Although not a Film Magazine , I saw fit to include this magazine as it contains many conventions used in the structuring of a conventional magazine.
The text in this magazine cover contrasts with the pure white background; the masthead for this front cover attracts the attention of the viewer as it is a deep red and stands out among the text. The main head line “Strong and Fit” is in large bold text and is shaped around the shoulder of the famous person Jay-Z. This gives the impressions that the article is about being like an iconic figure Jay-Z. The secondary Heading “Strip Away Stress” is a plug to grab the interest of the audience.
The colour theme for the front cover is mainly black, red and with hints of yellow. The yellow parts highlight the subheading message and also “187 ways to be a better man” an obvious plug for people to the magazine.
The figure is centred almost in the center of the cover, in a pose that suggests power. He is staring directly at the reader as if to engage them.
The strap lines are spaced out with key points/facts larger while the rest of the information is smaller, forcing people to take more time to pay attention to what is on the cover.
This cover goes against the usual conventions of typical film magazine. This can be blatantly seen with graffiti like text daubed over an otherwise conventional cover. Batman is usually stereotyped to be the one in control of things, but this cover says otherwise.
As can be seen the text and image have been twisted from the graffiti portraying him to be the bad guy, this engages the viewer to make sense of it all, and ultimately we see the joker is behind it. This realisation gives the audience a sense of what the film must be like and encourages them to read on.
The plug under the main heading states in large lettering “free sex & spandex” obviously appealing to more a more mature audience.
This cover differs from the first cover that I analysed due to the main picture making part of the background for the front cover. The picture itself has been digitally edited to give a more weathered and prominent effect, it is interesting to note that in my study of film posters and also to some degree magazine covers relating to my chosen genre, the terminator salvation advertising and media coverage uses the same stylistics. The sepia tone and shadows of the back ground highlight the actors face and bring out the magazine title “EMPIRE” .this title can be clearly seen from the quite complex machinery in background as it makes uses of a solid title with a colour that contrasts with the image.
The colour scheme with the text used in this cover is red and white. The cover makes use of a silver background to highlight certain pieces of text. Examples of this are “Free” above the magazine title,
“Bale: The First Interview” above the main heading “Terminator Salvation” and finally at the bottom of the page to go behind the pictures and “plus” information. The usage of this silver background gives the text a uniformed look, makes it easier to read and helps highlight content within the magazine.
The silver also could symbolize metal or artificiality, while the red could symbolize blood or humanity.
The third magazine cover that I looked at was also from the magazine “Empire”. I noted that the Empire magazine has an iconic title that they use for most of their covers, a bold red depiction of the word EMPIRE. This helps the audience locate and recognize the brand of magazine.
The main heading and the subheading follow the curve of the figure, who is the famous person Megan Fox, from what can be determined from this cover of Empire magazine it is an established magazine as it covers its title partially, indicating its audience knows what it is regardless.
Megan Fox appeals mainly to males aged 15 and over, this magazine enforces that belief as it plays on the sexual appeal to men. The image depicts her topless with tight fitting leggings, accentuating her figure. There is small writing on her figure to make the viewers take a closer look at her and thus drawing readers to the magazine.
The background is pure white, in stark contrast to the figure, bringing out the details of both text and form. Key words in the headings are done purposely to grab the attention of people and give an initial impression. An example of this is the words “HOT” and “FOX” at a glance people read these key words and want to know more.
totalfilm.com for magazine cover image.
industryfinest.com for magazine image.
empireonline.com for magazine covers.
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