Total Film Magazine

Below these images where taken from varying websites; the first one taken from the website, www.uniquemagazines.co.uk the prince of persia front cover was taken from the website www.totalfilm.com along with the Avatar front cover.


Total Film Magazine

I chose to analyse some magazine covers from Total Film magazine which is the main competitor to Empire. After my research on the codes and conventions of magazines and their layout, structure and contents.

In the April 2009 issue of Total film some of these conventions are clearly shown. Firstly, the image which has been chosen is a close up shot of a mans face looking out directly towards the audience immediately having the effect of making the connection between the front cover of the magazine and the target audience as it is almost as if the man is staring at the purchaser of the magazine. The man has a determined and serious look on his face giving the audience the impression that the man is focused and is showing no fear or intimidation as he is staring straight ahead confronting the audience head on without turning his face away.

There is a limited amount of colour on the front cover which goes against the typical conventions expected of movie magazine front covers. The main dominating colours are black, white and grey. In the image of the mans face therefore, the audience's attention is attracted to the bright white of the mans eyes which stand out and almost pierce through the dull background. this gives the effect that the man is staring directly at the audience and is almost intimidating, however this sparks the audiences interest in the image and results in them picking up the magazine and looking more intently at the front cover, therefore the magazine has achieved it's purpose with the use of this image in the way that it has provoked the audiences interest and influenced them into picking up their magazine front shelves of many different magazines as their front cover stands out and is appealing. It was important for the magazine to add some element to this cover in order for them to achieve this as the lack of colour gives the cover a dull image, which alternatively could be the look that the magazine was trying to achieve, however after my research i discovered that magazines main selling points is their front covers which tend to be bright and bold and eye-catching in order to draw their audeinces attention in.

The use of the greyscale colours gives the front cover a metallic look and creates an imagery of sci-fi futeristic spaceships and technology, which suggests to the audience that the character is involved in some sci-fi futeristic world. The black and white could also possibly be a reference as to how old the series of Star Trek is, however this is the modern day remake of Star Trek but in the form of a film. Due to the black and white colour choices the man almost doesnt look real and almost looks plastic and shiny again this could be referncing that these men arent normal human beings. Another reason for this colour choice could be a direct link with the heading 'THE BOLDEST AND COOLEST FILM OF 2009' As the image due to it being black and white is bold and and dark and emphasises the characters facial features whilst the dull colours could also provide the image with a cool, good-looking, hard man image.

This issue of Total Film has also challenged the typical conventions in the way that they have positioned their main feature headline towards the bottom of the magazine. Typically the titles for the magazines main feature are accompanied closely alongside the main image of the magazine, having the effect that the audience can make the connection between the two, also the title of the article is one of the main elements of the magazine front cover that the audience see, therefore it generally is placed in the centre of the magazine in order for the audiences eyes to be attracted straight to it. However in this case Total Film have made the decision to place the title of the feature at the very bottom of the magazine where it could be possibly hidden away when the magazines end up being stacked behind other magazines on shelves. Also due to it been quite far away, then normal from the magazines main image, it looks as if the two are not connected and that the title is to do with something else. However the text itself typically follows the standard conventions by being big and bold and bright in order for it to stand out against the dark background, resulting in the audiences attention being grabbed by the text. As Star Trek is an old series which is well-known and quite popular the magazine are obviously relying on this being the text which lures the audience in, as there is no other reference to Star Trek other than this piece of text, and the image itself doesnt provide any information as to the genre of film or any indications to the audiences of a storyline. This is an unusual idea again as most images contained in film magazines tend to have things such as props within the images themselves in order to help the audience to make the connection as to what type of film it is and possibly an indication into the characters lives and the storyline. However the magazine has followed the conventions in the way that they have placed the main title 'STAR TREK' in a bigger and bolder font in order for it to be eye-catching to the audience, and then placing the other piece of text 'THE BOLDEST AND COOLEST FILM OF 2009' In a smaller font as this is not as important as the main text this is just supporting and promoting the main text above and therefore the magazine dont want this to take the audiences focus away from this.

Again the magazine has challenged the conventions in the way that they have placed the text 'World Exclusive', in a really small and red font, although the red stands out against the dull and colourless background the text is unusually small. Text like World Exclusive and Total Access etc creates an excitement in the audience and makes them feel as though they are getting information before others and encourages them to purchase the magazine as they want to read the exclusive information about the new blockbuster film due to be released.

The magazine has followed the convention seen in Empire magazine and in other magazines with the way in which they have decided to place more articles about their features included in this issue around the magazine. in doing so they are providing their audience with some more influential devices to encourage them to purchase the magazine as they can view what else is featured and some of the stories may appeal to them, it is also highlighting the wide range of features included in this issue to the audiences. They have also opted for the same technique as found in most magazines by the way in which the magazine prints a bigger and bolder title of the feature before including a brief snippet of information underneath in a smaller and plainer font providing the audience with a brief insight as to what the features are about. The magazine has made the decision to place the name of three films across the very top of their front cover. 'UP.SHERLOCK HOLMES. POTTER 5', This is produced in a bright red font and is bold and stands out against the bland and colourless background making it eye-catching to the audience advertising yet more blockbuster films are included in this issue of the magazine. The film relies on the knowledge that their audience are film fans and recognise these titles, however things such as Potter 5 is targeting a wider audience as many people know the harry potter series and therefore by placing well-known and hugely popular films like Harry potter at the top of the magazine where it is clearly visible and attracts the audiences attention, again this could be one of the influential selling points of the magazine as the Harry Potter films have a huge fan base and so total film is using this knowledge to help sell their magazine by covering the well loved film in the knowledge that their audience will be encouraged to purchase it.

The magazine also includes an advertisement of 4 amazing covers, here the magazine has created four different front covers for their magazine in relation with the Star Trek film in order for the audience to be able to collect all four of the covers. This lets the audience think that they have to collect the other three front covers that have been designed in order for them to collect them all, which has the effect of the audience purchasing the magazine again and again to collect the different front covers which have been produced which means an increase in magazine sales which results in more profit for the company who are selling virtually the same magazine but just with a different cover.

The magazines title is creative in the way that some of the title is within the title. As 'Total' is printed within the 'F' of Film, again the title of the magazine is bold and in a bright white font making it stand out against the background of the magazine. The title is eye-catching and big which a title needs to be and catches the audiences attention, making it not only attractive for new potential buyers, but also for regular buyers who just search through the magazines for the iconic title which is always the same in every issue.

The magazine again typically uses the common elements such as the barcode, which again after my research i discovered doesnt have a set place on the magazine front cover and it is moved around in order to fit in with the structure of the front cover. It is generally however tucked away in a corner as it is not really important for the audience to see. The magazine also has opted to follow Empires idea of placing their magazine price, issue number and date in the gap of the 'M' in their title 'Film', this is the same technique used by Empire where their details are positioned in the gap of the 'M' in their title.


In this issue of Total Film magazine, which is a recent issue from January 2010 is a perfect example of some of the conventions which are common in most magazines.

In this issue there isnt any text placed anywhere around the magazine informing the audience on other features included in the magazine, resulting in the magazine looking naturally less cluttered, this stops the audiences attention being distracted from the other elements and lets them draw their attention to the cover which is dominated by the magazines main image and title which the magazine relies on in order to catch their audiences attention and encourage them to pick up and purchase their magazine.

The magazines main image is a mid-shot of an alien like human figure. Straight away this provokes interest in the audience and makes them want to know more about the image. The main figure on the front is staring out of the magazine directly towards the audience giving the figure an image of not being intimidated or scared and is looking head on. Again, as i have discovered with most images contained on the front covers of these film magazines is that the characters in the images always have determined and serious looking expressions intended to excite and interest the audience in the images. The figure in this image has orange marks in his face giving the image of war paint indicating that the figure is some sort of warrior, the figure also has the look of a stereotypical warrior with long braided hair, the chains around the figures neck have a look of native indians and tribal again suggesting tribal warriors and indicating that this figure is a warrior. The figure is also fairly muscley again suggesting to the audience that the character is a fighter and he is the heroic figure of the film. However features such as the bright green eyes of the character which stand out against the blue dominated background, the bright green eyes pierce through the blue background and are eye-catching to the audience immediately indicating that this figure is not human, the pink insides of the figures ear also have the effect of standing out against the blue and dark coloured background, drawing the audiences attention to the fact that the characters ears again arent human, reinforcing to the audience that this character is not human, possibly suggesting that the genre of the film is sci-fi. The image is powerful and bold, whilst also being interesting prompting the audience into wanting to look further at the magazine as their attention is attracted to it. The use of the colour blue for the magazines background again is bright, sharp and colourful and would have the effect of standing out against the other magazine front covers, singling itself out from the rest to draw the audiences attention away from the other magazines and towards theirs.

The blue/turqoise background creates imagery of the sea and gives the front cover a feeling of cool and calmness suggesting to the audience that this figure is cool and is going to be the heroic male stereotype who wins the battle, however it also contrasts with the warrior imagery of the figure as the blue colour suggests a feeling of calm suggesting that the figure is a character of peace and calmness. The blue could also be an indication of water, which is a feature in the magazine as the Avatar's are contained in tanks of blue water, the colour also suggests a eery and mysterious feel to the image and almost has a fantasy and mythical imagery to it.

The magazine has chosen to produce the title in a bright white and bold font in order for it to stand out against the dark blue background. This has the effect of making the title eye-catching and the magazine has made the decision on just including the main image and the title 'AVATAR' as they are relying on the knowledge that Avatar has been recieving a lot of hype during the lead up to it's release and it is also ready making the record books as being the most expensive films produced and the audience where eagerly awaiting its ten year production release in 3d. The magazine is relying on this knowledge that their target audience will already know a great deal about the Avatar film and therefore they will have knowledge of the films storyline and characters and therefore the magazine doesn't need to include a lot of this information. Instead they can just include the instantly recognisable blue face of the Avatar and right the title Avatar and their target audience will instantly already know the film they are talking about and due to the hype surrounding this film, this image will be the magazines main selling point as people want to read more about this eagerly anticipated film. However again this magazine issue has challenged the typical magazine conventions in the way that they have again chosen to place the title of the film at the bottom of the cover, meaning that the other magazines which are possibly going to be stacked in front of their magazine meaning that the title will not be seen so therefore the magazine have to rely on the main image which is the well-known figure of the Avatar to attract readers to their magazine and tempt them to pick up the magazine. Again the magazine has chosen to add more text underneath the main title 'A DECADE IN THE MAKING', Here the magazine are playing on the audiences knowledge of the fact that the film has taken ten years to produce, therefore they are playing on the fact that the audiences expectations are high and stating that the film is finally here and that their magazine is going to give the audiences what they want, thus making the audience feel as though they are finally getting a more in depth insight into Avatar and feel as though the magazine is in some way providing them a service by getting them the information as soon as they get the information.

Again this issue of the magazine has used the same iconic title of 'Total Film' which is always the same with every issue, having the effect that the audience can see this title and easily spot it out in a stack of magazines for regular readers of the magazine to spot whilst also being bright and bold and standing out against the cover to catch potential buyers attention. Again the magazine has also chosen to add the price, issue number and date in the same place where it is always situated in the middle of the 'M' in the title.

This magazine has also included a small piece of text in the very bottom right hand corner saying EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBERS EDITION. This has the effects of making scubscribers of the magazine feel as though they are special and recieving a special edition of the magazine which is therefore making them feel special which results in them purchasing more editions of the magazine and carry on subscribing which results in the magazine having a regular audience purchasing each issue of their magazine.


Again this is another recent issue from April 2010. At first glance i believe that this magazine has included most of the conventions that the audiences expect to see when purchasing a magazine.

Firstly the image of this magaine includes two figures with the male figure standing in a dominant stance in front of the female straight away indicating that he is protective of her and is standing in front of her to shield her from the danger, straight away suggesting to the audience that these two characters could be involved in a relationship i.e man or wife, or lovers.
The male figure has been made to look like a stereotypical heroic male warrior, this is seen by; firstly the way in which the man is dressed. He is dressed in metal armour plates across his chest and a bandana type material wrapped around his waist which is iconographic with the era in which the film is set, which instantly tells the audience the period when the film is set. The metal armour on the mans chest suggests that he is some kind of warrior who is involved with fighting and battles again suggesting that he is a fighter, a man who shows no fear and is prepared to fight to the death for what he believes in. The man is holding two swords with no shield suggesting to the audience that the man is not bothered about protection highlighting the characters bravery and fearless attitude, or it could also suggest that the character doesn't believe he needs a shield as he is too skilled and an advanced fighter. It however could indicate the characters brutal and violent nature in battle as he unleashes on his enemy. The characters long black hair blowing in the wind creates a dramatic effect on the characters face, also the moustache and the beard creates a manly image suggesting he is a testosterone fueled, strong and good-looking male which is generally the stereotypical heroic figure.

The woman standing behind him is also created to the stereotypes. The woman has got quite a babyish face which suggests youth and vulnerability highlighting possibly why the male is protecting her. This is also seen by the clothing which the woman is wearing. Her dress is also iconographic of the era reinforcing the time period which the film is set along with the old weapons of the swords. The womans pink dress again has the effect of creating her in an image that makes her look like a 'girlie' girl which again suggests her innocence and vulnerability and highlights why the dominant male figure is standing in front of her to protect her from the looming danger. The male is also standing up straight, pushing his chest out with his shoulders back emphasising his size and masculinity trying to exert his manliness and strength. The man is also shown to be bigger than the woman showing him to be the protective male of the small and vulnerable women.

The background image of this front cover again suggests the time period for this film showing ancient style palaces and pyramids situated somewhere out in the desert with soldiers on horses charging forward in the background. All of these features indicate to the audience that the film is set a long time ago whilst also giving a hint to the location where the action of the film is situated. Out of all of the main images from the magazine front covers, i feel this one conveys the most information to the audiences and is an interesting and creative cover which would encourage the audience to focus their attention on it and influence them to purchase the magazine.

The titles main heading has been produced in a gold and bold font with gold swirls emerging from the middle of the title giving it an ancient feel which fits in with the whole image of the rest of the magazine. The magazine is unusually for this magazine, placed almost central on the front cover laying directly on top of the male character possibly making the connection that this man is the 'prince of persia'. The title is again creative and fits in with the general image and style which has been created. This style is again reinforced in the text running along the top of the magazine stating 'THE EPIC ADVENTURE ISSUE.' which has been created again in the golden font which again suggests wealth and the overall colours from the period such as the deserts and the mans golden armour. The EPIC ADVENTURE ISSUE text being in bold catches the audiences attention and immediately tells the audience what to expect in this issue and infroms them on what this issue is going to be focusing on whilst also advertising to not only fans of this particular genre but also by promoting the Epic issue regular readers or films fans will be excited by the prospect of an epic issue which suggests a lot of good feature stories and possibly a bigger paged issue which excites the audience and influences them to purchase the magazine.

The magazine also uses many more spaces on the cover to place more features that are going to be included in this issue of the magazine, whilst also including a PLUS section running along the bottom highlighting yet more features to be included in this issue. Again this issue of the magazine does this in the same way as it has done in previous issues as well as Empire magazine also do too, in the way that they include headings of the features in this case in a bold white font in a red boxed background so that the text stands out and the audiences attention is immediately drawn to it. This issue relies on the audiences previous film knowledge for example by having one words headings such as 'TITANS', 'HEROES' and 'WARRIORS', again all of these three suggest warriors and fighters and reinforces to the audience that this issue is an adventure issue featuring clash of the titans warriors the prince of persia warriors etc. Underneath these headings the magazine complies with the standard conventions by giving the audience a brief insight into what the features are going to be about in an attempt to influence them to purchase the magazine. After researching and analysing many magazines i discovered that most of the features on the front covers included; well-known feature films, well known film stars, freebies, and other features such as the best films of 2010 and the best music of 2010 in an attempt to cover topics which include a wide variety of people in order to encourage potential purchasers of the magazine that this magazine offers something for everyone. This magazine obviously features more on the cover than usual as it is an Epic issue and so there is obviously going to be more features included in this issue.

The maazine also includes an advertisement saying '3 FEARLESS WORLD EXCLUSIVES' this is relating to the three main features on the front cover of prince of persia, the titans and the Warriors, the adjective fearless again reinforces to the audience that these figure are fearless warriors. The number 3 is produced in the same gold periodic font which has been used a lot on this front cover to show to the audience that this advertisement is linked in with the prince of persia featured on the front cover and the epic adventure issue.

The magazine again includes the iconic title 'Total Film', in this issue the characters heads in the image go over the title, highlighting that this is a well-known and established magazine as the magazine isnt bothered that part of their title is hidden away, this shows that Total Film feel comfortable that people know and like their magazine and feel as if they can place things over the title as the audience will still recognise it as Total Film magazine.

The magazine also features the common features such as the magazines barcode which i have discovered is always placed on the front cover so that it is presumably easier to find and scan when audiences are purchasing the magazines, the magazines issue number, date and price are again placed in the same position in the gap in the letter 'M' of their title, the same idea is used in Empire magazine, suggesting that one of the magazines lifted this idea and decided to interpret it in their design.

Ancilliary Products - Front Page of Movie magazine

All of the Images below are taken from www.empireonline.com in their Magazine front cover archives.

Empire Magazine

Using the extensive research which i had obtained on the typical codes and conventions of many magazines, i then took a selection of magazine front covers from the two main competitors to my film magazine which are; Total Film and Empire. I then began to deconstruct the images of their front covers and critically analyse their features.

In the James Bond front cover, it is clear to see that the magazine has chosen to have a main dominating image taking up most of their page. This is typical of not only movie magazines but of most magazines in general. Having the one main picture has the effect of the image standing out and is clearly visible to see. Here by using the well known figure of Pierce Brosnan the audience immediately make the association between the star and James Bond the character he is well-known for playing and the most famous role probably in british film. Also by having pierce Brosnan dressed in the suit, wearing a rolex watch and having the silenced pistol; with all of these elements being key to the James Bond character. Straight away people connect the image on the front cover with the well-known action figure of James Bond. This has the effect of the well-known action figure on the front cover being one of the issues main selling points. As the James Bond films are notably liked by nearly everyone by using this figure the magazine is appealing to a large precentage of people and in doing so is targeting not only 'movie buffs' but is also targeting the wider audience of James Bond fans, this in turn could influence people to purchase the magazine due to their interest in the James Bond films which this issue is drawing attention to.

The image which they have chosen is effective as it engages the audience with the magazine. The gun looks as if it is protruding from out of the magazine and gives the image a 3d perspective which captures the audiences attention and prompts interest and excitement in the reader, encouraging them to look at the magazine for longer to see what the image is about, also the notable figure of James Bond, again would have the same effect as it targets fans of the James Bond films whilst also appeals to film fans who want to know good films that are coming out. The character has adopted a firm stance and has a look of calm determination and concentration as he looks straight down the barrell of his gun, drawing attention to the fact that the character is calm and cool in dramatic and life threatening situations and shows no fear, presenting the character in a heroic light. The character is also dressed smartly in an expensive looking suit and shirt with a rolex watch indictating that the character is cool, he is smart whilst also maintaining the characters macho and rugged persona by the inclusion of the symbolic walther ppk.

The magazine relies on the main figure of James Bond to draw the audiences attention, as the front cover is dominated by lots of headings, sud-headings and text which fails to attract the audiences attention, so by making the decision of placing such an iconic figure on the cover of the magazine, it has the effect of drawing the audiences attention and influences them to look at the magazine and read the rest of the text. In the order of the audiences interest, the next thing which would capture their attention would be the bigger, bolder and brighter of the titles on the front cover as these are the images which catches the audiences eye. In this edition this would be the text 'BEST BOND EVER DIE ANOTHER DAY' This is the boldest and biggest text besides the title on the magazine and links with the image of James Bond on the cover. having this situated close to the left of the magazine makes it easier for the audience to make the connection between the main image of James Bond and the headline of the feature as to what is included in the magazine about the james bond films, the magazine is drawing upon this as the magazines main selling point, and in doing so has centralised the image and the text, also by making the word 'BOND' as being the boldest and biggest text, by the title, on the front cover has the effect of this text being eye-catching by the audience and draws their attention to it, again having the effect of making it easier for the audience to make the connection between the image and the text surrounding the image. Also by using the audiences liking of Bond films the magazine is using this knowledge in order for them to use this image to promote their magazine. The 'Total Access' text underneath is smaller in comparison with the James Bond text due to this being the attraction for the audience, the magazine is relying on their knowledge of their target audience that they will be drawn to the text regarding the Bond films and will inevitably see the text difectly underneath the Bond text so therefore there is no need in making it a brighter and bolder font as it may take the amphasis away from the James Bond headline which the magazine are relying on to catch their audiences attention and draw them in with the hope of it influencing them to purchase the magazine. The Total Access text prompts excitement in the reader again as it indicates that James Bond is going to be a big feature in this magazine and that the reader are going to be given a special total access to the film which could include behind the scenes, interviews, information about the film, photographs taken during filming, all of these appeal to not only a great number of fans of the Bond movie but also film fans in general whose interest and excitement is prompted by the idea of being given total access to a blockbuster movie.

The magazine also uses sub-headings such as 'Arnie Exclusive T3 on set' and '45 Best Rock 'N' Roll moments in movie history.' These are smaller and less visible in comparison with the Bond text as the magazine doesnt want the emphasis to be taken away from the James Bond feature as that is the main selling point of the issue, however these features such as the reference to arnold swarsanagger in terminator 3, where the magazine is using filming jargon such as Arnie and T3 as it is relying on their target audience of film lovers to know what these references mean.

The use of the different colours in the sub-headings has the effect of not only making certain words stand out amongst the others such as in this issue the word 'BOND', it also has the effect of making the front page look more interesting, instead of having all of the text the same colour where it would appear quite plain and bland.

The magazine boasts Empires iconic title which is generally in the same style and font in each issue of the magazine. The title is bold and bright and easy to see and like all magazines is situated towards the top so that if the magazine, once distributed to the stores, is to be sold on a shelf with magazines in front of it, the magazines title can still clearly be seen for audiences looking for that specific title.

As is common with most issues of both Empire and Total Film magazines, this issue has more feature articles highlighted to the audience running along the top of the magazine and also a small column down the right hand side of the page. The sub-headings are again shown in a brighter and bigger font to clearly display that these are the sub-headings of other features in the magazines with the smaller text underneath providing the audience with brief snippets of information as to what these features are about.

Although Empire's ideology is to also promote low budget and lesser known movies, these very rarely make the front cover as it is main blockbuster films such as Terminator and James Bond which attract the audiences attention. the promotional phrase 'The UK's No1 Movie Magazine', is also regularly featured on the front covers of Empire magazine. and highlights to the audience and the prospective audience that Empire is the best movie magazine in the UK, using this slogan to advertise and promote their magazine to new and potential buyers.

The advertisement in the red circle on the front cover of the magazine saying 'HUGE 196 PAGE ISSUE', makes the audience feel they are getting more for their money and has the effect of firstly exciting current readers of the magazine as they are interested to know what is included in the bumper issue and are exicted by the prospect of more stories and reviews, whilst it also has the effect of influencing new and potential buyers by making them feel as though they are paying a low price for the Bumper issue.

The cover also includes some of the typical codes and conventions featured on every magazine; for example the barcode. In Empire front covers he barcode unlike some magazines doesnt have a set place and is constantly moved around to fit in with the issues structure. The magazines price, issue number and date nearly always are displayed in the middle of the M in the title Empire so it is close to the title of the magazine so audiences can view the magazine and find the price easily without having to search for it. This technique has also been carried out by the Total film magazine (as seen above)



This march issue of Empire magazine from 2007 uses a lot of the codes and conventions of magazines which i have discovered from my research.

Firstly, the images in the magazines i have analysed recently have contained just the one figure, this one has challenged the conventions of the one main dominating image of a figure by placing an image of three characters. This image is common in the way that it dominates the entire cover with the rest of the elements such as headings, sub-headings and other images are placed around the main image.

The three figures have all adopted dominant male heroic stances straight away suggesting to the audience that they are all action figures, they all appear cool and tough indicating to the audience that they are the stereotypical action hero, highlighting to the audience that this issue is concentrating on the action genre.
The image of Bruce Willis to the left however shows a contrast with the other two characters. His character has cuts and blood on his face suggesting to the audience that he has been injured indicating that he has been involved in some form of violence. The characters clothes also appear dirty and has a rugged look to them sugesting that this character has been involved in a long journey of violence and struggle and he has finally arrived at this point. The character has a weapon holster which indicates again to the audience viewing this image that this character uses weapons and is obviously involved in dangerous situations which could be the cause of his injured and been through the mill image.

The character towards the right of the image shows a figure of a dominant stylish male. Contrasting with the image of Bruce Willis the image of Simon Pegg doesnt appear to be injured and his clothes appear to be clean and smart with his sunglasses suggesting that the character is cool and stylish. The character is wearing a police officers clothing suggesting a possible career which the character has, as he is also holding a pump action shotgun and looking directly towards the audience it suggests that the character possibly goes about his action through his career as there would be no point in showing the character dressed this way if it wasnt relevant to what he does for his career. Both the figures of Bruce Willis and Simon Pegg are shown with weapons indicating the danger the characters must challenge and fight suggesting the action, whereas the character directly in the middle of Matt Damon is shown with no weapon. This could be due to the fact that there has been prequels to the film which the magazine is featuring the article on, therefore people know of this character and know his profession. The magazine is again using the audiences knowledge and relying on the audience to know that Matt Damons character has special training and is an assassin and doesnt need a gun to kill, also there is no need to use these props to indicate to the audience that he is an action figure as people already know due to the previous films what to expect from the film this issue of the magazine is featuring.

Matt Damon's character is again looking directly out towards the audience and has adopted a firm stance, he has a cool and calm composure suggesting that through all of the violence and action fueled journey which he has been through he remains cool and calm. This image appeals to the testosterone of men by showing all of the characters being cool, tough and stylish men. As Matt Damon has been placed directly in the middle between both Pegg and Willis, it suggests that Empire are prioritising Matt Damon's movie 'The Bourne Ultimatum' as being the main feature with the other two still being main features however not as important as The bourne Ultimatum suggesting that the magazine know of the previous films successes and will be interested and excited about reading the feature of the next film in the series.

The image has a background effect of an explosion going off behind the three character creating the effect of the three main characters emerging from the flames and the action. This suggests bombs and explosions with the three figures emerging from the chaotic action. The helicopters in the distance of the explosive background suggests that the help and the authorities are arriving after all of the action has taken place and all of the destruction is over and the three heroic looking figures have defeated the destructive forces and are emerging from the destruction victorious. The brightly coloured background also has the effect of making the magazine cover stand out and be eye-catching towards the audience. By having an eye-catching and interesting image and background the magazine stands out amongst the other magazines and so the audiences attention will inevitably be attracted to the Empire magazine front cover which would influence them to look at the magazine, by drawing the audiences attention to the interesting cover it could encourage them to purchase the magazine.

The main headlines for the issue of the magazine are situated in the centre of the magazine. Again evidence that the magazine has decided to promote the 'Bourne Ultimatum' as the main feature of the magazine by producing this headline in a bright red, big and bold font. This text stands out against all of the other headlines and text indicating that this is what Empire wants their target audience's attention to focus upon. The text again like in other issues of the magazine is placed directly on top of the image of Matt Damon connecting the character of Damon with the text directly on top of him with the name of the film which his character is associated with. Directly underneath this is the magazines other two main headlines. 'DIE HARD 4' and 'HOT FUZZ'. Both of these headings are smaller than the Bourne Ultimatum heading again highlighting that the main emphasis is on the feature for the Bourne Ultimatum and that the other two features are supporting the Bourne Ultimatum as being more popular, eagerly anticipated blockbuster movies. Both of these have been placed side by side to show that these two are as equally important as each other, the magazine has creatively placed the 'Hot Fuzz' headline towards the right to go alongside the image of Pegg who is the star of that film and vice versa with the text of Die hard 4 which has been placed towards the left close to the image of Bruce Willis.

The magazine also has two smaller images in the bottom left hand corner of two film posters which the magazine is giving away with the purchase of this issue. The images display to the audience what the free posters look like and if their are fans of these films they may be encouraged to purchase the magazine, it also has the same effect on general movie fans who are excited at the prospect of free film posters. The word 'FREE' is created in a big and bold, bright white font in order for this word to stand out against the dark colours which dominate the bottom half of this magazine front cover. This makes the word stand out and attracts the audiences attention immediately diverting their attention as to what comes free with the magazine, many audiences are influenced by free gifts and so placing the text 'FREE' in an easily visible font prompts excitement and interest in the audience and can encourage potential buyers to purchase the magazine.

The magazine again features a Plus section giving more features which are included in the magazine, after much research into the conventions contained in Empire magazines i discovered that the 'Plus' section was a common feature im most of their front covers, after further research i also discovered that this is similar with Total Film magazine also. This has the effect of informing the reader of more features which they may be interested in contained in this issue of the magazine, these features are not as important in comparison with the feature films displayed on the front cover, however these small features could still influence people to purchase the magazine if they see a feature which sparks their interest, it also gives fans and readers of the magazine an brief insight where they know they can look to find out what else is contained in this issue other than the three feature films.

Again the iconic Empire title is again situated at the top of the magazine, the font and style of the title of this magazine rarely changes and the title is easily recognisable, making it easy to see on shelves and in stores. However in this issue the effect of bullet holes in the title indicates to the audience that this issue is going to be a special issue as the title is nearly always the same, however the inclusion of special effects in the title indicates to the audience that the title has changed and therefore this issue is obviously a special issue, which in this case, bullet holes conote guns, violence and action, suggesting to the audience that this issue of the magazaine is centred around the action film genre.

This is reinforced to the audience in the phrase situated directly at the top of the magazine above the magazines title where it is clear to see and stands out. 'EXPLOSIVE ACTION ISSUE.' The use of the adjective Explosive and the noun Action indicates to the audience that the magazine is focusing on explosions, shooting guns, bullets and focusing their attention on the Action genre. By placing this text in a black and bold font at the top of the magazine it is clear for the audience to see that the issue is an action special and therefore fans of the genre and general film fans who sway more to the action genre will be encouraged to purchase the magazine.

The magazine cover also uses the common features of most magazines for example the barcode and the magazine price, issue no and date which is situated at the top of the magazine close to the title so that the audience can easily spot the price without having to search for it and possibly lose interest in purchasing the magazine. By making it easily visible the audience know straight away how much it is and whether or not they are interested. Also by placing the price at the top the audience clearly see the price however the interesting and creative cover and the exciting text such as '3 KILLER MOVIES 3 DYNAMITE WORLD EXCLUSIVES'. The use of words such as killer, dynamite, explosive, action suggests a packed action issue which again prompts excitement in the audience and takes their mind away from the price of the magazine, influencing them to purchase the magazine.




More of the codes and conventions of magazines are seen in this August issue of Empire Magazine in 2008.

This is another front cover issue where there is more than the one image on the cover. In this case their are five people presented on the front cover. In the centre of the cover and in the middle of the group of people is Bruce Willis. Here the magazine has chosen to place the image of the biggest named star of Bruce Willis directly in the centre as he is deemed to be the most important and the selling point of the magazine.

The shot is unusually a low-angle shot as typically the for the front cover of the magazines would be either a close up or mid shot head on with the figure looking directly out towards the audience to make a connection between the audience and the magazine. However this convention has been challenged in this issue. The effect of the low-angle shot makes the figures look more dominant and powerful.
Bruce Willis's dominant stance looking down sugests that he is looking down the barrell of his gun towards something off the page. He has a look of conviction on his face asthough he is about to pull the trigger on an enemy lying on the ground. As willis is wearing a suit with the collar turned up gives him an image of a dark and shadowy character lurking in the darkness casting him in an image of an assassin or powerful man, possibly a gangster or police officer. The male figure standing to the left of Willis pointing his gun directly ahead of Willis suggests that there are multiple enemies around indicating to the audience that the scene being presented to them is a situation of danger and violence. The character to the far right of willis too is shown holding a weapon in his hand again indicating the violent and dangerous situations these characters are being placed in. However both of the women characters which are placed in between the men are shown to be not holding weapons suggesting that weapons are for the men suggesting that they know how to use them and they are the ones who get involved in the action and the danger.
The effect of the bouncing rain creates a dramatic and exciting vibe to the scene and shows that the characters are heroic and arnt bothered about the rain. The white lights towards the top of the magazine casts a white glow across the characters faces along with the blue background and the rain portraying them in a heroic and dramatic image.

The magazine also uses the effect of a film reel running directly along the bottom of the magazine is a creative idea. The film reel is associated with films and the film making process and by placing film stills of features covered in the magazine it is a creative way or informing to their audience what other features are contained in the magazine without just listing them. By placing the pictures in the film reel it is a creative and interesting idea which appeals and attracts the audience. This also shows the audience what else is featured in the magazine and in turn uses more images which can influence the audience to purchase the magazine.

The main headline running again over the picture saying 'BRUCE WILLIS' AND 'SIN CITY' are placed in a bright and bold white font so that the two can be connected. This makes it easier for the audience to see that the two are placed closely together in the same size, colour and font seperated only by a small piece of text so that it is easy for the audience to be able to make the connection between the two pieces of text. 'Bruce willis' 'Sin City' Straight away the audience can make the connection between the main star of the film and the name of the blockbuster film that they are starring in. By choosing to have the text 'and the all star cast', in a smaller font and different colour doesnt take the eye-catching effect away from the main text which associates the star and film and attracts the audience, however the smaller still has the effect of attracting the audience by mentioning the films all star cast, here the audience are excited about the fact that the film being featured has lots of big stars as stars are generally associated with good films and this therefore influences the film loving audience who are the target audience of Empire magazine to want to read more.

The magazine, again has chosen to place text running along the very top of the magazine as is usual with most magazines is the text 'THE BEST MOVIE NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS AND DVD.' By using the adjective 'best' the magazine is trying to advertise how good their magazine is in an attempt to advertise and try to encourage more people to keep buying their magazine as it is the 'best' 'uk no1 film magazine'.

Again this issue shares the common codes and conventions in the way of the barcode and the issue no, date and price which are placed in exactly the same place in every issues front cover in order for the audience to be able to spot it.

Experimenting with editing techniques

During the editing process i learnt of some new effects called Matrox media effects which enabled me to alter the overall image of my film trailer; for example i learnt how to add a pulsing blur effect which i used to show at the beginning of my film trailer to show Johnson opening his eyes after possibly being shot. I also learnt how to place a green tint over a shot which i decided to place over my scenes showing CCTV to create an image of night vision. I also discovered how to include sunlight orbs to show the sun glinting in the camera to create a realistic lighting effect to the scenes. All of these effects are shown in the video above.

Final Edit of my Film Trailer

This is the finished product of my film trailer after it has been completely edited using adobe premier pro editing software.

Test Shoots / Screen Tests

These are some test shots i did where i checked if the lighting was going to be bright enough for me to film my scenes in without them appearing to dark. Luckily all of the locations in which i filmed these test shots provided enough light for me to be able to film effectively and produce some good and effective looking shots to contribute to my film trailer.

Production of 30 second Teaser Trailer

After having produced my film trailer i decided to create a thirty second teaser trailer, i produced this by mixing shots taken from my film trailer and shortening them down so that they appeared short and in quick sucession to create a tense and fast-moving exciting atmosphere to my film trailer. I created this to be shown possibly on tv in the adverts to give the audience a quick teaser into my film to get prompt their excitement and expectations in my film before they are shown the film trailer.

Edit Log Sheet

This is my edit log sheet which i filled in everytime i used the editing suites. It documents how long i spend editing my footage whilst also records everything that i have learnt and work that i have accomplished in this time period.

During the course of the editing period i learnt a vast number of new skills which contributed greatly to the production and overall appearance of my film trailer.

Pre-Production Research Questionnaire (and Results) and Audience Feedback