Film Magazine Cover Analysis

By Carmen Cheung G324 A2 Media Studies

Empire Magazine – Film Magazine Cover Analysis

The masthead is usually the most biggest and brightest text on the front of a magazine cover. This is because it draws attention as it stands out above everything else.

The date and price is shown in a small text near the masthead. The price is shown in a small text because the central image attracts the audience before they find out how much it costs.The price is £3.99 which is quite expensive for a magazine, however it is clear that you are paying for a high quality magazine. Also the date shown is ‘August 2008’ which indicates that it is a monthly magazine as it has no specific date of publication mentioned. This could also be the reason as to why the magazine is more expensive, because the company only publish a magazine every month. The date helps the audience keep up to date with the magazine.

The use of a barcode is to make it clear that it is not a free magazine. Also, it denotes professionalism, making it not look free and of low quality. The barcode is positioned in the far bottom right so it does not distract the audience or steal focus from any other important feature on the cover, e.g. Main image.

The website address is located under the masthead. It is important for the viewers as the audience are most likely to be film lovers, in which they can find out more exclusive news about new film releases and many more. Also, the use of social media conveys the idea that the audience is those between the age group 15-25 (older teenagers and young adults), as they tend to be the age group most likely to use social media networks.

The tagline ‘THE WORLD’S BIGGEST MOVIE MAGAZINE’ attracts potential readers as it guarantees high quality and states popularity.

‘45 NEW MOVIES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW!’ This use of text grabs the audience’s attention. The use of words such as ‘need’ and ‘right now’ emphasise that if the reader does not pick up this magazine, they will miss out on the important information the magazine includes.

The use of the blue star symbol helps to navigate the potential audience around the front cover of the magazine. It directs them to appealing information the viewers may want to know.

Most of the text is positioned on the left-side third of the magazine cover. This is a good layout as it does not overcrowd the main image and makes it easier to read. In this cover, it includes the main cover lines which are in different colours, sizes and fonts so that it is clear as to how they are separate text. The colours of the font are bright and clear, in contrast to the dark, dull background, making the text stand out. The headline ‘MASSIVE PREVIEW SPECIAL!’ is shown in bold capital font which is what the audience will immediately see. Also, ‘HARRY POTTER 6’ shown underneath tells us as viewers, that it includes sections about the film and its release. This may appeal particularly to Harry Potter fans.

In the main image, we clearly see the iconic Harry Potter looking directly into the camera. This gives us as an audience an idea that the magazine will include some features containing more about the film itself and the personal life of the main character.

The ‘bloody hell’ shows that the language is informal conveying the idea that the magazine is suited for those who mainly use informal language/slang in their social speech of younger ages (mainly older teenagers and young adults).

The image in the far bottom left is much smaller than the main image, meaning that it does not draw away attention from the central image. It shows some of the characters mentioned in the films listed above. The characters shown are two males and a female, meaning that the magazine will appeal to both genders. Also, the characters are from a range of different genres, from Action to Sci-fi. Thus, meaning that it is targeted at a wider audience.

Sight & Sound Magazine – Film Magazine Cover Analysis

The tagline ‘THE INTERNATIONAL FILM MAGAZINE’ infers that the magazine is able to purchase internationally. This means that they have a wider target audience.

Barcode is located at the top right corner of the cover. Indicating that the magazine is not free of purchase and unlike Empire, they are most likely cheaper as they are not trying to drive the audience away because of their expensive cost.

The month the magazine was published is located underneath the barcode. This tells us as an audience that the magazine publishes monthly.

Use of brightly coloured font attracts potential audiences, grabbing their attention. ’21st Century Girl’ is a nickname the magazine has given to the character from the film they have reviewed called ‘Fish Tank’. ‘Modern Britain on film’ tells us as readers that it is most likely a British Independent film. ‘Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank’ also gives us a clue that she is the main director of this film, which may appeal to some readers as they may have enjoyed other films she has directed.

This immediately tells us that the magazine includes mainly film reviews, conveying the idea that their target audience are film lovers. However, with Empire magazine it mainly focuses on the main characters (actor/actresses personal life etc.)

The image is illustrated in the rule of thirds. The potential main protagonist of the film ‘Fish Tank’ is positioned off centre, which conveys the character is not a very powerful or ‘important’ person. However, this also shows that the film is very unique and lower budget (Independent film).

Includes other films/interviews that are included in this magazine, thus making it easier for the reader to quickly scan through what they may or may not be interested in reading.

Location of the image is shot in a city/urban area, may be somewhere such as London (which is where the film is actually set).

The masthead of this magazine has its own section. A yellow box with black and red font (stands out from the contrasting bright colour). This is also a form of brand identity, when people have seen this image, they will now automatically know it is the film magazine ‘Sight & Sound’.