Film Magazine Analysis

Film Magazine Analysis

 

In order to make my magazine front cover effective, I need to analyse some existing covers to gain further knowledge of the codes and conventions used to create them. Hopefully, I can find some ideas to use and adapt to create my cover.

 

Empire magazine

 

The first thing I noticed is that all three magazines share the same mast head- the word "Empire" written in the same font, in red. I like this as it makes the brand immediately recognisable, and regular readers would know what to look for.

 

Focus on the left third of the cover is essential, as this is the part that potential readers will see when the magazines are displayed on a shelf. Here, all three covers make use of the left third, with "30 must-see movies!", "Matt Damon goes dark!" and "Oscars special!"

When I create my cover, I will aim to use the left third in the same way, to make it eye-catching and draw a potential audience in.

 

One thing I find particularly effective is the use of colour on all three covers. The texts have obviously been created so that the colours match those on the main image. The grey writing on "Sherlock Holmes" stands out against the character's dark coat, and also matches the colour we see in the background. The yellow writing of the second cover matches the beach theme, which is appropriate to the Pirates of the Carribean film. The bright blue, almost luminous writing on the third cover carries a futuristic theme- again matching the film it is focussing on. This colour also matches that of the lines we see in the background, and the glow surrounding the character in the main image. I also noticed that this matches the character's eye colour, making them stand out even more.

 

The feature that I liked the most about all of these covers was the eye contact that the characters have with the camera in all three main images. This gives the impression that the characters are looking directly at potential readers, drawing them in to read the magazine, which would hopefully entice them to watch the film. Clearly, the aim of the front cover is to gain audience members. My front cover must satisfy this purpose.

 

 

 

I found this front cover particularly effective for several reasons.

 

• The black and white effect of the main image gives the photograph a classic, dramatic feel.
• Eye contact with the reader draws people into the magazine
• The overall simplicity of the cover seems like a statement to me. The focus is the image of Marlon Brando, with nothing to distract the eye from it. It has a powerful air to it.
• There are little words, but those used are very dramatic, "The Greatest Movie Of All Time", presenting the film as a must see.

I may use the idea of simplicity when creating my magazine cover, as I believe that it could have a profound impact on my target audience. I will have to experiment with a few ideas to see if I can achieve a similar.