A2 Media - Analyzing Magazine Covers

A2 Media – Research and Planning

In this part of the coursework I will be researching into magazine
covers of the four films I have researched into previous to this.
However due to the four films that I researched not being on any
magazine covers when searching on the internet, I had to find
magazine covers which were in the same genre as the four chosen
films I researched. The magazine covers that I have in replacement
now are: Men in Black, Dracula, Twilight and Titanic. Men in Black is
an action comedy film, Dracula which is an action thriller, Twilight is
a romantic comedy and Titanic which is a drama. I will start off by
analysing the Men in Black magazine cover.

 Target Audience – due to the magazine cover advertising three different films and of three different
genres, this poster targets a range of people. They are all action films but are hybrids. From the magazine
cover itself and the actors on it, the target audience can be easily identified. I would say the age range for
the movies being advertised are 18+. The cover's background consists of fire and smoke, which straight
away represents bloodshed, terror and violence. These representations then tell us straight away that it is
most likely to be targeted towards people who enjoy the action genre as the representations conform to
the standard conventions of the action genre. The actors on the page also represent the target audience as
they are world renound actors who are mostly known and associated with the action genre. Dwayne Johnson
and Will Smith have been in a lot of action films and when seen in a film, you will be most likely be able to
tell what type of film they play a part in. Also the clothing and the props worn and used by the actors
suggest the genre. Will Smith is holding a broken gun, which in itself represents the comedy side of the
action genre. His clothes which are very smart are can also be associated with the action genre as he
himself has worn this type of clothing in his other action films and other action films use this type of
clothing to represent the genre they are trying to advertise and promote. The other two characters are
wearing army type clothing with a lot of weapons on there as well, which again represents the action
genre. The face expressions of the two characters represent seriousness also, suggesting they are ready for
action.
 Genre – the genre of the magazine cover as mentioned above is definitely action, this can be told through
many aspects of the cover itself. Firstly the colours used on the cover suggest violence and terror. Orange,
yellow, black and red combine to create a fiery background full of smoke and fire. Smoke and fire itself
represents the action genre itself, suggesting blood and judgement, which again are conventions of an
action film. The clothing of the three characters although different, represent the action genre. Will Smith
is wearing a suit and tie and holds a broken gun, which symbolises the action genre. This is due to his
clothing representing business and elements of business are always involved in action films. The other two
characters are wearing army clothes which straightaway gives the genre away, as violence and terror are
always associated with action films.

 Colour Scheme – the colour scheme also represents the action genre as it consists of colours which symbolise
the standard conventions of an action film. The main colours used are: orange, yellow, red, black and white.
Orange, yellow, red and black combine perfectly to create an energetic but also a draining look to the
magazine which both symbolise aspects of the action genre. Orange represents determination, stimulation,
deceit and distrust. All these connotations can be associated with the action genre as you evidence and see
all these things happening in action films. Yellow symbolises intellect, energy but is juxtaposed by also
symbolising jealousy, which is a common feature in nearly all films let alone action. Intellect and energy are
also conventions of the action genre because due to technology developing constantly, films have also got to
stick with the times and in some films, the technology is so advanced and complicated and therefore need
intelligent characters to use them. Red symbolises danger, war, power and strength, again symbolisations
which represent the conventions of the action comedy genre. Black also, represents power, darkness and
mystery which all once again conforms to standard representations of the action genre. So all these colours
used on the magazine cover represent the genre which is being advertised and promoted, which is action.
 Font - the font used on the magazine cover seems is a mixture of Berlin Sans FB Demi, Arial rounded MT
Bold and Bradley Hand ITC. All these fonts are sans-serif which means they don’t have any ticks or flicks at
the end of letters. The font is also very big, bold and also fancy in places, suggesting that the film is straight
up and dives straight in to the action. These connotations conform to the standard conventions of the action
genre. The font sizes and the type of font already suggest the target audience as well as it stands out and
will appeal to those who like film’s which dive straight into the action.
 Layout – the layout of the magazine seems quite squashed up but however due to the font style and font
sizes the magazine cover looks full of information. Despite the magazine cover looking filled with
information in reality it isn’t. The magazine cover is actually well laid out on the page and each bit of
information has it’s own space and is not squashed up with anything else on the page. Other than the title of
the magazine everything else on the cover is laid out very well and looks professional and also up to business
standard. The title of the magazine is the only flaw of the cover as parts of it is being covered up by Will
Smith. Even though Empire is a big company, for someone new to the magazine, they may not be able
recognise what the name of the magazine is. If you look at the layout of the magazine carefully, you can see
that the information takes the shape of an aeroplane or rocket or something of that kind. From this again
you can tell who the magazine is aimed at and what type of genre it is trying to advertise. I would say that
the layout is aiming the magazine towards people who enjoy the action genre or something across the lines
of violence and terror. The layout also matches with the clothing of the characters and the genre they are
trying to convey, which is action.

 Suitability and Purpose – the purpose of the magazine cover is to attract a wide target audience
to go and watch the movie. The characters on the cover all look like they are about the same
age, they look like they are middle aged. So I would say that the magazine cover is being aimed
towards middle aged men and women; despite there being no women on the cover, there will
always be women involved in these films, so both middle aged men and women are being
targeted in this magazine cover. Overall the magazine cover is suitable for the target audience
because firstly it is aimed at people over the age of 18 and there is nothing on the magazine
cover which I would say is inappropriate or would offend, prevent, or distract the target audience
from watching the movie. Both the picture and text on the page are very suitable for the target
audience which is 18+.

 I will now analyse and comment on the magazine cover which represents the Drama genre. Due to
the drama film I had researched not being on a magazine cover, I had to research another drama
film which was on a magazine cover. I then found Titanic on the front of the Empire magazine.
 Target Audience – from the magazine cover the target audience for this film would be for anyone
who enjoys the drama genre. This can be told as the movie which the magazine is advertising is a
well known movie and is known for the drama shown within the movie. The target audience can
also be told from the image on the cover; it shows a sinking ship which is massive in size and the
ship itself can relate to being dramatic as you don't hear or see many cruise ships that are sinking
or have sunk. The picture shows a lot of people who seem to be in a rush and in an emergency,
these people mainly consist of couples. There is also a life boat in the picture suggesting tragedy
which is an element in the drama medy genre. So from the magazine cover the target audience
would be for people who enjoy the drama genre.
 Genre – the genre of the movie being advertised as mentioned above is a Drama. This can be told
as also mentioned above through the image on the poster and also through the name of the
movie. Firstly, the image shown shows a massive ship which seems to be sinking which suggests
tragedy which is one of the many standard conventions of the drama genre. The image also shows
a lot of couples who seem to be struggling and panicking; these are also conventions of the drama
genre as firstly it shows couples together and secondly panic which is common in drama films.
However the title of the film also suggests tragedy and heartbreak as the definition of Titanic is
huge, explosions and colossal. These definitions of the title also conform to the standard
conventions of the drama genre as these symbolisms can be seen in these type of movies.

 Colour Scheme – the colours used on the page also suggest the genre of the film as they are colours which symbolise the
standard conventions of the drama genre. The main colours used are: black, white and red. Black symbolises power,
elegance and mystery; not all of these definitions match with the drama genre, but elegance and mystery are definitely
conventions of the genre as there is a lot of mystery's, twists and elegance involved. We can see this from the magazine
cover itself, elegance is taken in the form of the ship which is massive and the couples on there are dressed smartly and
elegantly with their long dresses and waistcoats. Mystery is definitely conventional in the drama genre and can be seen
in the magazine cover itself. The image shows a ship sinking but there is no reason to suggest why and how? This
therefore implementing the mystery side of things. Red symbolises danger but is also juxtaposed by symbolising love and
passion. All of these connotations once again are conventions of the drama and can be seen in the poster. The ship
sinking shows danger, however the lifeboat in the picture suggests care and love. White represents: light, purity and
perfection and again these symbolisations are usually evident in the drama genre. All these connotations of the colours
give vibes to the target audience and based on their perceptions and the symbolisms of the colours, the target audience
may make a decision in actually reading the magazine. Also these connotations of the colours match with the genre and
its purpose, so it is important to give off the right vibes to the users by matching the symbolisms of the colours to the
genre being conveyed.
 Font – the font used on the magazine cover looks like it is a mixture of Arial black and Arial narrow. These fonts are
sans-serif fonts which do not have any ticks or flicks on the end of the letters. The font being sans-serif and being extra
big and bold suggests that there is a lot to the film and the film dives straight into action. This again conforms to the
standard conventions of the drama genre as they are usually quick and have a set structure to the films. There is a
problem, there is a solution and finally there is a conclusion, most of the films within this genre conform to these stages.
However due to the genre of the film being a drama, there is also serif font applied which is more appropriate and
efficient in terms of meeting the purpose and conventions of the genre. Drama's also have complications, a symbolism
which serif fonts suggest as they have flicks and ticks on the end of their letters.
 Layout – in terms of layout the magazine cover has effectively organised and laid out the components on it
professionally and made it up to business standard. This is important in meeting the purpose because if the magazine
cover was to be badly laid out and was to look unprofessional then people would not even take a second look at it and
would look elsewhere. This would be bad from a business point of view as people would not buy the magazine due to it
looking unprofessional and not up to business standard. All the information on the page has space of its own and some
bits of information is separated by orange borders beneath the text. Also despite there being a lot of information on the
page, the information is nicely spread out and is not squashed on the page. This is good in terms of meeting the purpose
as it gives out a professional impression to readers and this may result in them buying the magazine, therefore increasing
business for the companies.

to go and watch the movie the magazine is advertising. The cover shows a ship sinking and a
lifeboat going to save the people who are struggling to get off the ship. The people struggling and
the ship sinking represents tragedy which is a standard convention of the drama genre. The
lifeboat on the cover also suggests care and love which is one of the main features of the drama
genre. These representations suggest that the drama genre is being conveyed and the target
audience for this type of genre is normally for men and women. So I would say that the magazine
cover is being aimed at men and women. Overall the magazine cover is suitable for the target
audience because firstly it is aimed at men and women and there is nothing on the magazine
audience which is men and women.

 I will now analyse and comment on the magazine cover which represents the Romantic Comedy
genre. Due to the romantic comedy film I had researched not being on a magazine cover, I had to
research another romantic comedy film which was on a magazine cover. I then found Twilight on
the front of the Film In magazine.
 Target Audience – the target audience for this movie would be for anyone who enjoys watching
films that fit in to the Romantic Comedy genre. The target audience can be told due to the
stances of the characters on the front cover. First of all it shows a woman clinging on the man she
is next in a loving and caring way. This stance and the representations that it gives off such as
love is the main feature in Romantic Comedy films. The other man on the poster is looking back
at the man and woman holding each others hands, this gives off the sense of jealousy which is
another standard convention of the Romantic Comedy genre. Secrecy can also be seen from this
poster, the face expressions and the stances of the characters show this and once again secrecy is
another element of the romantic comedy. Other than the stances and face expressions of the
characters which represent the genre; this magazine cover also targets teenagers and people
between the ages of 18 – 25. This is because the characters on the cover look very young and look
like they fit in to these age categories, so the target audience is also boys and girls who fit into
the age categories mentioned above.
 Genre – the genre of the magazine cover as mentioned above is Romantic Comedy. This can be
told through many elements of the cover. Firstly through the loving and caring stances of the man
and woman on the cover. The women is holding the arm of the man in a soft manner and also has
an innocent and loving look on her face, suggesting that she cares and loves him, therefore
suggesting the romantic comedy genre which mainly consists of love. The face expressions of the
two men on the cover also suggest secrecy and jealousy, which are common features of the
romantic comedy genre again suggesting the genre of the film. The film is also well known as it
has a film before this one with the same title and the genre has been a romantic comedy. So the
genre of the film being advertised on the cover is a romantic comedy.

 Colour Scheme – the colours applied on the page also suggest the genre of the film. The colours
used are white, yellow and red. White represents: light, purity and perfection and these
symbolisations are usually conventions of the romantic comedy genre because in these films there
is always a solution and the film ends in a happy way; perfection can be seen in this aspect of the
romantic comedy genre. Yellow represents happiness, energy but also represents cowardice. All
these connotations of the colour yellow can be related to the genre because happiness and
energy is evident in these films. Energy can be related to the comedy side of things as energy
generates activity and this can be related to comedy. However the representation of cowardice
from the colour yellow can also relate to the genre as romantic comedies also consist of different
relationships and heartbreak, which both are standard conventions of the genre. All these
connotations of the colours match with the genre and its purpose, so it is important to give off
the right vibes to the users by matching the symbolisms of the colours to the genre being
conveyed.
 Font – the font applied on the page is a mixture of serif and sans-serif suggesting the genre of the
film being advertised. Serif fonts have flicks and ticks on the end of the letters suggesting
complications and also elements of secrecy which are standard conventions of romantic comedy
films. The serif font being more central and bold on the page suggests high levels of
complications and secrecy. However there is also sans-serif font applied on the page which may
hint to readers that the film dives into the action, will be fast paced and also that the film will be
in your face. This again conforms to the standard conventions of the drama genre as they are
usually quick and have a set structure to the films. There is a problem, there is a solution and
finally there is a conclusion, most of the films within this genre conform to these stages.
 Layout - in terms of layout the magazine cover has organised and laid out the components on it
professionally and made the magazine up to business standard. This is important in terms of
meeting the purpose because if the magazine cover was to be laid out in a bad manner and was to
look unprofessional then people would not even consider buying the magazine and would look
elsewhere. This would be bad from a business point of view as people would not buy the magazine
due to it looking unprofessional and not up to business standard. All the information on the page
is spread out nicely but to an extent and some bits of information is separated by orange borders
and borders of other pictures on the cover. Also despite there being a lot of information on the
page, the information is nicely spread out to an extent and is not too squashed on the page. This
is good in terms of meeting the purpose as it gives out a professional impression to readers and
this may result in them buying the magazine, therefore increasing business for the companies.

to go and watch the movie the magazine is advertising. The cover shows an image of three actors
and actresses, two male and one female which represents love as the female actress is holding on
to one of the male characters; again the connotations of love represents the drama genre. These
representations suggest that the romantic comedy genre is being conveyed and the target
audience for this type of genre is normally for men and women. So I would say that the magazine
cover is being aimed at men and women. Overall the magazine cover is suitable for the target
audience because firstly it is aimed at men and women and there is nothing on the magazine
audience which is men and women.

 I will now analyse and comment on the magazine cover which represents the Action Thriller
genre. Due to the action thriller film I had researched not being on a magazine cover, I had to
research another action thriller film which was on a magazine cover. I then found Dracula on the
front of the Empire magazine.
 Target Audience – in terms of the target audience, after looking at the magazine cover you would
say this is targeted towards the people who firstly enjoy watching Dracula and secondly people
who like watching films in the category of the Action Thriller genre. This can be told as the cover
is advertising a film which is well known to people and there are certain aspects of the magazine
which conform to the standard conventions of the action thriller genre. The first aspect of the
magazine which promotes the action thriller genre is the image used of the character who has
blood coming out from his mouth. Blood is an element which can be evidenced in nearly all action
thriller films and from this image we can tell this is conforming to the standard conventions of the
action thriller genre; so this is one aspect which promotes the action thriller genre. Another
aspect is the caption beneath the image which says “Bloody Hell”, again the words chosen again
describe and match with the common conventions of the action thriller genre. The words “bloody
hell” put violent images into the readers mind and they will straight away think of genre's such as
action and thriller and hybrids such as action thriller's. So from these certain elements of the
cover we can tell the magazine cover is targeting people who enjoy and watch action thriller
movies.
 Genre – as mentioned above the genre of the film the magazine cover is advertising would be the
action thriller genre. This can be told as also mentioned above through the certain elements on
the magazine cover. The first element which advertises the genre is the caption beneath the
image which says, “ Gary Oldman bites into Bram Stoker's Dracula”. Firstly the name of the movie
is given away which is Dracula; this is a well known movie and the genre can be told through the
name of the movie which its main themes are violence and vampire's. The themes of the movie as
mentioned above conform to the standard conventions of the action thriller genre, so this is one
element which gives away the genre of the film. Another element which gives away the genre, is
the image of the actor who has blood coming out of his mouth and the caption beneath the
image. The caption says “Bloody Hell, which matches with the image of blood coming out of the
actor's mouth. Blood relates to violence and both of these things are common conventions of the
action thriller genre; and these movies are normally fast paced and usually contain bloody scenes.
So the image and caption also give away the genre of the film which is action thriller.

 Colour Scheme – the main colours used on the cover are: different shades of red, white and
black. All these colours have meanings which conform which conform to the usual features of the
action thriller genre. Red symbolises danger, blood, power and strength, symbolisations which
represent the conventions of the action thriller genre. White however symbolises success; despite
the cover showing blood and giving out dark and sinister connotations, white gives out positive
feelings compared to the use of black on the cover. Black represents power, mystery, death and
evilness. All these symbolisms juxtapose against the positivity of the colour white but do however
conform to the standard conventions of the action thriller genre. Mystery, evilness, death and
power are all elements in which you will evidence in the majority of action thriller films. All
these connotations of the colours match with the genre and its purpose, so it is important to give
off the right vibes to the users by matching the symbolisms of the colours to the genre being
conveyed.
 Font – the font style on the cover looks like it is Arial Black. This font is very bold and is a sans-
serif style font. Sans-serif style font implements a strong look to the page and suggests that the
film will get straight into the action. These implementations conform to the standard conventions
of the action thriller genre as they are fast paced and have bloody scenes which match with the
strong look I mentioned the font style (sans-serif) gives out. This again conforms to the standard
conventions of the drama genre as they are usually quick and have a set structure to the films.
There is a problem, there is a solution and finally there is a conclusion, most of the films within
this genre conform to these stages. There is no serif font applied on the page which shows there
is no complications to the movie and it dives straight into the action.
 Layout – in terms of layout the magazine is well organised and the information on the page is
clear and understandable to the reader. Even though the information on the left hand looks
slightly squashed and tight everything else on the page has separate space of its own and looks
professional and up to business standard. This is important as it meets the purpose of the
magazine which is to attract the target audience to buy the magazine. Also if the magazine was
to be badly organised and laid out, then the target audience and people in general would not look
at it twice and will be put off from buying the magazine due to it looking unprofessional and not
up to business standard.

 Suitability and Purpose - the purpose of the magazine cover is to attract a wide target audience
to go and watch the movie the magazine is advertising. The cover shows an image of an actor who
has blood coming out of his mouth and a caption underneath saying “Bloody Hell”, this represents
the genre that is being conveyed which is action thriller. These representations suggest that the
action thriller genre is being conveyed and the target audience for this type of genre is normally
for men and women aged 18 and above. So I would say that the magazine cover is being aimed at
men and women who enjoy the action thriller and are aged 18 and above. Overall the magazine
cover is suitable for the target audience because firstly it is aimed at men and women and there
is nothing on the magazine cover which I would say is inappropriate or would offend, prevent, or
distract the target audience from watching the movie. Both the picture and text on the page are
very suitable for the target audience which is men and women.

A2 Media - Analyzing Magazine Covers

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