This document analyzes the cover designs of magazines advertising films to see how they follow genre conventions. It discusses several magazine covers and movie posters, noting elements like the use of stars' names and images, font sizes and colors, title placements, and design elements that provide information or intrigue audiences. Overall, the covers are found to employ standard techniques like prominent mastheads and cover lines that effectively advertise the films while coinciding with the genres' expected tones and styles.

1. {
Ancillary Research
Ellie Hickey

2. The masthead is in a large, bold font, which
makes it stand out against the
countertypically light background of the
main image. This is countertypical to the
genre of the film it is advertising (dramatic
thriller) as the writing is a bright purple
colour. This doesn’t seem to represent the
genre as dark and mysterious, which is one
of the main conventions of this particular
genre. Also, the main image covers part of
the title to show that it is the main focus of
the article.
The main image is clearly showing the two main
characters of the film. Both of the characters on
the cover are played by very famous actors,
which may have been done purposefully to
attract the audience to want to go and see the
film even more.
The main cover line simply
displays the name of the film in a
large, bold font, which, like the
masthead, stands out against the
background. However, the
writing is black, which is more in
tone with the dramatic thriller
genre of the film.
Unlike the main cover line, the writing
underneath it is smaller and not as easy to
notice. This is because the font is
white/yellow, which doesn’t stand out as
much on the lighter background of the
main image. This also lets the reader know
that this magazine is mainly going to cover
the film it is advertising.

3. The main image of the poster
is very stereotypical to the
conventions of this particular
genre of film (thriller drama).
This is because it includes the
two main characters, played
by two very well-known
actors, in the middle of the
poster. The image is also in
black and white, which keeps
within the conventions as it
shows that the film is very
dark and that it involves a
mystery.
The title of the film is just
underneath the main
image, which is
stereotypical in most film
posters of this genre.
Also, the font is large,
bold and stands out
against the black and
white background, which
catches the audience’s
attention and may
encourage them to watch
the film.
The poster also has extra
information at the top
stating that the story is
from a best-selling book,
which may encourage
both the existing fanbase
and other people to go
and see the film.

4. Gone Girl is advertised by the same magazine as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so the
features of the front cover are quite similar. However, the masthead of this cover seems to
coincide well with the genre of the film as the colour scheme is very plain and simple, yet
dark and mysterious at the same time. This will immediately notify the audience that the
genre is a dramatic thriller as the whole front cover keeps in tone with the same creepy
and twisted idea that the film creates, which is a convention of this particular genre.
The main image, like The
Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo, is of the two main
characters of the film and
are, again, played by
recognisable actors. The
masthead is overlapped
by this image to show
that the main article is
going to be about the
film, therefore attracting
the audience’s attention.
Also, the image clearly
shows that the woman is
dead, which adds to the
emphasis of the mystery
of the film, which is
another convention of
magazine front covers.
The main cover line is
presented in a similar
way to the masthead in
the fact that it is a large,
bold font that stands
out against the colour
scheme of the main
image. Again, it is the
title of the film so it is
clear to the audience
what the main article is
going to be about. Also,
the other cover lines
are much smaller but
still give some very
brief information about
what is in the
magazine, which is
another convention of
magazine covers.

5. The position of the main
title of this poster is quite
different to The Girl with
the Dragon Tattoo as it is in
the middle instead of nearer
the bottom of the poster.
Also, the writing is quite big
and bold but it doesn’t
stand out as much, which
could signify to the
audience that there is an
unsolved mystery and a
twisted plotline included in
the film, therefore engaging
them straight away and
encouraging them to go and
see the film.
The main image also
includes the main
characters, but on a much
smaller scale. It looks like
the clouds in the image are
covering the title to add to
the mystery and also
emphasise the main
characters at the bottom
and in the very faint
picture of the eyes at the
top.
There is also extra
information about the film
at the top, stating the other
well-known films the
director has made. Also, it
includes the names of the
main actors, who are also
very famous, which will
also help to grab the
audience’s attention.

6. Although it follows all of the conventions, this magazine front cover is very different from the other two.
The masthead is large, bold and brightly coloured to match the colour scheme of the whole front cover,
which immediately attracts the attention from the audience. Unlike the others, this magazine has a sky
line above the masthead that gives a very basic overview of what it is about, and as it is on the top it is the
first thing the audience will see when they look at the pile of magazines, so they will know straight away
what they are reading when they first look at it. This is conventional because it is a very easy way to
attract the audience’s attention from the first look. However, the colour of the writing of the sky line does
now stand out as much against the background as the masthead, therefore drawing more attention to the
title of the magazine.
The main cover line is the
same colour as the
masthead, which
automatically shows that it
is the main piece of
information as it also stands
out from the colours of the
main image.
There are lots of other
smaller cover lines
scattered around the
page to show the other
stories that are in the
magazine other than the
lead article that is the
film it is advertising.
The main image, like the
other covers, is of the main
character, who is, again,
played by a very famous
actor, which is another
thing to easily grab an
audience’s attention. The
colour scheme is very
bright and clear, which
keeps in tone with the
conventions of sci-fi
drama films, especially
with the use of the white
and blue colours.

7. The main image on this
poster is quite plain and
simple, yet very effective.
The main character is in the
centre and stands out
against the background,
despite the fact that his
costume is the same colour
as the background.
However, this is
conventional to the sci-fi
drama film because it
creates the effect of an
adventure and also a
mystery at the same time,
which will grip the
audience’s attention straight
away.
This poster doesn’t include
any extra information at the
top, but instead shows the
names of the actors who
play the main characters of
the film, most of which are
very famous, which will
attract an audience even
more.
The main title of the film is
displayed underneath the
main image, and yet again
stands out against the
background colours,
making it easier to see.
However, the font is quite
small and simple but an
effect is used to emphasise
it so that the audience will
find it intriguing.

8. This magazine cover of the film Inception also follows the
conventions of both magazine covers and sci-fi thriller
films. For example, the masthead is in a very big and bold
font, but doesn’t stand out as much due to the fact that it
seems to blend in with the colour scheme of the main
image. Also, there is a sky line which states in an eye-
catching large, red font that it is ‘the mind blowing issue’,
which immediately attracts the audience as they will want
to see what is so ‘mind-blowing’about the main article.
The main image completely follows all the conventions
of a sci-fi thriller film. This is because, as well as the use
of the famous actor who plays the main character being
shown in the middle, the colour scheme of the whole
image is dark and gloomy, which coincides very well
with the plot and the theme of the film.
The main cover line is the part that seems to stand
out the most as the font is large, bold and uses the
right colour to stand out over the image in the
background. However, some of the letters are
slightly darker than the rest so it adds in that extra
effect of the genre of the film so the audience finds
it more interesting and intriguing to look at.
Like the last magazine, this cover also uses
lots of smaller, less obvious cover lines. This
effect may have been used to fill up the page
to make it come across as more eye-catching.
It also includes a button, which talks about
something completely different to the main
article, but also attracts attention at the same
time.

9. The main image of this
poster is much more in
depth and detailed as there
is a lot more going on. Some
of the lead characters are in
the centre of the poster,
making them the focus.
However, it is different to
other posters because it is
stereotypically just the main
character on the front
instead of lots of other
characters. But this
technique is also very
effective because it reveals a
basic overview of the plot of
the film.
The names of the top-billed
cast are listed at the top in
smaller, less clear writing
but also in a colour that
stands out just enough for it
to be seen. However, the
lead cast member’s name is
above the rest, which shows
he is the most important
character in the film. Also,
this has been done because
Leonardo DiCaprio is a very
famous actor with many
fans who would want to see
the film.
The main title stands out
over the background
completely as the red font
used contrasts against the
dark, gloomy looking
colours of the main image,
therefore catching the
audience’s eye very easily
and gripping them straight
away.