Analysing Film Magazine Front Covers

Total Film – InceptionMasthead Due to its huge success (Inception) Total Film have changed their masthead to fit the theme of inception to help keep the flow of the magazine. However it manages to keep its original recognisable font. The masthead consists of a birds-eye view of buildings which has a symbiotic link with the film as this is seen in the film also. It also blends in with the background but is brighter to show dominance over the other text on the page. Additionally it has the same text size as previous issues so this means it is allowed to be placed slightly behind the main image because the audience will know what magazine it is. Mastheads are conventionally meant to stand out from magazine so that they can keep their brand identity and audiences will be able to know what their favourite magazine looks like just by looking at the masthead, and Total Film do this. Moreover, just above the masthead there is a ‘Skyline’ which isn’t always used for film magazines. However Total Film have used the skyline effectively as it links in well with the film genre and story line as it says ‘The Mind Blowing Issue’ linking well with the movie as this movie is known to confuse the audience, blow their minds, a great play on words that audiences love. It is also big and bold of which audiences wont miss it. The masthead always has the same font within all editions of Total Film to keep its brand identity and to ensure regular audiences know which magazine on the shelf is the one they want. However sometimes the masthead will be adapted through the use of colour and effect. By using Photoshop the developer is able to manipulate the masthead in order to become relevant with the film. In this case, the film Inception, is represented through getting lost in dimensions through the use of a city for a background as you can easily get lost in one. Also, the background is almost technological or futuristic which connotes to the theme and genre of the film which is a psychological thriller that includes sci-fy. Total Film have adapted their masthead in order to become relevant with the film it is promoting by having the letters appear to be like roof tops of sky rises within the city depicted. This is very effective as it keeps the magazine fresh and creative which the audience will enjoy.Layout + ColourThe layout is pretty much the same in all magazines and this magazine follows the main conventions that all magazines follow. The image takes up the whole page to act as a background and the main sell-line is the second largest text to the masthead, which is the largest. The other sell-lines conventionally are either on the left or right side of the object or actress/actor that is placed in the middle of the page. This magazine uses a medium-long shot so that there is space for the background to be seen. The front cover also has a lot of space left over because one, the cover doesn’t want to be to crowded and two the magazine doesn’t want to give too much away. The rule of thirds plays a big part when creating a magazine. The rule of thirds is, in this culture, how we read a page. This means that after are eyes look at the image, the audiences eyes will automatic sally be drawn to the left hand side and then to the right. This means that magazine will often feature the most important sell-lines on the right hand side as this is the last thing the audience will read and therefore keep it fresh in their minds. The barcode is conventionally placed in the bottom right corner of the page like it is in this magazine because it is the least important. The colours are masculine because this film is targeted towards the male audience.

Total Film – InceptionImage The main image is of the main character in the film that is being promoted within the main sell-line, this is one of the main conventions for film magazines, they do this to entice audiences to pick up a copy of the magazine because these are the most interesting characters because they have the most screen time, no audience wants to see a character who only has 5 minutes screen time. As Leonardo DiCaprio is the main character, Total Film have placed him as the main image as he is a well known actor and has a lot of big movie titles under his belt, such as Titanic and Wolf of Wall street. This will attract a larger audience to purchase the magazine and therefore increase sales and readership for the magazine. He is also an iconic figure within the film industry and a well known celebrity so audiences will want tot know more about his role within the film.

The lighting used to shot the character is used well as it links well with the story of the film. In the film we know that the characters never fully know what is real and what is not and them being in a lot of different places at once. The lighting suggests that DiCaprio is not fully there within the shot and by him not giving the audience a direct address backs this up.In addition to this it is always conventional to have the character rather than the actor on the front cover as this is more appealing to the audience and it also helps drive the promotion of the film rather than promoting the actor or actress.

Sell-line The main sell line is the boldest and brightest text on the page which will grab audiences attention and it is also the title of the film that is being promoted in this issue. It is also in the conventional place on the page which is in the centre which is where the audience will glance at first. The magazine uses the theme of the movie to its advantage by making catchy play on words taglines to entice the audience and re-enforce what the movie is about. They use words such as ‘Mind-Blowing’ multiple times to emphasise this.

The buzzword ‘First Look’ is also used to entice audiences as it makes them feel as if they get an exclusive look into that particular topic if they purchase this issue. Other sell lines will be able to draw in the target audience by featuring big movie names such as Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4. Furthermore by having them pitched against each other will encourage the audience to get involved in the debate to which one is better. Using a play on words such as ‘Clash of the (Toons) Titans’ will entice the audience and let them know that there is an article on these two movies.

Also another enticing sell line is ‘Predators, re-boot this year?’ this is god as it uses direct address which will get the audience wondering if there is going to be another Predator and therefore want to purchase the magazine, this is why they are called sell lines.