front cover i used the font 'Rosewood' as it has a comic essence. In order to reflect the enjoyable and exciting years the lower school will endure. Additionally it draws attention straight to the title, due to its significantly large font. This gives connotations to the reader of the proud and homely nature that Whitley Bay High School possesses. For my magazine I plan to use bold fonts that portray the message i want my magazine to send, such as sophistication and passion. 
Moreover, the colours all resemble the WBHS logo colours- as shows below. The logo mainly depicts shades of blue along with white, which give undertones of the coastal area WBHS is in- again creating a friendly, homely nature. I am fond of the idea that colours represent something particular, For my magazine the colours will represent the nature of jazz and express the positive connotations such as composed and relaxed. 

The WBHS logo inspiring the colour scheme.

  

COVER PAGE

The colour used follows the theme of the front cover in order to make the magazine feel whole and continuous- perhaps making the reader read on. It uses the different shades of blue and white again, to reflect the WBHS logo and the overall coastal theme. For my magazine, i would like to follow the traditional jazz theme, for instance regarding the blue and yellow colours, however bring in modern elements in order to attract younger audiences.  
The layout demonstrates hexagonal images in the centre of the page. This brings a contemporary and quirky element to it, which is unusual to see in a magazine. Therefore, this attracts both a wider and younger audience. I may add some quirky, but definitely modern elements to fuse with the traditional jazz genre. To reduce stereotypes of jazz being outdated and create open minds.+

initial ideas

intro

Hello ! WELCOME TO MY BLOG ! I am a student at Whitley Bay High School studying AS media. Here to blog my updates on my music media coursework- including research leading to the production of my own front cover, contents and double page spread.  I have chose to create a magazine inspired by jazz, in order to contribute to the reinventing movement. Jazz originated  in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and has since developed a stigma of being 'outdated' . Since the 1920's jazz age, jazz has become recognised as a major form of musical expression. Even the images below demonstrate the amount of passion, intensity and artistic nature that makes Jazz, Jazz.