This is a draft, focused on showing of the project so far, it's an internal site only viewable to JBL and BFS and Color Matters
A Internal Site for the BFS & JBL
This site is designed to be the internal client management site so that we have a log of the actions and decsions and one central hub for the infromation and documents developed during the project.
The Joe Brazil Legacy: Securing a History is a December 2025 progress report detailing the collaboration between Joe Brazil Legacy and Black Fox Studios, funded through 4Culture, to preserve and protect Joe Brazil’s historic archive of film, audio, and slides. The report emphasizes the urgent need to rescue these materials from physical decay and prevent further intellectual property exploitation, implementing a three-pillar strategy—Preserve, Protect, and Amplify—to digitize fragile media, establish legal safeguards, and reintroduce Joe Brazil’s story through immersive digital and AR/VR experiences. In less than three weeks, the project advanced from agreement to action, transferring materials under a formal chain of custody and establishing a verifiable preservation workflow. Ultimately, this work transcends archival preservation—it represents an act of cultural and historical justice, reclaiming not only Seattle’s Black legacy but also a vital chapter in the global history of music itself.
This project is built upon a comprehensive three-pillar strategy designed to safeguard the Joe Brazil archive for future generations. It begins with Preserve, converting fragile physical media into a secure, high-quality digital format. It moves to Protect, establishing ironclad legal ownership and control over all intellectual property and likeness rights. Finally, it aims to Amplify, sharing this rich cultural legacy with new audiences through modern digital platforms and immersive experiences.
The primary goal of the preservation phase is to transition the archive from at-risk physical film to a resilient digital library. We have implemented a rigorous vendor selection process—partnering with specialists like Color Matters for film—and established a scalable scanning workflow. This approach starts with baseline 2K scans for cost-effective assessment, reserving 4K resolution for high-value assets, ensuring we create both archival master files and accessible viewing copies.
The development phase focuses on the critical "Protect" pillar, ensuring the long-term security of the estate's intellectual assets. This involves establishing clear chain-of-title, registering copyrights, and securing creative rights to prevent unauthorized use. By solidifying the legal foundation now, we ensure that the Joe Brazil Legacy maintains full control over how the work is licensed, distributed, and commercialized in the future.
The final phase brings the "Amplify" pillar to life by making the archive accessible to the world. The key deliverables include a dedicated website and interactive mobile experiences that showcase Joe Brazil’s music and history. This stage transforms the static archive into a living educational resource, allowing students, musicians, and historians to explore and engage with the legacy on modern devices.