Researching magazine covers

1. Researching
magazine covers
JAMES THOMPSON

2. Annotating specific magazine covers:
Magazine cover for “Total Film”
Main image which
dominates
Cover lines
Barcode
Strapline
Strapline
Masthead

3. Analysis of “Total Film” magazine cover
 This magazine poster features Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes,
advertising the popular movie franchise. This will persuade people to buy
the magazine, as a magazine such as Total Film is probably trying to attract
a mainstream market as opposed to a niche one.
 The front cover for the Total Film magazine follows all the conventions that
are typically found on magazine covers. These include a masthead, a
strapline, cover lines, and a main image which dominates. The only thing
that the magazine lacks is a proper tagline for Total Film. This could be
representative of Total Film in general.
 The fact that the magazine cover follows all the conventions typically
found on magazine covers means it is fairly representative of magazine
covers in general and as such is a good one to analyse as it could
potentially give me ideas for my own magazine cover.

4. Annotating specific magazine covers:
Magazine cover for “Empire”
Masthead
Main image which
dominates
Barcode
Cover lines
Tagline
Strapline

5. Analysis of “Empire” magazine cover
 This magazine cover is promoting Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
“Empire” stands as the UK’s most popular film magazine, and as such will be
read by many. This means that the magazine cover will probably follow most
of the typical magazine cover conventions in order to be instantly recognizable
as a cover for a famous magazine.
 This magazine cover does follow all the conventions typically associated with
magazine covers. These include a masthead, tagline, strapline, coverlines, a
barcode and a main image which dominates.
 I feel this magazine cover, again, is good to analyse as it is representative of
magazine covers in general, due to following all of the magazine cover
conventions. This magazine cover is stronger in a way as there is a tagline,
meaning it is even more representative of magazine covers than the magazine
cover for Total Film.

6. Annotating specific magazine covers:
Magazine cover for “Sight and Sound”
Main image which
dominates
Tagline
Strapline
Coverlines
Masthead
Barcode

7. Analysis of “Sight and Sound”
magazine cover
 This magazine cover is promoting “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The magazine in
question, Sight and Sound, is a British film magazine that is published monthly. The
magazine is not as popular as the other two magazines that I have analysed, Total Film
and Empire. This could mean that the magazine cover does not follow as many of the
conventions as the other two do.
 This is actually incorrect however, as the magazine cover does follow all of the
conventions that are typically found on magazine covers, with things such as a barcode,
a tagline and coverlines. However the general layout of this magazine cover is slightly
different than the other two. The images and text are more spread out and there is more
empty space. This is probably because the magazine has less stories inside and thus the
editors do not feel the need to place lot’s of promotions for their magazine around the
cover.
 Despite this, the magazine cover is definitely still good to analyse as it follows all the
conventions that are typically found on magazine covers, meaning it is representative of
magazine covers in general and as such is something I should try to follow when I make
my own magazine cover.