Analysing magazine covers

Faiza Wasim

Main cover line

Masthead

Sky line

Main image

Cover line

Barcode

Date issued

Website

Issue number

ButtonPrice

Features of a magazine cover

The action supernatural hero film "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" is mainly aimed at a male audience, which we can gather due to the use of traditional masculine colours and imagery used within this magazine cover. The colour red directly reflects the title of the film “Hellboy 2’ as red is a colour which commonly connotes to themes such as fire, sin, danger and rage. As presented within the image on the left, the magazine cover is dominated by dark tones such as red and black which correlates to the overall sinister theme of the film.

The layout of the magazine cover follows its traditional house theme in that the masthead is located at the top of the page, sell lines displayed on either side of a main image, and conventions such as the button, and the barcode are located at the bottom half of the page.

The masthead of the magazine cover, ‘Empire’, is displayed in its traditional font and red writing however in order to follow the theme of the film it is advertising, the masthead is written in flames, linking to the idea of hell. This allows the masthead to stand out against the black background and automatically draw the audience’s attention to the magazine as this differs from ‘Empires’ normal masthead. The red and black colour scheme are a vital aspect of the magazine as they both compliment each other nicely, allowing the red to stand out in comparison to the background. This indicates to the audience that the character, ‘Hellboy’, is the main focus of the magazine cover.

Another indication that the target audience is male orientated is that the main subject of the magazine cover is a male superhero. This is important as a male audience may feel that they can identify with a male superhero, therefore being more attracted to buy the magazine. The superhero ‘Hellboy’ is shown to be clenching his fist and through his facial expressions, it is made apparent to the audience that the character is doing so within an aggressive manner. This is significant as clenching of the first could possibly suggest a sense of toughness and aggression which are traits traditionally associated with being masculine. Furthermore, the main cover line of the magazine cover reads “Hellboy 2” which is presented in bold white writing which stands out in contrast to the red background. The main cover line also uses s sans serif font. This reinforces the idea that this magazine film cover is aimed at a male target audience as the font used is quite sharp and rectangular which commonly attracts a male audience rather than female.

At the bottom of the magazine cover, just above the main cover title it reads “FIRST LOOK” which again is an essential feature in drawing in the audience to purchase the magazine. The word ‘first’ initially captures the audiences attention as the phrase implies that those who purchase in the magazine will be at an advantage in comparison to those who do not as they will be the ‘first’ to get a ‘first look’. The audience automatically would want to invest in this magazine in order to benefit and gain an upper hand.

HELLBOY 2

The website of the magazine is placed directly under the masthead in small font which prevents it from stealing any focus from the central image or cover lines. The web address reads “empireonline.com’. As shown within the images below, the website provides a full review of the film ‘Hellboy 2’. This is important as this allows the audience which are interested in watching this film, gain extra information regarding it therefore further encouraging to view it in cinema. Alongside this, the website also includes information such as the release date, age certificate and running time, again providing them with further information which they may wish to know. Despite the magazine issue being released on March 2008 and the review initially written in August 2008, the website last updated the review 7 year after in December 2015 meaning that it is frequently checked and updated making it a reliable source.The website also provides links to the magazine’s social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. This allows the audience so to be up to date with Empire’s future magazine issues, exclusive news, new releases and more.

The button displayed on the left side of the magazine which states “40 MOVIES THAT WILL GET YOU SEX!’” which gives the audience a preview of what is going to feature within the magazine. The button of the magazine automatically grabs the attention of the audience as it is differs in colour in comparison to everything else. The colour of the button is almost a dark golden colour, outlined in white, making it stand out against the black background. The use of The words '40' and 'SEX' are capitalised and outlined in comparison to the rest of the sentence which grabs the attention of the reader, making them want to read it. Furthermore, the button of the magazine also indicates that this is magazine is not aimed at a young audience due to its sexual nature.

The cover lines presented on the right hand side of the magazine display what else will feature inside. In this case, the cover lines show films which are similar in genre to ‘Hellboy 2’. The subheadings of the cover lines it must be noted are bigger in size in comparison to the remainder of the information, in order to stand out. This could be in order to appeal to an audience interested in fantasy based films, attracting them to purchase the magazine and to read more these similar films.

INCEPTIONThe skyline of the magazine cover ' THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS' makes reference to director, Christopher Nolan's previous film, ' The Dark Knight'. ‘ The Dark Knight’ is an extremely successful superhero thriller which could suggest to the audience that ‘Inception’ will follow in its footsteps and also become a great success. This is essential in attracting a big audience as people who are fond and familiar with Nolan's work will purchase in this magazine in order to find out more about his upcoming film.

The main subject of the poster is the character of Dominick Cobb played Leonardo DiCaprio, which is positioned at the centre of the magazine cover. The position of the character, Cobb, possibly could imply to the audience he is the main focus of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio is a well known A-list actor which is highly praised for his acting abilities. By portraying him as the main character within this film, encourages those who are fans of his work to purchase in this magazine so they can gain further information about its release and later watch it in cinema. The use of a long-shot plays a significant role in presenting the character to the audience. This is as the long-angle shot allows for the audience to see the clothing of the character, therefore, enabling them to gather an insight of the character based on what he is wearing. A black suit traditionally holds connotations of authority, power, wealth and superiority as black is seen to be a commanding colour. The colour black however also holds connotations to themes such as death and danger which could possibly foreshadow to the audience that despite his authority figure, this character should not be trusted. The use of props is also significant within this magazine cover as the character seems to be holding gun which conventionally also link to themes such as death or in some cases is seen as a form of power therefore again reinforcing the idea that this character may have an antagonistic nature.

The magazine cover follows the ‘rule of three’ by only using three fonts throughout the magazine. The masthead and the main line cover have the same style of font, however the skyline and the button have another. The main cover line “Inception” is presented in the same font as masthead. The font connotes to masculinity which reflects the characters personality- professional and bold. The font used is presented in capital letters which makes the title stand out in comparison to the rest of the information on the page. The font used for both the masthead and the main cover line are s sans serif font which could suggests that this film is aimed at a male audience. This is also reinforced through the use of dark, authoritative colours featured within the magazine which again can suggest that the magazine cover is aimed at a male audience.  

The magazine cover abides by its common house style as the masthead, “EMPIRE”, is presented within its traditional style of font and red colour. This is a common theme spread across previous magazines of ‘Empire’. Additionally the colour scheme of the film ‘Inception’ also correlates and adapts to the house style.

The magazine cover shown is presenting the release of the psychological thriller ‘Inception’. The aim of this poster is to engage with the audience and give them an insight of what the film contains in order for them to purchase in watching the film. This is done through the use of colour, text and image. The genre of the film is given away to the audience as the magazine cover plays tricks on the audience’s mind. The long-shot of Leonardo DiCaprio standing, is projected on top of an aerial shot of office buildings, which gives the audience the illusion that the character is falling down. The cover lines of the magazine cover also give off the same illusion as they are written vertically. This hints to the audience that the film is of the psychological genre, which intrigues them to want to watch the film.

Under the masthead within small white font, it reads “THE WORLDS BIGGEST MOVIE MAGAZINE” which is important in convincing the audience to purchase in this magazine. This is as it implies to the audience that purchasing in this magazine will be a good investment as it is seen as the best in the world therefore it must feature a high level of content. Similarly, the gold coloured button displayed underneath the main cover line which states “DREAM ACESS TO THE MOVIE EVENT OF 2010’ automatically grabs the attention of the audience. This is as it stands out in comparison to the red,white and black colour scheme of the magazine cover. The colour gold traditionally connotes to themes such as luxury and quality therefore implying to the audience that they will benefit from purchasing in this magazine as they will be provided with ‘dream access’ overall attracting them to want to buy the magazine.

The cover lines of the magazine are displayed on either side of the main image, which is a common theme spread across ‘Empire’ magazines. The cover lines highlight to the audience in just a couple of words of what the magazine will contain inside. As presented within the image on the left, the cover lines display a number of films, which vary in age; from family comedies such as ‘Toy Story 3’ to horror films such as ‘Let Me In’ which suggest to us that the magazine is targeted at all age groups. Due to the intense colour of the main cover line, ‘Inception’, the audience’s main focus is the middle section of the magazine cover. Therefore, in order to stand out against the main cover line, the remaining cover lines are presented in black, bold font to capture the attention of the audience.

The date and the price of the magazine are displayed just above the masthead and under the skyline, in extremely small, white coloured font. This however makes it difficult for the audience to read as the font colour is quite similar to the background of the magazine cover. The date reads “JULY 2010” which is important as this indicates that this is a monthly magazine as no specific date of publication is stated. The price of the magazine as displayed is £3.99 which is expensive for a magazine however this may be due to the magazine only being released once a month. The high price of the magazine denotes quality which attracts the target audience as this suggests that this is a high quality magazine therefore worth the purchase.

The central images shown on the left, present the characters of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort which the audience are able to pick up on due their distinctive features- Harry’ iconic glasses and scar and Voldemort’s infamous snake-like appearance. By being the central images of the magazine cover, both characters automatically become the main focus of the page, making the audience aware that this issue will feature further information about the film which they star in and the characters which they play. This attracts Harry Potter fanatics and film lovers as this appeals to their interests resulting in them wanting to purchase in this magazine in order to find out the latest information regarding the series. Furthermore, the magazine cover fails to feature many cover lines which is unconventional for a magazine font cover to do. However, this brings more focus to the central images on the magazine and suggests to the audience that the articles within this magazine magazine will be based on the ultimate hero and villain- Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

The close-up shot used magnifies both of the characters in order to draw dramatic attention to them. This therefore allows the audience to observe specific details, expressions and non-verbal codes which enables them to empathise and understand the emotions that the characters are feeling. The non-verbal codes such as Harry’s expressions denote a look of fear which suggest that he may be fearful of Voldemort. The positioning of the character’s on the magazine cover is significant in denoting the power difference between both character’s. Voldemort is positioned at the top right of the magazine cover, with his head tilted upwards, however, Harry is positioned at the bottom left of the magazine cover and appears to be fearful. This suggests to the audience that Voldemort is superior to Harry and has the upper hand as it almost seems as if is Voldemort is looking down upon him.

Technical codes, such as lighting, imply to the audience that the film includes the theme of binary opposition within its plot, which they can pick up through the use of high and low-key lighting to portray each character. High-key lighting traditionally connotes to themes such as power, goodness and victory however low-key lighting traditionally hold connotations to themes such as evil, mystery and darkness. Therefore, by using high-key lighting to present the character of Harry Potter suggests that this character is the physical representation of ‘goodness’ and therefore is the protagonist within the film. However, the use of low-key lighting to present the character of Lord Voldemort conveys to the audience he on the other hand is the physical representation of ‘evil’ and therefore is the antagonist with the film. This is also reinforced through the faded smoke effect which fills a significant amount of the magazine cover as this represents Voldemort as ghost-like as it creates a mysterious and sinister feel. Furthermore, the main cover line, ‘Heroes & Villains’, which is positioned on the bottom left of the magazine directly links to the images portrayed on the magazine cover as it essentially presents a hero and a villain.

HARRY POTTER

The menu strip is presented at the bottom of the magazine cover which displays what will be featured within the magazine. One of the titles of the features state “YOUR PICKS: A Readers Poll”. The use of direct language here is significant as it directly interacts with the audience on a personal level, overall giving the magazine a more personal feel. Similarly, by featuring a reader’s poll within the magazine attracts the audience as this conveys to them that ‘Entertainment magazine’ takes the reader’s views into consideration which makes the audience feel more involved.

The menu strip also states “20 Scariest Villains” and “20 Coolest Heroes”. The number “20” is presented in a bright yellow colour, which automatically brings the audience’s attention to this section of the magazine as the yellow font stands out in comparison to the reminder of the heading. The words “Scariest” and “Coolest” also attracts fantasy lovers to purchase in the magazine and read the articles which feature within it, as these words suggest that the article will contain the best villains and heroes within their category. Similarly, the statement “YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE!” presented directly above the main cover line also is an important factor in intriguing the audience to want to buy this magazine. This is as the word “ultimate” suggests being the best or most extreme example of its kind therefore this attracts the audience to want to invest within this magazine as they feel it is essential that they know what the magazine article features so they do not miss out on any crucial or ‘best’ information.

The masthead, “Entertainment”, is presented directly at the top of the magazine, in extremely large text. This allows the title of the magazine to stand out in comparison to the reminder of the features presented on the magazine. This is important as this allows the masthead to instantly catch the attention of the reader, overall creating brand awareness. However, the close-up shot of the character, Voldemort, is covering a significant part of the masthead which implies to us that this magazine is popular amongst the audience as despite having part of the name covered, it is still recognisable. The font used to present the masthead is s sans serif font which suggests that this film is aimed at a male audience as it denotes professionalism.

The date of publication is displayed directly above the masthead in extremely small, white font therefore following the traditional house style of “Entertainment magazine”. The date reads “April, 3rd, 2009” which conveys to the audience that this is a weekly issued magazine therefore implying that the magazine is up to date with current films. The barcode and price of the magazine however are not displayed at the front of the magazine cover, which is unconventional for a magazine front cover as the price commonly is significant factor for the audience to decide if they would or would not like to purchase the magazine.

The colour scheme features only five main colours; white, black, yellow, blue and red. The background of the magazine cover is black which correlates to the dark and sinister theme of the magazine issue. However, the colour yellow is used to highlight specific texts in order to grab the audience’s attention to specific sections of the magazine front cover.

JENNIFER’S BODYThe central image displayed on the left, presents a long-angle shot of a cheerleader, which the audience are able to gather through the use of the character’s clothing- a pleated yellow and blue skirt matched with a long sleeve, cropped top. The clothing of the character, Jennifer, is an essential factor in conveying the personality traits which she holds. As evident within previous films such as “Bring It On” and “Fired Up”, cheerleaders traditionally hold connotations to being attractive, popular, promiscuous and mean. This therefore, implies to the audience that the character displayed on the magazine cover will also portray these typical characteristics, giving the audience a glimpse of the narrative. The character directly looks into the camera, making eye-contact with the audience which allows them to observe specific details, expressions and non-verbal codes. The non-verbal codes such as the character’s expressions denote an aggressive look which again reinforces the stereotype that this character will be intimidating within this film.

The character presented on the magazine front cover is played by Megan Fox which is an A-list hollywood actress, well known for her attractive looks. Within the magazine cover, the actress is wearing a cheerleading costume which bears her legs, cleavage and midriff, overall giving the outfit a provocative look which is a significant factor in luring a male target audience to purchase in this magazine. Technical codes such as the use of high-key lighting, imply that the image has been shot within a film studio. The high-key lighting used slightly outlines the shape of the actresses’ body which engages with the male target audience as this allows them to view every aspect of her body clearly. This reinforces Laura Mulvey’s idea of the male gaze as the magazine cover depicts women from a masculine point of view by presenting the actress as an object for male pleasure. However, the fact that the character is dressed within seductive clothing could also possibly foreshadow her upcoming death within the film. This is as within horror films, it is conventional for sinful, provocative and promiscuous characters to be killed off first.

At first glance the character is represented as an average, high school cheerleader however the long-angle shot allows the audience to closely analyse the overall image and notice that the character’s left hand is dripping with blood. Blood traditionally connotes to themes such as injury, hurt and danger therefore implying to the audience that this character, despite her normative looks, should not be trusted and could possibly be antagonistic in nature. This attracts the audience to want to purchase in this magazine as this intrigues them to want to find out the reasons for why the character is covered in blood, overall creating excitement and speculation amongst the viewers.

The character presented on the magazine is shown to be wearing a heart shaped necklace around her neck which is an important factor in hinting key aspects of the narrative to the audience. The shape of a heart is a symbol which often refers to the moral, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual core of a human being. This symbol is commonly coloured red, which connotes to both blood, passion, desire, lust and strong emotion. This therefore implies to the audience that the narrative of the film could possibly focus around a romance between the character and her lover which results in a deadly end, therefore, explaining the reason behind the character’s bloodied hand. However, the heart shaped necklace could also symbolise the theme of friendship, conveying to the audience that this will be a key element within the horror film.

The left side third of a magazine front cover traditionally contains crucial information designed to attract potential buyers by giving them an insight of what to expect within the remainder of the issue, however, the magazine “Total Film” fails to follow this convention. Instead, the left side third of this magazine cover does not convey any information except for the main cover line, “THE FUTURE 100”, which is presented in a light blue font, correlating with the overall colour scheme of the magazine cover. The main cover line is presented in a unique style as it is written in a grey coloured arrow which points to the central image of the actress, Megan Fox. This is essential in attracting potential buyers to purchase in this magazine as the arrow automatically guides the audience’s attention to the middle section of the page, bringing their focus to the central image.

Audiences which are familiar with the magazine “Total Film” will automatically realise that the film being advertised is of the horror genre as the the masthead fails to follow its traditional house style; white coloured font against a dark background. Instead, the masthead is written within red coloured font in order to follow the theme of the film it is advertising. The use of red font allows to evoke an unsettling feeling amongst the audience as this colour traditionally symbolises the theme of evil. The magazine cover therefore reinforces the horror genre by follow its typical conventions.

Dark colours are strong complements to bright colours, therefore, by using a white background on the magazine front cover, highlights the red coloured font, which is an important in grabbing the audience’s attention and focusing it on certain sections of the magazine. The colour white traditionally holds connotations to themes such as purity, innocence and virginity, however, the colour red on the other hand connotes to themes such as lust, seduction, evil and violence. The use of binary opposition suggests to the audience that within the film, the character will be facing an ongoing battle between her demons and her innocence.

The audience are given an indication of where the film is set through the red, white and blue colour scheme used throughout the magazine cover. The colours used are significant as they also represent the USA national flag, therefore suggesting to the audience that the film is located within an American high school. This is reinforced through the clothing of the character as cheerleading’s roots are closely tied to American football. This is significant in attracting a female teenage audience to purchase in this magazine as they possibly could feel that they identify with the character presented on the magazine cover.