This magazine cover uses a large main image of a red devil character overlapping the masthead to make it stand out. The masthead has been altered to look burned with fire to match the devil image. Secondary features are listed on the left in white text against the black background. The main headline is placed on the image in white to link it clearly. The second cover again uses a large overlapping main image, this time of two characters, with text placed strategically around it. The third cover stands out with its big bright red magazine title not overlapped by the image. It features a recognizable Harry Potter face needing no film title. All covers strategically place additional text to enhance the color schemes and draw the eye without over

1. Magazine Cover Analysis

2. The first noticeable feature of this front cover is the large main image, it overlaps the masthead, this making it stand out further and really feel like it is jumping out of the page. The masthead itself is the company’s usual known logo, however it has been turned red and had fire and burn marks added, combined with roughened edges, to give it a feel of being on fire, this links well with the main image being of a red devil type character, suggesting fire itself. The black background of the page really contrasts the red, making the character and text stand out a lot, which would be very noticeable when on a shelf in a shop. The dateline and price are positioned in the slope of the M, they are small, meaning not overly in the way as they are not 100% necessary information, they are also colored red, which makes them fit in with the colour scheme. The secondary features are all listed down the left hand side, between masthead and the main image, these are of a medium size and colored white, really contrasting the black and standing out, beneath I a bit of smaller text explaining the story further, however it does not stand out as much, due to being smaller and a darker colour, this could be so that if someone doesn’t like a film, they don’t end up reading it whilst looking what else there is. The barcode is positioned bottom left, and horizontally, this is because there is not much else going on here, and being horizontal it appears to the eye to take up less room although it does not. The bottom middle we finally get the main headline for the main image on the page, it is in white to keep the colour scheme, it is quite big, and it is positioned on the image showing a clear link. The 2 of the title is covered by a pug, although it covers the 2, there is enough left showing that the reader can tell it is a 2, and that the film is Hellboy 2, the Hellboy is most important, as people going to want to read about Hellboy 2, will have most likely been fans of the first and liked it, so will read it from just the Hellboy alone anyway. The overlapping pug is designed to look as though it has stuck up the corner, this going well with it suggestion a sneak preview, as showing that open the page to get it. It has been made very bright, so it stands out, to make people believe they are getting a sneak preview when in fact its what they would have gotten anyway.

3. This cover is very minimal yet very effective, again the first noticeable part is the big main image, however this time a 2 shot instead of a medium close up, this could be as the film has 2 main characters instead of 1. Again the image overlaps the masthead, however this time the background is no a plain black, and is an explosion fitting in with the scene the men are at at the bottom of the page, this really making the image feel as if it is coming out. The secondary feature is positioned right in the skyline of the magazine, and is in red, this although would usually make text stand out a lot, here slightly blends to the background as it not as obtrusive in comparison to the main headline at the bottom. The main headline is the same colour and font, however being slightly bigger, and based on the darker part of the picture, it stands out a lot more then the secondary feature. The poster again like the last uses white bits of text to contrast with the red, for the less important parts of text. In the masthead again they have hidden dateline and web address in the M’s slope. The masthead as well has had the ;total’ part of text cleared through, to show the background image, to give it it’s colour, this is nice as it adds to the colour scheme. The secondary features have been positioned both left and right hand side of the image on this magazine, this allows them to be slightly bigger then if were just on one side to fit them, yet still doesn’t become obtrusive and cover the main image. The last feature is that the barcode again is positioned in a bottom corner, and is vertical as opposed to horizontal, it again seems to take up less space, although would use the same if it was twisted 90 degrees to horizontal.

4. This magazine is very different to the others. The first noticeable part of this cover is the magazine title, it is big and bright red making it stand out a lot. Unlike the other 2 the image does not overlap it, this making it stand out more. The main image is still a large full page image. It is also of a very recognized face from the harry potter film series. This links in with the fact the title of the film is not displayed on the front cover like the others, as the reader already knows who it is and what it will be about. The dateline, price and website again are all nicely hidden in the gap of the M, and just beneath the, masthead in a small font to hide it, along with the magazines tag line. The secondary stories again are placed down the left hand side, however it has been illustrated with an image bottom left, so as the text doesn’t fit, the main feature which stands out in white has been linked over to the other side by a blue asterix. The image that the text leads onto, has been designed as a polaroid, however the 3 characters overlap the edge, making it feel as if they are jumping out at the reader, and this really helps them to feel as though they are being pulled into the magazine. The 3 characters are linked to text at the bottom of 3 film names, and this can be told by it overlapping one of there legs, so it feels as if there images lead on to this text. The colour scheme again uses the red and white text, with a dark image as a background. A few other colours such as blue and yellow have crept in, but these are very minimal. Along the bottom and the side a striped diagonal effect has been placed on, these just help to draw the eye away from the background when reading text, and also make sure you look there rater then just the main parts. Again on this magazine, the barcode has been placed in the bottom right corner, facing vertically as opposed to horizontally