This document describes the conventions of real film magazines and how the student's film magazine product both adheres to and challenges some of those conventions. It provides definitions of a film magazine. It then outlines typical conventions like the masthead, cover lines, fonts, and color schemes used in magazines like Empire and Total Film. The student's magazine borrows elements from Empire like the masthead and layout but challenges conventions by placing the main image at an angle with text around it rather than over it. It also incorporates newer elements like a QR code while maintaining some traditional conventions like the prominent central image and color schemes tied to genre.

1. Film Magazine
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR PRODUCT
USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Empire Conventions
Masthead
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

5. 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
barcode
Image text covers
image

6. Empire and Total Film analysis
Comparisons:
• 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)

7. My Film Magazine
Small cover lines
Selling 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

8. My Film Magazine Analysis
Using 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.