Captain America Magazine Analysis

Empire is a movie magazine that in this March issue is advertising Captain America. 'Captain America - The First Avenger’ was released in 2011, directed by Joe Johnston and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is a cross genre of action, adventure and sci-fi. This provides the  magazine with many elements of genres to work with when it came to designing a magazine cover to advertise it.

Colour

 There is a colour scheme consisting of blue, red and white. Yellow, dark green, grey and black can also be seen but they are less important in terms of conveying the appropriate images and themes. The main theme is the American theme which the consumer can see as soon as they look at the cover as there is an overwhelming display of the American colours, flag and symbols through the feature article photograph, the masthead and the background. The background is the American flag consisting of blue, white and red. There are also a lot of greys and blacks (especially near the bottom of the background) which make the flag look as though it is worn out and quite dirty. This could be foreshadowing how Captain America is going to go through a lot in the film (battles.. etc.) If you look closely at the flag it looks as though it is made of wood, implying that the flag is made out of a sturdy material which suggests that America is a strong country and that Captain America is a strong protagonist. This all brings the consumer back to the idea of patriotism. American fans will find themselves feeling incredibly patriotic and more likely to buy the magazine

Feature Article Photograph

The main image is a medium long shot of the protagonist Captain America himself. He is dressed in an updated version of his iconic costume that dates back to old marvel magazines. This costume uses blue, white, green, red and brown . The white star (which is the character icon) can be seen on the chest of his costume and on his shield. This updated version allows fans to see Captain America in a more polished way while still keeping clear his identity, his mise en scene and the things that he is recognized by (eg the star shield).  

Text

The text is mainly in the colours white and yellow. These stand out over Captain America and the background. The masthead and title of the film is in white while most of the other text is in yellow. The exception to this is the banner at the bottom of the cover which uses the colours black, grey and white in order to advertise a 4+ page special inside the magazine. To have colours like these that do not entirely conform to the theme of colours but go well with the colours is typical as it lets the audience know that the information is not directly related to the main image but is worth knowing if the consumer is interested in buying the magazine.  The choice of colours has worked very well as for example, near the top of the magazine where the issue date and price is shown the text is in the colour white this stands out well against the blue background and could have been much less effective if it was a red font against a blue background. The genres in Captain America are a mixture of action and adventure. The use of bright colours heavily suggest that the film will involve action. Adventure is hinted at through Captain America’s costume and stance as he looks as though he’s ready to either battle someone or go (on an adventure) to find someone. I believe this genre is best portrayed through the flag looking as though it has been through a lot (and has a grey dust over it). The consumer is likely to infer that this was caused by some kind of supernatural being which could then make them think of the sci-fi genre.

Target Audience

I believe the target audience for this film is mainly based around the fan base from the franchise that is 'Marvel’ - stereotypically males (from 11-18). Sci-fi related themes are stereotypically something males enjoy more than females, as as this theme's very obvious from just looking at the cover it heavily suggests males are targeted more. In addition to this blue and red are typically colours that males prefer (instead of typically female colours like pink and purple.) This demographic are attracted with the use of Captain America as the main image in his typical costume. Along with this the text ‘how summer’s biggest superhero went to war’ is a line that will attract a lot of people as they will want to buy the magazine to see how he did. Due to the incredibly successful Marvel franchise I definitely think a lot of females could be attracted by this cover and want to buy it (especially from seeing the actor Chris Evans, as Captain America.) The suggested genres and colours seen on the magazine cover could also appeal to some females.

Titles, Plugs and Puff

The use of titles, plugs and a puff all contribute to the format greatly. They occupy what would otherwise be ‘negative space’ on the cover and give the consumer another place for them to focus on. Above the masthead there is a puff which advertises the magazine itself rather than the film as a brand but this still adds to the format. All of the other text relates to either Captain America or other content inside the magazine. These have all been carefully selected to give the audience a little bit of information but not too much to overwhelm them or make them think that they do not need to buy the magazine.

Layout

The main image on this cover is Captain America himself and this is placed directly in the centre of the magazine occupying a lot of space and making it easily the focal point for the whole cover.  A 3D effect is provided by laying some of the content behind him and some in front. He is clearly in front of the background flag image but by also placing the masthead behind him makes him stand out even more. The banner at the bottom of the cover is in the foreground and therefore in front of Captain America. However, his shield and satchel are positioned so that the lowest part of them go over the top of the banner, this overall creates a great visual effect and adds a real depth to the cover.  The masthead is conventionally at the top of the magazine with a puff above it. The additional information about the issue date and pricing is in a text that is a lot smaller and is placed above the M in Empire. This is a good place in terms of layout as it allows it to obviously be seen (as it is so close to the masthead) but also not take up too much space, which can be used for taglines and plugs to persuade the audience to buy the magazine. 

Paddington Magazine Analysis

Masthead
The masthead is conventionally positioned at the top of the from cover and goes across the full width of the page. However the depth is not conventional as it does not go down a third of the page. I believe the decision for this size to be changed was made because it would disrupt the background of the feature article photograph too much. If it was to go down further it would obstruct the readers view of the window - in which we can see out. This gives the reader and insight into Paddingtons' home and his journey so is an important part of the magazine cover. Therefore in order not to obstruct the image - the designers have used effects rather than size in order for this masthead to still stand out to the readers. An outer glow has been put on the masthead in order for it to still be bold and eye-catching to a reader. 

A short puff appears conventionally positioned above the masthead; 'Your free monthly music magazine!' The buzzword 'free' is very appealing to the consumer and the use of an exclamation mark creates a sense of excitement. This could be enough to convince the consumer to read the magazine as it is completely free.

Feature Article Photograph
A mid-shot of Paddington is shown with a direct mode of address as he is looking directly towards the consumer and is raising his hat as if he is meeting them for the first time. This impacts the reader greatly as it creates a connection between them and the protagonist of the film. This gives the magazine a welcoming tone and highlights that this is going to be a family-friendly film. The negative space around him allows the reader to see his surroundings and situation. It also allows the reader to appreciate what is being shown without being overwhelmed with information - as many of the magazine readers are likely to be young children as they are the demographic for this film.

Coverline
The word 'BEAR' immediately allows the reader to make the connection between the coverline and the feature article photograph (of the bear.) This is unusual but the use of the pun is successful in immediately grabbing the readers attention. The text of the coverline however, does follow conventions. The size of the font is much larger than that of the other fonts (except the masthead) meaning that it stands out to the reader and grabs there attention - which is good as this is the main selling point of this issue of the magazine. The colour of the text relates to the feature article photograph - the browny-colour of the font is very similar to that of the bear in which it is describing. The fact that it is a warm brown rather than a harsh dark brown connotes the warmth and friendliness of the character portrayed. 

Underneath a brief description of the film has been written in an upbeat language. This text is in lower-case and uses a different font. This change in image draw's the readers eye to it as it is clear that it has some content that is worth reading.

Plugs
The plugs are unconventional as they are not flushed left or flushed right but instead are centred. There is also a lot of negative space that connotes that this magazine is likely to be very visual and informal - which is appropriate for the young demographic. There is a sell-line at the bottom of the magazine which is placed with the intention of persuading the audience to stay reading the magazine for as long as possible.

Gone Girl Front Cover Analysis

Masthead and Title

As Entertainment is a well-known magazine and has a developed brand identity the masthead is one of the first things the reader will look at. Two heads from the feature photograph are in front of the masthead and slightly cover some of the letters. Entertainment do this in order to show their high status and how well known they are, as the reader doesn’t need to be able to see the whole masthead in order to know what it reads. The masthead is a white on a scene-background is conventional for a film-magazine.This connotes to the reader that the magazine will be in a conventional style and will stick to the ‘rules’ of magazines throughout, such as colour schemes, columns, although it has a lot of negative space. The font of the Entertainment in the title is very sophisticated, which connotes to the magazine audience that it will be a well written magazine, for people who are serious about films to read to get useful information from about the films they're interested in.  

The name of the magazine 'Entertainment' connotes positivity and encouragement, implying that the magazine will engaging be to the reader. The colour of the masthead, white, contrasts to that of the picture, which makes it boldly stand out and will immediately catch the readers attention. The laid back font creates an informal house-style and informs the reader that it will be an easy, relaxed read. The fact that it is superimposed, positioned behind the image portrays that it is an established and well known brand. The word 'weekly' is included within the last four letters of the masthead. This not only exaggerates the fact that they're a well-established brand but also emphasises to the reader that the magazine is weekly and therefore they should read it each week.

Feature Article Photograph

The colours of the photograph are cool toned and clinical, which are commonly associated with mental wellbeing. This connotes sadness and loneliness, provoking emotion in the viewer. The shot is a birds eye view shot and a long shot. The combination of these shows of the protagonist make her seem exposed and in danger. The protagonists mise-on scene of her blank facial expressions connote vulnerability and death. 

The theme of death is highlighted again through the rest of the mise-en-scene (the table filled with medical equipment beside her, the tag on her foot and the metal bed that the two characters are lying on). This establishes the mystery genre as it makes the reader intrigued about what has happened to her. The male character next to her intensifies the sense of mystery as he appears to be possessive and his entirely black costume connotes evil and danger. There is binary opposites used between the two costumes as she is in white which connotes purity and innocence, whereas he is wearing very dark, harsh colours. 

Coverline and Plugs

The cover line is used to anchor the polysemy of the feature article photograph, as it has an ambiguity surrounding it. This leaves the viewer unaware of why the protagonist is in the situation - and therefore intrigued to watch the film or trailer. It is written in a bold font which makes it clear to the reader that it is the title of the film. The block capitals intensify it and highlight the significance of the words. The white font creates a strong house style. There is also yellow and blue colours used which match the plugs and the cool tones of the feature article photograph. The plugs are flushed left and flushed right and are successful in fulfilling their purpose of promoting the contents of the magazine and encouraging the reader to read the magazine. The plugs follow conventions by using the same colour scheme as the rest of the front cover to create a strong house style and brand identity.