Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. The first issue was produced in July 1989, editied by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Empire is the biggest selling film magazine in the United Kingdom and is also published in the United States, Australia, Turkey, Russia, and Portugal. Empire mainly targets its audience with a mainstream approach to films, including major blockbusters however there is a small element of art films included and reviewed.

Film Magazine:

Empire magazine has a prestigious print value, the magazine is quality and this explains the high price tag of £3.99. However Empire have expanded Online and via the app, this allows the audience on demand access to many exclusives such as the first look at Heath Ledger’s Joker, to extraordinary access to Steven Spielberg who guest edited our 21st birthday issue, to George Lucas’s backyard in the run up to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Pug: Date and price

Main Image

Mast head

Strapline: ‘Worlds biggest movie magazine’

Head Line

PuffCover lines

Special Feature

Cover Story

Inside content

Kicker

Selling line

Each month, Total Film provides a range of features, from interviews with famous actors and directors. These are mainly from mainstream popualr films with a fan following to increase sales and target a wider potential audience. The target audience ranges from novice film fans to audience members who make short films or are fans of the industry. The magazine costs £3.99 and is therefore affordable for students with a more disposable income but also for adults. However they also have a website with online content regularly updated and free for most features.

Total Film Total Film is a UK-based film magazine published 13 times a year (every four weeks) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers cinema, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features. Total Film is available both in print and digital, including an inactive app available for download. For content on the go. The overall appearance of the magazine is busy and exciting with bold use of colour; therefore attracting a younger audience demographic of around 13-29.

Barcode

Masthead

Price and Date

Main Image

Secondary Image

Secondary Lead

Head Line

Lure: alliteration, for a feature article

Exclusive

Box out: featuring cover story/Puff

Plug

Independent Film MagazinesIndependent film magazine companies often challenge the codes and conventions of magazine covers In order to target a more creative and appreciative audience. I have researched into these different companies in order to support my possible options when creating my own. I have taken into consideration that these main stream film magazine covers only feature famous and well known actors from blockbuster films, understandably I will not have a well known actor and my film will not be a blockbuster genre therefore I would be creating a more independent magazine.These vary through use of image, for example, Little White Lies, which displays a drawing of a main star in popular and art house films in every issue. This magazine is also given away for free. However the magazine, Filmmaker, is more prestigious, naming itself ‘ The makers of Independent Film’. It features a main image and follows similar conventions of popular magazines, with use of thirds and a selling line. Sight and Sound is different due to the use of font, as it connotes free hand writing. Suggesting this magazine is not afraid to challenge the ‘typical’ layout for covers because it is run by creative people. The names of these magazines are different from ‘total film’ or ‘Empire’ as these sound powerful and short which makes them memorable to an audience, whereas independent magazines like the ones shown above are more individual and perhaps hint towards what the magazine focuses its content on. Overall these magazines still feature the main features, such as an image, masthead and cover lines however the main difference is the content and often layout or style. However perhaps such magazines vary their style to stand out against others.

All popular movie magazines have common codes and conventions which establish them for the product that they are and allow quick recognition for their target audience. Conventions such as a masthead, coverlines, puffs and images often feature on a magazine’s cover in order to sell the magazine.

Codes and Conventions

Main Features of a Magazine Cover

Masthead – the masthead is the title block for the magazine, usually this is the most eye-catching convention on a page and has to be distinct.Pugs – to catch the reader’s eye they are well placed. a pug is the top left hand and right hand corner of a magazine. the prices, logo, position are usually placed here. Puff – offers something else as well as the magazine, such as free giveaways or online content.Buzz Words - usually with the main feature article. Used to attract attention e.g. “EXCLUSIVE, FREE, PLUS”Secondary lead – a sneak preview of an inside article or story usually a picture. Sidebar – an additional box next to the main feature of the magazineSplash – main story of the front page accompanied with the headline and a photograph. Strapline –subheading, (heading below the initial headline)Tag – categorizing the reader’s interest in a story by using a word or phrase to engage them e.g. sensational, new, exclusive. Box-out – a coloured box behind some text, usually used to make the text stand out. Caption – text underneath a image explaining it.Exclusive – this means that newspaper and no one else solely cover the story. Feature – usually with a human-interest angleHeadline – main statement, usually in the largest and boldest font, describing the main story. a banner headline spans the full width of the page. Kicker – this is a story designed to stand out from the rest of the page by the use of a different font (typeface) and layout. Lead story – usually a splash, it’s the main story. Lure –could be used as a marketing device, its usually a word or phrase that makes the reader read the inside articles. Cover lines - The essential articles inside the magazine are stated through sell lines, these are regularly seen at the right hand side of the cover. Left Third - The left third contains the main feature article (Exclusive interview), as this is the core part of what may be inside the magazine. It also includes the main actor/ character situated within.Barcode/Issue number/Dateline & Price Top and Bottom Strip: These are the strips below and above the magazine that give further information to what may be included in the magazine. Mostly being the interesting parts of the magazine.