Film magazine front

cover analysis

This Magazine is a special edition which makes it slightly different to the other magazines I have analysed. Quite differently from my other covers the main protagonist of the film Donnie Darko is very large and takes up about 60% of the cover. This gives the impression that it is the most important thing of the magazine is this film. This is solidified by the fact it is going over the empire logo again enforcing the idea that it’s the most important. The way that the character is looking into the camera attracts that audience creating a connection and breaking the fourth wall. The bold title the a golden brown colour and the large image both help the viewer identify the film and want to know where in the ‘500 greatest movies’ it has come. The quote underneath the title is a commonly known tagline or known moment from the film. This again entices the viewer who hasn't seen the film by using the dramatic statement. The colours on the front cover are mainly brownie oranges, black and red. The vibrant red is a signature colour of the empire brand as seen in the logo, which then anchors to the film with the bullet point square so that the viewer connects the two elements. The black background draws attention to the image and content and creates a dark and ominous mood for the front image.

Very similar to the Donnie Darko front cover I have analysed this magazine cover is also a special edition which is to do with the ‘500 greatest movies of all time’ and highlights the film Se7en. The main image helps set the context and character profiles through the clothing of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. You can tell that they are detectives or just ordinary police officers by the neat white and black uniform that show this detective characteristic, the police badge holstered on Brad Pitts belt and by the office building they are sat in. This helps the audience who have not heard of the film understand the genre or at least part of the narrative. The way that both characters are looking into the camera and at the viewer makes it very directed to a single person and breaks this fourth wall theory. This special edition has the same colour scheme as the Donnie Darko one which works well as the colours also help anchor the image to the text. The browns whites and blacks are the main colours that make the cover look correct and the red is a key element to every copy of Empire magazine as it is its masthead/logo colour. The quote that has been pulled out of the film gives the impression that this film is serious and quite dramatic. As this is a greatest movies edition, this cover is designed to jog peoples memories and make them interested because they have seen the film. The main characters and the quote will make them remember the film and wonder where it is in the 500. So the image itself does not show too much apart form that fact they look like cops and are in a police station type environment. The age and positing show the older to be senior. Brad Pitt’s head breaks the frame to ensure to see both as your eyes are drawn to the big bold font title.

The masthead on this issue is the Total Film logo font of the magazine, but it has merged with the main background image so that the whole magazines look keeps to the main focus of inception. The headline 'Inception' is the second largest font apart from the masthead and has been placed in the centre of the cover, overlaying the main image, it contrasts with the black so it stands out and is in a bold and clear font. As you may not see the Masthead straight away due to how it is camouflaged into the image makes the Inception title the first thing that you read. The main protagonist can be seen in the foreground and is centred and takes up a lot of space on the cover. This suggests that having the character like this will entice viewers, because is Leonardo Dicaprio and people may have seen the character before in trailers or the film.Another way the creator has encouraged the audience to buy (or just look at) the magazine is by using big buzz words like ‘Ultimate’ ‘Mind Blowing’ and ‘Everything’ . I Think the blue and black colour scheme on this cover represents the psychological thriller genre well as these colours are used a lot in advertisements for psychological thrillers such as Donnie Darko and The Butterfly Effect. There is a clear message that this edition will be “mind blowing” , which is shown in red twice, but the cover also focuses on the film inception as the base for a review of other mind blowing films – suggesting that Inception is also mind blowing. Inception is used as the hook which pulls people into the rest of the magazine – promising more of the same. As DiCaprio is well known he is put in the centre to capture people who like him (star theory). He is also shown is slightly dark way maybe to convey a “serious” film.

The anchorage text used gives anyone who hasn't heard of shutter island before understand in brief detail what kind of film it is and that Leonardo DiCaprio is in it. The red font typography gives a eroding and bloody feel to it with the red and letters looking deteriorated. The way that the main protagonist seen here is over the top of the masthead along with the lighthouse implies they are more significant or important. Also by having some of the main image behind and in front of the masthead makes the scene look less flat and more dramatic . Much like the Inception cover I have looked at Leo also is nearly in centre and takes up about 90% of the page lengthways. Again this suggests importance and boldness which will be one of the first things seen. The character presented here looks dominant and by the way he is dressed-Neat and clean clothes, police badge and gun, a clenched fist-that he is the ‘justice’ and ‘good guy’ in the film. The buzz words like ‘Exclusive!’ and ‘Greatest Ever’ attract the audience along with the footer film titles and the avatar phenomenon. The cover presented hear conforms to most conventions of a Film magazine’s front cover with the bold masthead, main image, smaller articles around the edge and at the footer and header. Star theory is also used here with Leonardo DiCaprio and his name mentioned twice and the interview, ‘DiCaprio exclusive’ will attracted fans. The image suggests a serious gritty film. This is supported by multiple messages around madhouse and asylum. The other items are added to give a general read rather than having a particularly theme to the issue.

This magazine front cover is quite different from the other covers I have looked at, and that’s the main reason why I'm using it. As you can probably tell this is an old magazine as the empire signature logo is much more rounded than the newer version. The edited ‘tear’ down the middle of the page attracts the audience straight away as it looks as though the magazine has been torn up. This also emphasises the violence aspect of the issue. After further viewing you can see that it refers back to the bold white and black ‘The final cut’ title at the bottom of the page. A reference to film editing but obviously also referencing the featured genre and playing on the word cut. These two elements are anchored together so that the viewer can make the connection through the white colour used. Both characters seen here are looking into the camera and at the viewer. Like the se7en cover this again catches peoples attention as it is breaking the fourth wall. This magazine cover is conventional in the sense that it has a header, masthead, main title and footer, but alters from the other magazines by the fact that there are two images edited together in the centre of the cover. Instead of presenting one major film on the front, this magazine front displays two. This has worked well as the images are very similar in composition and colour, and both allow the ‘tear’ or ‘cut’ to run between them. Overall the colour scheme of this cover is reds, whites, blacks, and pinks. The pink and red represent the two films and there genres of horror (scream 3) and psychological thriller (American psycho) as the both involve blood and more importantly faces and personalities (skin colour). Overall the message is , if you like this genre then reading this will give you insight and you will find out what might come in the future

Very different to all of the other magazine front covers that I have looked at this magazine’s background is white, while the others have either had an image or black. This highlights the image and also creates a large contrast between the text. The buzz word ‘Free’ is the second main text you see ( the first being ‘Empire’) when looking at this magazine cover as it is the second biggest text and has a vibrant colour scheme that is eye-catching. The third is the film title on the side ‘Silence of the lambs’. The text is bold and effective and the rhetorical question address to the audience from below this title creates interest for the viewer. The colour scheme for this cover is white, black, yellow, and red. The red and yellow is used to promote the magazine ( massive side to side Masthead) and attract through puffs and buzz words. Black and white are the most contrasting colours you can get and are imperative to most magazines and other products. The main image attracts us through the way that they are staring into the camera and at the viewer.