The document analyzes several film magazine covers, finding that they typically feature prominent images of protagonists to promote films without revealing too much of the story. The magazines also include taglines, menus and color schemes relating to the featured films' genres. Research on the magazine covers informed the creator's ideas for their own film magazine, particularly favoring the central protagonist image used in Sight & Sound that breaks rules of thirds composition.

1. Analysis of Film Magazine Covers
Freya Rottenbury

2. Empire
Publisher:- Bauer Publishing
Price:- £3.99
Published – Monthly
Target Audience – Main stream and wide
audience, mostly containing big blockbuster
films containing action and thrillers.
Typical Content – Contains a shot of the main
protagonist for the blockbuster films. Usually
surrounded by a scene from the film.
Analysis of Front Cover:- The cover contains
primary colour scheme as well as the usual
basic black and white colour scheme.
Key Points about layout & design:- Follows
a hierarchy of text where the masthead is the
biggest set of text. Also presents a menu strip
where there is an insight to what other stars
and key aspects are included within the
magazine. I think this magazine follows the
usual key concepts of film magazine covers.

3. Total Film
Publisher:- Future Publishing
Price:- £3.99
Published – 13 times a year – once every 4
weeks.
Target Audience – Mainly for men but men
and women aged 18-35 film enthusiasts who
enjoy sharing their film knowledge.
Typical Content – mid/long shot of the key
protagonist with symbolism of the action within
the film including props (gun). Menu strips to
present what is included within the magazine.
Analysis of Front Cover:- the strap line give
the audience a clear view of what the
magazine is about (the modern guide to
movies)
Key Points about layout & design:- the front
cover contains a colour scheme of typical
action thriller in this example other additions
reflect the main feature of what that film is
about.

4. Sight & Sound
Publisher:- British Film Institute (charity
magazine)
Price:- £3.95
Published – Monthly
Target Audience – niche market, the
academic older audience concentrating on the
art of film.
Typical Content – Key protagonist covering
the left and middle thirds of the page. Glimpses
of props and symbolism into the type and
action within the film.
Analysis of Front Cover:- Taglines and menu
strips are included however seem to cover the
right side of the page ignoring the principle of
thirds. Making the reader want to buy the
magazine.
Key Points about layout & design:- black
and yellow logo colour scheme makes the
cover very eye catching. Layout of text
including the hierarchy leads to the audiences
view of a more professional magazine.

5. Little White Lies
Publisher:- The Church of London
Price:- £6 to £30
Published – 6 times a year
Target Audience – Collectors & Film
Enthusiasts.
Typical Content – All examples have a main
protagonist as the focus. Included the title of
the film but doesn’t give away quotes or
storylines.
Analysis of Front Cover:- The key image is of
the main protagonist within the film however it
is not a photograph from the film but a painting
or a piece of artwork of the key character. The
picture used is a close up emphasising the
secrecy towards the film.
Key Points about layout & design:- The
artwork of the main protagonist is central which
contrasts against the principle of thirds like
other magazine covers. The background is
designed using a gradient which is the use of
many different colours going from dark to light.
This is not usually used in magazine covers.

6. SFX
Publisher:- Future PLC
Price:- £4.99
Published – Every 4 Weeks
Target Audience – Compared to other
magazines SFX is more genre specific
furthermore establishing it is male orientated.
This is not exclusive though. The age range is
broad moreover niche audience because films
and televisions programmes that are under the
genre of sci/fi or action thrillers only appear
within the magazine.
Typical Content – mainly contains sci-fi and
action thrillers as well as fantasy films. The
unique selling point is the films and
programmes featured with the front cover as
well as including features and reviews from the
experts.
Analysis of Front Cover:- The front cover is
contempory not traditional meaning that it
appeals to the niche target audience market.
the name SFX stands for film terminology
special effects reinforcing the idea that the
magazine is about sci-fi thrillers.
Key Points about layout & design:- The fonts
used on the front page are futuristic also
establishing the sci-fi genre this is shown
through the style of sans-serif which contains
a curl on the letters. The colour scheme used
behind the portrait of the actor suggests a

7. Summary of film magazine research
 From conducting research into five different magazines I feel like I have really
benefitted in thinking of ideas for my film magazine. The importance of the film
magazine is to advertise the film through promotion of story line (without giving
away too much), unique selling points and key protagonists.
 Through gate-keeping of the editors only the exclusive key points are allowed
onto the front cover in extremely high quality meaning that the image has to be
one that will stick in the audiences minds.
 I really like the image of the key protagonist used on Sight & Sounds front cover,
this is because the image is on a slant with the face central this goes against the
principal of thirds. Also it is a mid shot meaning that more key features of the film
have been included such as the props and costume however it does not give
away too much of the story. I would like to included these conventions of the key
image within my magazine.
 Most of these film magazines such as SFX included the colour scheme linking
the image and magazine to the film and its genre. However these magazines
have a niche audience therefore they present their magazines with fonts that link
into the genre and film.