Dark October: The road less travelled

Standfirst

We at Lounge magazine, asked Dark October what he thought his best advice for anyone looking

to get up inside the jazz music scene was.

Dark October, also known as Elliott, is a new age jazz artist dedicated to reviving jazz. Elliott has been playing for 18 months now and his debut single ‘Near Green Hills’, was his claim to fame as it reached 35 million views on Youtube. Since then, the only way has been upwards, as he has signed with well known record label, ECM. and is looking forward to a tour of the UK in 2021. Thanks to ECM, his record label, we were able to ask him for his top tips for aspiring jazz artists.

Article
1. Never forget what you’re there for.
You can’t let the dream get out of sight, the moment you let it out of sight then you can basically say bye-bye to that dream coming to life. I know way too many people who had the vision and the potential but put their dreams aside for all the wrong reasons.
2. Sell yourself (Not like that!)
As a musician, you have to make yourself and sell yourself, and no not in the way that you’re thinking of! I can assure you that you aren’t the only local, unknown artist trying to make it big. You need to make yourself heard, put up posters and advertise your music on social media, do more than the next person who shares your dream.
3. Keep your friends and family close.
These people are the ones that are going to help you make this dream a reality so you cannot let yourself ruin relationships with these people, without them you are nothing. Once you’re at the top, if you don’t have the people who were with you from the start then you haven’t been successful in your endeavours.
4. A top quality instrument will be your best friend
Now I’m not saying that your actual best friend isn’t going to keep being your best friend but it is vital to have a sweet instrument that you can rely on. I know that price can be a difficulty but without my special little trumpet I’d be a nobody. I’ve had my old reliable for ages now and I can confidently say it has never failed me to this day.
5. Give yourself something to be recognisable
The importance of standing out in this industry cannot be overestimated, there are thousands of young musicians around and unless you have something unique then you will be just another musician in an ocean of originality. For me, I love to wear colourful and jazzy socks. My collection is endless and it helps me stand out to potential record labels and artists so I can make it big.
6. Stay the hell out of trouble
The kryptonite for young artists is getting all mixed up with the law and that’s not gonna look good for you unless you’re in the rap game, where it seems like being gangster is the entry requirement into a record deal. For everyone else, it’s much easier to just stay out of fights and everything else illegal, and don’t get hooked on illegal substances. Not until it’s legal anyway…
7. You cannot overstate the importance of snacks.
This is less of a serious tip but being a jazz artist that has had numerous studio sessions and countless road trips to concerts and without sufficient snacks and refreshments you will utterly regret it man. Whether it is to fulfil your hunger or to basically pass the time, you need snacks. My advice, Skittles… and lots of them.
8. Buy yourself a pet, seriously
If I couldn’t go home to my precious Domino after a tiring performance then what is the point in even performing. Being greeted by a pet when you come home doesn’t compare to anything, it is my favourite feeling. My cat, Domino loves to unwind to jazz records with me and I look forward to seeing him all day long. Actually, I might be more excited to see my cat than I am to see my girlfriend, I hope she doesn’t see this.
9. Keep your options open.
The harsh truth is that not everybody is going to make it big, so take every opportunity that you can which could make you a better, more successful person. You have to give your all to music but focusing on college is going to be crucial for your future and your growth as a cool human being.
10. Materialistic items don’t guarantee happiness
The amount of people who associate success with items like expensive clothes and cars and mansions is crazyyyyy, but I’m not about to tell you how to be happy. If it floats your boat then good on you, go get yourself some expensive s*** and be happy. But for everyone else, enjoying the little things is where it’s really at; sunsets, animals, good music, eating good food. Man the list could go on forever but you gotta find happiness in other ways because you won’t always be rich.

Dark October won the Promising Young Musician of 2020 by The Guardian and is looking forwards to huge amounts of success in the future and there is lots of potential for Elliott with his new record label.

As Elliott was leaving he told us it was a pleasure and his final remark was ‘Are you going to finish those’ as he looked at the editor eating a bag of skittles, to which the editor replied ‘Go ahead’. He must really like those snacks…

Article By Billy Anderson

For my location shoot yesterday I went to Castle Cornet with my model to take photos for my magazine. I wanted to capture the jazz genre and I chose this model because I feel that he showed resemblance to a musician and I requested that he comes in a tuxedo and then I slicked back his hair with gel and provided him with a trumpet and a retro microphone as they both helped to convey my genre. I also provided him with a small jeweled ring because the small details are important to me and I also supplied him with a pair of socks with colourful cherries on as I would classify them as jazzy. I used close ups, high and low angles, midshots and rule of three’s to give myself a wide range of options when it comes to choosing my favourite shots for my magazine. I was very fortunate to be able to shoot on a day where the sun was very bright as it created a very adequate lighting for my shots. If I could redo the shoot then I would make sure I took more photos with the right exposure and focus as I have too many that could have been excellent however they were ruined by terrible exposure and being out of focus.

I am a big fan of the lighting in this as it is very similar to that of a jazz club and it is very lowkey to show the relaxed mood associated with jazz and in the background it is like they are curtains to a dressing room and my model has just come out to perform. I wish I could have shown more of the frame as there was some barriers that looked very professional.

 

I used a low shot for this photo and it looks like a professional photo of a jazz musician entering a venue or leaving a show and I feel that this photo would be very effective to accompany an article and there is lots of space in the sky to put text to go around the model. The road that the model is on has been shot to look like the road to glory or fame and that is emphasised by using rule of three’s and putting him in the centre of the shot to show his importance and popularity.

 

I was very passionate about this shot because it would make a great double page spread as the artist is to one side of the photo and there is plenty of room to place the text and it also promotes the chilled out side of the jazz genre to appeal to jazz fans. I really like this photo because it looks like an album cover and I was very lucky with the lighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click this link to see the original

 

I have decided that on my double page spread I am going to include a 10 top tips, and to help myself write this I am going to analyse ‘Q (September 2017) 10 commandments, unknown author’.

In the article there is clear evidence of the key journalistic techniques, the 5 Ws and an H. We can easily recognise that the article is about the artist Wyclef Jean as it is in big font at the top of the page, we know what the article involves because at the top there is an arrow in a bold red which stands out from the background and it is called the ’10 commandments’, we know where to find this article as there is a title just above the 10 tips and the arrow points towards the article, we know why this article has been written because there is a caption saying ‘The rapper and musician’s rules for life.’ which is a perfect caption to introduce the article, we know when this article was written because there is a date at the bottom of the page and finally we don’t completely know how this article was written. A simple introduction saying ‘we spoke to Wyclef Jean about his 10 top tips’ would have been sufficient.

It is very evident that this article is a ’10 tips for life’ as there is large numbers for the tips with bold captions alongside them which makes it accessible for a wide range of audience, and it is laid out in a simple list style and the simplicity is effective because it allows a younger demographic to read it and therefore creates a wider target audience for their magazine.

We aren’t completely aware of the presence of the journalist because he doesn’t include any 1st, 2nd or 3rd person language and it sounds like the interviewee is just talking to himself so the journalist could have made the audience more aware of his presence in this article and the impact of this is that the audience can withdraw a sense of personal identity and associate themselves with the celebrity if it is obvious that the journalist has had the ability to speak to them and interview them and the article lost that personal identification. The article is written in 1st person and it is all quoted from the celebrity being interviews and the effect of this is that it makes the audience feel like they are being spoken to directly by the celebrity and then the celebrity will seem ordinary and accessible to the audience which caters to the preferred reading of the audience as they will feel included. We can clearly notice the introduction however a clear conclusion isn’t included which would be helpful in wrapping up the interview and setting the stage for the next page in the magazine.

In the interview, it has been worded like a conversation and there is also explicit language inside as well which further connotes the idea of it being quite personal and that the reader can feel involved because of this and it also entertains the audience because the language isn’t filtered and therefore they are getting honest opinions and answers. The tone and register are informal but don’t have a direct correlation to the genre of rap from which the interviewee came to fame. There is metaphors and similes included in the interview but only the ones that the interviewee has used as there is hardly any presence from the journalist. Each paragraph is quoted from the celebrity being interviewed so it is all quotes. From reading the article, the audience are able to get a source of personal identity, information and entertainment due to the personal feeling as there is no filtered language so it is like having a conversation with the celebrity.

In this article, the journalist has had little to no presence but he has represented the celebrity as very ordinary and accessible as he hasn’t filtered the explicit language and has included full answers from the celebrity and he has also been portrayed as a smart and wise figure as he is passing on knowledge whether it is serious or not which is a good source of information for the reader.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I created a production meeting agenda for the 2nd photo shoot on the 8th December 2020. In this agenda, I listed the costumes/makeup, props and equipment that were necessary to help convey the ideas I had for my contents page and double page spread pictures. I wanted to use a nice suit as that fits my genre and it will denote the jazz genre but I’d like to add some variations in the shape of tattoos and differently colour variants to make my magazine unique and stand out from the other magazines. The props will be extremely important for my photos because they have to have something unique to them while also being conventional which may be difficult but it would pay off would I be able to make it work. With the risk assessment, I will have to make sure my models are safe from the possible falling hazard and I will put their safety first at all time. We will be near the sea as well so I will advise my models to stay clear of anywhere where they could fall, and they should be aware that the infrastructure is old and could possibly have falling parts so I will guide them to be careful and not come into strong contact with the castle itself so it doesn’t get damaged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS PAGE PEER ASSESSMENT

 

What type of shots have been used to create a variety of shot distances and how has the camera been used to communicate meaning?  

The camera was mainly taking photos from a strange one with the model shooting using the mid shot technique where using a model is mainly ‘bust up’ creating a professional quality image, while capturing the models face expressions as well as body language. For example in the contents page the model can be seen holding a Saxophone which relates the genre of Jazz, and in the bottom right corner is wear sunglasses with a Harmonica also tied back to the genre. 

What choice of Mise en scene is appropriate for the star image and genre?

The overall costume choice and props fit the genre well, as the saxophone is often seen as one of the main instruments in Jazz. The old fashioned sunglasses also communicate to the audience the Jazz fashion in the 60s, as well as the waist coat and fedora.

How far is the font used readable and reflects the genre?

The font is easy to read and clear to the audience both in size and font style making it easy to read.  The font used for the main title is a son serif style font  with 

What technical conventions of a Contents page are present and used effectively? 

The contents page has page numbers, additional information and images. The use of the number is used well and is easy to refer to as a reader. The page works well in drawing the reader in and making them read more.

How has Indesign been used to layout the page to convey a brand?

The design has used mainly light tones of colours which all are basses around light red to give off the sensible and clean genre. He also palace the models main image off the from the centre of the screen to allow room for the contents margin on the side. Furthermore he has added a white background to the image to separate the model from the text and margins. On the margin for the page numbers he has designed it to be easy to read and pleasing to look at, with a backdrop to add an element of separation and to make the section pop out more.

How well have the text and visuals been integrated together?

They have been integrated to the content well enough to work together, the photographic element is done well and makes it work. But I personally think there should be more referencing the genre in the text and like music notes dotted around the page.

Where has photoshop been used to manipulate the photos to enhance the star image or genre? 

Photoshop was used to cut out the model and colour grade to the background to make it more conversational for post production. As well as possibly whitening of  the eyes using the dodge tool, which show great intuition from the audience’s perspective.

How is the language used appropriate for the genre and target audience?

The language used for the genre and target audience works well and doesnt step over the line of standing out too much, although the only thing I would change is make it stand out a bit more and if all words start with a capital make sure it is continued.

Clearly, strong, good, satisfactory, conventional, well good sense TOP LEVEL 4

Assessed by Jacob Jansma

My 5 targets are:

1. More reference to the genre
2. Make background more attractive
3. Sort out position of pug
4. Make captions stand out more
5. Layout of titles can be improved

 

 

 

 

For this task we were researching the contents page of a magazine. In the first picture was my selection of contents pages that I thought looked attractive and very professional and that is how I want my contents page to be. I also drew two rough sketches of potential layouts for my contents page and I wanted to include as many conventions as possible to make my magazine gain interest from consumers. I want it to act like an index and inform the readers of the features of the magazine however I would also like it to be entertaining and pleasing to the eye.

 

 

 

 

These are 5 possible catchy headlines:

Breaking news from the jazz world!

Must see behind the scenes photos of Miles Davis Jr!

Exclusive interview with the new face of jazz music!

How to breakthrough as a jazz musician!

Never seen before childhood images of John Coltrane!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The masthead is adequately placed however I feel it would fit more if it was more conventional and place a bit further to the left and a little bit further down as it is currently touching the caption at the top which isn’t ideal, it is in the Vogue font. It is not quite big enough as I need it to be as big and attractive as possible to grab the attention of potential customers walking by my magazine. However I feel that the colour of the title and the font are typical to convey my jazz genre as it is classy and cool which is what will appeal to my target audience and their preferred reading.

Staring away from the camera, the cover model is satisfactorily framed using the rule of thirds well however in my second draft I am going to choose a new image in which my model is facing the camera. I chose this photo as it was very similar to a photo of a jazz musician I had found on the internet which I was very fond of and the way it portrayed the genre and the artists in it, unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations and I also failed to cut it out successfully and you can clearly see white lines around my models face which is not professional at all which means that the image can only be described as competent.

Desktop publishing (Indesign) has been used well to integrate well emboss and shadow on the cover lines adding perspective. The line spacing is very low but this is intentional to add something unique to my magazine and I would fulfil this part of the brief to a strong level.

A red, black, yellow, white and blue colour palette helps to communicate a classy and lowkey theme that connotes the jazz genre, however I will most likely change the light blue as it is unnecessary and doesn’t quite fit the theme. Despite this I believe the colour palette was successful and is used to very good effect and impact.

The font is a mixture of upper and lower case which is modern and conventional, however it could be bigger. The font has been used in a very good way to attract a slightly older audience.

The costume is extremely relevant to the jazz genre and it used a graphic tie as well as a trilby hat, blazer, waistcoat and collared shirt. The body language of the model makes him seem focused and shows the importance of his saxophone. He has been directed to look at the saxophone and this is instead of looking at the camera and this infers his success from his music and this was evident for the target audience.

In terms of the language used in the cover lines, this is good. The use of superlatives as in the ‘jazz music saved my life’ attracts the reader and draws a sense of importance to the magazine and its contents. The use of imperatives was weak and should be focused on as it can be the deciding factor between two magazines. Using quotes such as the quote that was referred to earlier also conveys a sense of personal identity and helps the reader to feel as if they are involved and this is a good use of linguistic structures.

The magazine is clearly a magazine and contains the conventional features such as a masthead, captions, a pug, a barcode, issue number, date, main cover star, main cover lines and cover lines. This fulfils the brief on a good level.

Photoshop has been used adequately to place the main cover star on the cover however there is white lines and some of the models face is missing and that is very unprofessional. He is clearly the focus of the cover and he must be cut out properly to fulfil the brief successfully.

My 5 targets are:

1. Change my main cover star image.
2. Change the blue font to white or red.
3. Use more imperative language
4. Bigger masthead and place it closer to the left side
5. Improve my pug to look more professional

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I conducted some market research into my competitors and into the ways that they use information, personal identity, social interaction and entertainment. I could use all of this to attract my target audience successfully and therefore cater to their preferred reading. If I am able to do this then I can appeal to a bigger audience as they will spread the word and my brand will become more popular. My USP is that I have secured a collaboration with a jazz record label to get inside information before any other magazines are able to find it out.

 

In

 

my

 

In my photoshoot today I tried to portray my model in as many poses as possible that I had found in my research that I thought would suit my front cover and these were all of the results. Unfortunately in the white studio I struggled to get the camera to focus and a lot of photos ended up very dark as well so I can’t use them. I believe that I have at least 5 options for my cover image in different poses. The facial expressions are on point, he conveys a confident narrative and he can also be seen enjoying himself and it gives a very laid back metanarrative for my genre and that was what I was trying to convey and I believe that I was successful. He looks extraordinary due to the attention to his outfit which makes him look very cool and pays a lot of attention to his appearance and I wanted to convey this idea to my target audience. He can also been seen as ordinary as most people are very obsessed about their appearance and how people will judge them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I created this Photoshoot meeting agenda to make sure that I had a documented copy of everything that I needed for my shoot from the outfit and accessories that I needed for my model and all of the poses that I wanted him to try. By using this, I was able to show my model all of the poses I wanted him to try and I could also refer to it while I was in my shoot so it was very helpful.