Initial Research Into Film Magazine Covers - George

Inception

As is common with a lot of magazine cover mastheads, it is located behind the key/main picture. This allows the reader to know the name of the magazine yet it also doesn’t draw too much attention away from the main image. The bright red colour of the masthead means it is eye-catching. The large bold letters e.g. the letter ‘M’ causes it to be a dominant yet discreet part of the page.

Main image- oddly, there is only one image on this magazine cover. It also varies from the others as the subject isn’t looking directly into the camera which is the case with most other magazine images. We see Leonardo Di Caprio wearing a smart suite whilst holding a gun. This immediately gives a hint to what type of genre ‘inception’ may be based around which is thriller. The sideways look also suggests someone who is on the run or in danger.

Other text- other text included within the magazine cover displays information of other upcoming films. This text has been given a lower key, black colour to ensure there is not any distraction from the main text and image. Some of the teaser text e.g. ‘Woody & Buzz The Last Crusade’ means that although people may not be interested in the film “Inception”, they are enticed by talk of other films of a different genre. The text has been warped to look as if it is disappearing into the corridor forming around Di Caprio and actually helps to create this corridor effect but is still easily readable.

The colour scheme is very simple - black, white and red. This is quite a sophisticated look and goes with Di caprio's suit to suggest a high class film.

From this I am thinking about how magazine covers vary a lot depending what is the main film they are promoting. There are some key rules that you can pick out about what has to be included - image, masthead, teaser text, price, issue no, web address, bar code etc. But the actual placement and look of these does vary quite a lot and there is flexibility in the 'rules' of design. The main rule seems to be that anything goes in terms of composition and design as long as it looks effective and people can read what they are being offered in the magazine.

Dark Knight

This is another Empire film title and the same method has been used again with the picture sitting in front of the masthead. The bright red colour has once again been used in order to entice the reader. The bold letters also help with this process.

Main image- this image is a different take on a familiar sight which is the Joker (Heath Ledger). It seems to have been given a more sinister modern edge and the fact that he is looking directly into the camera makes this factor all the more effective. It will surely catch the attention of Batman fans, yet the somewhat obscure take on it may entice people that have no interest in the Batman films. The background is again plain as to avoid drawing attention away from the Joker. It is interesting that the text focuses more on the Joker than the Batman franchise itself. I think this is because we know what to expect from Batman whereas the villain of each film is the unknown quantity and therefore more exciting.

Other text - there is a dominant use of bright green text within this magazine cover. This not only matches the common colours of the Joker yet it also draws attention away from less significant teaser text e.g.  ‘The Mummy 3’. Yet this teaser text is still given a strong white colouring to ensure it still does appeal to floating readers.

One thing I have learned from this cover is to consider using bright, even flourescent colours on my magazine cover. I would have steered away from this before but this has shown me that having a really bright accent colour is quite effective. I have also been thinking about how far we can carry the military theme into our cover as there is a fine line between the cover advertising the film and advertising itself as a well-known magazine. There are some covers that adjust to match the style of the main feature, like this one, and some that don't. I was wary of making our cover match our film style too much, but now I see that this does happen for some big film releases and so it is an option we can consider if we want.

Adjustment Bureau

The masthead is for Total Film. They have used a similar approach to other magazines by placing the masthead behind the main image. Other similar techniques have been used as the masthead has been given a strong white colour and the text itself has been given a bold effect. This means that Total Film’s magazine can been distinguished from other similar titles such as ‘Empire’.

Main image- from the main image, we can see the actor who is Matt Damon and the actress Emily Blunt. Again this differs from common images on the front cover of magazines as the subject/subjects are not looking directly into the camera, although they are looking in our general direction. Yet the fact they are running in the image may give a hint into what type of genre the film is (action/thriller). The background of the main image also gives a hint to the setting as we see a city skyline and the shadow of a man also hints to certain mystery that may be present in the film. It could also assist in catching floating readers attention.

Other text- other text can be easily distinguished on this front cover of Total Film. Teaser text such as ‘The final Potter’ is discreet yet noticeable due to its bold white colour so it can catch the reader’s attention.   Other teaser text such as ‘First Looks’ has been given a distinctive red colouring with a yellow background so as to really appeal to the reader.

The main thing I notice about this is that quite a different approach has been taken to the main image. These are often posed and it is clear that the shot is a publicity shot and not taken on the film set or a still from the action. This shot was probably taken as a publicity shot too, but replicates an actions tyle as if it were a till from the film. An unusual angle is used looking down on the characters and they are not looking at the camera as is more usual. The shadows on the buildings in the background suggest where the danger is coming from. Because the image is so striking and has more points of focus than normal (the actoors and the shadows) the text has all been blocked into the bottom third of the cover and has a slightly cramped feel. Names of films are mentioned but no real teaser text of the best! exclusive! type because there isn't room.

In some ways I feel this looks more like a poster shot than a magazine cover shot, but it still works.