Thriller magazine format research

By Jemima Wright

The masthead is the most distinctive feature of ‘empire’ magazine. This is because although it is always positioned in the same place and remains the exact size, its appearance is forever changing, in order to synchronise with the main film being advertised. In this case the masthead and the film are perfectly suited, the word ‘Hell’ has connotation of death, evil and brutality and we commonly would associate it with fire. This is projected in the masthead as we can see the molten flames eroding the outline of the letters, this is definitely eye catching due to its brightness and prominence.

The main image is the key focal point of the magazine cover, this is a convention of thriller posters, especially when it only involves the antagonist. By doing this the readers are almost forced to glare and depict a huge amount of detail which creates a higher fear factor as we are face to face with the enemy. The use of mode of address is also used to send a chill down the audiences spine, this is because it is cold and emphasises evil. We can immediately tell that the subject of the image is a ‘devil’ this is not only reinforced by the title ‘Hell Boy’ however his horns and red skin is amplified, this helps establish the genre of the film, as demonic creatures are commonly associated with thriller/horror films. His stern, uninviting facial expression and big clenched fists helps us to build a representation of his character, we can clearly tell that he is violent with clear bad intentions.

The magazine uses many conventional features of a front cover, for example its various tag lines. At the left side of the main image, we are provided with glimpses of information about other articles which will feature in the magazine. They are formatted in the same way, where the film title is written in a bigger, bolder font in order to grab the readers attention, Bellow each tagline in smaller typography less significant information is listed, this is to tempt us an audience to want to read more. The presentation of the tagline is intentional, the fact that its dominant and hard to miss reinstates the genre of films being advertised, this is supported by the use of words such as ‘Blood’ which not only has horrific connotations, however it is an essential factor of thriller films.

The layout of the magazine, is conventional of not only the franchise ‘Empire’, however of film magazines in general. The masthead is positioned in a dominant position at the top of the page. The main image is just below the masthead in a central position, accompanied by anchorage text. There are various taglines at the left hand side of the main image, assisted by other traditional aspects such as a slogan, barcode, straplines and pricing. As a result of this formal, visually satisfying layout, the company looked well established, therefore giving the audience more confidence in spending there money on consuming the product. The layout can really help the audience identify a professional company from an amateur one. The colour scheme is essential in establishing the genre of the

movies being advertised. In films about romance, colours such as white are the most prominence, this is because it emphasises purity and innocence and steers away from any negativity. On the contrary thriller films revolve around danger and darkness, therefore the colours red and black are nearly always evident in there promotion. Despite this the colour white is usually also included, though for different reasons than my prior statement. The colour white highly contrasts black and red, therefore it allows it to stand out whilst also foreshadowing the contrast of good vs evil.

The main taglines promoting the feature film are placed below the central image, this is a convention of film magazines as our eyes are naturally averted to them after we acknowledge the main image. The typography is also different to the other taglines, there significantly larger and the font is bolder, consequently this emphasises their importance. This is absolutely vital, in assuring that the main feature is recognised and regarded higher than the other more subordinate films.

Sell lines have also been used, they are easily distinguished due to there format. They are placed in shapes such as circles and rectangles with a gold fill. The colour gold not only makes them stand out, however it is a prestige colour making the audience instantly associate them with importance. These sell lines differ from taglines as they use persuasive phrases which are purely there to tempt you to read on. Sell lines are extremely useful on front covers as they add more depth and excite the reader by using enigmas.

The Skyline usually involves a persuasive phrase or provides extra information about an article in the magazine. In this case the skyline is extremely attention seeking, by telling the audience that it is the magazine of the year, gives the audience more of an incentive to buy it regardless of what is presented to them on the cover, as they know it will be of high quality. Beneath this the price is included, this is written in small font as the magazine doesn’t have to compete with making it cheap, as the audience will but it despite this.

The central image involves the main protagonist of the film, Chris Evans. Due to his well established career in acting, fans from his films prior to this one such as fantastic four, will recognise him and are consequently more likely to be drawn to the magazine. He is positioned in the centre of the page, this ensures that he is the main focal point. The way that his head covers some of the masthead creates a 3D illusion, this adds depth to the cover. His dominant stance and cold stare gives us the ability to build a representation of the character, we can tell that he holds a significant amount of power and is a superior character in the film. His direct mode of address, gives us the impression that he is staring at us straight in the eye, this is done intentionally as it catches our attention. His costume almost blends into the background image of which is the American flag, this tells us that the film is likely to revolve around patriotism, this is definitely a key selling point from viewers from America, as they will associate it with their country making them more interested in the narrative. His costume also could suggest that he is some type of fighter or superhero due to the appearance of armour, this is exaggerated by his big frame, which reasserts his power. The emphasis on the shield that the protagonist is holding, not only suggests that the film is likely to consists of a lot of action, however it also emphasises his role in the film, he is more likely to be the hero not the villain. Hence the fact we see him with protective weapons and clenched fist, making it appear that he is ready to take on the enemy.

The Masthead again follows the same convention as always, it is placed at the top centre, whilst differing in order to comply with the theme of the main feature film. In this case, the masthead is quite simple and doesn’t incorporate any special effects, this Is because there is a lot going on within the central image and background, that it needs to be bold and concise. The use of white makes it stand out from the blue and white colours featured behind.

In comparison to other issues of Empire magazines, this specific one has a lack of cover lines. I believe this is because the main feature is so famous and influential, that they don’t want any attention to be withdrawn from it. They are smaller and less spread out this makes them give less of an impact, however their positioning and use of different colours still ensure that they don’t go unnoticed. They usually incorporate puns or enigmas in order to reel the audience in, in this case they are each very striking. For instance ‘The REAL exorcist’ this is enticing as thriller fans will be exited to find out whom it may be as we have always been led to believe they are a fictional character.

The anchorage text is extremely dominant. The title of the film is positioned in the centre, this immediately draws us to it, its very large font which is identical to the masthead also ensures it is acknowledge. Beneath this the texts stands out, this is because the yellow is a lot more noticeable due to the text predominantly being presented in white. This text also helps us distinguish the genre the use of the words ‘Superhero’ and ‘War’ initiate that there is going to be action and thrill. A puff is also used, this is also anchorage text, as it attracts audience, its placement in a colour filled shape makes it extremely dominant on the page. A Plug has been inserted at the bottom, this is a conventional way of advertising as it provides more information, creating more of a buzz.

The colour scheme goes against the usually convention of a thriller/magazine colour, as they typically revolve around red, black and white. However this has intentionally been done in order to emphasise the patriotism. The cover is a lot more bright in comparison to the more stereotypical cover, by including bright colours such as yellow which are usually associated with happiness makes it stand out from the rest of the magazines of the same genre. By going against this convention suggests that the film may also not conform to stereotypes.

The central image is a mid shot of the male protagonist standing in an authoritative stance, he is not making any mode of address to the audience and therefore looking away from the camera. Consequently this disables us from building any connection with him or being able to deduce any emotions from his eyes, leaving him a mysterious figure. Despite this we can see that he is pulling a stern serious face, this does provide us with a slight perception of his character. The use of backlighting complimented by the slight low angle shot, make him appear superior, this is because it creates an impact due to his outline appearing sharp and rigid. His smart attire tells us that he is in a position of power due to the use of the colour black and immaculate suit, this is reinforced by the gun in his hand. The weapon is iconography of for many thriller/action films, preparing us for danger, death and destruction, by not focusing to much on it in the main image, creates an enigma to confuse the audience. The background image is interesting as from a glance it doesn’t make much sense, however if you look closely, you can see that it’s a Birdseye view of a city, this emphasises the protagonists dislocation from his surrounding, which could imply an element of illusion.

The Masthead is positioned at the top of the page, this is because our eyes naturally will glance at this section first, enabling us to establish the company first. Additionally this has purposely been done due to the way that magazine are stacked on a shelf, this positioning will allow the masthead to still be seen Empire are a well established magazine which consequently already provides us with a good preconception of what is yet to come, before evening opening the media text. The fact that it is the largest text, makes it stand out from the other typography, catching the readers attention and asserting its power. The colour of the masthead is red, which is extremely bold, this not only fits in with the rest of the colour scheme, making it visually satisfying, however it makes it incredibly dominant. The fact that the masthead is slightly disguised behind the actors head, creates a three dimensional feel whilst also assuring that the readers focus is drawn to the image straight after the masthead.

The Directors name is positioned above the main tagline of the film title. This is a convention of film posters, as usually if the director is well know and established, then people will immediately recognize the name and link it to previous work they may have directed. Consequently he will already have a fan base which will have faith in the fact that this film lives up to his high quality reputation. Leonardo DiCaprio’s name however isn't on the cover, this is because his name is very recognisable and in a sense, speaks for itself.

The website for the magazine is positioned in a more simple, smaller font, this enables the audience to discover more information about the films mentioned on cover, whilst not withdrawing any attention from the main components of the front cover. Sell lines have also been included, they are written in colour filled shapes, this detaches them from the rest of the cover as they stand out more, consequently we are more likely to notice them. Thy use buzz words and persuasive devices to excite the audience.

There are various Cover lines either side of the central image which however are not to do with the main article. These are convention of film magazines, as they are there to promote other movies. Due to the smaller font, they consequently allow for many films to be recognised, this tells the audience that the magazine involves a lot of substance. The actual films name is in a larger font, this initially allows fans to identify their favourite films, below them there is extra information to entice the reader. The way that the cover lines are slanted inwards is interesting, this is because it creates the illusion that they are being pulled into the magazine, this could foreshadow the narrative on the film, where the protagonist is sucked into his dreams and reality becomes disorientated.

The strap line which states ‘The dark night returns’ is a reference to the director Christopher Nolan who is accountable for both films Inception and The Batman trilogy, therefore increasing there target demographic and tempting fans to watch Inception. Anchorage has also been used below this ‘Matrix meets 007 on steroids’ this attaches more of a meaning to the main image whilst giving the audience an idea of what the film is like. By comparing it to two very successful films, the audience are more likely to want to watch it.

Thankyou for watching