Magazine Front Cover Analysis- Total Film

The magazine front cover I will be analysing is from the company called ‘Total Film.’ They are a very well-known magazine company and they appeal to a wide audience of all ages. F

For this magazine front cover, it is obvious to me that they have used a lot of different codes and conventions that are a necessity in making a successful cover that will attract an audience. Imminently looking at the front cover, the main thing that stands out is the main image of the three main actors in the film, as well as the Master Head of the company, and the title of the film. This becomes imminently attractive to the appealing to the audience, as they may like these actors, or like the company that produces the magazine, and will therefore go ahead and read it/ buy it. We will use this technique when we come to create our magazine cover, using large text and an image that will stand out and grab an audience member’s attention.

The colours that have been used for the magazine are again a very important aspect, when it comes to being attractive and attention grabbing. The colours used are usually related to the film in some way, in this case, the title of the film is linked to the background colour and the shades that relate to a action film, such as silver. For example for us, we are going to use colours that uphold the genre of our film, such as reds, whites and black, and this will also immediately show the audience, that this is not going to be a horror.

The image used, shows the 3 unique selling points. Not only does that picture show the three main protagonists of the movie, but also shows three very well known, famous actors. This will again grab the attention of audience members, as they will be interested in what their favourite actors are a part of.

The image which has been used of them, a long shot, clearly shows their stances/posture/costume as well as their faces. This helps to show who has power put of these three. Being in the middle, the women is centre of attention, but the males are taller, and therefore have a sort of dominance over her. (this upholds a stereotype of action films) 

Furthermore, as their costumes are very similar colour to the background, it seems that the preferred reading from the editor is that we focus on the characters facial expressions of each character which is brightness and difference in colour, as well as the text. Using this image is incredibly important and is a main selling point for not only the magazine, but the films itself.

There is quite a bit of text that has been put on the front cover, which gives a peek of what is inside the magazine. The use of buzzwords on magazines such as ‘exclusive’ ‘epic’ and ‘complete access’ are more appealing to an audience, as they believe they are seeing things that cannot be found anywhere else.

Finally, a sticker has been included in a different colour which makes it stand out. This sticker includes text about another film, and this will attract audience members, as the magazine gives a wide variety of films, rather than just one.