Film magazine front cover Analysis 2

The basics

The date, price and issue number 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 £3.90 which is expensive for a magazine yet it denotes quality. The date is only ‘July 2008’ 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. This also helps subscribers keep up to date with the magazine and due to it being monthly it gives a sense of exclusivity.

There is no website link which shows that this magazine is distributed traditionally.

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 text

There is no tagline used in this magazine which is unconventional, however this issue is focused on the film “The Dark Knight” and we can see this due to the image and the text underneath the masthead which is where the tagline would have been.

This point on the poster attracts the audience through the use of language “Clint makes our day”. 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. This is because the terminology used is casual and seems as though it is a normal story. Furthermore, the use the actor’s name who plays the joker in the film The Dark Knight aims directly at the target audience who are fans. This will also attract a niche audience because it is about a specific actor and persuade them to buy the magazine even more.

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. It covers the image so it does not appear inferior to the central image which is conventional in magazine covers.

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 the same 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 highlights the film’s involved at the start of each sentence and then follows on with a brief sentence entitling what the issue will consist of. This is effective as it is organised and the target audience will have a clear idea of what the magazine contains therefore making them more interested and more likely to purchase this media product.

The textThe skyline on the cover states there is two covers to collect, this is unconventional as the sky lines of magazines usually include feature titles. However this makes it apparent that this is a magazine issue worth collecting an appeals to the niche audience of the fans of “The Dark Knight” and the main actors involved. The colours used for include a lot of bright green which contrasts with the pale skin of the face that takes up the majority of the page. The alignment of the text is in a “C” shaped layout which is very conventional amongst magazine covers.

The magazine layout in terms of the text layout in the top third is unconventional due to the positioning and use of skylines/taglines. This is makes the magazine image stand out even more ad the tagline illustrated the image. Also the language around the anchor line uses the words “special” and “amazing”. These are both very positive adjectives that make the articles come across as unique therefore a must-read.

Left side thirdThe left side third has a lot of vital information for which targets the intended audience and other potential readers. This shows that the distribution has been considered because if the right side on the magazine is concealed on the shelf with other magazines the reader will still be able to view what is expected in that issue due to the vertical text layout.The main feature/anchor line is presented in this third and advertises this mainly followed by the start of the menu strip at the bottom. This is because the reader always starts front the left side third because that’s the way we read. The font is larger towards the top and then decrease in size where the cover lines are. The coverlines are all similar in size and colour which is unconventional however in this case is effective as the issue is mainly focused on one film. Most of the text on the cover includes the same bright green which makes all of it stand out in different ways depending on what part is highlighted bytthe lumious green.

The imageThere is only one main image on this front cover again making it evident that the issue is based mainly on this one film. The character is looking directly into the camera and due to it being a close up shot this interacts with the audience on a personal and intimate level because it can be seen as direct eye contact. The character is noticeably The Joker from batman due to his famous evil clown like makeup which makes it apparent to the reader that the feature is less about the actor but more about the character he 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.

The non-verbal code of facial expression portrays the character as evil and demeaning because it looks as though the character is glancing up at the viewer with a slight grin. The technical code of the lighting is bright which is unconventional but in this case has been used to highlight the famous “joker” makeup.