Evaluation - Conventions of real media products

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? - magazines 


Another part of my marketing campaign was to create a magazine cover. My cover had to advertise my film, therefore it needed to be stimulating and thrilling for my audience. I also wanted my magazine to hold authenticity. This lead me to conducting research into existing magazine covers. 

Below I have included my research and planning for this:

Magazine cover analysis - intro
Magazine cover analysis - Empire
Magazine cover analysis - Total Film

Along with this, I have also analysed magazine covers for different publications. 

Different Film Publication Front Cover Analysis Introduction
SFX Magazine front cover analysis
Sight and Sound front cover analysis
American Cinematographer front cover analysis
Total Film front cover analysis
Empire front cover analysis

Completing this research enabled me to gather a better understanding on whether the type of publication affects the conventions which the magazine cover will have. I discovered that all magazine covers, despite the opposing publications, will have the same conventions. For instance, they all contain a Mast Head, banners, main cover line/cover lines, issue number, dominant central image ect. I also learnt where each of the conventions went and what their purpose is. For instance, the Masthead goes at the top, the image reflects the tone of film being advertised, coverlines tell us what is inside the magazine. In order to convey validity and realism, I made sure I included these conventions on my front cover. 

Magazine cover conventions
Magazine cover conclusion

I had to decide which magazine publication I felt would be appropriate to have my film advertised on. In response to this, I figured that as my film was a Hollywood blockbuster, it would be suitable for it to feature on a mainstream magazine publication. My planning and research into this, enabled me to accurately portray a conventional mainstream magazine cover. 

My main goal was to make my magazine look as authentic as existing mainstream magazine covers. My research into conventions of both publications led me to accurately achieving this. 

Below is my final magazine cover, once flattened: 

I have also included screenshots of each of the conventions, which feature on my cover:

I used bright colours for my banners; red and yellow. I did this in order to enhance the impact of them. Likewise, the contrast of them against the grey background makes them stand out more, which I felt was important as I wanted to engage my audience.  

These are my cover lines, which are included on every magazine cover, in order to make readers aware to what's inside. I have ensured I included cover lines in 'Focus' to create realism for the audience. I also made sure that the names and films mentioned, would be extremely well known in order to suit the tone of a mainstream publication. 

 Conventional mainstream magazines all included a dominant central image, which led me to capturing a photograph of my central antagonist for mine. This makes it clear to the audience on the film which is being advertised. 

This is my Masthead, which I placed at the top of my magazine cover. Mainstream magazines, such as Empire and Total Film, also do this which is why I felt as though it would help make my cover look authentic. 

I included a magazine slogan. My purpose of this was to emphasize my magazine's publication.