Film MagazineIN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Film Magazine Definitions

A regular television, film or radio program comprising a variety of topical news or

entertainment – google.

A periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, typically covering a particular

subject – wiki.

Basic conventions for a film magazine

• Main image of a famous person as the focus point.• Masthead filling the width of the cover and 1/5 of length. Based at the top of the

cover.• Main cover line usually crosses the main image, slightly smaller texts than the

masthead. • A lot of smaller cover lines placed around the main image and below.

Sometimes placed on a banner.• Font for the texts suggests what genre it is.• Bold text to make the main cover line and masthead stand out.• Date and issue number.• Price in pounds and Euros.• Colour schemes determines the genre of the film advertised linking with the

main image.

Empire ConventionsMasthead

Selling line

Red, blue, white and black colour scheme

Image text

Cover lines

Date, price and issue number

Banner with smaller cover line

Magazine website

Main image overlays masthead

Smaller cover lines

Image text covers image to show relationship

barcode

Total Film Conventions

Masthead

Selling line

Red, grey, blue and black colour scheme

Image text

Smaller cover lines

Main image overlays masthead

Cover lines

Film website

Smaller cover lines

barcodeImage text covers image

Empire and Total Film analysisComparisons:• They both include the basic conventions and placed similarly on the cover• Their target markets are between the ages of 16-30• Have colour schemes to set the tone of the cover in relation to the main image• The main image obstructs the view of the magazine title• Barcode placed in the corner between it is not the focus point• Price and date is small as it is insignificant

Contrasts:• Empire seems to be more clustered rather than the more sophisticated look which Total Film has• Total Film’s title is very bold aiming the grab the audiences attention, Empires is skinnier but sharper• The structure for Total Film’s magazine are predominantly centred• Empires structure is in chronological order• Empire includes extra images for different stories, however Total Film sticks to one image (main image)

My Film MagazineSmall cover linesSelling line

Date and price

Empire masthead takes up 1/5 of the page – conventional Empire layout

Main image takes up a lot of the cover as it stands out, main attraction

Barcode, small and insignificant

Main cover lines overlay main image

Only 3 fonts used throughout

Banner with cover line – extra info

Borrowing the Empire ‘plus sign’

Red, white and black colour schemes - professional look

Use of all three colours in small space

Image text stands out over darker red

My Film Magazine AnalysisUsing conventions of real film magazine• Using colour schemes to show the genre of the main images film • Banner at the bottom of the page overlaying the main mage. This is extra information for the audience to see – less important• Main image takes up half of the page whilst the masthead takes up around one fifth usually crossing over such as in my magazine

Developing Conventions of real film magazines• The use of a QR code which is a recent technology improvement• ‘The con is on’ is in a different font

Challenging Conventional Film magazine• Main image at an angle with text placed around it• Mixture of features from Empire and Total Film - The use of the Empire masthead and plus sign - Empire Structure - Using one image is a conventional Total Film style as it wants its audience to concentrate of just that main image.