Film Magazine Analysis - Empire Magazine

We have decided to analyse a variety of different Empire magazine covers and identify the conventions used so that we are able to portray similar conventions on our magazine cover. We chose Empire because it is a British film magazine that reviews both mainstream and art films. It is also a well known and popular film magazine and we believe that we will be able to gain some inspiration from Empire magazines.

The title of the magazine ‘Empire’ is in dark red which could possibly represent blood which provides the viewer with an indication of the films genre. It could also represent danger. The title is bold and is in capital letters which is eye-catching. Just below the title, you can see Empires website which has a smaller font size. The website is shown so the individual knows where to go if they would like to find out more information about what is in the magazine. This also in dark red which reinforces consistency.

The letter ‘P’ in Empire is covered by the jokers head. This has purposely been done in order reinforce the success of the film. Part of the masthead has been covered up by the main image. This shows that the magazine publishers are confident that the viewer will still recognise the name of the magazine, despite part of it being covered up. Above the magazine name, it says ‘World Exclusive’. This also portrays the success of the film. The magazine date and price has been printed in small writing and so is not as easily visible.

The magazines main focal point features an image of Heath Ledger who stars as The Joker in the film ‘The Dark Night’. He is a well known actor and so, viewers will be able to familiarise themselves with the film. The long shot used within the image allows the viewer to witness the joker’s iconic dress code and face paint. The use of bright colours such as the lime green and the purple are eye catching and makes the magazine stand out. The joker is looking directly at the camera and his posture creates an eery atmosphere. The jail bars used within the background represent his dark character.

The font used for the headline ‘Meet The Joker’ is a comic style font which represents the original genre of the film ‘The Dark Night’. The strap line below this says ‘He’s a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown’. The font used for this strap lines makes it seem as if the words have been carved in and the use of alliteration adds to the realism. The batman logo has been positioned in-between the strap line above the mast head and this is an iconic logo. The strap lines have a white font colour and this is so they are able to stand out against the picture of the joker. The font of the strap lines is the same font that is used for the magazine title and this reinforces consistency. The ‘Plus’ indicates to the viewer the other articles and film reviews that are featured in the magazine. The barcode in the bottom left hand corner is a common convention of a magazine.