Analysing Magazine Front Covers

By Shannen Leader

Magazine 1 – ‘Total Film’

We have a barcode at the bottom right of the page which also indicates the

price and the issue number. This price is not eye catching and easy to locate therefore it is an expensive magazine.

The Masthead is located at the top of the page in big bold lettering

inside the title is extracts from the film and what is going on inside the

main characters head.The main image is of Leonardo

DiCaprio as it is advertising the film his is in, the image is taken from the

setting of the film he looks mysterious, on edge and a slight sense of nerves. Leonardo has been put in front of the Masthead which means he is a high

profile actor and celebrity. It also represents that it is a well known

magazine as you still know the name of the magazine.

The colour scheme of the front cover fits the mood of the film, it always has that sense of worry and confusion. The calm blue colour looks like mist which

gives it the is it real effect. It would attract the male gender as well as the

female which would give it a wider

range of an audience.

There has been use of a Puff Which is used to look as if it has been stuck onto the

magazine after the editing process. It is also used to attract more so than

something else on the page, it usually is advertising an offer or an exclusive.

There is use of a Banner used at the top of the page. These are

supposed to grab the target audiences interest, and they go

across the whole of the page from left to right.

The most important sections of this front cover the editors have decided to change the colour

and have changed it to red and I believe this is more eye

catching you would tend to go and read these bits first. The editors have used the word

‘Mind Blowing’ twice obviously to emphasise how Mind blowing

this issue is.

The is other cover stories placed around the page advertising other

films to come out.

There has been a huge variety of sizes of text on this

page which shows the importance of some of the

things compared to others.

We have the title of the film Leonardo DiCaprio is starring in which is of course in the middle

and centre of the page and is the second largest text on the page

after the Masthead.

Magazine 2 – ‘Empire’ The Masthead is at the top of the page in red which catches the eye especially as the majority of the cover is dark and

dull colours.

The Main Image is of Robert Downey Jr. who plays Sherlock Holmes in the film.

Just like the previous magazine he is the main focus and has been placed in front of the Masthead which shows

higher profile actor and recognition of the magazine is obviously well known. He has his hands in a thinking position to show he is clearly in character this is

clear due to how he is clothed.

There is a Pug been used to show an exclusive of the latest top ‘30 must

see movies’ the 30 has been shown in the colour red which again the

publishers want us to read this over other things.

There is two images on the front cover either side of Robert,

which is advertising two other films which will be spoken about

in the magazine.

There is a banner going across the top of the page.

Strangely there is no price or barcode on this magazine, the price is either a well known

price or it is too expensive that they place it on the back of the magazine.

‘Empire’ is very similar to ‘Total Film’ magazine as they use the same colour scheme and the red to catch the eye that much more. The main characters are both placed in front of the Masthead with the banners on top of the Masthead. On both magazines the title of the film is the centre and middle of the page in front of the main character in the same colour.

The colour scheme is very dull but it fits the genre of the film. The red blends really well with the dark colours as is catches the eye.

Magazine 3 – ‘Vogue’ The Masthead is in a Pink colour and looks like one of the classier fonts. The G is missing which shows it is a

well known magazine.The colour scheme is very standard and chic by using

just the two colours I prefer this rather than a vast variety of colours these two blend very

well together.

Even though the text is placed around the page the different sizes and fonts chosen make it look different and unique. The

bigger the font the more importance it has.

The price is the smallest text on the page it is very faint on the page and it doesn’t stand out

this show it is an expensive magazine.

The main image and only image on the page is of Kate Moss yet again because it only has one image it shows class. It shows

Kate Moss is high profile even if you didn’t know who she was

you would know she has importance as Kate is in front of the Masthead. The main image is also taken again a backdrop unlike the film magazines they

have been taken from the movie.

There is no barcode on the page. There is also no use of a

Pug.

Comparing these magazine front covers to the others you can see

that ‘Vogue’ is aimed towards women with the use of feminine

colours. There is nothing dark about this magazine it has also

not used any use of red unlike the previous. This magazine does only use one main image which does

show some similarity and the price is hidden or small like the others to show that they are all

expensive magazines.

Magazine 4 – ‘Bollywood’This magazine looks like a classy and sophisticated magazine with the fonts and the us of only one

image.

The Masthead like all the previous magazine is located at

the top of the page with the main image placed on top of

the Masthead giving it the celebrity a higher status and

obviously a well know magazine.

There has been more of a variety and colour when it comes to the

text unlike the previous they only stuck to two colours and the same

font.

There is a lot more cover stories on this magazine also

than any of the others maybe to give off the effect that there is a lot more to off

in this magazine.

The same as the other magazines the most

important words or names have been put in either

bold or capitals.

With this magazine the main image has been

taken from a photoshoot rather than from something I get the idea that the more

classier the magazine the more meaning and depth they go to for the image

rather than someone being papped on the street.

There is no barcode on the front of this magazine and

there is not an email address on the front either in fact not one of these magazine has included an email address

which is strange for any magazine. There is no use of a Puff on this front cover.

Once again the price is the smallest piece of text on the page and is located in an

area where it is least likely to be noticed. This means it is

obviously I highly priced magazine.