AS Media Blog

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The media institution I think would distribute my product would be PuddleDuck Publishing LTD. I choose this company because they distribute and publish country magazines in the UK. The magazines they publish are very popular and they are all good sellers. I also noticed that the publishing company doesn't sell new/upcoming country music magazines and I feel that giving them an opportunity to sell this magazine will benefit them greatly.

They sell country magazines just like my magazine I created. There website offers you the chance for you to be able to subscribe to any of the magazines they distribute. There magazine is called UC. It is like the one I created. It has new upcoming country stars however mine attracts a younger audience by using younger models are country stars.

My magazine can be purchased by many supermarkets and also this company has agreed to sell mine with there magazine.

Mainstream retail magazines are often distributed via supermarkets. However magazines that aren't as popular or a different style are harder to find. Some magazines are available to subscribe to online from the publisher or magazine website.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge formsand conventions for real media products?

- The title of the magazine

I chose the colour red for the title because it stands out against my dark back ground where my model is standing. I wanted to call my magazine something relevant but not one that has been used before. If i was to remake my magazine i would change my title name because I don't think It suits a country magazine as well as what i could have. I like how I created the red block with the clear white large writing in. The large S makes it stand out more and the whole title is small and easy to place in my magazine. I also chose the colour red and white because its relevant to my colour scheme throughout the whole magazine what I created. I created the title like this because i used the magazine "Q" and based the title around it. However I changed it to make it more of my own.

- Mise-en-scene of images

I placed the main image right in the middle of the page and placed the text around her. I used this is image because when printed was very clear. Also my model Sarah looks very country style rather than a pop genre. I placed the main image where I did because I wanted it to stand out so people could clearly see who she was. Most magazines that I looked at were styled in the same way however I changed where the text was because I wanted it to be my own. I used other magazines and based my upon them because I wanted it to look professional and also to be a best seller. I placed the text in them areas because i didn't want to cover main image with text because I wanted it to be clear to everyone. I only used small amounts of text for the same reason but if I was to create a magazine again i would add more sell lines to the page to make readers be more hooked and want to pick the magazine up and read it. I placed the barcode in the bottom right corner because I needed one on my page but I didn't want it in the way of everything. i made it small enough to be able to see it but not enough so it would be in the way. I added the red banner at the bottom to be able to write some information on but for it to be clear and easy to read. i matched all the red in the image to hr lipstick. I did this because it matches all together and looked smart when i printed a paper copy and looked at it.

I used this image on my contents page. I did this because it is different from my front cover. I placed the image where I did because I wanted it out of the way of the text but on the way so you could see it clearly without having to make an effort. I seen a similar magazine set out in this style and I liked it but I went with it. I used this image because it matched with my colour scheme and used the colour in the back of the image for the text in the contents page. I placed the writing down the left side of the page, I used a orange colour which matched the background of the image for the colour of the text. I did this 1 because it stands out but also because it gives the page more colour rather than just being black, white and red. I added two small sections in the bottom of the page for the letter from the editor and also the regulars which i added small amounts of information in to fill the page. Most magazines I looked at had these sections in but either in a different place of different style. I added the large red banner with the title and contents at the top so it was very clear what page your on. I also added the issue number,website and date at the very top so it was still visible to the readers.

- Costumes and props

I used this guitar as a prop because it is relevant to the genre of my magazine. As my genre is country a guitar seemed appropriate. Also my model Sarah plays the guitar and keyboard which was one of the reasons I picked her to be on my magazine. The only thing I would change about this image is that it was to small on my double page spread.

Her clothing is rather dark however I asked her to wear a gold necklace around her neck to draw readers attention to her but also to dress up the image a bit more. I used the same clothes and jewellery on the front cover as I did in the double age spread because I wanted to keep it the same throughout the magazine. Also because I was short on time to collect my images and to start my magazine.

- People
The reason I chose Sarah to be my model is because she looks very country type. She can pull of the country look clearly and if I was to put my magazine on sale and didn't specify what genre it was 90% of people would say that it is a country magazine. I wouldn't change my model because Sarah was easy to work with and she responded well to my wishes. I also worked with Lauren Mahan to collect my images as we completed them together in her home. We did this because we both wanted to use Sarah as our models for our magazines but Lauren used her for a different type of magazine compared to mine.

Title font and style
The font I used for my title was myrid pro. I used this font because it was simple and easy. It looked very professional and smart and it was clear to read from a distance. I used a normal style, I didn't want my magazine cover to look messy because I already had italic on the sell lines and I didn't want it to look to busy. I had looked at other country magazines and they all seemed very plain and easy to see. If I was to change my magazine I would make the font more bold and better than what it was because I think that making it bolder would make it stand out more.

Written content
The written content in my double page spread was created by me. I created an interview situation talking to my celebrity 'Natasha' about her life and what she was panning to do next. I also mentioned about her uk tour. I looked at lots of different magazines and their double page spread to get inspiration on what to write and how to make it professional and interesting. I used a simple font for this article. I had to keep the writing small to fit everything onto the page but I wish I could have added more but I didn't have anymore ideas on what to write in the interview.
On the front cover I also wish I had added more sell lines which could of linked into the double page spread. I feel like I didn't post enough content on the front page. However I still think it looks good it's just lacking on the writing side of it.

Music genre and how your magazine suggests it
I chose originally to create a pop magazine but I didn't think my model Sarah looked like a pop model. Because of her looks and the clothes she was wearing I decided to change it and create a country magazine. I also wanted to create a different magazine to everyone else and not many people were creating country magazines.
My magazine suggests that it's country by the font, style, layout and the images I have used. For instance I have used very country colours eg reds, yellow and oranges. The style is very simple but not boring, I tried to change the text about and used different fonts as much as I could without my magazine looking tacky and to messy. The images I used very all very smart and I often changed them around to make the magazine look better.

Layout
Front cover - The layout of my front cover is very simple but pleasing. I have placed the name of the magazine in the top left corner but I have made it big enough to be seen clearly by the reader. I made sure I added the issue number,date and website along the top of the page. I added the price in the top right corner but I wish I had changed the colour of the font from black to a different colour because I don't think it stands out as well as what It should. I like how I only added a few sell lines across the page. This makes it look neat and tidy however if buyers were to pick up my magazine they might get the impression that the magazine doesn't have much content and they may then chose to but a different magazine. The main image across the page is the best feature. It looks great when printed out because I used a high resolution image to ensure that it wouldn't look pixelated when printed on paper. I uses a simple barcode at the bottom of the page just on top of a red bar which attracts attention telling reader to subscribe to the magazine.

Contents page - My contents page layout is very simple. I have placed the title of the magazine, issue number, date and website at the top of the page in a big red banner just like the bottom of the front page. I have placed the actual contents of the magazine down the left side with a large image of my model on the right side of the page. I then added a letter from the editor and a regulars section in the bottom left and right corners.

Double page spread- The layout of my double page spread is very simple and easy to read. The left side of the page is simply one large image of my model. On the right side of the page I have a large red box at the top of the page with writing in. I then have some information on the article then have the interview in two broken down columns. I have added a small image at the end of the text to break up the page.