Film magazine cover analysis 3

The basicsThe date, issue number and price are in a small font near the masthead because this is conventional for magazine from covers. The price has a lot of influence on whether the reader is going to purchase the media product. It is in a small font because the front cover attracts the target audience before they find out how much it costs. The price is £3.99 which is expensive for a magazine yet it denotes quality. The date is only ‘November 2009’ which indicates that this is a monthly magazine as no specific date of publication is mentioned. This also links to the cost of the magazine as it is more expensive because it is only released once a month which makes it more exclusive.

A barcode is included on the front cover so it can be processed when purchased and therefore the presence of a bar code denotes professionalism. It is positioned at the bottom right of the magazine so it does not interfere with the left-side third by stealing focus from any if the features.

The web address of this magazine is included here which enable the target audience to find out more current features and keep up to date. It is positioned under the date, issue number and price in a slightly larger font so it doesn’t remove the focus from the coverlines or central image. The website is the name of the magazine “totalfilm.com”, this makes it easy for the audience to remember and recognise it. The use of a website also displayed that the magazine it not only traditionally distributed but also digitally distributed. Many magazines today are distributed digitally as technologies are progressing.

The text

There is no tagline used in this magazine which is unconventional. I think this has been done because the main masthead consists only of the word “film” not “total film” which is the magazine title. This is because the word “total” is embedded at the top of the letter “f” in the masthead. This acts almost like the tagline in a new and innovative way.This point on the poster attracts the audience through the use of language “our biggest preview ever”. The use of the word “our” implies to the target audience that the writer is talking about a group of people and makes them feel as though they are almost part of the group. The use of superlatives “biggest” and “ever” is effective as it portrays the feature to be the best of the best and this exclusivity makes it a must-read.

The masthead is the largest text on the front cover and stands out amongst all of the other text. This creates brand awareness and attracts the audience to it first. On most magazine covers the convention is that the masthead covers the image however in this case the image covers the masthead making it seem superior to the magazine name.

One of the final things the target audience looks at on this cover would be the menu strip due to its positioning being at the bottom of the page. This text is in a simpler font in comparison to the other bolder fonts used around the cover which enable it to fit in with the layout and colour scheme but does not allow it to stand out in any way. The menu strip displays five different feature titles that will be included in the magazine and highlights the page numbers at the start of each sentence entitling what the issue will consist of. This acts almost as a mini contents page which makes the navigation for the audience more effective in terms of organisation. It also clarifies what the magazine will contain which generally aids the viewer’s decision to buy the issue.

The text

The anchor line on the front cover, “the deadly Megan Fox” is not the second largest on the page which is unconventional for a magazine front cover. This has been shown in a very unusual subtle way because it is part of a list of features under the heading “a ton of exclusives”. However, it is made to stand out as in the list it is the only text that is red. This links to the central image because the image is portrayed as a stereotypical attractive cheerleader with a great body. However, when you look closely the models left hand is tainted by blood and just under her left leg which is raised is a small puddle of blood. This echoes the way in which the anchor line is portrayed in subtle way. The cover puts emphasis on the image due to the alignment, layout and positioning of the text making it the focal part. The colours used in this cover all complement each other really well and go with the colour scheme of the model costume a lot.

The largest text excluding the masthead is the coverline that reads “the future 100…” This is placed on top of a grey arrow that is pointing to the image which highlights it and makes it stand out more. This is where a conventional anchor line would be placed as this text stands out the most amongst all the coverlines.

The left side thirdThe left side third doesn’t contain a lot of the information; most of the information is on the right side third. This is unconventional however I think this has been done to highlight the text that is on the arrow because it is a more interesting way to represent a coverline. This also highlights the use of a quote which is mainly advertised because it is not cluttered amongst other coverlines and because the reader always starts front the left side third because that’s the way we read. The coverlines are all different sizes and are blue, grey, black or read. This makes the easier to separate each individual coverline and this combined with the positioning makes them easy to read. The font colours contrast against the white background because they are dark and bold.

The image

The images in the top right third are smaller inserts so it does not draw attention away from the central image and it shows 3 shots from the films, tron legacy, iron man 2 and inception. The actors used are dressed as their characters and the target audience would be able to make an effective link the character in the film. This is where the magazine their target audience to its advantage by drawing them in. The characters are male and one is robot which show they are from various genres e.g. action and sci-fi. They are overlaid slightly on each other with a thin grey boarder around each one. This makes them stand out more amongst each other but still not over shadowing the central image.

The central image is a long shot of a cheerleader looking directly into the camera which interacts with the audience on a personal and intimate level because it can be seen as direct eye contact. The model is noticeably Megan Fox who is a famous actress and would appeal more to the male audience due her being an attractive icon. She is in a cheerleader outfit which is evidently her characters costume; this makes it apparent to the reader that the feature is less about the actor but more about the character she plays. This is unconventional for a magazine as the actors are usually the main focus in features like this but this attracts not only the target audience but also film fanatics as it would appeal to a larger scale. Non-verbal codes: The characters facial expression is very serious and almost aggressive. This combined with her body language of her leaning on the background with her hands and left leg connotates she is waiting for something to happen and she is trying to stay prepared and ready. Technical codes: the lighting is bright because it looks as though it has been shot in a studio which makes the image look unnatural.