Ancillary Products: Conventions of a Magazine Cover

Magazine covers are designed for the same purpose as a film poster, to advertise and attract the audience into wanting to watch the featured film. Below are some of the conventions of a magazine cover:

Focal images:
A magazine conventionally has a focal image in the middle of its cover. This is typically the main character of the film, clearly showing the actor playing the character, using the star system to attract fans of the actor. The images featured on the cover are relevant to the film and normally include iconic mise en scene, costumes and props, in order to hint at the narrative and portray the genre clearly to the reader. In the example shown on the left of the film magazine Empire, with The Bourne Legacy (2012) as it's main feature on the cover, the main character is holding a gun - hinting to the audience that the film is an action film, as guns are an icon of that genre. The focal image is also using direct mode of address towards the audience, also conventional of focal images, making it more personal as it is like the character is connecting with the reader, thus attracting them towards the cover. The Bar code is always also featured on a magazine front cover; placed on the side, top or bottom of the page.

Typography:

The typography or font is repeated on all of the film's promotional packs, similar to the colour scheme so that it is recognisable to the audience as to what film the product is advertising. In the example on the left, you can see Empire advertising Interstellar (2014) on their cover. The typography used refers to the narrative and themes in the film. The font is in blue, a colour that is often related to space, and the typography used almost looks futuristic and scientific, two themes that are often explored in science fiction films, which is what Interstellar is. Additional titles/text are given to the audience in order to persuade them to buy the magazine and to make the cover more eye catching. These usually include exclusive stories, interviews with actors, and production and backstage information. The masthead is often manipulated to fit with the theme of the film it is promoting, also making it more eye catching and identifiable for the audience. The masthead is always located at the top of the magazine cover. The lead story is normally bold and large, often relating to the main focal image. Sell lines are conventional as they persuade the audience to buy the magazine; free gifts, competitions, exclusives, and the price of the magazine itself.

Colour palette/scheme:

 

The colour palette is a very important aspect to a magazine cover. The colour scheme is always relatable to the film and it's genre. For example, in the Empire example on the left, promoting Tron: Legacy (2010), the colour blue is constant throughout, as blue is also a constant colour throughout the film's narrative and in the film's promotional package and branding. Bright and bold colours are used in order to attract the audiences attention and make it stand out amongst other magazines on the competitive market. Certain colours are also iconic for certain genres, for example a light pink colour would be iconic for a romance genre, whereas a dark red colour would be iconic for a horror genre.