The cover for the May 2011 issue of Entertainment Weekly is centred around the first instalment of The

Hunger Games film franchise. The masthead is placed behind the main
image (Jennifer Lawrence), which established magazines like Entertainment Weekly do because viewers would recognise their in-house brand text to the point of recognising it even if it
is slightly covered. The typography of the masthead is in an easy to read sans-serif capitalisation of the text, which is convenient to the reader. This is heightened, by the word Weekly
being inside the Entertainment, in the phrase Entertainment Weekly: The masthead is also convenient for advertisement purposes it is compact (like a logo). A typical convention of
the Entertainment Weekly magazine is to occasionally have the name of the film as a separate masthead, at the top of the magazine cover (on top of the magazine masthead). The size
of the magazine masthead is largest text on the magazine cover suggesting that it is still of importance in comparison to the rest of the magazine even though its slightly covered by the
main image
masthead onand
tophas a separate
of it.

The date of this issue is the smallest piece of text of The cover lines (or puffs) are the titles of the
this cover, suggesting it is the least important piece of articles within the magazine; placed below the masthead
information; however, it does inform the audience of on the front cover and surrounding the main image and
how new this issue is. The date line for the cover is unconventionally within the left third. The typography of
placed directly on top of the masthead to the right. the cover lines is written in a bold, smaller text
(compared to the other text on the cover), a typical
The image used on the front cover of this edition of convention of cover lines in order to make the main
Entertainment Weekly takes up a large part of the page cover line standout whilst still managing to inform the
and is consequently used as a tool to attract readers reader. However, the purpose of this magazines cover
into the magazine. As one of the most celebrated lines (being a film magazine) is to entice the film fans
female actors of the millennial generation, Jennifer e.g. On the scene in Cannes and Our verdict on
Lawrence is known to a comprehensive range of ages Pirates [of the Caribbean] 4.
and social groups meaning a majority of the
When writing the main cover line articles, the
Entertainment Weekly readers would easily recognise
her. The use of a medium close up shot enables the language used is persuasive marketing language e.g.
main image to become the centrepiece of the cover using aspirational words, exaggeration and direct
and cause the viewer to get a closer look: Causing the wording to entice, for example, EXCLUSIVE!, FIRST
audience to draw their attention on the character LOOK and INSIDE SCOOP: These words attract the
portrayed. The editors have used character-orientated film fanatics attention because they communicate the
costume, props like the bow and arrow and the superiority that comes with an exclusive to an
Mockingjay broach which are all iconographic in the upcoming film - this is heightened by the typical film
film. magazine convention of a behind the scenes sneak peak
of the film. The typography of the main cover line is in a
The left third of a magazine is vital for selling in the bold, white text allowing it to contrast against the
shops; however, the text in this area of the magazine image. This also applies to Jennifer Lawrences name,
cover is small compared to the typical convention of highlighted in orange to bring attention to those who
the left third text being large. This small text provides may not know her. The purpose of the main cover line is
emphasises on the main image the and main cover line. to contextualise the content of the front cover; as this
issue is promoting the first Hunger Games film.
The colour scheme is subjective to the films premise of action and adventure, with the use of the leafy green background to convey the wild aspect of the surroundings and nature
of the film. The orange colouring of the text depicts the vibrancy of outdoor equipment like a safety rope, displaying the caution Katniss will be in. This is heightened by the black costume
worn by Katniss depicting a greater sense of danger, that it may not only be physical but emotional too.
The cover for the March 2010 issue of Total Film magazine is based on the 2010 Disney fantasy film, Alice in Wonderland. The top third of the magazine heavily resembles that of the
Entertainment Magazine, with the in-house brand, bold, capital, sans-serif typography of the Total Film masthead placed behind the main image of The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) in
the film. Readers of the magazine will be able to recognise the established brand masthead, which again like Entertainment Weekly, the masthead is also convenient for advertisement
purposes with it being compact- using less space by fitting the word Total (in Total Film) in the word Film like a logo. A common convention of Total Film magazine is to situate a
banner on top of the masthead. In this case the yellow as a ploy to grab attention from the audience. The
banner FREE GIANT IRON MAN POSTER! offers free Iron phrases used to attract are directed at a film-fanatic
Man memorabilia, a marketing tactic to target the male audience: WORLD EXCLUSIVE MASSIVE 2010
demographic of the Iron Man film so that they still buy the PREVIEW. This ensures the audience, that they are
Alice in Wonderland themed magazine cover (demographic getting their moneys worth - unshared insight into the
of pre-adolescent females). The sizing of the magazine newly released film (at the time) Alice in Wonderland
masthead is largest text on the magazine cover suggesting and a preview into a plethora of other anticipated films
that it is still of importance in comparison to the rest of the (that are listed). Total Film magazine editors have not
magazine. included obvious cover line articles (stories): A tactic
used to create anticipation of more stories and to also
The date of this issue is situated to the right, slightly above
create anticipation of more stories and to generate
of the masthead (like the Entertainment Weekly) with the focus on the left third and the main image. The
website underneath. The obscurity and size of the text is to typography of the left third is a bold, white and yellow
still inform the reader without the distraction from other serif (fancy) font - that resembles an elaborate style
texts. suited to the theme of the fantasy film Alice in
Wonderland: Allowing the text to stand out against the
The main image for this issue of Total Film magazine is
dark purple background. The font for main feature
an exuberant one that conforms to the nature of The Mad article is in capitals and the second largest text on the
Hatter present, at the centre of the cover. The image is a cover subjecting to the MASSIVE description in the
mid-shot of The Mad Hatter, which allows enough detail title, displaying its importance.
from the character to be shown: has a fixed demure facial
expression to channel the carefree serenity of the character. There is a strapline at the bottom of the front cover
The mid shot also allows for the costume, rabbit and the top telling readers what other stories are in the film
hat. The editors of the magazine have decided to place the
image in the centre of the cover, which is to enable the use magazine, acting as a cover line. It resembles the
of the left third whilst still able to draw in the audience. Entertainment Weekly s Plus subheading on the left
third of the magazine which was communicated as
Unlike the Entertainment Weekly, Total Film have made full covering articles because it was positioned in the left
use of the left third area of the magazine cover. This hand side of the magazine. However, Total Film has not
section of the magazine is used to emphasise the main cover positioned their Plus subheading in the conventional
line (main feature) as it is the central focus of the magazine. area of the page so it could go overlooked.
The main feature article includes Johnny Depps name (a top
billing actor) The barcode is situated on the right hand side of the
magazine.
The colour scheme fort the magazine cover is predominantly dark colours. This is to portray the fanatical/gothic motif of the film. This issue is really trying to convey the style of
the film.
The cover for the September 2010 issue of EMPIRE magazine is themed on the film Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. The masthead is placed in the top quarter of the page and is
situated behind the main image (Michael Cera) which established film magazines like EMPIRE, do because viewers would recognise their in-house brand text to the point of recognising
it even if it is slightly covered by the main image. The typography of the masthead is in an easy to read sans-serif capitalisation of the text, which is convenient to the reader as the
masthead is distinguished from the other texts on the page.
The left third area of the magazine cover. This
The date of this issue is situated slightly above
section of the magazine is used to emphasise the
the masthead within the crevice of the M (in main cover line (main feature) as it is the central
EMPIRE). Underneath the masthead to the left is focus of the magazine. The main feature article
the magazines slogan THE WORLDS BIGGEST includes the name of Michael Ceras character
MOVIE MAGAZINE to appeal as an official SCOTT PILGRIM as a ploy to grab attention from
magazine for film fanatics the audience.
However, unlike the TOTAL FILM magazine, the
website for the magazine is not shown, Instead, in There is a strapline at the bottom of the front
the conventional website address area of the cover telling readers what other stories are in the
magazine situates a quote from Michael Cera on film magazine, acting as a cover line. It resembles
the film - This feature of the actors talking about the Entertainment Weekly s Plus subheading on
the film is a selling point for the audience as it the left third of the magazine which was
allows them to get a further perspective on the communicated as covering articles because it was
film. positioned in the left hand side of the magazine.
However, Total Film has not positioned their
The obscurity and size of such texts (film slogan Plus subheading in the conventional area of the
and actors quotes) is to inform the readers whilst page so it could go overlooked.
still emphasising the other bolder and larger texts.
The barcode is situated on the far right hand
The main image for the magazine issue is a
side of the magazine in the middle of the page.
mid-shot of Scott Pilgrim cladded in costumes
typical to the character of Scott Pilgrim, an
unemployed 23-year-old bass guitarist in an up-
and-coming garage rock band who is likes 17-year-
old high school girl, Romana but has to fight to the
death for her against her seven-ex lovers. He is
dressed as the stereotypical, young American
guitarist; the sword of fire in his hand highlights
the fact that it is a fantasy/action film.

With action and adventure ensuing romance and passion, the predominant colour of red for this magazine issue is very explanatory. Red is a colour associated with power and love,
which is what Scott gains in the film in order to win the heart of Romana, by defeating her seven exes (hence the sword). The poster for the film has a tagline, which is a testament to
the mise-en scene of the magazine cover; Get the hot girl, defeat her evil exes, hit love where it hurts.
The cover for the November 2009 issue of TOTAL FILM magazine is based on the black comedy film Jennifers Body. The top third of the magazine heavily resembles that of the EMPIRE
magazine with the in-house brand, bold, capital, sans-serif typography of the masthead placed behind the main image of Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) in the film. Readers of the
magazine will be able to recognise the established brand masthead, which is also convenient for advertisement purposes with it being compact- using less space by fitting the word
Total (in Total Film) in the word Film like a logo. A common convention of TOTAL FILM magazine is to situate a banner on top of the masthead. In this case Our biggest preview ever
offers free Tron, Iron Man 2 and Inception memorabilia, a marketing tactic to target the male demographic.

The aim of the magazine front cover is to sell the

magazine itself but also to sell the film. Megan is The left third is a testament to the theme of
represented in a sexual way on the front cover; it would the film THE FUTURE 100, THE TYPOGRAPHY IN
suggest that the film is aimed at a male audience A SANS SERIF FON IS TYPICAL OF THAT SEEN ON
suggesting the male gaze theory, heightened by the fact American sportswear This magazine cover
that 75% of TOTAL FILM readers are male. Women might suggests that high school might not be as
think that she is being exploited and therefore form an enjoyable as people think. As we do not know if
oppositional view against the film and magazine cover. Megan Fox is the last girl standing or the killer,
Jennifers Body is a hybrid genre combining black we cannot tell much about the ideology and
comedy and horror. The comedy aspect of the film could values of the film. However, the magazine clearly
widen the audience type; however, there is no indication suggests that film is what matters most in the
on the cover that this is a black comedy. sub heading Everything that matters in the Next
12 Months. The underlining of everything
The main image is of a high school cheerleader
suggests that film is of paramount importance in
which is a common archetype used in the horror genre. the lives of the audience and the magazine
We would expect this cover to be for a romantic comedy
type film and therefore it juxtaposes the typical horror The barcode is situated on the bottom right
film magazine cover. hand side of the magazine in the corner.
The use of the blood dripping down her hands suggesting
that it does not fit into the genre the audience initially
thought. Although cheerleaders are normally
represented as innocent, nave characters in films, the
magazine have used a skimpy outfit in order to grab the
attention of the male audience, further suggesting to
Laura Mulveys Male Gaze theory. This is a stereotypical
representation of women in the media, as she is standing
passively and her costume is used to attract a male
audience. The expression on her face is fairly blank and
could intrigue the audience.

The colour scheme is very American as in; it suggests the colours of the American flag, heightened by the all-round typical American teenage cheerleader a character often
associated with America almost like a mascot. Stereotypical Americans are very insensitive. Boastful and arrogant. Which is what is being communicated through the pose of Megan
Fox, and the use of blood on the hands communicates the typical high school whore.
Reflection
From the research conducted, these conventions are necessary in order to produce a professional magazine:
All of the magazine covers main images are situated in front of the masthead
All main images are placed within the middle of the cover
All have a main coverline
All main images have a costume and props
All have a colour scheme / theme
Have puffs and features dressed in these colours
Have a barcode
The layout, however, will be optional. In terms of all four magazines, for the purpose of my film I particularly enjoy The HUNGER GAMES
cover for the Entertainment Weekly magazine because of its simplicity and use of magazine features and clarity of the films theme.
Moreover, it is lacking, however, some useful features like a barcode (seen on all covers) and free merchandise. With my film being of the
Romance genre, simplicity is what is needed in order to evoke the essence of the story. The use of the main image (largest of the lot)
against the background is almost like a screenshot of the actually film; this is an aspect of the magazine that I like the most.

Therefore, my magazine is going to follow the conventional features of a magazine but be more aligned with the HUNGER GAMES cover.

Name
The name of my magazine is also going to be aligned with what I have learnt from research. EMPIRE,
TOTAL FILM and Entertainment Weekly are the film magazines I have used. They predominantly (by their
names) suggest something big (apart from Entertainment Weekly). However, due to my genre of choice
 not being a mainstream film; the title of the magazine would have to suggest something more than just
big but Romantic.
See mind map below:

INTIMATE
COLOSSAL BEAUTIFUL

EPIC

OPTIMISTIC
BIG ROMANTIC

VAST

CHARMING

HUGE

DELIGHTFUL

MIGHTY

SIGNIFICANT
COLOSSALLY INTIMATE HUGELY INTIMATE
COLOSSALLY BEAUTIFUL HUGELY BEAUTIFUL
COLOSSALLY OPTIMISTIC HUGELY OPTIMISTIC
COLOSSALLY CHARMING HUGELY CHARMING
COLOSSALLY DELIGHTFUL HUGELY DELIGHTFUL

EPICLY BEAUTIFUL MIGHTY AND INTIMATE

EPICLY OPTIMISTIC MIGHTY AND BEAUTIFUL
EPICLY DELIGHTFUL MIGHTY AND OPTIMISTIC
EPICLY CHARMING MIGHTY AND CHARMING
MIGHTY AND DELIGHTFUL
VASTLY BEAUTIFUL
VASTLY INTIMATE SIGNIFICANTLY BEAUTIFUL
VASTLY OPTIMISTIC SIGNIFICANTLY INTIMATE
VASTLY DELIGHTFUL SIGNIFICANTLY OPTIMISTIC
VASTLY CHARMING SIGNIFICANTLY DELIGHTFUL
SIGNIFICANTLY CHARMING
The names I have chosen out of the possibilities for the magazine will also have a bearing on the name of the production
company:

COLOSSALLY OPTIMISTIC
EPICLY DELIGHTFUL
VASTLY INTIMATE
HUGELY OPTIMISTIC
MIGHTY AND OPTIMISTIC

SIGNIFICANTLY BEAUTIFUL

My favourite is Significantly Beautiful because it describes the true essence of what the genre of the film is all about.
Therefore, the magazine title Significantly Beautiful will also become the name of the production company. Typography
and variations of text to follow.

Significantly Beautiful